THE NOBODY: ANONYMOUS- PART 4

"I am in search of..hmm.. a nobody".

Rakesh was staring at this man. He seemed sensible. But this- well, perhaps, he wasn't in his senses.

"Sorry"?

"My name is Patil. Rishishresht Patil. I am the one who is investigating the Anamika murder case. Hope you know about it".

I know that, Your Patilship!

"Yes, I get that much. But Sumit wasn't Anamika. Commissioner said that on TV, right"?

Patil was irritated. "Yes. He did. Now tell me, did you know anything about this diary that Sumit had? You were his room mate and a friend of Sumit's from college".

"Friend? He was my roommie, all right! But he was no friend of mine".

Patil waited. Rakesh spoke again.

"He was a back stabber".

Patil again felt irritated. He could gather that much about Sumit. He was not sure about meeting this person, first of all. Every one said that he was out of his mind. Rakesh, who had once been a celebrated lawyer who rose quickly in his firm- suddenly lost everything due to an accident. Now, he had no family, no job, no money.

The only reason why Patil was there to meet him was that, he was Sumit's room mate at college.

Rakesh and Sumit had worked for the same law firm. There were even rumours that Sumit was behind Rakesh's accident. Patil felt sorry for this man in front of him. But now, he was in no mood to listen to his woes.

"Look, I just need, whether you knew any Anamika when you were in college"?

Rakesh smiled. "No. There was no Anamika. But my daughter's name is Anu. You want to see her photo"? He pointed to his study table.

Patil was really frustrated. But this man was now, his only hope.

"Do you know any person who was a nobody. I mean, who never talked to any one or was not any one's friend"?

Rakesh stopped smiling. He appeared to be angry.

"No one is a nobody. I am not a nobody. You are not a nobody. If we were, we wouldn't be talking to each other like this, would we? But you know, him? Every one called him a nobody. Fools. When everyone calls him a nobody, he becomes a somebody. Idiots. They never realized it. I was the only one who saw it".

Patil was surprised. Rakesh went on.

"He was my best friend at college. He never spoke much. He was the most brilliant boy of our batch. Not many people knew him. And not many remembered him. But I remember him. For he is the only one who remembers me. He comes to see me, often you know".

Patil was desparate. He was shivering. He was trying hard to control himself. He asked, as calmly as possible, "What was your friend's name"?

But Rakesh was looking at the door. There stood a man, thinking, whether or not to enter the house.

Rakesh was smiling. He seemed very happy. He almost shouted when he said-

"Hey.. C'mon in, Joy"!

(To be continued..)