The afternoon sky slowly turned red. The wind became stronger. All the kids started running back to their quarters. They would have loved to stay back and play and get drenched in the rain but the rampant whistling of breeze, rustling of the leaves, and the thunder rumbling above along with the lightning flashes scared the kids. After all, norwesters can be intimidating too!

There were five of them and Papan was their chosen leader. They all took shelter under the shade of a ramshackle store building that had been lying inside their campus in a condemned state for many years. Papan alerted them not to go inside as the roof and walls might collapse at any time. It was all dark and the drizzling continued. The breeze had subdued though. But the norwesters had done its job! All the mangoes had fallen. Papan knew it was now time for him to come.

Soon the headlights of the white old Ambassador car flashed at some distance, and just like Aladdin's genie, he appeared before Papan. Ajit driver, the adorable Aam-Dadaji had come.

Aam-Dadaji; an old fellow, aged sixty years came out of the car almost staggering and swaying but then he quickly steadied himself and regained his balance, and waved his hand to those kids. Papan jumped out of the shade and rushed towards him. Others also followed. Ajit driver grinned and whispered in a low, hush voice. "Fast, fast my children; there are so many mangoes today. We have to collect them all." Papan and Ajit driver collected most of the mangoes. The other kids also did a marvelous job. Next, all the mangoes were brought and heaped up under the store shed. It was to be divided into equal shares. Aam-Dadaji distributed the mangoes among all the kids and kept only a few for him. The kids left. It was getting late and the evening was time for studies. Papan however stayed back. Aam-Dadaji and Papan sat down on the wet grass. "You were right on time today," Papan said. "Without you, we feel scared to go under the trees to collect the mangoes. There are snakes, hiding, you know? But when you are here Dadaji, I feel brave." Ajit driver laughed out loud; laughed his heart out; a happy and delightful laugh. He cuddled the boy. After all, a Dadaji he was! A very special and different Dadaji; 'Aam-Dadaji'! He was sweet as 'Aam'; and though he was old still very young at his heart and fresh inside, just like the seasonal and delicious mangoes. He was a lonely person. He had no family of his own, he never married. He came to Kolkata when he was just twenty-two. He had no formal education, no money, and no relatives or friends in the city when he came. He knew no one there and after trying his hands at almost everything, he finally became a driver. And then after a few more years of hard work, he got a bank loan and bought his Ambassador car which was still running like a samurai warrior. It seemed weathered, worn by so many years of constant service but he wouldn't let it go easily. He wouldn't part with it. He maintained it like his child. He had put his sweat and blood to buy it and a proud owner he was! The car was also loyal to its old owner. It never had any major breakdowns or accidents. The papers and documents were also perfect. Ajit driver kept them all up to date using his contacts; men at the motor vehicles' office and sssshhhh….he bribed them also when needed. Nobody knew about that. Ajit only used to tell everything to Papan. But he kept this a secret from him. It wouldn't have been right to teach an innocent kid like Papan about such immoral things as bribes. Ajit driver loved him so much. How could he say such evil things to a dear little boy like him which could eventually contaminate his conscience? He always wished Papan would be a wonderful person someday; a man of noble character, loving nature, and pure in his heart.

He handed some more mangoes to Papan from his small handful share. "But Dadaji, you have only a few mangoes. Why are you giving more to me? I already have plenty, you see. I don't need anymore." Papan said. The old fellow kissed his forehead and put the mangoes in his packet. Papan reluctantly took those. He hugged Ajit driver and left. Ajit driver also went back to his room in the driver's quarter. He was happy that day. This had been his way of life for quite some time. He was the company's most trusted driver. He was a driver in the electricity department and everyone liked him for his affable nature and adeptness as a chauffeur. His duty would start early every morning. It started with picking the shift personnel from their respective quarters. After dropping them off at the main control room he would rush to attend the chief engineer's office and be at his service all day long. In the evening, at the end of his duty hours, he would again return in a great hurry hoping to see Papan at the campus' playground. On those days when he got late due to some emergency at work or while returning from outstation journeys, he would miss the opportunity to meet the kids, especially Papan as all the little ones would have returned home by that time. He would become very sad on those days. He often wondered and asked himself why he loved Papan so much; why he had so much affection for him. He thought about the probable reason for such a feeling of fondness, warmth, and tenderness for someone, some little kid whom he barely knew, who was not related to him, with whose family he had no connections. But he never got an answer. His heart must have had some reason for such endearment which he didn't know of. Ajit driver also used to think about Sharmila a lot. Sharmila was a girl in his village, whom he loved. He was a big fan of Rajesh Khanna in his young days and he would follow Sharmila; his ‘Swapno Ki Rani’ on his bicycle throughout the whole day. He was a true, passionate lover. He vowed to marry her, that too without thinking of asking for any dowry from her parents. His only secret wish was that Sharmila's parents would gift him a motorbike on their wedding day so that he can replace his bicycle and Godspeed; embark on their future journey. But destiny had something else in store. Sharmila's parents spent much more and sent their daughter in a brand-new car to the house of Guptaji, as the bride of their youngest son Rohit. Ajit was used to this; accepting everything sportingly. His heart had magical powers of self-healing. He has lost so much in his life right from his childhood but courage and ebullience had never forsaken him. He moved on and came to the city in search of a livelihood and ended up here. He knew nothing about family and children. But things changed one day. A little boy suddenly jumped out of nowhere in front of his speeding car. The tyres screeched as he hit the brakes and the Ambassador car came to a halt, inches away from the child. His parents shrieked and ran to their child. Many other people from the residential campus also gathered and they all embraced Ajit driver for his unbelievable prowess. He had saved a little boy's life. Papan's parents hugged Ajit driver, tears rolling down their cheeks but they couldn't say much. Those who surrounded him thanked him. Ajit driver felt a bit awkward with so much love being showered on him. He was a stoic and shy creature and was little uncomfortable dealing with such emotions. He was looking for a chance to leave that place when suddenly Papan jumped down from his mother's lap and almost took a leap onto Ajit driver's shoulders. The old driver also grasped him tightly in his arms and kissed his forehead. No words were exchanged between them but both hearts melted forging a deep bond of trust and attachment forever. Papan's grandfather, had he been alive, couldn't have loved him more than Ajit driver. And for little Papan, from that instant, Ajit driver has carved a permanent place in his heart. The two would meet almost every evening and Ajit driver would bring candies for the children and some extra for Papan which he would give out to him covertly. And during the summer after the norwesters, they would all collect the mangoes. That particular exercise was very exciting and amusing for all the children and the old man.

Three years passed like this. Papan was now six years old. In those last three years, Ajit driver had hardly taken any leave. But that summer he decided to go to his village once. He had a very small property in the village which he received from one of his distantly related uncles a long time back. He thought of visiting his village for one last time and selling it off before coming back to the city. All other ties with his village were already severed. His leave was sanctioned for a week and he set out in his old ambassador car. Before leaving he met with the kids and assured them that he will be back within a few days before the onset of the norwesters. Papan handed him some pieces of cake that his mother has made. The beloved Dadaji bid goodbye to all his children and started his journey. It was some four hours’ drive from the city to his small village. Upon reaching his destination he quickly resolved the matters and made a settlement with a buyer and got a good price for the property. He felt relieved! He visited a few places there but all have changed. The little huts were no more and the places were all well-lit; thanks to government schemes of rural electrification. The muddy walkways and 'kaccha' roads have vanished and concrete roads were in place. The trees have reduced in number but the old and huge banyan tree was still there. He used to peep furtively at Sharmila's house from its back just to catch a glimpse of her! Ajitr driver seemed to have lost track of time as memories from the past invaded and inundated his mind. It was a somber feeling. A sense of loss and grief was evoked within his heart. Indeed, he has lost so many things compared to what he has got in this village. He has carried the pain ever since he was a child. And as he became old, those things of the past often troubled him and how hard he fought to get rid of those; the tormenting ephialtes!

He felt a bit giddy and shaky. He decided to leave and return to the city as early as possible. The build-up for the season's first norwester was evident as the sky, the trees, and the slow breeze, all had started fomenting and the dark clouds were appearing from their secret hideouts blanketing the heavens and the sun. Ajit driver remembered his promise to Papan and the other children. He had to go back racing against the imminent norwester! Or else the children and his dear Papan would be heartbroken. Those children were the few souls who loved him most. Never before Ajit driver has felt love like that!

He was feeling some discomfort owing to the tiring journey from the city and the anxiety of striking a good deal. He was feeling hungry as well. But he wanted to escape as early as possible. That place was doing him no good. It was simply rekindling the bitter past making his heart heavy. His chances of redemption lay in breaking free from that claustrophobic past. He had to return to Papan at the earliest and take him in his arms and hug him and cuddle him and shower him with all the love that was still left in his heart. And he knew it was there in abundance! Never before he had missed Papan so badly; he desperately wanted to be back. He drove his car as if he had plans to fly! And within half an hour he was out of the cursed village. He thought he could breathe now! But there was a pain in his chest. He was not sure what it was. He was only thinking of Papan. He has left behind the demon of his childhood and young age way behind. He expected to feel free, and happy. But instead, he was sweating, his hands started trembling, and his throat was getting dry. He panicked. Papan was waiting for him. How would he collect the mangoes without him? The snakes were frightening and worse they could even hurt the children! Aam Dadaji pressed on the accelerator in a jiffy but his body quivered. He stopped. His hands fell from the steering. Suddenly it was all blurred. Aam Dadaji's head stooped and rested involuntarily on the steering. His eyes were still open and he could see Papan running with the other children to hide under the shade of that old store building. The norwester has started in full swing knocking off the mangoes. The gusty wind blew everything away and all things were in utter disarray. Only Ajit driver sat still in his car seat leaning forward with his shoulders drooping. He had given up and lost it one more time; the final time. The last drops of tears were still stuck in his misty eyes. A wistful smile was written on his face! It was suggestive of his nature which would forgive everything and never hold any grudge towards anyone; not even God! Perhaps it also portrayed his faith till the last breath that he would make his way to the kids, like always. But Aam Dadaji lagged far away this time!

The news spread within a day and Papan's parents wondered how to hide it from their son. They made up stories. But the little hearts have magical powers that the grownups don't know of! Papan understood soon what had happened. Aam Dadaji always told him that if Papan was happy then he would also be happy, no matter where he was. And also in life, one should accept everything sportingly! When the next norwester happened Papan went alone under the trees and collected all the mangoes. He looked up. There was a bright star twinkling above the mango tree, up in the dusky evening sky. Papan smiled at it. He has always heard that when loved ones go away, they observe us as stars! And it was undoubtedly his Aam Dadaji guiding him from above. But his tiny hands didn't stretch for his Aam Dadaji anymore. He was a long way above shimmering playfully at him! If only he could have come and hugged him one last time before saying the final goodbye!

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