I was just too shocked to know about Mishra uncle’s death. Dr. Prateek Mishra and his wife Mrs. Payal Mishra used to live with their children – Roma and Tarun. Everything was going well. Roma was ten years younger to Tarun. Tarun never in his life liked Roma. According to him Roma’s motive in being born is to destroy his life. We always agreed to Tarun Bhai or else he would beat us up. But actually secretly we liked Roma.
Roma was a perfect member of our group because she dared to go to even the farthest places for hide and seek. She had unique plans of adventures. Roma was only 7 when Tarun went to a hostel in Bangalore and subsequently took up a job there. Tarun was miles away from Patna and his family. Roma was much relieved when he went.
Slowly Prateek uncle retired. Roma was 18 then. Tarun never came back to Patna, not even once. Roma once sent a letter requesting him to come as Payal aunty was sick but neither he replied nor he came. Roma decided never to write a letter again. Mishra uncle loved to play with me and Alia. We were the youngest of our group and only 13 then. We had never seen Tarun but Roma had told so much about him that he had become more known than any family member. Alia and I, we often visited Payal aunt’s house to taste her hand made Halwa, to tell the truth it was better than any hotel.
One day finally a mysterious saint came. We called him magic baba. Everyone went there to get their future predicted. On demand of Payal aunty, Prateek uncle went. The saint said that he had to perform a puja to avoid his untimely death. Uncle refused as he was perfect and believed that he would not die so soon. Next morning he was found dead. Police confirmed that the saint had killed him because he refused to pay money for the puja. First time in 13 years Tarun had come home. Along with him he took Payal aunty Roma went to Kolkata for her job.
