ridz did not need to guess where karan was going. He was going on a date with his beautiful girlfriend shraddha. She stared wistfully at the fading car, and wished she had karan. People often said ridz did not resemble her family, and they were not wrong. After all, she was an adopted child. ridz had beautiful black hair and a slim body fit for a 20 year old, while karan's handsome features and slick black hair resembled his father, who died years ago. Mrs. padma, the kind widow, as most people called her, was not beautiful for a women of forty eight. But her kind face had no wrinkles and her black hair showed no specks of gray.
ridz had a crush on karan for three years now, and she loved him far karan more than anyone else in the world, even Mrs. padma
ridz spent the hour reading and waiting for karan, as she always did. The clock ticked noisily and the sounds of Mrs. padma's knitting and her chair rocking could be heard throughout the house,
Late into the night the sound of keys in the door was heard and the door creaked open. A boy karan of age 22 stepped in quietly as a mouse and went up to ridz , who had fallen asleep waiting for him on the couch, her book across her lap. Silently, he went up and put her head on his shoulder. The sleeping girl stirred but fell back into her slumber.armaan stroked ridzs head gently for a while, then kissed her cheek. The moments of silence were broken by the loud chimings of the grandfather clock, indicating midnight.
' ridz, I know of your feelings toward me,' karan whispered into the night and to his sleeping ridz. His voice was so soothing, like a lullaby.' I am sorry I am unable to love you back as more, but I will always love you, almost as I love shraddha. You are a beautiful and gentle girl, like the night breeze that lures me to sleep each night. I have to go for a while now. Sleep well.' karan slowly liftedridzs face up to his, then gently placed his lips over hers. It was a short kiss, but a true one. Seconds later the boy left again. ridz opened her eyes and gazed at the empty driveway, trying to recall the kiss that she only half remembered, then fell back asleep.
The quiet dawn house of the padma and ridz were once again disturbed by the shrill ringing of the phone. ridz rose from the couch and picked up the phone that rand at two o'clock. A male voice spoke.
' Miss gupta, this is Officer Jyo from the Sacromento Police Department. I think you'd better come down to South Street. There has been an accident with karan.'
Then he hung up.
ridz was still for a moment, before she threw down the receiver and screamed.' Mother!'
Two ladies, one young, and one old, arrived at South Street minutes later. Police cars were everywhere, and there was an ambulance. A small crowd was huddled around two bodies.
ridz and padma rushed and pushed through the crowd, where three officers were examining the two bodies. One was a stranger, whose head was heavily bandaged and stains of blood were visible through the bandage.
The other was karan. The boy's head was bleeding heavily and blood stained his body, where cuts amd bruises were located. Two more officers came with a stretcher and lifted the stranger onto it.
' Emergency room immediately. There still might be hope.' An officer said.
' What about my karan? He needs to go to the hospital, too!' ridz screamed, her voice shaking uncontrollable as she stared at the bloody heap of karan.
' He needs to go! Somebody, bring a stretcher!' ridz was shrieking, tears streaming down her face as she wrung her hads desperately.
' Miss riddihma, I'm sorry. There is no need for karan to go to a hospital.' The officer said, trying to soothe the frantic girl.
' Why not! That person got to go! Ther's still hope!' ridz cried, shaking her head.
' karan is dead.'
ridz froze. padma fainted, but ridz didn't. Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the officer's shirt.
' You're lying.karan said he was only going out for a little while. He's coming back!' ridz cried shrilly. At that moment all she wanted was for karan to come back. She thought she was going crazy.
' I'm soory. But he is dead.' The officer replied, looking somber. He loosened himself from ridzs grip and walked away.
ridz stood, then knelt in front of karan. She stroked his soft black hair as he did to her, staining her hands with blood from his hair. Her tears spilled and she hugged karan to her. The crowd slowly parted, leaving ridz and the dead karan. The officer came over and patted ridz's shoulder gently.
' Miss gupta, we have to take karan.' He said. The officer waved his hand and two other policemen gently pulled ridz off karan.
ridz didn't know why she didn't object. But she didn't argue as karan was lifted onto a stretcher and covered in a white cloth. The sirens of the ambulance and police cars softened as they slowly drove away. ridz felt a fresh wave of tears come to her eyes, and she stood staring at the disappearing vehicles.
karan died on December 14th.
Channel V Dil Dosti Dance
Arjun
272