1

“Hamne dekhi hai un aankhoon ki mahakti khushboo

haath se chhuu ke ise rishton ka ilzaam na do;
Sirf ehsaas hai yeh rooh se mahsuus karo
Pyaar ko pyaar hi rahne do koi naam na do.” – ‘GULZAR’

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 2

Patjhad… Saawan… Basant… Bahar…

Written by – Neel Mohanty

Arnav Sinha, a man of early 30s, is on his way to the New Delhi airport to catch a flight to
Kolkata. When the cab driver suggests taking a longer route, he wants to know the reason. “We
generally avoid the shortcut route. It goes through a red light area”- The cabbie replies. “I
would prefer that shortest route” - Arnav replies calmly. The cabbie, a little surprised, obliges
him.

The cab enters the red light area. Arnav keeps watching the women standing on the roadsides
and balconies as they try to draw the attention of the passerby men by waving and yelling at
them. All of a sudden his heart skips a beat.

Arnav sees Sally Ray, a girl of mid 20s, standing at a balcony.

Arnav yells at the driver to stop the cab. He jumps out of the cab before it can stop and runs
towards the building where Sally is standing. He climbs the staircase and reaches her. Sally, like
the other sex workers, stands wearing a cheap dress and garish make up.

“Oh my God, you are here!!! I have been searching all over Sonagachi for the last six months” -
Arnav tells Sally jubilantly before giving her a warm hug.

Sally separates herself and looks at his face silently for a moment. “Ek ghanta paanch sau
rupiya”- She replies by faking a smile. Arnav goes mad upon hearing this.

“Don’t you recognize me? I’m Arnav, your friend!” – He asks her. She keeps staring at him
impassively. “I’m Tapas, your honey. I’m your David Sir!” - He tells her by showing their
photograph, on his mobile. She keeps looking silently. “Can’t you recognize your Daddy?” - He
asks her impatiently.

As Sally remains unmoved, Arnav drags her away by grabbing her hand. Other sex workers start
screaming.

A couple of menacing-looking men block their way. They demand to know where Arnav is
taking Sally.

“She is related to me. I’m taking her home” - Arnav replies to them. “Do you have any proof?” –
One of them asks. Arnav shows some of his pictures with Sally on his mobile.

“Even if you are related to her you can’t take her at your will. We have paid money to buy her.
You have to repay us.” – The brothel owner tells him. He demands five lakh rupees, which
Arnav agrees to pay. He asks them to accompany him to the bank. They refuse.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 3

“Do you think we are dumb? You will take her out of our place and hand us over to the police.”
– The owner says. Arnav promises not to do anything like that but they don’t trust him. “Go and
get the money. Then take your woman” – The owner says adamantly.

The owner instructs his men to keep Sally in their secret chamber until Arnav returns with
money. Arnav, who is not prepared to leave Sally there, gets into an argument with them. As the
men try to take Sally away forcibly, Arnav stops them. The men attack him. Arnav fights with
them until he loses consciousness.

Arnav wakes up in a hospital to find his cab driver along with two policemen waiting for him to
regain consciousness. The driver tells Arnav he had called the police when the owner and the
pimps were beating him. Arnav asks about Sally. “We have rescued her and sent to the home for
destitute women” -One of the policemen replies.

Arnav goes to the destitute home and appeals to the authorities to hand over Sally to him. They
want to know his relationship with her. As he doesn’t have any legal document to establish his
relationship, they refuse to hand her over.

Arnav approaches Komal Sahani, a young lawyer to file a case in the court for Sally’s custody.
She asks him the same question. “We have many relationships. You can call me her friend,
husband, teacher and father” – Arnav replies calmly. His answer takes Komal by surprise.
“Are you out of your mind? How can you be her husband and her father?” – Komal asks
irritated. “If you kindly allow me to tell my story, you will understand the meaning of it” - Arnav
replies calmly. As she agrees to listen, Arnav starts narrating his story.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. My life story is one of the
best examples. I’m Arnav Sinha from Kolkata, US-educated, heir to my father’s business empire,
and above all, I was happily married to the most beautiful woman in the world… Himani.

I knew Himani from our school days, but met her after ages at a party. I was stunned to see how
time had changed her. The little girl with ponytails had turned into a stunning and elegant young
woman. As we chatted, she revealed that after doing her BFA from a famous college, she was
pursuing arts and wanted to be a painter. We met again at Himani’s studio. Love blossomed. It
was not long before we tied the nuptial knot, with blessings from both our parents. That was it.
No twists, no struggles… Just the “most boring beautiful love story” as our friends would put it.
I had my work, Himani had her studio, we had each other… There were three perfect years of
togetherness. But life was about to change. And how!

Birthdays had always been super special for us. But that birthday, a painting workshop in another
town, kept Himani away from me. I decided to surprise her. As I was leaving office, my
secretary reminded me of an important meeting. “Is the meeting more important than my wife’s
birthday?”- I asked Mrs. Dass. The poor lady not only apologized but also conveyed her wishes
to Himani.

Should I gift her a new iPhone she had been eyeing? Or a beautiful saree? Well, a diamond is a
woman’s best friend, they say… I went into the best jeweler in town and bought a beautiful

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 4

diamond necklace for my shining diamond. A few lakh rupees were totally worth the lit-up face
of my wife!

My phone buzzed. It was an unfamiliar number. “Himaniji has met up with an accident.” The
caller informed me. She was brought back to a Kolkata hospital where she was struggling for her
life… The brightness in my life was being replaced by darkness. The ground slipped under my
feet. Somehow, I managed to reach the hospital.

Himani was in the ICU. She had undergone a major surgery. The doctors would not tell me
anything. I was allowed to see her once. I broke down. Outside the ICU, even if there is a crowd
with you, you are truly alone. All you want is the person inside to be with you… My friends,
family, Himani’s family, all had gathered around me. They consoled me, tried to give me hope…
But without her, I was alone, and lonely. God was the only solace… I prayed fervently to all the
Gods I knew of, of all religions, all over the world…

Outside the ICU, only one relative of a patient is allowed. I had sent everyone else home and was
watching over Himani, praying for her all the while. There were a few more unfortunate people
like me there. All were looking nervous, dejected, anxious, waiting with bated breath for the
announcements. In between all that, they shared their pains and hopes. Many real-life thrillers
were being played out in front of my eyes. I myself was in one too. All around me, tears, smiles,
pain, joy, hope, anger… all human emotions in full display… By the middle of the night, people
started dozing off. All, except me and her.

The first time I noticed Sally Ray, she was the only other person awake in the lobby where we
were waiting. A simple girl, in a casual outfit, was carrying a cheap handbag. There was no
artificiality about her. She sat all alone and was looking at the roof impassively. As night passed,
I noticed that she had a small book, one that looked like a Bible, which she took out of her bag
and read a few pages from. Then she kept the book back in her bag. She had a locket of a cross
around her neck which she kissed a few times. She wouldn’t talk to anyone.

Sally Ray got called by the doctors. She returned with a pale face and teary eyes. “Is everything
fine?” - I couldn’t resist asking her. She shook her head and burst into tears. I didn’t know how
to console the grieving woman. “Have some water?” - I asked her again. She gratefully drank
the water I offered her. She spent the rest of the night looking at the roof, reading the Bible, and
kissing her cross pendant.

Next morning, I came to know about Himani’s art teacher, Tapas Ray, who was also being
treated in the ICU. He was traveling with Himani when the accident happened. I met the doctor
who had briefed me about Himani’s condition. He sounded confident, making me feel a little
relieved.

Sally went to meet the doctor after me. I waited for her to come out. Why was I waiting? I didn’t
know. When she came out, I asked about the patient. She shook her head again. “What happened
to him?” - I asked her. “He was traveling with your wife” - She replied with a glum smile. “Oh!
I am so sorry… You are Tapas Ray’s…?” - I asked in surprise. “Wife,” she replied as she was
leaving. I kept looking at her in astonishment.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 5

Sally was again summoned by the ICU staff. I could hear her painful cries and made out that her
husband had passed away. She was lying on the floor, crying inconsolably. I didn’t know what to
do, how to console her. Her condition scared me, I was frozen and I didn’t even want to think
what would happen if something bad were to happen to Himani.

Sally kept crying as she was taken away by the hospital staff.

The next time I saw her, she was at the hospital reception. She was tearfully pleading with some
hospital staff. Curious, I tried to find out what was happening. She had to pay Rs 3 lakhs towards
her husband’s treatment charges, without which they wouldn’t release his body to her.
I was shocked and furious at this inhuman transaction. I told the hospital to add that amount to
Himani’s bill. The hospital refused my offer. I tried to pay them, but I couldn’t find my wallet.
All I had was the diamond necklace in my pocket. It was then that my mobile phone started
ringing. It was my father. He wanted me to rush to the ICU. In a moment, I made a decision. I
handed the necklace over to Sally and told her to sell it to pay the bill. She was trying to tell me
something, but I had no patience, I ran to the ICU.

The worst news of my life awaited me at the ICU. Himani was dead. My world turned upside
down. I didn’t know how to react. I became numb. My family and friends took care of the rest of
the things. I performed my wife’s last rites with them by my side. I became a recluse. I
imprisoned myself in my bedroom. “Time heals all wounds”, everybody tried to tell me, to
rejuvenate me. I never believed them. But soon, that time did come.

The manager of the resort where Himani was staying during her workshop called me. He wanted
me to collect Himani’s belongings. Well, Himani was supposed to stay in a bungalow we owned.
Why the resort? I had no idea. Still, I decided to visit the resort. As fate would have it, a bigger
shock awaited me there.

“Your wife had come to our resort a few times with a few other artists. Every time, she had
stayed with Tapas Ray. I am sorry to say, but until the accident, we thought they were a married
couple” - The resort manager told me reluctantly. The news was too painful for me to hear, let
alone believable. Infuriated, I caught the manager by his neck and tried to strangle him. The
other employees intervened and separated us.

The manager understood my state of mind. He showed us the entries in the register: “Mrs. and
Mr. Tapas Ray” they read. It was Himani’s handwriting, no doubt. I went through Himani’s and
Tapas’s belongings. I got convinced after checking her camera. I saw their pictures and videos.
They were having an affair… I didn’t know how to react. I just smashed the camera and left the
place empty-handed.

My heart burned. My head was going to explode. I could not believe my beloved wife, my
world, the love of my life, Himani was cheating on me. The devil inside screamed for vengeance.
But both the culprits were dead… that made me angrier. I badly wanted to settle the score. I
regretted my decision to give away the diamond necklace to Sally. “That bastard deserved to rot

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 6

in the morgue” - I told myself. I went to a bar and had a few pegs of alcohol… Instead of
calming me down, it added fuel to the fire.

It was then that I saw Sally, walking on the road. She was carrying Tapas’s bag. Like me, she
was also called by the resort manager.

The devil in me raised its voice… “An eye for an eye” it kept on telling me… I made up my
mind. “Hey, do you remember me?” - I asked Sally smilingly. She took a little time. “Yes, I do.
The manager told me that you had also come. I was wondering whether I could meet you again”
- she replied, delighted to meet me. She expressed her grief on Himani’s death. She was looking
for some mode of transport to return to Kolkata and I offered her a lift. She agreed to travel with
me.

Under the pretext of collecting some personal belongings of Himani, I took Sally to our
bungalow in town. After sending the caretaker to get some food for us, I closed the entrance of
the bungalow. Sally looked apprehensive. She got a shock when I touched her cheek, caressed
her hair.

“What are you doing?” – She asked in surprise. “Same thing, what your husband used to do
with my wife” – I replied. I told her everything. She was shocked to hear about her husband’s
infidelity.

“If I had known it before, I would have killed that bastard. Now, you have to pay the price for
your husband’s mistake” - I told her harshly. “Why do you want to punish me? What’s my
mistake?” - She asked innocently.

Sally pleaded me to let her go. But I was not in a state of mind to question my action. I grabbed
her & tried to rip off her clothes. She screamed, she cried, she pleaded. The bungalow was in a
secluded place, no one heard her. She, while trying to get herself free, scratched and bit my hand.
Furious, I started hitting her. She tried to flee but ran into a glass door. The door smashed. She
fell on the ground screaming. Then she fainted.

Seeing Sally bleeding, I panicked. I thought of taking her to a hospital but developed cold feet
when I looked at her torn clothes. There were some clothes of Himani in the bungalow. I
changed Sally’s clothes and took her to a hospital.

“I found her lying unconscious on the road” - I lied at the hospital. The hospital informed the
local police. I knew very well that once Sally gained consciousness, I would be caught. But I did
not try to run away. “Don’t you think the poor girl is a victim like you?” - I asked the devil, who
had already lost his voice. I kept cursing myself for the momentary madness.

A police officer was walking towards me. I mentally prepared myself to get arrested. “She does
not seem to know what happened to her…” - he told me. Surprised, I asked myself, “What does
she want?” - The voice of the police officer jolted me back to the situation. “Please come with
me. She may be able to recollect something on seeing you.” I didn’t want to meet her again, but
had no option.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 7

Sally was lying on a bed. The police officer introduced me as the person who had picked her up
from the road and brought her to the hospital. She kept looking at me, silent, as if she was trying
to recognize me. Suddenly, she looked delighted. She sat up and greeted me smilingly: “Hello
sir! How are you?” I turned pale.

The police officer looked at me suspiciously. He wanted to know whether Sally knew me. “Of
course yes. I can’t forget what he has done”, she told the officer. “Do you remember me? I’m
Tapas Ray’s wife. If you had not helped me, I won’t have got my husband’s body,” - she turned
to me. “Oh! Sally! Yeah!” - I feigned surprise at ‘recognizing’ her.

She told us that she had come to the town to collect Tapas’s bag from the resort, but she couldn’t
recollect what happened after that. I was relieved, but still apprehensive what her game plan was.
The police officer seemed confused too, but he left.

“I’m extremely sorry about the incident” - I told Sally apologetically. “No, you shouldn’t be. It
was just an accident. I don’t even blame your wife. It was their destiny” - She replied with a
gloomy smile. “Don’t you remember how you got injured?” - I asked her nervously. She shook
her head innocently: “I don’t know what happened after I collected my husband’s bag from the
resort. I’m wondering who has changed my clothes!!!” – She replied in astonishment.

“Something is wrong…terribly wrong” - I told myself. After Sally was discharged from the
hospital, I took her back to Kolkata and dropped her home. I kept thinking about the incident for
a couple of days.

I ran into Sally again. This time, she was walking on the road, lost in thoughts. When I said
“hello” to her, she looked at me as if she was meeting me for the first time. Then she started
walking again, not saying anything. I found her behavior very strange and decided to follow her.
It seemed like she was searching for something. “Are you searching for something?”- I asked
her. “Yeah… I can’t find my way home,”- her hesitant reply surprised me.

I managed to hide my reaction somehow and offered to take her to her house. “You know my
home?”- She asked in surprise. I nodded. “Have we met before?” - She asked again. While
guiding her home, I reminded Sally of all our previous meetings and interactions. She was
embarrassed to realize that I was telling the truth. “I am so sorry… nowadays, I am very
forgetful” - She said.

I couldn’t see a single picture of Sally with her husband at her place. When I asked about that,
she fumbled. “Even I’m wondering about that. I don’t remember whether we had clicked
pictures together or not. It’s awful to say…but sometimes I struggle to remember his face” – She
replied hesitatingly. Concerned, I suggested that I take her to a doctor.

I took Sally to the best psychiatrist in the city. The psychiatrist had a long session with Sally. He
discussed many things from her past and present. Then he did some tests, including an MRI scan.
Finally, he called me alone to discuss his diagnosis.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 8

“She is suffering from acute Alzheimer’s. She has reached the advanced stage and is losing her
memory very fast. Within a year, her total memory will be wiped out. She must have got a mental
shock recently, which aggravated her condition. It will be dangerous if you leave her alone,” –
The psychiatrist briefed me.

I realized that my momentary madness was responsible for her misery. I didn’t know what to do.
The doctor also told me about her past.

Sally was born in a remote village in Bengal to catholic parents. She lost her parents while she
was in school. The orphaned girl was taken away by a teacher who used to run a missionary
school near Darjeeling. She had lived in the hostel and completed her education there. She had
moved to Kolkata in search of a job. There she met Tapas Ray, fell in love and got married to
him.

As she didn’t have any immediate family, I decided to leave her with her in-laws, Tapas’s
parents. But she didn’t like that idea. I tried to convince her by saying she should live with
somebody because of her health conditions.

“Am I suffering from cancer or a heart ailment?” she asked nervously. I said ‘neither’. “Then
why should I need a companion?” she asked again. “Physically you are fine. But there is a little
problem with your memory. For example, you may again find it difficult to reach home or
recognize me. So, somebody should remind you of all these things” - I tried to convince her. She
agreed reluctantly.

But Tapas’s parents didn’t.

“We are not even sure whether our son married this girl or not. We have lost our son. Now we
don’t want to suffer any further with this sick woman” - Tapas’s father told me rudely. Sally
wanted to leave, but I kept on trying to convince the old man.

“Why are you insisting? What is your relation with her?” he asked me. Without batting an
eyelid, I answered: “Humanity.”“Oh! If you are loaded with humanity, why don’t YOU take her
home?” - He asked me again. In a moment, I knew what I had to do.

My family members too weren’t very happy about the idea of keeping Sally at my place. “I can
understand your feelings. If you want a companion, we will help you find a nice girl. Why do you
want to waste your life on a girl who is going to forget everything soon?” - My father asked me.
I didn’t argue with him; I knew I couldn’t convince anyone. But I took Sally home anyway.

Himani and I used to live by ourselves after our marriage. I took Sally to our house. The first few
days, she remained quiet. It was difficult to know she was in someone else’s house. She was
trying hard to come to terms with her miseries. I kept trying to cheer her up. Slowly, she started
opening up to me.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 9

We had found a good friend, sympathizer, and well-wisher in each other. With each day, our
bond strengthened. We slowly started forgetting our personal grief. But I never tried to tell her
again about Himani and Tapas’s affair as I didn’t want to give her any mental shock.

Sally’s memory started deteriorating very fast. Sometimes she woke up in the morning and got
frightened to see me. Then I had to tell her about me and what she was doing at my place. We
went through many difficulties because of her forgetfulness.

It was the New Year eve. Sally wanted to spend the zero hour at the most happening place of the
city – Park Street. As I always hated crowded places, I had decided to stay at home. She became
sad to know my decision. She started recalling the sweet memories she had with Tapas during
the New Year eves. I felt pity and decided to take her out to celebrate the zero hour.

I had discovered a new Sally after reaching Park Street. She gets jubilant to see the crowd. Her
sadness vanished into thin air. She became talkative like an excited teenager. I felt happy to see
her other side.

The crowd became frenzy after the arrival of New Year. People cheered, burst crackers and
danced on the roads. Sally did the same with the crowd. I had tried my best to stay close to her.
But people came in between us and we drifted away from each other. I panicked when she
disappeared in the crowd.

Whole night I kept searching for Sally. I kept calling her on her mobile phone. She neither
received my call nor called me back. As the time passed, people started returning to their homes.
The crowd grew thinner but there was no sign of Sally. I went to the police. They had advised
me to return to home by saying that Sally might have returned home.

I returned home but she was not there. I kept waiting but she didn’t return. I went out to search
for her again but she was nowhere.

Finally, I found Sally at her house. She was busy cleaning her house. She got a little upset to see
me. “How can you leave me alone and go away as if I’m nobody to you? I kept searching for a
long time” – Sally told me angrily. “I was also doing the same thing. You should have come
home” – I replied. “I am at home only. You are the one who has not come home for a day” – She
replied. “I’m talking about my home” – I tried to explain. “Now don’t tell me that you have got
another home. I’m tired of your excuses” – She said irritatingly.

“I had called you several times but you didn’t answer” – I had tried to pacify her. “Stop lying.
You never called me. There are some missed calls from someone called Arnav. I don’t even
remember who he is” – She replied. “Call him back. You will know who he is” – I told her. “I
wanted to do that but couldn’t recollect my mobile password” – She said helplessly. “I’m Arnav”
– I said with an assuring smile. “Stop kidding Tapas” – She shouted at me. I was taken aback.
“You are mistaken. I am not who you think I am.” - I replied calmly.

Sally burst out laughing. She walked to me, placed her hands on my shoulder, and looked into
my eyes. “You mean to say I don’t recognize my own husband?” - She asked.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 10

I was shocked to hear that. She started behaving like a devoted wife. I didn’t want to give her
another shock, so I remained calm and handled her tactfully. I wanted to take her home, but she
refused. So I decided to take her to the psychiatrist.

“I’ve never come across a situation like this. It’s not just Alzheimer’s. She has developed a rare
mental disorder called Prosopagnosia / face blindness. Because of that she remembers people by
their names & characters but faces difficulties in remembering their faces. She has memories of
her husband but doesn’t remember his face. And your character is completely wiped out from
her memory. That maybe the reason why she thinks you her husband” – the psychiatrist
explained.

“What I’m supposed to do now?” - I wanted to know. “If you want to take care of her, then
pretend to be her husband. If you can’t, go away from her life” – He advised. It was a catch-22
situation for me.

I took Sally back to her home. When I wanted to leave, she looked sad. “Can’t you spend a
couple of days with me? Is your workshop more important than me?” - Sally asked me with tears
in her eyes. I walked away without answering her questions. On the rearview mirror, I could see
her weeping bitterly. Those tearful eyes had stopped me from going away from her. She started
jumping like an excited teenage girl on seeing me back.

I started discovering a new side of Sally. A little fickle, fussy, demanding… always longing for
love and attention. Maybe she was like that with her husband. I did try to fulfill her demands, but
it was getting difficult. Once she asked me to draw her portrait. Me and portrait?!!! Drawing was
the one subject in which I had failed at school. But I did try my best. She saw the portrait I made.
She laughed at first, but then it turned into a quarrel.

“This painting is atrocious. A gifted artist like you painting this horrible painting… It only
shows you don’t care about me.” - Sally was angry. I somehow managed to pacify her. Soon, the
demands turned more and more difficult. The next one was something I could not think of
fulfilling.

“I want a baby”, declared Sally. I was shocked. “This is not the time” - I tried to reason with her
calmly. Sally wouldn’t listen. “You have been saying this for the last three years. Why are you
doing this to me?” - She started arguing. “Your health condition is not good enough to become a
mother” - I tried to pacify her. “No. There is nothing wrong with my health. But something is
wrong with your intention. You don’t want me to become a mother. So you can dump me &
marry some other woman” - She exploded.

We had a spat. I lost my patience when she tried to force herself on me. I slapped her. She cried.
She entered the bedroom and locked herself from inside. I kept knocking on the door and
requested her to come out, but she didn’t. I sat quietly and kept waiting for her to open the door.
I lost patience and went out for a drink. When I returned next morning, she was gone.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 11

It was a nightmare. I searched everywhere, but couldn’t find Sally. I went to the police,
registered a missing persons complaint, I gave newspaper ads. I did everything I could. And
finally a response came. A woman called me to inform about Sally and gave me the address of
the boarding school where Sally was found to be staying.

It was a small town near Darjeeling, surrounded by forests. The school building, hostels and the
staff quarters of St. Vincent School were built at the end of the town. I met Nancy Jacob, a
woman in mid 40s, who was running the school. Her husband David Jacob used to run the
school till his death. He was the one who had brought Sally to the school.

“She came here last month. Some of us recognized her, but she couldn’t recognize any of us. She
just kept asking for David. As she was behaving a little unusually, just like a school girl, we
decided not to tell her about David’s death. We wanted to know about her present life but she
couldn’t tell anything. She didn’t even tell us about her home. So, we decided to keep her in our
hostel until somebody came forward to take her back. Then I came across your ad” - Nancy
briefed me.

I told her about Sally and wanted to know about her past. “She was born in a small village.
David was known to her father. David had brought her here after she lost her parents. When I
joined here, she was in 10th. David allowed her to stay here and continue her college studies
from outside. I fell in love with David and we got married. She had vanished just after our
wedding without informing anybody” - Nancy said. I wanted to know why Sally had left.
“Nobody knows. I think she didn’t even attend our wedding” - she replied. Nancy instructed
somebody to bring Sally when I wanted to meet her.

Sally came. She was looking like a school girl, wearing a uniform. She greeted Nancy like an
obedient student. “Do you know him?” - Nancy asked Sally, pointing her finger at me. Sally
looked at me. It looked like she was trying hard to recognize me. “Do you know Tapas?” - I
asked her. She shook her head innocently. Then I showed her our picture on my mobile phone.
Suddenly she nodded delightedly. “Who is he?” - Nancy asked again. “David Sir?” - Sally
asked excitedly.

Nancy was surprised to hear her answer, but I was not. I realized that Sally had forgotten one
more episode of her past. I’d stopped Nancy before she could say anything. Sally asked me many
questions like an exuberant teenager. I answered all her questions patiently.

“Can we go home now?” - I asked her smilingly. “How can I go home without appearing my
final exams?” - She asked me. I tried to convince her but she remained firm. Nancy sent her back
to her class. “I can understand her condition. So, no need to pressurize her. We won’t have any
problem if she stays here. You can also stay in our guest house, if you wish to” - Nancy told me.
I didn’t find a reason to refuse.

I came across another Sally. She was jolly, carefree and a little mischievous. In the beginning,
every time she saw me, she blushed. Then she started trying to come closer to me. She gave me
flowers and did things to just impress me. I understood her feelings for David. It was more than a

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 12

Student-Teacher relationship. She was infatuated. She was smitten by his charms. I didn’t take
much time to realize why she had vanished after David-Nancy wedding.

I had a wonderful time with Sally and the school kids. We had some extracurricular activities. I
went for picnics with them. I became a popular person at school. At the same time, I’d noticed a
little change in Sally. She became more obsessed with me. She didn’t like anybody’s proximity
to me. She used to get irritated on seeing me with any other girl. I used to tease her by getting
friendly with other girls. But I’d never imagined that it would land us both in trouble.

One day Sally heard some girls discussing about me in the Chemistry lab and warned them to
stay away from her David Sir. They made fun of her. She got furious and attacked them. They
retaliated. Some jars & bottles of inflammable chemicals broke in the scuffle. A fire broke out in
the laboratory.

Students started fleeing the place screaming. Some of them got stuck inside the laboratory. I ran
with other staff members towards the laboratory. While others were trying to extinguish the fire,
I entered the laboratory. I carried the students one by one out of the room. I came to know that
Sally was still inside the lab. Everybody was trying to stop me but I entered the lab which was
now completely engulfed in fire. I kept calling her but she didn’t answer. Finally I spotted her
lying unconscious in a corner of the room. I lifted her and carried her outside.

The laboratory was totally gutted. Thank God, nobody was injured in that fire. I offered to pay
the school for a new lab. Nancy refused politely. But she requested me to take Sally away. After
that incident nobody was prepared to take any more risk by keeping her there.

Sally was completely shaken. Neither did she speak to anybody nor did she eat. When I met her,
she didn’t recognize me. I’d showed our picture and introduce myself as David but she had
refused to acknowledge. I realized that she had forgotten David Jacob just like Tapas Ray. But
I’d no other option than to take her away. Nancy and I had a tough time convincing her to leave.

I took Sally to Darjeeling. We stayed in a hotel. Slowly she got along with me. But her behavior
kept changing rapidly. She started behaving like a seven-eight year old girl. One day she hugged
me and burst into tears. “Daddy, I want to go home” - She kept pleading.

I called up Nancy, who helped us by providing her home address in her village. I left with Sally
for another destination. I didn’t know what was in store for both of us. I just prepared myself to
step into the shoes of Sally’s father.

It was a small village, surrounded by beautiful mountains. We went to the address Nancy gave
and found a house in shambles. I asked the neighbors about Sally’s father. They remembered
him.

“Yes, Peter used to live here. He was a nice man. But he started drinking heavily after his wife’s
death and died a couple of years later. He had a daughter, who was taken away by his family
friend. But we can’t tell you where she is” - A neighbor told us.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 13

The neighbors were delighted to know Sally’s real identity. They asked her many questions.
They were taken aback when she started answering their questions. I had briefed them about her
disease and requested them to provide us shelter for a few days. Those people were very kind
and supportive. One of them had given us a room to stay and others provided other necessary
things. A new chapter in our life started.

I got the opportunity to experience paternity. Sally continued to behave like the seven-eight year
old girl who lived in the village. I had to take care of her every requirement. We used to visit the
church and the local market and roamed around the nearby places. She was a daughter every man
would love to have….calm, pleasant and affectionate. But sometimes she appeared to be a little
scared…particularly in the evenings. “Promise me that you will not drink tonight” - She used to
request me every evening.

One night I found her weeping. I wanted to know the reason. “Believe me Daddy. I didn’t kill
Mom” - She replied. I was shocked to hear that. I couldn’t understand the reason. “No, you
didn’t kill your Mon. Who told you that?” - I asked while trying to pacify her. Sally kept looking
at me in astonishment.

One day, I took Sally to the local fair. She enjoyed the fair wholeheartedly. All of a sudden,
pointing at her feet, she started screaming and crying. There was blood trickling down her legs.
She had got her period. Everybody was looking at us. While it was embarrassing for me, as a
man I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Sally was going through. We were both scared.

A man gave me his bicycle and asked me to take her home. I wanted to know his address to
return his bicycle. The man said that he would come to our place to collect the bicycle. I rushed
home with Sally. One of our neighbors (woman) had taken her home and done the needful.

Biju, a man in his mid-40s, came in the evening to collect his bicycle. He introduced himself to
me as Sally’s father’s friend. “Peter’s wife died after giving birth to Sally. Peter couldn’t bear
the pain and started drinking heavily. He always blamed the poor child for the death of his
beloved wife”- Biju told me. I understood why Sally had told me that she didn’t kill her mother
and was requesting me every night not to drink.

Biju started visiting our home every day. He used to bring chocolates & other eatables for Sally.
She started liking him. We had a good time. As I was in need of money, I’d decided to visit the
nearby town to withdraw cash. It was a rainy day. So, I’d decided to leave Sally in custody of
Biju.

When I came back, both of them had vanished. I panicked. I kept searching for them all over the
village. I couldn’t find them. I had no idea where to look. I rushed to the local police station. The
officer-in-charge showed me Biju’s photograph after I gave his physical description. I identified
him.

“You have done the biggest mistake. We have been searching for this man for women trafficking.
He takes young girls in pretext of giving them jobs and sells them to brothels in Kolkata” – The

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 14

officer told me. I was shocked to hear that. Everything started spinning in front of my eyes. The
officer promised to help me. He instructed his men and informed other police stations.

I kept searching for Sally. Even I had visited many brothels of Sonagachi. I gave ads in
newspapers and appointed private investigators but couldn’t find her anywhere. Months passed
but I couldn’t forget Sally. I kept blaming me for the blunder. I lost hope but my search never
ended. It became a part of my life. I came here for an official meeting. While going back to
Kolkata I met Sally again. And you know the rest of the story” - Arnav concludes.

Komal is moved to tears to hear Arnav’s story. She decides to fight for him.

Arnav produces all the document evidences like medical report, missing person complaint etc.
The psychiatrist, who had treated Sally, Nancy Jacob, Sally’s neighbors from her village and the
police officer, all come forward to give witness in his favor. Komal pleads to the Judge to give
Sally’s custody to Arnav. Finally the court gives the verdict and allows Arnav to take Sally
home.

Arnav goes to the destitute home and meets Sally. “Can we go home?” - Arnav asks her
smilingly. “Who are you?” - Sally asks him. “I’m your new friend” - He replies and offers his
hand for her to take. “Can you give me chocolate, ice-cream, chips and Kurkure?” – Sally asks
innocently. Arnav nods. She shakes his hand with the smile of the most innocent child anybody
has ever seen.

CHARACTER SKETCHES

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]

 15

SALLY RAY: Sally is your girl next door but her psychological disorder makes her character
complex and multi-dimensional. In the beginning of story she is a dismal & recluse character,
trying to recover from the loss of her husband in an accident. She slowly opens up to a well-
wisher & sympathizer, Arnav. With time, Arnav becomes her emotional crutch and she starts
sharing her pain & sorrow with him. When she loses her memory and thinks that Arnav is her
husband (Tapas), she becomes a warm, doted and demanding wife. She wants her husband to
spend time with her. She wants him to adore her, praise her everything. When she goes back to
her school days, she becomes a typical teenager….mischievous, attention seeker, moody and a
bit of a rebel. She is smitten by the charms of her teacher (David Sir). Whenever he praises
someone, she feels jealous. Whenever someone tries to get closer to him, she gets furious. When
she goes to her childhood, she becomes a lonely & fragile kid, who is scared of her father. She is
afraid of his drinking habit. She always tries to prove her innocence by saying “Believe me
Daddy. I didn’t kill Mom”. At the end she becomes an emotionless puppet with no memory.

ARNAV SINHA: Arnav is a charming & adorable soul. He is calm and composed. He is very
friendly and supportive towards Sally. His unconditional friendship slowly blossoms into love
before he could realize. He is very adaptive to any kind of circumstance. When Sally starts
thinking of him as her husband, he behaves like a caring husband. He tolerates her tantrum and
handles her mood swings carefully. When she thinks of him as her teacher, he behaves like a
student-friendly teacher. But after coming to know about her crush for him, he starts behaving
carefully. He becomes a loving father, when she starts behaving like a little girl. He tries to find
out the reason of her fear. He tries to give her confidence by becoming her best buddy.

[Regd. with SWA, Mumbai. Reg. No – 106307950544/ Date – 12.09.2017/neelumohanty@gmail.com/9819968886]