Beads of sweat dripping down his forehead were clearly visible. His heart was pounding at a speed which would have made a Formula1 car racer jealous. The mobile slipped off his rough hands and he fumbled to catch it.
"Hello! Hello?" The voice on the other end was loud enough. The person at the other end kept yelling. Since there was no response, the voice gradually got fainter and finally stopped.
Aman was oblivious to all that, his mind was still racing down the memory lane.
It had all started exactly twenty years ago when he was just a 5-year-old innocent boy who aspired to become a postman. Yes, you heard it right? "A Postman"
Rampur was a backward village in a remote Naxalite area. There was no medium of communication there other than the old postman who used to come every Friday, to deliver the letters and also read it. The moment his bicycle used to enter the village`s boundaries, villagers flocked to him to listen to the latest happenings across the city and the state from him. The postman though he barely knew anything about recent news, took pride in it and thought of himself as the most knowledgeable one among those innocent, illiterate people.
Aman grew up admiring the postman and always thought of becoming one when he grew up. In pursuit of becoming like him, he often used to sketch his mustaches as dark and bushy exactly like the one the old postman had.
He still remembered the day when he burnt his father`s shirt just to use the burnt ashes to make artificial mustaches.
"Stop, You scoundrel!" his father had screamed and ran after him in the rage of anger, waving his stick.
Aman had run as fast as he could but had to give up in the end, and went down sliding. He opened his eyes slowly only to find a small boy signaling him not to shout.
"Who are you? And where am I?" Aman whispered.
"Shhh...That monster could still find you" the boy replied.
"Excuse me! He is my father. Who are you?" He gazed at the boy`s face. Big, round, vibrant eyes and a thin body, vivacity was radiating from his entire body
"Look how selfish you are. You should thank me for saving you", the boy slowly lifted his head to check whether anyone is still there.
"It`s safe", he announced after confirming no one is there
"By the way, I am Khurshid and you are?"
"Thanks. I am Aman. I haven`t seen you before. Are you new to this place?" Aman asked
"Yes. I was staying with my maternal aunt after my mother`s death. Came here yesterday to assist my father in the fields", he said in a measured voice
"Don`t be sad" Aman extended his hand for a handshake
Nineteen years had passed since then. In those nineteen years, their friendship had only grown stronger, a hallmark not only in Rampur but also in the surrounding villages.
One chilly night, both of them were sitting outside Aman`s house in front of the fireplace.
"How is your father`s health now? Heard he vomited blood last night?" Aman asked with a concerned tone.
"He is fine as of now but needs proper medication. That will require a lot of money" Khurshid`s voice was broken
"Hmm... I was thinking we should go to the city. I have seen that rowdy Gangu who went to the city last year and see, now he has his house cemented. He is even planning to build a hand pump in front of his house." Aman patted on his shoulders and said.
Next morning both were on the roof of a jam-packed bus on their way to the city. It had been six months since they had left their village, but they had been barely able to earn a thousand rupees.
"Khurshid! I don`t think we will be able to save enough for your dad`s treatment very soon. I need to meet Gangu now." Aman said counting the notes and the coins
Next day Aman went to Gangu`s basti. He pushed the door open and saw few strange men sitting inside.
"Aman! Wait, I am coming outside" he said irritated
"Can`t you knock the door before entering inside?" Gangu was furious
"Gangu! Who are these people? You should stay away from them. By the way, I came to ask how come you saved a lot of money while I was barely able to save 1000 rupees in the last six months. The rent, food, hafta, mobile bill, all this hardly leaves anything to save" Aman said
"My friend`s dad is dying and we need enough money to save his life. Please help us" he pleaded
"See Aman, if you want to earn quick money I will show you the way. But promise me that you will not disclose this to anyone else." Gangu grinned and his paan soaked teeth sparkled.
He continued, "See on August 12 there is a huge celebration in Ramleela ground, on the occasion of Firensheep Day"
"FirensheepDay! What`s that?" Aman was curious
"On this day friends show their love and affection for each other" Gangu said
"But, do we need a special day to show that?" Aman asked still trying to comprehend what Gangu was saying.
"I don`t know much about it. By the way, what I am saying is that there will be more than 10,000 people in the ground that day. All you have to do is to place a bomb we will tell you when to do it." Gangu peeled the beetle pieces off his teeth.
"What! Bomb? Are you crazy?" Aman shivered.
"Yes, bomb. What do you think, earning quick money is easy? This is the only way to earn quick money. You decide what you want - Khurshid`s father`s life or the lives of those 10,000 unknown people?" Gangu asked him
It did not take much time for Aman to decide.
"I will also show my love for my friend on this Firensheep Day. Tell me what I have to do?" Aman`s voice was affirmative and conclusive.
Gangu took him inside and explained the entire plan to him. Soon Aman was on his way back home with the hoping that his friend`s ailing father might get the best treatment soon.
12th of August, Ramleela Ground. Aman quickly placed the bag in the middle and briskly walked out of the ground. His heart was pounding faster all the while. Suddenly he heard a loud blast behind him. All he could see was heavy smoke and strewn bodies lying across the ground. He paused for a while, and then quickly ran to Gangu`s house to collect his money.
"Now I will be able to save my friend`s father. Khurshid, my friend! Now is the time to repay all your favors." He was speaking to himself while passing through the narrow streets of Gangu`s basti.
"Well done Aman! Excellent work! Here is your money. Never tell anyone about this." He handed him 10,000 rupees
Aman was about to enter his basti when his mobile rang.
"Hi, Aman. I am Dr. Khanna from JJ Hospital. From the Ramleela ground blasts, we received an unidentified dead body of a young boy wearing a red shirt. In his pocket, there was a chit with your name and the number. We request you to come here and identify the body."
He came back to his senses, the call had disconnected, his phone was still in his hand.
The sun was gradually fading. He kept walking frantically, occasionally wiping out his tears coming out from the corner of his eyes, until his shadow finally vanished in the darkness