Utpal Kumar Panda

Shweta- the untold story

Arun ,  a company executive of about 48 years  age  ,   met  Shweta , an eighteen years   girl ,in a train at Kolkata.  That was  in May 2008. They travelled  together   in a Rajdhani  AC  coach  from  Sealdah to New Delhi. Arun was  returning to his work at  Haridwar  ,  after  visiting  his relatives   at Kolkata.  And   Shweta ,  her parents  working  at Kolkata,  were  going  to her coaching  institute  at Munrica , New Delhi  , after  appearing in a medical entrance examination  at Kolkata. 

The journey was quite memorable  for both of them.  Both  were travelling alone.  Arun  incidentally  had only   a  sixteen year  son  Prateek  and was  not blessed with a daughter. Prateek  would    get  many times  upset  for not having  a sister.  Arun and   his wife Lata   realized  about the difficulty  of bringing up  a single child.  For them , it was perhaps too late,  when they realized it.  Arun, however , had a  strong yearning  for a daughter.  He even confided  to Lata  one day.  Could not  they adopt  one ?   Lata was furious. “  Arun, see  , I don’t  know  ,how you will do it.  For me,  I can’t   love   Prateek  and the new one   equally”  . Lata was so categorical. Arun  never   raised   the issue   again.

The train journey  allowed  Arun  and Shweta   to come closer. So much  so that, their time passed  by, almost sharing  each other’s  life journey so far. Arun was  happy  that he found a daughter  in Shweta.  Shweta  was  happy to share her  stressful  moments she was passing through. Those seventeen hours of journey   from  Sealdah to New Delhi  opened up a new chapter  for  their life.  Arun  was quite emotional   while   parting  away from Shweta on the platform  on that day.  Will  they  meet  ever again ?

Shweta,  on her part,  did not forget  his uncle. So dutifully  couriered   him the question sets  his uncle  asked for  Prateek.  Arun  forgot  to   take  Shweta’s  mobile no in the train.  Shweta  now  mentioned  her  mobile no  in the  short letter she  sent to  Arun alongwith the question paper and asked him to  contact her   if he needed to. Arun  felt  so happy  and immediately   contacted her.  Shweta  too was  excited  to hear her uncle’s  voice   again.

After a month or so,  Shweta  called  again  Arun  one day. “Uncle, there’s   a good news.  I’ve   been  selected for admission  to  a medical  college  at Haldia  and I’ll   do  a  4 years  undergraduate  dental course  there.”  Arun  congratulated  her and said “ Shweta  beti,  what I told  you,  has become  true  by God’s grace.  Now, you need not have  to look back.  Pursue  the course with all sincerity  and I dream  a big future for you”.  Shweta  said , “  I  seek   your blessings, uncle”.  “ That  you’re assured  for the life time  beti, Feel  very  proud  for your parents.  Please  convey my  regards to them”. “ O.K., Uncle”.  She closed the call.

Soon after,  Shweta  left   for her college hostel   at Haldia.  After joining the institute , she was  in regular touch  with Arun. Almost  every  weekend  she would  call  him , enquire about   him  ,  Lata  aunty   and Prateek  bhaiya.  She  would  show  her  keen interest   in every minute  details of Arun and  his small  family  and would   give daughterly  advise   to her uncle in every possible way.  Arun very much liked it. He also  tried to  keep himself updated  about her stay at hostel  and provide  her  tips  to adjust with  the  day to  day  hassles  of hostel life  and simultaneously focus in her studies.  Time passed by .  Both  came to know  about each other’s  birthday.  Shweta  always   made it a point to  wish  her  uncle  in all social  occasions  like  Diwali, Dushhera, New Years day  as well his birthday.  Arun  also  never  missed    to  wish  Shweta   on her birthday and regularly  called  her  to enquire about her health, her parents  and her progress in  study.  Shweta  started   doing  well in the  exams   and Arun  would  invariably  call her  to congratulate   and  encourage  to  do her best.  It worked  so well as Shweta   topped in  her class in the  first year.

During  2009  summer,  Shweta’s  parents    paid a brief visit to Haridwar  on their  returned  journey from   Kedarnath and Badrinath  shrine.  They were very much tired. But they called  Arun on their arrival  at Haridwar.  Arun rushed  , to meet them for the  first  time. At Har ki Pauri ghat,  Shweta’s parents  were witnessing  Aarti  when Arun joined them. After the Aarti was over,  they  sat  there  for few hours.  Arun insisted  to  bring  them to his house  and   requested  them to stay for a night   with  his family.  But Shweta’s  parents  could   not  concede  to Arun’s request  as they  had to leave Haridwar early  morning next day.  However,  they  had long  chats  on that  day   enabling  to know each  others  family   with much details.  Arun carried  a  box of perfume  and  chocolates  for Shweta. He handed  over to Shweta’s parents  .  They  were  initially  reluctant to accept  it  but finally agreed  to see Arun happy. Before  saying them  good bye at that auspicious place,  Arun that day, touched  their feet and  sought  their blessings and said “   Sir,  I heard  a lot about you   from Shweta,  had a strong desire  to meet you some day,  God was  so kind  to  make it happen so early ,  you two are like  a living God to me.  I seek your  blessings, bless  me with  a daughter  like  Shweta  in my  next birth.  I love her  so much”   Shweta’s  parents  smiled  and departed  but  not  before  giving   Arun a warm  hug.   That  was perhaps  one of  the happiest  moment of Arun’s life.

Time passed by .  Shweta  was about  to complete  her course   in 2012 Summer.  Arun was  expecting  a call  from  her informing   about the final result.  During this time, Arun  was  not  getting  regular call  from Shweta. He was upset  but chose not  to disturb  her much  as he thought  Shweta might be  busy  in her  course completion works.  Her birthday  was in September.   Surprisingly , Arun’s  call  to Shweta  went  unanswered  on that day too.  Arun started  thinking,  perhaps due to some reason  Shweta is avoiding  him.  During  Dusshera and  Diwali  celebration  also there was  no call   from Shweta.  Arun’s patience  broke  when he did not  receive any call  in the new year 2013 too. He had the Shweta’s father’s  no.  He immediately   sent him  a message requesting  him   to inform well  being  of Shweta. Shweta’s  father replied promptly.  Arun  was stunned  to read the message. His  eyes  could not believe it.  It said  he was sorry  to  inform  that   Shweta  had   left  for her  heavenly abode   in the middle of last September.

Arun was  motionless  for a long moment.  When he gathered   his composure,   he could  make a call to Shweta’s father.  Shweta’s father  lifted the phone  but  burst into tears.  He was inconsolable  even   after so many  months  had  passed after Shweta’s  death .  He said  he  had  no heart  to  share with him   about Shweta’s untimely loss.  Arun  too broke  down  and cried inconsolably on phone.

After some time  had passed,  Arun insisted  to  know  the story behind it.  What Shweta’s father told him , was unthinkable.

One of  Shweta’s   classmate  was  stalking her for quite some  time.  Shweta wanted to  avoid him , but the boy  was creating  all shorts of trouble for her.  Shweta did  not share  with   anyone about it.  Neither  to his parents  nor even to Arun. She perhaps  thought   that  she  could  handle it on her own.  Once the final result was out ,  she vacated  the hostel and returned to Kolkata to their  flat.  The flat was empty   as  her father  was  already   transferred  to  Coochbihar.  Shweta was to  stay  only one night  in the  flat that day and leave for Bombay  next day   to spend   few days   with  her  elder brother’ s family there.  That was not to be.  Shweta’s father says, he gave  a call to  Shweta  around midnight  to check  that everything  is fine there.  One unknown  boy lifted the phone.  Shweta’s father confronted  him on phone,  asked  to know what  he was doing there. That boy disconnected the phone then.  Shweta’s father  could  only reach the flat  next day morning  to find  Shweta’s  motionless body   hanging  from a ceiling fan.

The police had a  case of long  investigation. The boy and  his family  was later imprisoned.  But   to Shweta’s family   and to Arun, their beloved  daughter was   lost for ever.    Shweta’s family  is still struggling to accept this inevitable.  But to  Arun,  he is  still  at a loss to understand , why Shweta came  to his life  for this brief   period.  Was she  connected with him in some previous births ? Or ,  Will Arun  be meeting  her  in  any of his  next births   as  one  of his  child  ? 

Photo courtesy: Google.com