Who Am I: A Quest

By Nidhi Nitya

Manav and Nidhi, both college students, have been together for two years when Manav decides it is time to take their relationship a step further. While attempting to orchestrate what he hopes is a future romantic tryst, Manav is unaware that events are about to transpire that will change his life forever.

While Manav and Nidhi are attending a wedding celebration in a hotel, explosions rock the building, sending Manav and Nidhi for cover inside a room. Moments later after a masked gunman breaks down their door, the terrified couple is herded with more than one hundred others to another location where Manav soon realizes their captors are terrorists with an evil plan. As chaos erupts around them, something changes inside Manav. After he and Nidhi finally escape, it is only then, with his true loves help, that he begins a quest for the truth about himself and the world around him.

In this compelling story, a man embarks on a journey of self-discovery where he faces seemingly insurmountable challenges while seeking the answer to lifes most complex question: Who Am I?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Jun 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482849653

Nidhi Nitya

Nidhi Nitya is an energetic writer and poet. She was a registered lawyer before completing her master’s degree and now works as a managing director in a private foundation. Nidhi enjoys writing screenplays for Indian cinema, photography, and painting. She lives in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India, where she is preparing to release a collection of poetry.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Nidhi Nitya.

EDITED by Mr S.C. Kakar

ISBN:      Softcover           978-1-4828-4963-9

                eBook                978-1-4828-4965-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Partridge India

000 800 10062 62

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

CONTENTS

CHEPTER-1

CHEPTER-2

CHEPTER-3

CHEPTER-4

CHEPTER-5

CHEPTER-6

CHEPTER-7

CHEPTER-8

CHEPTER-9

CHEPTER-10

CHEPTER-11

CHEPTER-12

CHEPTER-13

CHEPTER-14

CHEPTER-15

CHEPTER-16

I dedicate this book to all the victims of any terrorist attack all over the world and also to all misguide people who are involved in any inhuman activity.

––––––––––––––––––––––––

––AUTHOR WORDS ––-

Dear friends, personally I feel that our last name which tags along with our name, makes us a part of a community, cast or religion. Actually our name is not our identity instead it represent which cast, religion or community we belong to. I don’t like to talk about my last name because it changes the way people treat me and think about me at first meeting. I visit Mosques, Churches, Temples and Gurudwara and I find each of them equally peaceful. I think name and cast are made only for our body not for soul. We are linked to each other and some where we are apart from each other. I am giving my best wishes to all my readers and I wish for everyone to recognize the voice of their hearts.

–––-who m I -–––

CHEPTER-1

S ummer was at its dusk. The first rain of the year was about to start. Wind was high and the drizzle was intoxicating my heart. Light sprinkle of water was satisfying the long thirst of dry land and soft petrichor was filled inside me. Every single drop of rain on my body was producing a tickling sensation. With every tickle a strange feeling raised within me. And my heart started pumping at a higher rate with this feel.

Slowly the rain turned heavy, the sprinkle converted into big droplets and the sky grew dark. It was noon but it seemed like the day was setting. I was standing in my lawn with a skinny t-shirt trying to feel her with every single drop of water falling upon me. All of a sudden, a thought raised in my mind, it’s been 2 years I know her. We both like each other, we talk everyday and even we try to meet hiding from this world. But still, I never took her in my arms or felt her body.

With this thought, an excited sensation ran through my body. I rushed inside and dialed her number.

Hello (it seemed she was sleeping)

Ya it’s Manav. I replied with a soft tone

Were you asleep??

Yes, but you woke me… What happened??????

Her voice was mesmerizing, or it was just the conditions and my thoughts with many dramatic filmy scenes making me screwy.

Come on, say what happened she whispered very closely to the mike.

Nidhi, any how I want to meet you today

Why, is something special today??? She acted in a very naive manner. But I was in a very different mood.

Yes, did you see how adorable it’s raining outside?? Come on out in balcony…

Okay wait a minute she replied. But for me every moment was like a decade to spend.

Yes, the weather is really magnificent she replied in a delighted tone. She was still unaware of what was going in my mind.

So, any plans??? I asked

Her sixth sense was provoked this time. Then she asked in very girly manner after a pause

What should be the plan? like she was totally innocent

I was a bit irritated by her reaction. But I somehow controlled myself to show her, coz this might annoy her.

offooo…..! Nidhi soon it will be 6, and your mom and dad will return home

And I want to meet you, please do something

But Manav, Daadu (grandpa) must be at home now

May be she was unable to understand my dismay, that is why she was acting unsophisticatedly.

I don’t know all that. Didn’t your Daadu take a nap?? I was upset.

Yes he might be sleeping

Okay go and check it out. I’ll call you after a couple of minutes.

And without waiting for her reply I disconnected the call.

After pouring, it finally stopped. And in these two minutes I started thinking again. However, it was very clear that it would rain again. Everything was in my favor; all I needed was once I reach Nidhi’s home, let the rain start and never stop. I was wondering that somehow her parents should not reach home till 6, so that I and Nidhi can………..

Yesssssssss… I shouted with my hands lifted high in air and jumped towards my phone.

Nidhi and I were in Delhi College in final year of management. We were together from four to five years in same college. But our love started only around 2 years ago. In college, we didn’t spent a lot of time together.

My father worked for the Union at Vishwa Hindu Parishad office as a Secretary. On the other hand, Nidhi’s mom-dad were class-1officers at Delhi Electricity board, both of them used to go to office and return together. Her grandfather belonged to a well-known pundit family of Mathura. He lived with them after Nidhi’s grandmother passed away. He was fond of giving allocution at nearby temples. His day does not pass without giving some moral lectures to at least 8 – 10 people every day. Today he was a hamper in my plan.

I was praying the old man must not wake up today, I muttered and dialed Nidhi’s number.

"Ya Manav, today Daadu went for bhagwat at nearby Karol Baag temple, but he is not home yet. Might be late due to the heavy rain.

Oh woow… it seems like my lady luck is shining on me.

Okay fine so I’ll be there in half an hour I made a quick reply and was about to disconnect the call, when she said….

Is it so incumbent to meet, can’t we discuss it here?? she continued in her spying tone.

Noopsss, you shall know it when I come close to you.. very close I whispered

As every girl, she too sensed my mood and got speechless. It was clear that her heart began to pump high as mine.

I directed my car towards her home. Where my heart had already reached. I could not feel the ground, my heart was flying high towards the ‘castle of my dreams’

In the desire to meet my beloved I was unaware of what my future had conspired for me, which would change the definition of my mere existence. I was unknown of the fact that the naked truth of my past was about to tear my soul apart into shards.

I turned on my car’s wiper as it started to pour again. Falling in sync to