Rakshit

It was the summer vacation back in our 2nd year of Engineering. Most of our friends, including my rock band members had gone home, but three of us had decided to stay back.

We were travelling to Nandi Hills, a place some 60ks from Bangalore. Races were nothing new for us. This time it was Pawan against Rakshit. We were three of us. Pawan being the champion biker, had me behind. Despite that he was leading the race. I was shouting on top of my voice. Travelling with Pawan is some experience.

Minutes later, Rakshit was nowhere to be seen. We,as in Pawan was leading the race by a long way. We stopped after a while. A minute passed but he was still not there. Pawan turned a 'U'. We found Rakshit a while later. He was down on the road, with his bike a few metres away. It had skidded.

Having parked his Pulsar by the side of the road, we rushed back to the city, all three of us on the same bike. Rakshit was being able to speak. We managed to admit him into the Ramaiah Hospital, where Pawan's brother was a doctor.

A couple of hours later, the situation looked under control. Rakshit was smiling in his private cabin.

"Never again with Pawan yaa...he's a champ." " And Hussain", he said to me "Yaar, bring your guitar man. Just sing me that Sutta song and you'll find me running around in no time"

At a point of time, I was really worried but now, I was happy that he was recovering. I went into my room, picked my guitar, but then thought I need to take a bath.

Some twenty minutes later, as I was about to start the bike, I got a call from Pawan. "There's some problem again, I've been calling you man. Bhaai is serious.He is in ICU. Rush in".

There was some internal bleeding, which wasn't identified on time. I could see him through the ICU window. I wanted to sing for him, more desperately than ever before. I couldn't.

We lost him.

I quit singing forever.

                                                      In the picture: Rakshit Kaul

(It's been a long time now. Rakshit's dad still believes that it was me who killed him. A case was also filed. He lost the case. I was set free.)