FIVE
Urmil's eyes had widened in surprise on seeing the long queue at Pir Baba's Dargah.
Urmil and Navya accompanied Sanjay to the Dargah of Majid Pir in Nizamuddin on a Sunday. Sanjay's request could not be ignored any more.
"Let's go Urmi, let's see the actual situation there. Sanju has been saying this for a long time but I was feeling lazy. I have heard it's a beautiful place… at least we can have an outing."
Men and women of different ages were waiting in a long queue, sweating heavily in Delhi summer heat.
It's Unbelievable… unworldly.
People used to gather there before too to visit Nizamuddin's Dargah, but that quiet village seemed to wake up suddenly… might be because of the miraculous healing power of Majid Pir.
Long line of big cars carrying well clad, educated people amazed the village people. No one could understand when and how the name of Pir Baba spread like fire. People were coming from Delhi and the outskirts in hope of miraculous medicines.
It was heard that the doctors' chambers were closing down as people were getting cured in a short time and at a lesser cost.
… Faith is an object, far from argument...
After a long wait, Sanjay got the chance to reach Pir Baba and came out in a short while with some packets and bottles in his hands.
Navya and Urmil went inside only to satisfy their curiosity. They discussed some common diseases with Baba and joined Sanjay with medicines and started for their homes.
Urmil was puzzled and got lost in a narrow alley of the crowded area of Shahjahanabad. How could she find the address written on the piece of paper? Navya and Sanjay had pushed her in a dangerous situation!
Sanjay had guided her to understand the location the previous night. Navya and Sanjay had requested her to take charge of delivering medicines to the poor and the needy as both of them were busy with some important work and it was essential to deliver those medicines. Urmil, who grew up experiencing service work, could not object to it as she got a chance to help the underprivileged.
She was happy.
She reached the lane flooded with foul smelling dark water from overflowing dirty sewers. Urmil was confused but she passed through the filthy rubbish of the drain with restraint and stood in front of a butcher's shop. The dilapidated shop under the staircase of an old building, partly covered with plastic sheets, had just opened. The butcher was getting ready by sharpening the edge of a big knife.
Urmil placed the piece of paper with the address written on it on her palm, showed it to the butcher and wanted to know the whereabouts of the house.
On his direction, Urmil reached a ruined house and inquired from an obese woman who was washing dishes by the street tap water. She raised her finger and pointed upwards. The house seemed to be more than a hundred years old… and that must probably be the reason why it's still standing. Urmil climbed up the stairs carefully saving the broken parts.
A fierce fight had broken out on the possession of the faucet below.
Rows of rooms were there on the second floor, quietly witnessing numerous incidents. Urmil went and stood in front of the last room and knocked on the door. After a few blows, an old man opened the door. There were signs of filth all over the room, spider webs like mosquito nets were hanging around… dusty floor, bed and table forced Urmil to cover her nose.
"Sanjay has sent medicines for you."
Urmil took out a big packet from the bag.
The old man snatched the packet from Urmil's hand and slammed the door on a puzzled Urmil.
She crossed the overflowing, dirty road again to return home.
It started raining all of a sudden and she got wet.
