Let me make a quote… A
person’s world becomes special when one is blessed with a GOOD NEIGHBOR!
Indeed, my personal experience says, a good neighbor makes life so much easy.
This is the reason why my journal would remain incomplete if I do not write
about this special being… My Neighbor! Even though my above words might sound a
bit satirical, what I am about to write is absolutely true and represents a
subtle comedy that destiny often plays on fellow mortals. Thus, I note down
this unique mention about this subject today, so that when my memory vanishes,
I would have a reason to laugh out loud and feel good about life again!
A few months ago, the
empty apartment opposite to that of mine, got a new occupant. Mr. Surrinder
Chhabra, a single unmarried man in his mid-fifties moved into the two-bedroom
apartment along with a bunch of vintage furniture and a huge collection of
books. Being an inherent lover of storybooks, I became naturally attracted to
this otherwise elderly gentleman. Two days after his arrival, I knocked on his
door and opened a conversation, to break the ice! Mr. Surrinder Chhabra appeared
to be a sober man, but somewhat reclusive by nature. However, he was courteous
enough to invite me inside his apartment. I spoke about various things and in
return learned that Mr. Chhabra got recently transferred from Dehradun! This
was again another startling information as the name “Dehradun” brought fresh
memories from my childhood. That evening, we spoke for about fifteen minutes and
I retired after inviting Mr. Surrinder Chhabra to my place the next day.
Over the next few days,
Mr. Chhabra and I became quite well acquainted with each other. I asked my
newspaper boy, Arun, to deliver his daily quota of newspaper as well. In return
to my courteous friendliness, Mr. Chhabra offered me to lend books from his
huge collection. He felt pained when he heard about my impending amnesia and
encouraged me with his reassuring words. A sweet bond of neighborly friendship
developed and I felt happy to get him as the man next door who is always happy
to help.
Two weeks passed without
any interruption and time moved on in its normal pace. Then, the thing
happened! I knew Mr. Chhabra was not home for a few days as his door remained
locked throughout day and night. I felt a bit awkward that the man went away
without letting me know where he was going. Then again, I pondered that it was
too much of an expectation from my end, from somebody whom I had only known for
a couple of weeks only.
One morning, Arun
knocked heavily on my door, while delivering the newspaper. It was about
six-twenty by the clock and I was startled by the manner of the knocking. It
was Arun’s usual habit to knock lightly on the door, after delivering the
newspaper. But this was something else. The knock was more like a distress call
and I hurriedly opened the gate. As I unlocked the door, the boy rushed inside,
almost pushing me aside, and closed the door behind him with a bang! There was
a clear expression of shock in his face and he was sweating profusely! I was
confused and asked him the reason for his anxiety.
Arun replied in a tone
of complete shock, “Sir, Mr. Chhabra is a g-g-g-ghost! I think something
supernatural is happening ever since his return!”
Unable to believe his
words, I asked Arun to explain further. He continued, “Sir, every morning, at
dawn break, I deliver newspapers to the apartments in this building. Mr. Chhabra
never picks up his newspaper, but keeps his door semi-locked so that I can drop
it inside his apartment. I had been doing this ever since he moved in. Through his
semi-locked door, every morning, I can see him sitting beside the window in his
rocking armchair and looking outside. The last few days, after his return were
no exceptions to this. However, while going down in the elevator, one day, I
saw something! I saw someone walking up the stairs! In the dim morning
sunlight, I saw Mr. Chhabra walking up the stairs like a stone apparition! He
stared blankly at me with large red eyes. The first day I thought it was a
mistake of my vision, but the same thing happened for the last three days! I am
so scared sir!”
I didn’t have words
after hearing this discourse. A chill ran down my spine too. However, I
gathered courage, held Arun’s hands tightly and went outside. I knocked on the
door of Mr. Chhabra’s apartment while Arun stood behind me like a ghost
himself. The door opened and Mr. Chhabra came out and stood in front of us with
large red eyes and a blank face. His voice asked in a heavy baritone, “WHAT DO
YOU WANT? WHO ARE YOU?”
I must admit that at
that very moment, I felt scared too on hearing the voice but controlled myself.
I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless! Before anything else happened,
somebody else emerged from within the apartment and stood in front of us. To my
utter surprise, it was another Mr. Chhabra!
Arun shrieked, “GHOST!
GHOST!” while I held his hands firmly. Just then, the second Mr. Chhabra broke
into a fit of laughter while the rest of us stood helplessly.
As the air cleared, I
understood what was happening while the second Mr. Chhabra spoke, “No Arun!
There is no ghost! This is my twin brother, Paramveer Chhabra! I went to visit
him in Surat and had brought him here to stay with me for a few days!! I am
terribly sorry, if the identical looks have caused any confusion and anxiety to
anybody!”
Both Arun and I
understood whatever had happened and I too broke into a fit of laughter. The
person whom Arun had seen as an apparition was actually the twin brother of Mr.
Chhabra who went for morning walks every day, but didn’t recognize the
newspaper boy. Arun made a weird face after understanding his foolishness and
quickly went away after apologizing, while Mr. Chhabra introduced me with his
twin brother.
****
Mr. Paramveer Chhabra
has gone back to Surat and our lives have also moved into the normal routine.
However, it is important for me to note down this funny incident here today so
that even if my amnesia erases the memory of this “Comedy of Errors”, I shall
not fall a victim to this mirror image of my beloved neighbor’s sibling… again!
It is so very true; a
person’s world becomes special when one is blessed with a GOOD NEIGHBOR!
Indeed, a good neighbor makes life so much easy. I feel lucky that I have Mr.
Chhabra as my prized neighbor.
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