All the clocks (or at least, most of them) struck twelve noon. Most people had been up and about for hours now-- except, maybe for those who worked at night, or those who were hungover from a drinking game or two, or maybe the drunk vagrants and people like that. Otherwise, the city of Mumbai was preparing for a big, hot afternoon.
In a flat somewhere in the middle of the city, a woman could be seen jerking awake a teenager who seemed to belong to neither of the aforementioned categories of people that slept at this ungodly hour. The boy couldn’t have really been older than eighteen. He was dark and by the look of him, quite tall. He had an evidently slanting forehead and prominent eyebrows. A good amount of moustache adorned his upper lip and he had stubble worth of about three days on his chin. He wasn’t very good looking, and yet he gave the impression of being handsome-- a charming, magnetic kind of energy radiated out of him which perhaps was the reason for his attractiveness. The woman, though, who happened to be his mother, couldn’t care less about how attractive he was. She just wanted him awake. Sighing, she began to call out his name: –Anurag! Get up!â€
–Hmm…†Anurag grunted, and opened a deep brown eye. –Let me sleep na, Amma.â€
–You’ve slept enough,†his mother, Sulekha, told him. –Wake up, now. I want you to start studying for your entrance exam into Healer Training.â€
–I don’t want to be a Healer,†Anurag moaned. –Go away.â€
–I won’t. And you just told me last week that you’d love to be a Healer. What changed your mind now?â€
–I want to sleep, Amma, go na!â€
–No, Anurag, wake up. You’ve been sleeping like a log ever since your N.E.W.T exams ended. Your grades are coming soon and unless you start working for your exams, you’re going to be doing something that you’re not interested in. This is enough, now.†Sulekha waved her wand so that the carefully tamed temperature in their flat started to equal that of what it was outside.
Anurag groaned and turned, as his mother left. He couldn’t sleep again and in a few minutes, he was already starting to sweat. Cursing under his breath, he got off his bed and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. A pair of intelligent, glaring eyes stared back at him from the mirror, giving anyone the impression that he was a short-tempered person, and the impression wouldn’t be wrong. Anurag was known to be a time-bomb with his anger. He exploded, anywhere, at any moment and the unlucky person would often be left either very bewildered or very scared. Presently, Anurag ran a comb through his black hair and then deliberately ruffled it a little bit before exiting the bathroom.
Sulekha frowningly gave him a cup of tea as he seated himself on the dining table and scratched his stubble. –Won’t you at least shave?†she asked him.
–I’ll do it later, stop nagging me. I’m not Dad,†he snapped.
–It’s looking very bad.â€
–Like I care.â€
–Why are you so irritated now?†his mother asked him. –Is it about me waking you up from your sleep? I must tell you that you slept enough.â€
–Yeah, fine. Whatever.â€
Sulekha sighed. –Why are you behaving like this, Anurag? You have been in a foul mood for days.â€
–And that would have gone if you would just let me be--â€
–--so you could sleep all day? I’m sorry, but I can’t see my son wasting his time like this.â€
He glared at her. –You’re talking as though you have to sit down and watch me waste time. How does the way I utilise my time matter to you once you’re away on your Healer shifts?â€
She sighed. –Is this about me not having enough time for you these days?â€
–No, I think I have enough of you before and after the shifts, so don’t bother.â€
Her nostrils flared. –Don’t you dare talk to me like that, Anurag. I’m your mother.â€
–So?†he asked her. He knew that she was not someone to cross, but he was in a particularly foul mood today and he just didn’t care.
–Enna da venum onakku?!†she growled, losing her temper. Anurag bit his lip. She was talking in Tamil, which meant she was not very infuriated. He only had something to be scared of when she started to speak in Bengali.
Anurag’s parents weren’t of the same origin: his father, Krishnan was of Tamil origin, with his roots in South India, while his mother, Sulekha was a Bengali who originated from the East. Sulekha had picked up on Tamil after marriage and she could speak it as well as any other South Indian. Anurag, though, was bad at Tamil and awful at Bengali as a result of spending a lot of his childhood at day care centres. He was more fluent in English than anything else, which meant that English was the general mode of communication at home.
Presently, Anurag replied to his mother. –Nothing,†he said nonchalantly. –I just want a valid reason from you and Dad for not having let me attend Hogwarts.â€
She sighed. –We shouldn’t have taken you to that family get-together last week. You never complained about this for all these years--â€
–Because I had no clue that it was a family tradition!â€
–Does that even matter? We put you in one of the best schools in India!â€
–Yeah, but why not Hogwarts? All our family for many generations has attended Hogwarts. Was I not worthy of studying there?â€
–It’s not that,†said Sulekha.
–Then? What was it?â€
–You’d have to go to the UK every year! The Ministries of Magic shut down inter-continental travel by magical means after the war, so they could keep better track of escaping Death Eaters. It would not be feasible for you--â€
–Dad works in the Department of Magical Transportation in our Ministry of Magic! Couldn’t he have pulled some strings? And my cousins travel every year. I don’t see them complaining!â€
–Your father can’t keep pulling strings for us all the time. We must learn to follow the rules. And your cousins might have all the money in the world for return tickets to London every year, but we don’t.â€
–Don’t give me that, Amma. We’re as well of as them!â€
She frowned. –You’re nobody to decide that. Your father and I know how hard we have to work to give you all we have, okay? Value what we’ve done for you and stop complaining. Besides, we didn’t keep you here for the heck of it. There were certain other reasons too.â€
–Like what?â€
–It’s none of your business. Get into your room and stop behaving like a child now.â€
–It is my business! It’s about me! I have a right to know.â€
–Well, we don’t want to tell you about it,†Sulekha said promptly.
–You’re so selfish!†he growled, not understanding why he’d said so at all as he walked straight to his room before banging the door shut behind him.
He sat there for hours, doing nothing but thinking about the fight between him and his mother. He heard her leave for the hospital a while later. She called out a goodbye and told him that she had made food but he didn’t respond. He didn’t get out to eat either.
He knew being angry about not getting to study at Hogwarts at this point of his life was irrational, but he couldn’t help it. There had been a family get-together a few days ago, where he had discovered that all of his cousins-- from both his mother’s and father’s sides weren’t just attending Hogwarts because they wanted to. It was in fact a family tradition to graduate from Hogwarts and he, Anurag was the only person to have attended a different school for magic.
He was really hurt when he realised this. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he have attended Hogwarts? Why did he always have to be singled out from everyone else?
His parents didn’t seem to understand his reason for wanting to have studied in Hogwarts. They claimed to know him the best, and yet he felt they didn’t know him at all. He hated to be the only one in family meetings who couldn’t talk about the house common rooms or the ‘Great Hall’ or ‘Hagrid’ and his pet Hippogriff with a name that Anurag couldn’t remember. He had to listen to the name of that charming little village next to Hogwarts and be very jealous for his cousins. Being in a boarding school sounded interesting too. Anurag’s school, IIM (The Indian Institute of Magic), had been in Mumbai itself and he’d been a day scholar. He never knew what it was like to stay away from home.
It was already getting dark outside before he realised that he was hungry. He finally entered the kitchen and found the food that his mother had cooked. She had kept a glass of juice with a few rotis and curry to go with them, but everything had gone cold. The rotis were soggy and unpalatable. Anurag crinkled his nose at the food and gulped down the juice before going back to his room, grabbing some Muggle money along with his wand and getting out of his home.
He walked a little distance on the lamp-lit street to a shop in the corner and bought a pack of cigarettes with his Muggle money. Just as he was about to light up, he spotted a woman from his apartment building who knew his mother. Lest she should notice him light up and speak to his mother about it, he quietly walked into a dark by-lane at the back of another apartment building to take a smoke.
He had just lit the cigarette when he heard footsteps. His hand flew to his wand, but that was not before he had been grabbed by a strong pair of arms. He felt one of the arms entwine around his neck and a voice breathed into his ear. –Paise nikaal. Jo bhi hai, sab kuch de mujhe!â€
His heart began to race. He was being mugged! But there was only one way out of this. He put a shaking hand into his pocket and drew out rupee notes. –Yeh lo!†he said, handing it to the mugger. –Mujhe maarna mat! Please!†he stammered in fear.
–Kyun be, royega kya?†laughed the mugger as he snatched the money and made to escape. –Aur kisi ko bhi iske bare mein bataya na, toh maar doonga. Samjha kya?â€
"Haan,†said Anurag. But just as he thought the worse was over, the man gave him an almighty push so that the left side of his head collided with the brick wall before him. Gasping in pain, Anurag slid down to his knees while the mugger ran away.
He could feel a trickle of blood make its way through his hair. His head was agony and he was too disoriented to stand up. His eyes were very heavy. Maybe if he shut them for just a minute, just one moment, he’d feel better. Leaning against the wall, he finally closed his eyes as a memory that he never knew he had, came rushing back to him.
***
December of 1997
Mumbai, India.
Anurag was a joyful, energetic nine-year old who was always buzzing about the house doing this and that. Presently, he quietly laughed to himself as his mother called to him from the other room. –ANURAG! COME HERE!â€
He laughed a little more and hid himself in the bathroom. He knew why she was so angry. He had filled one of her masala jars with sand and dirt to watch the fun when she cooked. He loved pulling pranks on his mother.
–ANURAG!†she called again.
He sniggered and latched the bathroom door shut. In a moment, she was knocking at it. –Come out!†she said sternly.
–No-ooo!†said Anurag in a singsong voice.
–Anurag, you--â€
–Sulekha?†called out a strange voice, cutting his mother mid-sentence.
–Judy?!†Sulekha’s footsteps faded away to the other corner of the room.
Anurag stood in the bathroom, bewildered, as he heard ‘Judy’ speak to his mother in a strange accent which he had only noticed on some of the Muggle English movies that his father watched sometimes. His mother, however, seemed to know this strange woman perfectly well. –How have you been?†she asked her, bursting with happiness.
–Sulekha,†replied Judy, –I’m fine for now… and I can’t stick around long. The owners of this house may come home at any moment.†At that moment, Anurag realised that Judy was talking to his mother through the Floo network.
–Okay, tell me,†said Sulekha.
–Well… I need your help. A couple of friends and I are on the run from the British Ministry of Magic and one of my friends is really sick… I think it’s dragon pox… I’m scared she’ll die if we don’t get a Healer here. I can’t even take her to St Mungo’s without the Ministry knowing. Please help us, Sulekha… I wouldn’t even ask this of you if she weren’t so sick… Can you please come here?â€
Sulekha sighed, but didn’t take more than a second to answer Judy. –I’ll be there. Only…â€
–What?â€
–What do I do with Anurag? Krishnan is on his extra duties to control all the riots here.â€
–What riots?â€
–Well, it isn’t war in just Britain, Judy, it’s the entire world. We have smaller amounts of it, but we have it too.â€
Judy was quiet for a while. –You can get him along, if you want… We won’t let the two of you get into danger. We really need you here… please understand.â€
–I’ll come,†said Sulekha at once. –I’ll get Anurag too. I trust you.â€
–Thanks, Sulekha,†said Judy, and there was silence.
Anurag stood still, not believing what he had just heard. Just then, his mother knocked at his door again. –Come out, sweetie, something urgent has come up. I won’t yell at you, I promise.â€
Anurag obediently opened the door and walked out only to see his mother rush to the small brick build-up in the corner which served as a connection to the Floo network. She lit a fire and threw some Floo Powder before putting her head through it. Anurag knew that she was contacting his father. –Krishnan?†she said, –I need you to arrange an emergency travel to Britain and back for me and Anurag.â€
–Why?†asked Krishnan’s voice.
–Something has come up. I’ll explain once it’s sorted out. Will you please do it?â€
–I will.â€
Sulekha and Krishnan spent an entire half-an-hour debating on where to keep Anurag while Sulekha joined Judy. Krishnan was too busy at the Ministry and he was generally working all the way till the early hours of the morning, so it wasn’t safe to leave Anurag alone at home. Day care centres would only take care of him during the day and after that, he’d have to come home anyway, so that wasn’t an option. All of Sulekha’s family was in Kolkata and Krishnan’s siblings were all in Scotland so that Anurag’s cousins could have a temporary home to run to if there was a problem at Hogwarts. And Anurag was such an annoying kid that the neighbours refused to keep him for long. All in all, the only option which remained was for Anurag to be with his mother and though it was extremely dangerous, there wasn’t anything either Sulekha or Krishnan could do to help it.
In a few hours, Anurag was covered with layers of clothing and his mother took his hand as she led him to his father’s office. Krishnan was waiting there with a broken pencil. –Here,†he said, handing it to them.
–Hold this with me,†Anurag,†said Sulekha.
–Why?†asked the little boy.
–We’re going to England.â€
–Why?â€
–On a holiday. Come on.â€
–Are we going to die?â€
Sulekha laughed. –It’s a holiday, sweetie, we won’t die.â€
–But Judy said--â€
–She’s my friend from Hogwarts and she’s invited us over. She was just talking about the games we’re going to be playing.â€
–She spoke about the war,†said Anurag looking at his mother for a long time during which she had nothing to say. –I’m nine, Amma, not three.â€
–And you’re a smart kid,†said Krishnan. –Just hold on to the pencil now.â€
Sulekha shushed him and looked into her son’s eyes. –Are you scared, shona?â€
He nodded and she ruffled his hair while his father spoke. –Your mother won’t let anything happen to you. Don’t be scared, okay?â€
He looked at his father and nodded before holding the pencil along with his mother. –Be safe, both of you,†said Krishnan, before looking at his watch. –Three… two… one!â€
Anurag felt a jerk on his navel and he was speeding in thin air, with his mother at his side. He was thankful for the warm clothes for he was sure he’d be shivering otherwise. And in a moment, his feet felt solid ground and he fell over, while his mother managed to stay upright.
–Sulekha!†called out what Anurag remembered as Judy’s voice. –And you must be Anurag!†she exclaimed, as he stood up. She was a tall woman, as old as Anurag’s mother with short-cropped brown hair and blue-grey eyes. She pointed towards a make-shift tent behind her. –Go right in and make yourselves comfortable. I will put some protective charms around us.â€
Anurag quite liked Judy and all of her friends. They were a group of brave, jolly men and women who were fleeing the Ministry to escape the questioning of their blood statuses. There was Melissa, Erica, Darren, Christine, Mark and Victor, who was Judy’s husband. Melissa was the one who was sick. She was down with dragon pox.
–We have to move again in the morning. We don’t Apparate because Melissa’s too weak, so we’ll move on foot while she’s recovering.†said Judy. –We only stay in one place at nights because you can never guess when the Snatchers could turn up.â€
–What are Snatchers?†asked Sulekha, rubbing some potion on Melissa’s sores.
–They are these gangs that try to catch Muggleborns in hiding. Some of them are plain dumb, but there are dangerous gangs too.â€
–You know,†said Sulekha, –I’ve spoken to Krishnan about a Portkey to smuggle you guys back to India once Melissa is better. Let’s get you out of this mess.â€
–That… that will be fantastic! Thank you, Sulekha!†said Judy, bending forward and hugging Anurag’s mother. –It is so nice of you and Krishnan to do so much for us…â€
–Hey,†said Sulekha. –That’s all right.â€
–Oh… you guys are the best,†said Judy, before turning towards Anurag. –Let’s put you to bed, little fellow.â€
–I’m not little, I’m nine!â€
–Right-o, cupcake. Come on.â€
Melissa seemed to take a long time to even begin to recover from her illness. Three days later, Anurag found himself walking alongside Judy and Victor as they trekked through forest trails and farms alike. The days were short and cool while the nights were pretty cold with a lot of snowfall sometimes.
Presently, the sun was already beginning to set. Judy looked at her watch and called out to the others. –Okay! A little more to go and then we rest!â€
In an hour it was already dark. The group settled for shelter in an abandoned shed in a farm and Darren lit a fire while everybody else arranged the sleeping bags. Christine pulled out a portable WWN set from her knapsack. –Who wants to listen to Potterwatch? We’re finally not in a makeshift tent!†she said happily.
The others cheered and pulled their sleeping bags around the fire. It took her an hour to tune into the radio channel. As they did, Anurag heard the names of the people who had died in the war and felt awful. Soon after, some recent news on the war-affected Muggle and wizarding world was given. Someone called Romulus confirmed that Harry Potter was still alive and then there was news on the sightings of ‘You-Know-Who’.
Anurag looked at the others, bewildered as the radio was tuned. –Isn’t You-Know-Who really called ‘Volde--’â€
–Not his name, not his name!†said Judy, cutting the child mid-sentence.
Sulekha looked up from Melissa. –I thought you were braver, Judy. What’s wrong with calling him ‘Voldemort’?â€
–No, No, Sulekha!â€
But it was too late. Sulekha had already said the name. There was a moment-- just a moment of dangerous silence.
There was a loud crack. –Come out with your wand hands up!†called out a voice. –You’re surrounded. Don’t bother to escape.â€
Judy looked at Victor with scared eyes. –What do we do now?â€
–Let’s go,†said Victor. –Sulekha, you keep Anurag with you.â€
–Come out, or we’ll come in!†said the voice again.
Anurag looked fearfully at his mother, who gave him her hand whilst raising the other one above her head. One-by-one, they walked out of the shed. There were several men outside, who had their wands pointed at them. –Good,†said one of the men with a raspy voice. –Now Scabior, get that kid here and see what he’s hiding.â€
Anurag felt a strong pair of arms separate him from his mother. He was frisked thoroughly before the person frisking him declared to the others, –Nothing. Just a kid.â€
–Oh, no baby sitter available for indefinite hire is it?†asked Raspy with a chuckle. –Give him to me, Scabior, I’ll take care of him.†Another pair of arms grabbed Anurag. He was roughly turned around to face the elders, who were all overpowered and made to stand in a line. A long finger traced Anurag’s neck and he saw his mother’s shudder mimic his. –You answer our questions,†said Raspy, –we’ll spare him. If not…†There was a slurping sound-- as though the man had licked his lips. –He’ll be my dinner tonight.â€
–What’s your name, child?†asked Raspy in Anurag’s ear and he could smell sweat and blood. He wondered if he’d be sick as he took deep breaths. Raspy had got Anurag tied to a rock while the elders were tied up in a row so they could face the child. –Well, answer me,†the man told Anurag again.
–An-Anurag…†he replied. He was sitting right on a patch of snow and it was freezing him. –P-Please let us go…â€
–Give me your full name.â€
–Anurag Krishnan.â€
–Oh, and you, my lovely?†asked the man, gesturing towards Sulekha, –You look like you’re little Anurag’s Mummy.â€
–I am Sulekha Krishnan.â€
–Blood status?â€
–P-Pureblood! All of us here are Pureblood!â€
–I just want to know about you. House?â€
–Gryffindor.â€
–So you might as well be a family of blood traitors.†Raspy walked towards Anurag. –You don’t go to school, do you, child?â€
–N-No,†whispered Anurag. He could feel the dampness of the snow on his rear. He wondered if he’d freeze to death in a few minutes.
–Where does your father work?†another of the men asked him.
–Department of Magical Transportation in the Ministry of Magic in India.â€
–India…†said second the man. –I thought there was something different about mother and son, Greyback. We’ll be questioned by their Ministry of Magic if we play around.â€
–I’ll handle this, Scabior,†said Greyback, narrowing eyes at them. –Why are you here?â€
–Yeah, yeah,†said Scabior. –Why are you ‘ere?â€
–It’s none of your business,†said Sulekha.
–Of course it is, my lovely. Blood traitors are as good as the Mudbloods for us. Now… let me see if your names are on the list… Scabior?â€
Scabior checked a piece of parchment and spoke up. –There ain’t no Krishnan in ‘ere, Greyback. Let ‘em go.â€
–Not unless I know why they were here in the first place,†said Greyback. –Is Krishnan your real name?†he asked them again.
–Yes,†said Sulekha.
–And you say your husband works in the Ministry in India.â€
–Yes.â€
–Then there shouldn’t be a problem locating him from our own Ministry. There must be records.â€
–I’m sure there will,†said Sulekha.
–Good, take ‘em to the Ministry, Scabior. If the name’s there--â€
–I’m not going anywhere unless you free my friends here,†said Sulekha.
Scabior looked around at the others as though he had just realised that they were there. –They are most probably Mudbloods and they are going to ‘ell. Do you want to go with ‘em?â€
–I won’t leave without them,†Sulekha persisted. Anurag just wished she’d agree to go to the Ministry and check his father’s name. He wanted to go home. He was terrified and very cold.
–Well, let’s put it this way, lovely,†said Greyback. –You come with us and I won’t eat your precious little baby.†He knelt beside Anurag. –And I do like the idea of that soft flesh, so I ain’t gonna regret it…†Anurag felt goosebumps arise all over his body as Greyback sniffed his neck and smacked his lips again.
–I’m not going anywhere,†said Sulekha. –And if you do anything to my son, our Ministry will not spare you.â€
–Oh, yeah?†said Greyback. –Let’s see…†He cupped Anurag’s chin and tilted his head so that his neck was exposed.
Reflexively, Anurag broke into sobs. –Amma...!†he said, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. –Polaam, ma… Please!
Greyback sniggered. –I’m guessing that’s not happy gibberish from your son’s mouth. Still going to stay?â€
–Yes.â€
Anurag suddenly felt hot breath on his neck. The smell of sweat and blood was overwhelming and something wet and sharp touched his neck suddenly. –AMMMAAAAA!†He screamed, his voice rising by an octave, just when his mother spoke again.
–I’ll come! I’ll come to the Ministry! Don’t harm him!â€
–That’s a good girl,†said Greyback, withdrawing himself from Anurag, who had started to sniffle. –Let’s untie you.â€
In a while, Anurag and Sulekha were in the Ministry of Magic, with an official checking Krishnan’s name on the list of Indian members. Anurag clung to his mother, relieved that they were both alive. He knew that Judy and the others were in danger, but for the moment, he could only care for his mother and himself.
–Clear,†said the official. Sulekha and Anurag were sent back to India and a warning was issued to Sulekha about helping outlaws on the run. She tore the document and lit it on fire the moment they were home.
Anurag never ate or slept properly for a lot of time after the incident. A few days later, Sulekha received the news of the death of Judy and all her friends, who had tried to flee the Snatchers, but in vain. This made Anurag feel even worse. Sulekha was upset too, and seeing Anurag this way just aggravated her sadness.
One night, while Anurag lay on his bed trying to sleep, she entered his room and sat beside him. –How are you, shona?â€
He didn’t turn around. He just let her run her hands through his hair.
–I won’t ever let you suffer like that, okay?†she said. –I will always keep you by my side.†She paused. –I have a medicine that will make you feel better, will you take it?â€
He turned around. –What is it?â€
Tears filled her eyes as she raised her wand and pointed it at him. –Obliviate.â€
***
Back in the deserted lane, Anurag opened his eyes and stood up slowly, wondering how it was that the Memory Charm had broken suddenly. He couldn’t remember reading about blows to the head that could break Memory Charms.
He sat there for a long time wondering how this had happened when he remembered the glass of juice. Of course! His mother had spiked it with the charm reversal potion! But why did she want him to remember the incident? Wasn’t she scared it might harm him?
Well, the encounter had happened far too long ago to traumatise Anurag any further and he was sure his mother knew that. However, he couldn’t understand why she had brought back that particular memory to his mind.
He was heading back to his apartment building when he remembered the promise she had made to him just before erasing his memory.
–I will always keep you by my side.â€
Anurag knew his mother very well-- she was a woman of her word and she had just proved it to him once again. Sending Anurag to Hogwarts would have made her leave his side and even if she had made a promise that Anurag wouldn’t remember, she had kept it.
Anurag took a deep breath as guilt came down at him, hitting him in huge waves. He was a horrible, horrible person. He had mistaken the intentions of his own mother. He had called her selfish. He had spoken to her badly. And he had done it all consciously. Why had he done it?
He let himself into the flat and entered his room, just as he remembered something else. This time, he couldn’t believe he had forgotten it. Sighing, he ran out of the flat again, muttering obscenities under his breath.
When he was back his mother was already home from work, though his father wasn’t. Anurag carefully made his way to the kitchen, where Sulekha was cooking. –Amma?†he called out to her.
She turned around. –Hi, kanna, why didn’t you eat?â€
He walked towards her. –I… had the juice. I’m sorry, Amma… I--†he couldn’t continue. He just went forward and hugged her.
–It’s okay, da,†said Sulekha. –I’ll make dinner quickly so that--â€
–No, Amma,†Anurag replied, breaking away from her. –I just met Appa and got us reservations at Copper Chimney,†he said carefully. –And…†his voice broke a little as he spoke again. –I can’t believe I forgot… Happy Birthday. I… I love you, Amma, and I have decided for sure-- I want to be a Healer… a good one-- just like you.â€