Spending the night with Jamila Miss reduced his pain. This was so because his heart had found another thought to ponder.

‘Treachery is the way to find one’s soul.’

This short stay at Mabadmorpho had given rise to many serious questions in him. He searched for those answers within himself. His heart was a fertile field where he harvested his imagination. He was now well acquainted with the meaning and void of human relations. He felt a different sense of hardening within himself. Continuous reflection on his stay in Mabadmorpho, his relationship with Jamila Miss and the past which had been written in a blur on his heart transformed him into a different man altogether.

4

I Wish to Alter What My Words Mean

(Mein Apni Baat Ka Mafhum Dusra Chahun)

His friends and the frolicsome atmosphere at the kholi brought him back from the dungeons of his thoughts within a week. Sometimes these imaginings transformed into crabs and scorpions that wanted to crawl on his chest, but tiredness and sleep saved him from the pain.

So, the days spent themselves.

It hadn’t rained for many days.

Clouds would gather in the sky over Mumbai, do a little sightseeing and wander off to some other place. Moosa Patel was in Hong Kong for some work. Ali was in some other part of Mumbai and Asrar was managing the counter. He was now aware of the colours, characteristics and textures of various precious stones. He had also learnt the skill of dealing with customers. Whether the customers bought anything or not, they were impressed by Asrar’s style of interaction. Moosa Patel was the first to notice this.