Tahrir.......

Sharon was startled at the shrill sound of the phone ringing in the living room. She threw a glance at the bed side clock. 12 midnight. Who could have possibly called her at this hour?

It was Jacob on the other side. “Sharon, there is a news! You really need to burn your midnight oil and finish this story to be published tomorrow in the early morning edition. You see, I just heard that Rustam Mallik passed away half an hour back. Considering the stature of this great poet, our newpaper really needs to do a lot of justice to him. A marvellously written, well deserved tribute to this great man, thats what I want. And only you can write it! So hurry up and in next two hours send me the first draft. Get all the information you want about him and just do it!”

Sharon’s heart missed a beat. She was surprised and shocked. No, not because Jacob had called her at this weird hour! She was used to this. What shocked her was Rustam Mallik’s sudden death.

And fate had chosen none but her to write a ‘marvellously written, well deserved tribute’ for him!


Rustam Mallik was in news only last week when he received his award from the Head of the State and then he and his wife had appeared in a talk show. His second wife!


In the talk show, Rustam had let his heart out about his view towards the simplicity of life, of his love for Shayari and dedication to many social causes. His wife told the world how she is the luckiest woman on earth to have Rustam as her life partner!

Rustam Mallik was one of the highest regarded poets in the modern times and everyone said that he had a heart of gold and God dwelled in his pen! His poems on the social issues were part of student’s texts and he was the recipient of many prestigious awards, national and international.

So it was only proper for Sharon to search all the articles about him and write down many good words for the departed soul! Jacob knew that she would do justice to this work for the newspaper. Jacob knew her talent very well!

What Jacob did not know was Sharon had a sea of information on Rustam’s life! In her little library, Sharon had collected paper clippings of whatever news she could find on Rustam’s life. She had all the stories which the world would need to mourn the passing away of their dear poet.

What the world did not know was that Sharon carried in her heart, an entirely different saga of Rustam’s life!


She had met Rustam when she was a little girl, of only 6 yrs. Rustam was quite indifferent to this little girl, who tried to reach out to this poet, once. She wanted to hold his hands but Rustam hurried away.

She feebly called after him, “Daddy.....”

Sharon’s mother took her away. Time out! She could not spend more time with her daddy.

Sharon’s mother had met Rustam when she was a demure, young college student. She missed her classes to listen to him at the state sponsored mushayraas. She gradually fell in love with him and did not even know when she entered his life.


Rustam was a married man. Although Rustam and Sharon’s mother remained in the relation, he took all the care not to let the world have even a hint of it.


Mrinalini was too much in love with him to resist him. She was afloat a boat in the ocean of her own emotions and she let Rustam sail her away.


The tempest started when Mrinalini got pregnant with their child. Rustam threw temper, broke the wine bottles at Mrinalini’s house and also injured her badly when she refused to let go off the baby.


Rustam suddenly walked out of Mrinalini’s life, vouching never to come back again! Sharon was born in a convent where Mrinalini had taken a shelter. She later worked at the convent school and raised Sharon.


By the time Sharon was 5, her queries about her Daddy disturbed Mrinalini. Rustam had threatened her enough not to reveal Sharon’s parentage to the world.


Only when she turned six, did Mrinalini promise to plan a small meeting with her father. That was the only birthday gift little Sharon wanted. Mrinalini had requested a brief meeting and Rustam agreed with the condition that the meeting should not last 5 min.


That morning Sharon woke up at the crack of the dawn, bathed and dressed in her best and dressed up her dolls and Teddy too. They needed to see her Daddy too!

Mrinalini held the child’s hand and patiently waited outside the auditorium where Rustam had one of his shows. After the programme he came out and Sharon gathered her dolls and Teddy to meet him. And it was over before she knew it. She had dreamt Rustam taking her in his arms, giving gifts and hugging her. But he did not even hold her little hands and left the child surprised and weighed down with the desire for more.

Mrinalini never seemed to even recognize Sharon’s longing to be with her father. As she grew, her madness for having her parents together, also grew. She never dared to let her heart out before her mother. By then Mrinalini was a completely different woman from the fragile girl in love that she once was.

So Sharon grew up without her father. She kept collecting all the news she could, about him and spent all her pocket money buying his books. When she was a teen ager, she stole herself away from school to hear him at the stage, whenever he was in town; just like her mother did when she was in college.


Sharon was a silent observer of Rustam’s life. When he separated from his wife, Sharon hoped he would return to Mrinalini but Rustam married a beautiful and successful theatre actress and told the world that they were the happiest couple in the world.


When in college, Sharon became bolder and more confident. She wrote to Rustam and forced him to be in contact with her, albeit secretly. His wife and Sharon’s mother were kept in the dark about the acquaintance that was secretly building up. There was mutual promise to keep it in the dark.


Sharon would wait at the entrance and exit during Rustam’s programmes and their eyes would meet only for a while and these moments were enough for Sharon to carry on with her life. She did long to be in his arms, to question the injustice done to her, she wanted him more than anything else but neither he nor Mrinalini ever had the hint of it.


Then Mrinalini left the world. She asked him whether he could be there for the last rites but Rustam refused.


After Mrinalini, Sharons’ life became a vacuum as well as a liberated sky! She could now follow Rustam without being caught by her mother; only Rustam was indifferent once again and slowly stopped all the contacts with her.


Sharon never stopped reading his books and all the articles which talked about the benevolent social work Rustam was doing. He opened orphanages in two cities, was the founder of a blind school, was the director of Association for retiring poets and many more.


Rustam’s life ended before Sharon could know. No, she did not feel the tears wanting to flood her eyes. She now had to write a dedicated tribute to the great poet, who had been a great person and a great social worker in his life.


Kaise karoon bayaan inaayat teri
Hazaaron karam kiye toone
Mere tahrir mein jo na sama sakein
Itne afsaane diye toone....


Sharon took out her files and began her work. The story is yet to come to an end......



Anindita Baidya
16 July 12

Images: From the internet