Surge of a Merge
When the curfew was lifted in the walled city across the Musi, it did seem that sanity was restored in the excited souls. Though the Hyderabadis began to venture tentatively to get back to their routine, the city was still tense in the emotional sense.
By two that afternoon, Raja Rao left for the Wahab Builders, in the bazaar near the Charminar, synonymous with the country’s pearl trade. As Aslam availed a casual leave that day, and since one of the clients was pressing for the blue print, Roopa substituted as the drafter. As usual, Narasaiah was yet to return from an errand.
‘Integral Architects,’ Roopa answered the telephone call at three.
‘It is Wahab calling. Tell Rao saab to stay back. There’s rioting over here.’
‘Oh, hasn’t he reached?’ said Roopa trembling. ‘He left at two.’
‘Inshah Allah,’ said Wahab, ‘he didn’t cross the Musi.’
‘Ask him to call us,’ said Roopa almost inaudibly, ‘as soon as he comes.’
‘Oh surely,’ Wahab hung up hurriedly.
Sandhya who just returned to work then, found Roopa pixilated, and at that she herself was perplexed.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Sandhya asked Roopa concernedly.
‘Wahab rang up,’ Roopa muttered incoherently, ‘It seems they’re rioting at Charminar.’
‘Oh, Raja was supposed to go over there.’
‘He hasn’t reached there yet,’ said Roopa, with tears flowing down her cheeks.
‘Oh, God,’ Sandhya swooned into Roopa’s arms. ‘If he’s harmed, I would die.’
‘So would I, that’s for sure,’ blurted out Roopa, as they wetted each others shoulders.
‘Don’t I know that, lovey,’ said Sandhya wiping Roopa’s tears, ‘Hope God saves him for both of us.’
Unable to bear her anxiety as Sandhya sank into a chair, Roopa rushed to the phone to ring up Ranga Reddy, and relieved a little after talking to him, she told Sandhya that he promised to find out Raja Rao’s whereabouts. Seeing Sandhya in shock, Roopa began cuddling her in silence, but driven by her own anxiety, every now and then, Roopa got up to ring up someone or the other, seeking their help to locate Raja Rao. However, Roopa’s updates such as, ‘Subba Reddy had gone to Bangalore’, ‘Ranga Reddy went to the Police Control Room’ seemed to fall on Sandhya’s deaf ears.
But, exhausted by anxiety, and worn by despair, when Roopa herself dragged another chair to be near Sandhya, they found themselves locking their arms and staring at each other, drawing comfort from one another though without a word. When the telephone rang at four-thirty, Sandhya sprang up to her feet, but panicked to pick up the call.