:: The haunting Question ::
"Bye."
I replied with a small smile dancing on my lips. The small bye, I heard as an answer, stretched the curve on my lips more. Still pressing the mobile to my ear, I waited for the line to went dead. Seconds passed, but neither did she cut the call, nor did I.
My cousins were huddled up in my room and teasing me to no end. Whilst ignoring all of them, I'm busy on my mobile talking to my girl.
After a second, an angry snarl caught my attention.
"You know what, the problem is just her pretty face!"
I frowned and disconnected the call. I knew, she heard it. It was Mirza, my cousin convulsing in rage. We were like really close, before she came. He is my first cousin but we were always brothers.
"Mirza, please stop!"
Nishant and Bakshi warned him simultaneously. Whilst he just scowled. Before I could say something, Nishant, my friend, stopped me. And I knew, however I present my case, Mirza was a lost cause.
I'm getting married in few days. Jodha, my fianc, is a simple lady with a straightforward approach with tints of shyness diffused in her persona. We'd met in a common friend's wedding.
Ours will be a love marriage. Lots of ruckus was raised in our respective families, when they came to know about us. The biggest hurdle was our castes, me being a Muslim and her being a Hindu. But eventually, we pulled it through. Bakshi my cousin sister was ecstatic whilst her real brother, Mirza seemed sour with the news.
He never liked Jodha for some reason err... scratch that he hated her with passion. We'd huge arguments over being her my girlfriend. His main point was, she's a Hindu. I never knew before that; Mirza was so narrow minded. I had tried to knock some sense into his thick skull but the hot headed cousin of mine, won't hear a word, understanding was a distant option.
"Mirza, she'll be a part of the family."
I tried the very last time and pressed my temples as mild pain started to build up. Abruptly he stood up and stormed out of the room. Everybody went silent in the room. And my head throbbed with the ugly turn, this evening has taken.
Allah, only this was left.
*
I rubbed my eyes and sat on the bed. I'd slept immediately after Mirza walked out. It's half past twelve, the digital clock kept on the small table beside bed, noted. Sleep eluded my senses. Taking the water bottle, I headed towards the balcony.
As soon as I opened the sliding glass gates, cool breeze touched my body providing me a sense of relief. Resting my elbows on the railings, I leaned a bit. Staring in the silent night, my mind again ran towards her. She is stuck in here! My subconscious pointed at my head, grinning foolishly.
Gulping some water, I stood looking at the green lawn. A growl of a bike interrupted the silence of night, shifting my attention towards the sound. Squinting my eyes, I concentrated at a particular spot from where it was coming.
Mirza? With another guy? He looks like Mirza's classmate.
What he's been doing there? Bike ride? at this time? One of their late night rides, maybe.
Turning around, I headed downstairs.
*
Reaching over the garage, I was about to call him but what I heard afterwards, sent chills down my spine. Before, I could call him or get his attention, he was out, on the road.
No, no, no, damn it! This guy won't do what he just told to that friend of his. He can't do this. Panic ran through my veins like ants scrawling down my body. Immediately acting on my reflex, I flew upstairs. Picking my phone and car keys, I dialled Nishant whilst running, almost stumbling towards my car. My whole form was shivering. I can't let this happen, this is not right. He received the calls after a few rings. His sleepy hello made me more agitated.
"Nishant, just go to Jodha's apartment, now."
I ordered whilst reversing my car. My phone was tucked between my ear and jawline securely. My voice was wavering; this must has gotten Nishant worried.
"What? Why?"
"JUST GO! NOW!"
I bellowed losing my patience. I was speeding car on the road now. Though shivering, I was lucky enough to not to lose my presence of mind. Rejecting his call, I pressed accelerator. Mirza's words with the certainty tinged in his tone kept reverberating in my mind.
Holding the steering with one hand, I dialled Jodha's number. I should inform her.
The number you're trying to call, is either switched off or out of coverage area.
Throwing my phone in utter frustration, I ran my palm in hairs. Be safe! Be safe! Was my mantra till I reached the building, she resides in.
I found Mirza's bike parked a bit away from my car. Hoping out of the car, I ran towards the lift. It was going upstairs. Damn! Not waiting anymore, I sprinted upwards by staircase.
All sweaty, I reached her floor. From a distance, I could see Mirza pressing the doorbell repeatedly. A kind of madness was emanating from his rigid persona, his palm clutching a glass bottle, which has the vicious liquid, acid.
"Mirza!"
I shouted to warn him off and almost lurched forward. In between the gate of her apartment flung open. A horrific look painted across her face. Unfortunately, Jodha was at door. Fate can't be so cruel.
At a lightning speed, so many things happened. Her taking two steps back, me leaping in between and pushing Mirza back, Mirza almost threw it on us and the most fortunate thing, Nishant pulling Mirza back.
Neighbours has come out hearing the commotion. Collective gasps can be heard from different directions. Some men, with Nishant has tackled Mirza, who was throwing his limbs to get himself freed.
I heard her shriek so loud behind me and a stinging sensation ran through my palm. Then I realized, some drops of acid has reached to my left palm and her left shoulder, in the process of scattering down, when bottle slipped from his hand.
My palm is on fire, like thousands of pointed needles are pricking at the same spot, so was her left shoulder. The burning was intensifying with each passing seconds. I pressed my lips to stop shouting my heads off. Hearing a thud behind me, I turned around and found her on knees, clutching her shoulder and arm. Tears were oozing out of her tightly shut eyelids. I can feel my own eyes burning due to pain.
I immediately took some ice cubes from the bowl, that her mother has forwarded. Caressing her burns with my right hand which held ice, I clutched a cube in my left, to sooth the burning. She fell in my arms, crying out in relief. I circled my right arm around her and clutched another ice cube in my left palm, to sooth the stinging sensation.
From the corner of my eyes, I could see the men from her family, who held Mirza has understood the situation. Don't know, who suggested, they pushed him on the heinous liquid scattered there. Nevertheless, a gut wrenching shriek escaped his lips, as the acid came in contact with his front.
Writhing in pain, he kept wriggling on the ground. His cries for help, was resonating breaking the silence of the corridor. After even fifteen minutes, when he has gotten all tired, no sound was coming from his lips, the wriggling hasn't stopped. All his blood has rushed into his eyes and agonised silent cries were stuck in his throat. Whole face of my cousin has turned red contradicting in pain. His front seems like melting. Just few drops have burned us, how he must be feeling, this gave me shudders. For a moment, even I felt bad but pushed the thought out of mind as soon as I reminisced his intentions about coming over here.
*
"No! no! Please don't!"
She shouted throwing her hands and legs around. My eyes jerked opened as I saw her turning and twisting on the bed. Next moment, she woke up soaked, in her own sweat and tears.
My heart pricked at her lost state. Even, I'd been a victim to these nightmares but now I'd learnt to smoulder them all. Embracing her, I rocked her back and forth. Her little fists clutched my shirt and she cried herself to sleep. I traced the ugly marks on her left arm and shoulder, same as mine. It hurts to see her, so lost, so scared, so weak. A psychiatrist was consulted for her, to overcome her fears and nightmares.
My mind wandered to one week back, when that unfortunate incident has happened. Mirza was handed to police after treating his burns. Her family were so outraged at his audacity but fortunately police have saved him from them. They might have killed him, then and there.
I felt ashamed when my uncle, his father, has pulled the strings and had him bailed out. But I know, his life and career has almost destroyed. He learned his lesson, in a hard way.
"What if, at her place, it was Bakshi?"
This is the question; Jodha's father had asked him on the very next day of his release. And the agony and guilt that had descended down his face was enough for me to gauze his state of mind.
This will haunt him till the end of his life. Even if he tries to forget, his disfigured chest would be a constant reminder of his heinous deeds.
!!*!!
So, how's it?
I don't know, how this entered in my brain but it did.😕
This goes for Mitu di.⭐️
When you said about OS, this idea just popped out of nowhere. Don't stop talking to me after this absurd dedication. And About the title - I dunno why I thought it'll suit.😕
Sorry if it's not worth reading.😊
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