Vroom!!! He went… riding his bike at its top speed, aravind started to hate everything in the world. He thought "it’s an unfair world". He had always understood and had been honest about his feelings with sahana, she was caring too. But, when he heard her saying "we have to move on ending our relationship" it came as a shocker. Not even in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine their relationship is going to break. What angered him most was when she termed their relation would not be compatible enough for a long run.
The speedometer hit 130Km/hr, while all crazy thoughts started to hit him. The sky was turning cloudy as he began to think "Did she find someone else? Was there always someone else in her life? Did she ever throw such a hint? All these murky thoughts came to a halt when he hit the brake at the signal.
*****************
At signal…
Sitting on the pavement wearing a short yellow frock which suited her slightly fair complexion, she was trying to reach for a rugged doll lying some 7 feet far away from her. As she was reaching for it, her mother saying" baby wait have something and then play with your doll". She shifted her weight and moved slowly towards the torn doll by its only arm. She Oblivious of all the smoke, the noise, the people and her polio stricken legs was happily smiling and living in her own naïve world.
While waiting for the signal to turn green, aravind was watching all the action silently; envying the girl's happiness and thought "wish I could be happy as her" and sped away.
***************
Few days later…
Opening the door with a bang and throwing his bag with disgust on the sofa, aravind came inside. Looking at him Ashok asked “what’s wrong?” Replying nothing, aravind just sighed. Without further probing him, ashok returned to his play station. Silently, he came and sat beside ashok and erupted out. “My life is in doldrums… it’s so sick… Nothing is going right. First my girlfriend dumped me, the promotion iam due for is still pending and when I ask my boss he tells me that I am not doing well enough at my office for him to approve my promotion. Just tell me what I can do to make it normal.”
“Whoa!! Take it easy man” said ashok calmly. “Stop freaking out. Let’s go out and have a shot on the rocks and you will be fine. Go and get ready". They left to their favorite hangout place.
Later at some bar swaying like a snake, aravind was cursing his boss, his ex and everything in the world for being unfair to him. Already having consumed heavy amount of booze for the night, he grabbed another bottle before setting out with friends on their jeep. Still Bad mouthing his boss and his ex, he sat on the jeep taking control of the steering wheel and he drove across the narrow lanes at dangerous speeds.
***************
Tring…. Tring….
It was 9 30 in the morning when the telephone ring made him jump out his bed. His head was spinning. He couldn't remember a thing. Moving towards the jarring telephone ring "Man did I consume the whole bar", he thought and answered it.
Aravind: Hello…
Vishal: Where are you? It already 9:30 Boss was asking for you... Get your ass out here fast…
Aravind: Ok… Fine…man give me half an hour will be there by 10. Something urgent…??
Vishal: No idea dude… just come fast... I will manage meanwhile...
Aravind: Thanks buddy... I owe you one...
Moving towards the cupboard, he took two aspirins to subside the splitting headache and rushed out to his office.
*************
Aravind: What is the matter? You had called saying that Harisadu was freaking out…
Vishal: I don’t know... he wanted to talk to us both…
Aravind: I hope it is not about my promotion…. Ok let’s enter into the hell.
Coming out of their boss cabin, they were smiling at each other. Aravind couldn’t believe his luck has changed. “What a turn around!! Till yesterday, I was a sore loser and now…” he thought. He not only had a promotion now but also an opportunity to work from Europe. “Man, for a minute I thought hari sadu was going to fire us for something” said vishal and jumping with excitement interrupting his thoughts.
Thinking how Europe looks during the winter time, he dialed ashok’s number. “Bro, have a good news. When shall we meet today? Tell others to meet at my place at some convenient time.” “Great, Good for you” said ashok coldly. “We will meet at 7 at your place”.
*************
Aravind: No way… How can I not remember it...? you didn't even tell me about this… you are telling it now…
Ashok: Man we were in a bad state. We had to do it… we had no other option. You don’t even know what happened.
Aravind: even then … It is wrong… we should have…
Kishore raised from his seat and grabbed aravind by his shirt,said “stop being foolish… we did not do it deliberately… it all just happened in a fraction of second and you were in the driving seat. Don’t forget that”. Pushing kishore back “Forget it… Let us celebrate for the great news that happened at office today” said Ashok “Now cheer up”. Moving away from everyone, “just leave me alone for sometime, I will be fine” aravind said and went out.
************
Aravind still couldn’t digest what kishore had just said about him being at the driver’s seat when the accident happened. He was looking at the place where he had killed two people the previous night by running over them. The tarpaulin sheet which lay strewn on the ground and a rugged doll were the only remains of the place where the accident took place.
He took the doll in hands and he could feel he was sweating in spite of the cold weather out there. His hands were shivering not with fear of getting caught for his evil act but of the fact that he realized whom he had killed.
He collapsed on the ground as only two questions lingered on his mind “What was responsible for that kid’s death and what had changed luck in his favor. He thought. Was it his envy for her happiness or his reckless drunken driving?” Looking at doll, he smiled as he knew the answer.
************
