CH02 - The Reply

“Hello Mam, Are you in any problem? May I help you anyway?”, asked I gently.

After a long silence there was a most awaited reply from her, “Hi”.

To make her comfortable, I sat left to her. I offered her the water bottle I had. However, there was neither any acceptance nor refusal. I was curious to know what’s wrong with this beautiful lady. To take the conversation any further, I started to blabber something stupid. I knew at sometime either she’ll get involved or will ask me to stop.

“The world is not any better place for me to live”, Said she.

“Why? What’s the problem? There’s everything beautiful around. Don’t you like the weather today? Look at the lush green trees. They are so soothing to eyes. The sky appears to be grey filled with cloud. Look everything around today seems to be very pure.”

I wanted to appreciate her simplicity and beauty but was reluctant to do so. whatever but I was a stranger to her. But then there was a gut feeling that I should speak out. may be that makes her any comfortable.

“ The nature today is just like you. Innocent & beautiful. Only difference is that doesn’t seems to be sad like you”.

“I love being sad. This is how my life is all about. It had, has & will be. That’s all I know”, replied she.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to hear your story”.

“Why ? You also wanna enjoy what I’m going through like everyone else. Yeah, Anyways it’s not your fault. Who doesn’t like to enjoy the sad stories”, murmured she in a feeble voice.

“Sorry, but you are getting me wrong. I just wanted to help you. I apologize for same.”

“Wait, Wait. You don’t have to. I don’t know why but I’m being rude to everyone nowadays, to you as well from the time you have been here.”, she spoke up.

By the time the rain started again & this time it was furious. I asked her to get up & take shelter. She agreed this time. We started towards the center of the park, wherein they had a tomb shaped shelter which could hardly accommodate four person. To our luck, there was no one. We sat over a small couch made up of cement. It actually was more of a stool , round in shape. We were now facing each other.

This was the time she first looked into my face. Also, I could clearly see her. She was God graced beauty. Her hairs were completely wet & looked as black as you can ever imagine. The water droplets over her eye-lashes just took my breath away. She had beautiful lips. Her nose was very carefully crafted for the sharpest & finest look. God really would have employed some of their very skilled professionals to create her. Probably he wanted to make her finest of his collections. I smiled her at briefly. She did as well.

Her smile nearly gave me heart-attack. My heart started beating really very fast. I just didn’t know what the hell was going on with me & why the heck I was even bothered to notice miniatures of her details. May be that’s natural. It all just happened within few seconds but felt like a century to me. I just wanted to be a time traveler who had lost his path to the future & is swirling between just this 5 seconds. I was breathless to speak any further.

“So, who are you?”, asked she breaking the long silence.

“My Name is Prateek.”, replied I. “And what’s your name?”

“Aashin. They call me that way. I’m not sure though”, answered she.

“What do you mean you’re not sure about your name?”

“I’m not. you can call me that way or whatever you would like to”, she said.

“Now I know you as Aashin. That’s really beautiful. I would prefer that”, Smiled & replied I.

“Well, Aashin. I don’t see you any time before in this garden. If my memory is correct, is this the first time you have come here?”, questioned I.

“Yes.”, replied she.

“Then, what’s the deal?”, continued I.

“There’s no deal. It’s just randomly I entered here last night to take shelter.”, answered she.

I was shocked with her reply. How can a young descent looking girl would prefer to spend her whole night in the isolation, in the dark, that too in a place stranger to her. I could now realize that there was something really wrong as per my very thought.

“Did you run away from your home?”, asked I.

“ I don’t have any home & life. It’s just their’s. The devils out there”, said she in a vibrating voice.

Sensing the fact of her emotional break-down, I could just not resist to investigate further realizing the fact that she might not like anymore questions being a lady. But I had to do so. I just didn’t want to see her sad for no reason. She was completely stranger to me, so am I to her. It was in the meantime, I could see tears rolling down her cheeks. However, she didn’t cry.

“I’m sorry If I did hurt you by asking any personal question.”, said I.

“No, No. Please don’t be. I don’t wanna make any one feel sorry because of me before I leave this world”, said she with a fake smile. “Bye.”

And she left just before I could utter any word. She walked out of the garden. I wanted to stop her than something inside me prompted not to do so & allow her let go.

“Bye. I’ll wait for you & I know you’ll as well.”, said I with a high intensity.