" Juhi told you, Soudamini died. Killed herself. But did she tell you, why? "

She was still lighting the candles, with her back towards him.

While he, stood up on the ground now, slowly freezing.

The photo....... 

With the garlands.... 

Wasn't it the same picture Juhi showed in her phone, the very morning?

Of.........

Soudamini!!!!! 

She had stopped lighting the candles. But stood still, facing away.

Choking on every breath, Abhijeet could only utter,

" Who....are.....you? "

She didn't turn. Only giggled. And then laughed.

Laughed as if it was her last.
Laughed as if breaking the walls.

Abhijeet closed his ears.
" Stop!!!! I say stop!!!! 
The photo...with that garland...it's it's Soudamini's!!!

How's it here? Who are you??? Turn!!!
I said TURN!!!!!!!!! "

She did. Immediately.

The ground below slipped as if, and Abhijeet fell on the ground, his head pounding, his heart on the brim of an explosion.

Several candles now lit up the room, and she glowed like a shining star. Her face, clearly visible, her saree, a burning yellow, as if, fire!

Soudamini....

Yes, the same face....

Those deep set eyes, those thin heart shaped pink lips, those beautiful hair...... 

Abhijeet kept sitting on the ground.

Should he be afraid of her?
But why wasn't he?

All he could do, was feel streams flowing down his eyes, once again...

Soudamini too slowly sat down on the ground.

She had stopped laughing, smiling even. Rather, a strange sadness engulfed her face.

Abhijeet couldn't shift gaze.

Was this really happening?
Was Soudamini sitting before him?

His Soudamini.....the Soudamini he had been searching for, since years?

His one love, his red rose, his only nest, his Soudamini....... 

Was this the reason, that he felt solace in this tiny room, even in the arms of an almost invisible stranger? 

" But.....she told......you.....died... " , his lips made words on their own, he couldn't feel what he was speaking.

She scratched the floor.

" And the photo has rotten garlands tucked around it........  " , Abhijeet slowly comprehended things deeper.
Though such vagueness didn't matter, with Soudamini sitting before him.
All he wished was go and hug her, all he wished was slap himself for not recognizing her touch, her feel, her presence all this time.

But all he did, was sit, still.

Soudamini stared at him.

" Tonight, you emptied your heart for the first time Abhijeet.

It's time for me to speak.

But before that, tell me, are you afraid of me? " , she almost whispered.

Abhijeet slowly nodded, a no.
And added softly,

" That you are before me, matters the most, Soudamini....

I don't care if you are dead, or alive.... "

" Isn't it strange that you don't care, Abhijeet?

Because I would, if I were you.

I would try running out of the room at once, if I came across an individual who is supposedly dead.. "

Abhijeet let out a sigh.

" My love for you isn't that weightless, Soudamini... "

She smiled, her eyes glittered.

She hugged her knees.

" I had loved you too Abhi, a huge much! 

Women know things earlier...
And I bet, I knew it much before you realised. I believed too, that my life would go in vain if we ever fell apart... 
I wished too, to die in your arms, Abhi!! 

But see, where fate led us to.... 

The initial days as a....a prostitute....were more than death.
Death too doesn't hurt so much Abhi.....

Not a day went, right from my fourteen years, to my twenty fourth, when lying on the bed naked, flipped as a commodity by a filthy stranger, I didn't shed tears thinking of the solace in that childish hug of yours Abhi.... "

Abhijeet couldn't breathe. Somehow, he felt, someone choked his airways, throttling him to death.

" Yet, I could bear every pain, until my earnings kept Juhi and baba well.

Baba's wellness was all about lying on the bed, or on a chair, and staring dumbly at the floor.

But my only concern was my little sister..

I knew, one day she'd study and grow so big, that she'd pull me out of this hell, and drive me away so far, that these henchmen would never get hold of me anymore.

Life was going smooth. I grew up, things started hurting less, I only counted days, of Juhi's secondary, higher secondary, graduations....

To be very honest Abhi, I believed you had moved far away..far ahead..
I believed, life was a gift for people like you....
And I had never even dreamt of trying to find you, if I got rid of this hell too.

You remained only as a glowing star , something I could never get hold of.

But maybe, just as you said, somewhere a faint hope palpated, what if I could walk out under clear sky one day, and find you waiting for me?

The wait grew stronger, with a touch of love.

Abhi, love is dangerous. Very dangerous... "

She rested her head against the wall.

Abhijeet rubbed off the saline down his cheeks.

" I too stayed in Remeela Chowk.

One day, after I met Juhi and handed her some money for Baba's sudden health deteriorations, I was shifted from there to this place.

Owned by the same broker.
Near the railway station.

I, along with a friend of mine shifted to this house.
I was startled a bit, and of course, a seed of terror brewed inside.
Did they see Juhi that day?? 

Hell broke loose, when I came to know, just three months later,

Juhi was picked up from from road and thrown into Remeela Chowk.

Her every protest silenced by torture, just as they did with everyone............

My years of endurance, went in vain, Abhi..

Juhi, a graduate, was thrown into the same hell, just because, she's beautiful, and she is...a prostitute's sister. 

Life turned completely meaningless, at a go. Once in this circle, you die here. There's no way out, without any external help. That too, very strong ones....

Abhi, remember you wanted to slit your throat?

Get up. The table behind the bed, has the knife you were looking for.

The same knife, I slit my throat with.

Five months back.

Killing myself. "

All the candles blew out together. Without a gust of wind.

Abhijeet sat numb on the floor, when the red light returned, within seconds.

Soudamini sat on the bed, now in Abhijeet's place, while he sat on the ground, without the slightest movement. Not even a breath escaped his lungs.

" After my body was found lifeless, on this very bed, many of the fellow prostitutes around wanted to leave this place.

They did too, after pressing the brokers.

Before leaving, they hung that picture on the wall, lighting candles before it.

Juhi, couldn't even see my body.
She wasn't allowed to.

Neither was, my father.
In fact, he doesn't even know till date, that I'm no more.
Actually, both his daughters are dead for him.
Already. "

She stopped.

And looked at an almost lifeless Abhijeet.

" Why aren't you afraid of me, Abhijeet? "

With this, a trance broke.
And Abhijeet dispersed into a tremendous wail, the final wail of actually losing everything.... 

" Cry Abhi, cry!!! 

I had been waiting to hear it all from you....all this time.......... 

Stuck in between.. 

Because, unfulfilled souls aren't how they show in movies.. Are they? 

Nor do they wish to scare people, nor have the capabilities to do drastic things....

All they possess, is an untold emptiness.

Look at me, for the past five months, I'm caught in this tiny room, dangling between the two worlds, only awaiting your arrival.

The love of my lifetime.

To listen to your heart pouring out for me.
To pour my heart out for you....

Finally, you arrived Abhi!! 

I knew you would, to set my soul free.. but I had not wished, that you would come this way Abhi...

I really didn't.... "

Abhijeet sprang up, he couldn't bear it anymore. He couldn't.

He, with all his might, hugged her tight within his arms.

" no Soudamini, no, I cannot set you free, I cannot let you go, after all this time, I cannot leave you... I cannot I cannot I cannot, you cannot die, you cannot go this way Soudamini!!! 

No, no, no........!!!!!! "

" Relax Abhijeet, relax!!!
See, fate had this for you, for us....

If it hadn't,
could you find my number on the train? 

Could you reach this deserted house, that easily Abhi?? 

Could you speak your heart to me? Could I?

I did, right? I spoke, right? You heard right?
Even when I'm dead, for five months.....

Abhi, no one hears me, no one visits this place, no one calls me, no one knows, I still reside in this very house, but you did...

Ever wondered why, Abhi??  "

Abhijeet slowly sat beside her, still clutching her hands. Speaking nothing.

" Abhi, tell me a few things. Will you? "

Confused, Abhijeet stared at her, unable to comprehend anything for the umpteenth time now on the same day.

Yet, strangely, the emotion named fear didn't grip him even for once..
Rather a tremendous sadness rended his heart, the sadness that paved way to a permanent void.

He murmured,
" I wish I had never met you again Soudamini...
I wish you had never chosen to bring me here.....
I cannot live without you, once again.. "

" Shhh...
I said, answer my few questions...

Did you buy a ticket to the train you found my number in? "

Mechanically, Abhi answered,
" I don't buy tickets. My father was in the rails and the station master knows me well. I've a deduced monthly. "

" Did you take a rickshaw to this house of mine? "

" I walked. "

" Did you buy any food on the train? "

" I never do.

But, what am I talking Soudamini? Do you think it's the time to... "

" What happened when someone pulled you from the bus you wished to come before? "

Abhijeet took sometime to comprehend.

" I.... I lost senses at the abruptness of the incident. Actually, I'm not that strong to even endure near death.

When I regained senses, someone had carefully placed me on a bench in the station... "

" Strange!
Who pulled you by the way? Who saved your life? Did you see the person? "

" N...no....
I lost senses immediately... "

" You won't too.

God pulled you, Abhijeet...

God, pulled you, out of your life.

Abhijeet, you died this afternoon.
Run over, by a bus. "

The End