Just to refresh your memory I reproduce here the last few words of part 2.
Ten years went by.
During these years, in the beginning Razia and I exchanged letters nearly every month but soon it came down to a New Year greeting card once a year. A couple of years later this also stopped. In other words I lost contact with her completely. In these years I did not visit 'The Vacation Inn' thus losing contact with Shanti also.
Then an assignment took me to the movie capital of the south. The hotel I chose to stay in was not ultra modern but had earned itself a reputation of having clean rooms, great food and down to earth prices. I arrived here ten days ago and expected to stay for another fortnight or so.
One late afternoon while I drank my afternoon tea in the coffee shop a young man of 15/16 years of age approached me, 'Excuse me sir are you by any chance Mr. Saheb Sahebji?'
'Yes son I am Saheb Sahebji but I regret I have not been able to place you' I replied.
'I didn't expect you to sir' he smiled, 'it was a long time ago that we met, ten years to be more precise'.
'Really, why don't sit down and tell me your name; maybe it will ring a bell' I suggested.
'Sorry sir in my excitement of meeting you I forgot my manners. My name is Rashid. We met ten years ago on a holiday with my mother and sister' he said.
'Oh my god you are Razia Khan's son. Sit down son, sit down and tell me what you are doing in this city?' I asked excitedly.
'Sir we live here' Rashid replied.
'Since when? I thought you lived in....' I asked surprised.
'We used to but we shifted here about three years back'.
'How are your mother and your sister?' I inquired.
'They are well but mommy still feels the loss of uncle Habib' Rashid said.
'I beg your pardon what did you say?' I asked surprised.
'Oh you don't know? I will explain. I think you know that few months after we returned from our holiday my mother married Mr. Habib Mirza, the lawyer'.
'Yes that is so' I nodded.
'Three years ago we discovered that uncle Habib, that is how appa (elder sister) and I addressed our stepfather, was suffering from cancer. As the hospitals in this city were better equipped to treat cancer patients we took up residence here. Unfortunately his cancer was in a very advanced stage and despite best of treatment that money could buy uncle Habib did not survive the first year. We never did go back and settled here permanently' Rashid explained, 'does mommy know that you are in town?'
'I am sorry to hear about your stepfather' I replied sympathetically, 'no she doesn't. I did not even know that you lived here. Tell me what are you doing in this hotel?'
'I am here with some friends' he smiled pointing to a table on which four youngsters were seated, 'I am going back to the boarding school tonight and my friends are giving me a small farewell party'.
'That is very nice. Let me not keep you from your friends. Just give me your telephone number, I will call your mother later. Do me a favor son don't tell her that you met me, I want to surprise her'.
'Sure what ever you say' he said giving me the number stood up to leave, 'good bye sir it was a pleasure to see you again'
'You too son. Have a good time and study diligently' I said.
That evening after dinner I called Razia. A maid attended the phone. 'Madam had gone to the railway station to see off master Rashid. Let me check if she is back' she said. In the background I heard Razia say, 'Mary I am tired. I don't want to speak to anyone. Who is on the line?'
'It is a gentleman. He wants to talk to you. He says his name is Saheb Sahebji' the maid replied.
'Mary give me the phone immediately' I heard Razia shout with subdued excitement in her voice.
'Hello Razia it is Saheb Sahebji speaking' I said.
Razia shouted, 'SAAHHHEBB SAAHHEEBBJJIIIII' so loudly into the receiver that it nearly damaged my eardrum and a barrage of questions followed, 'From where are you speaking? How long are you here? Where are you staying?' 'Why haven't you come to see me?'
Now for part 3:
'I have been here ten days now and am speaking from the hotel I am staying in' I replied.
'Why did you not tell me you were coming and why are you staying in a hotel when I have loads of space in my house?' she complained.
'The answer to both your questions is that I did not know you lived here now' I replied.
'You are right how could you know' she said, 'tell me when are you coming to see me? Why don't you come right now?'
'Not now it is late but I will see you tomorrow evening around six if it is convenient?' I inquired.
'Of course silly, it is okay. Listen I want you to check out from the hotel and stay with me. I have lots of spare room' she suggested.
'Thanks a lot Razia I will see you tomorrow at six' I said, 'hey tell me how did you find out that I am here?' she asked.
'I will tell you tomorrow' I laughed and signed off. I was so excited at the prospect of meeting Razia again that I hardly slept that night. The following evening I checked out and reached Razia's house. Razia greeted me warmly and asked Mary to show me to the guestroom.
After a wash when I entered the sitting room Razia was on the phone. I overheard her part of the conversation. 'Yes........What are saying ....You are having problems.........Oh no!..... I am confident that you will overcome this problem..........Okay, keep me posted.....Bye.
I raised my eyebrow in inquiry. She said, 'It was a friend and she is having some problems. She will be okay. Forget her. Come let us talk. Razia repeated all that Rashid had told me about her husband. I expressed my condolences at her loss. 'You can't escape your fate' she said philosophically, 'let us talk about something else, you tell me what you have been doing with yourself?'
'The same except that I got married' I said.
'Any children?' Razia asked.
'Yes two like you, a boy and a girl' I replied, 'that reminds me how is Shabnam she must be a big girl now?'
'Yes she over eighteen now and very, very beautiful' Razia said.
'Is this mother's love speaking or...' I asked smiling.
'No truly she is very pretty. You will say the same when you meet her'.
'When will that be?' I asked.
'Not for another six days. She has gone on a trip organized by her school. She returns late Thursday night. Rashid is now sixteen but he is away in boarding school. Actually he left only last night pity you missed him'.
'No I did not. I met him yesterday afternoon. How do you think I found out that you were here? He told me' I said.
'You mean to tell me that rascal Rashid knew you were here and did not say a word to me' she asked incredulously.
'Don't blame him I had requested him not to tell you. I wanted to surprise you' I replied grinning.
'Surprise me! That you did. You are right that rascal always did listen to you more than his mommy' she said wistfully.
'Razia what do you do the whole day? It must be quite boring living alone like this' I asked.
'No it is not boring. I keep myself busy doing voluntary social work. I am attached to an organization, which helps destitute women to find their feet again. I have an office there. I have been associated with this body since many years. Earlier I used to give them monetary donations but when I shifted here they invited me to join their governing body. For example I got my both maids Mary and Maya through this organization. Mary's husband threw her out for being unfaithful and Maya had an unfortunate marriage as a result she ran away from her home. The work is very satisfying'.
At dinnertime I looked at both the maids more closely. Mary was around 25/26 year old, 5' 6" tall, slim, quite pretty with soft dreamy eyes. In contrast Maya was a slip of a girl with a charming face and a girlish figure. Her hair woven in two plats rested leisurely on her small school girlish tits. In my opinion she did not look a day older than 15.
'Razia you said that Maya has been married but to me she looks very young' I asked.