Love And Lies Are Red

11

"Someone must have done that intentionally", a few men were discussing among themselves about the unconscious girl lying inside a sack. They had found her when they were unloading the goods from the train. Few suggested to dial the police, and it was when all of them had dispersed to fetch the police when Arshia had run away from there. She could not trust anyone at that moment, not even the people helping her. Those men had started following her along with two policemen, but she cleverly escaped their sight and hid behind a shop wall. The shopkeeper was missing inside the shop and she was not afraid of entering the shop. The streets were not that crowded and the weather was cloudy. It was morning, obviously, and she got to know the time too from the clock inside that general shop - 6:15 a.m. in the morning. When an old bald man came into the shop from a corner room, she knew he was the shopkeeper.
"Can I call someone please? I don't have any money right now but...", Arshia asked him in one breath as the man stared at her, baffled.
"No need for money, you may..", as soon as he handed her the receiver, he could hear the ring go, as if she had already entered the numbers and was just waiting for his permission. Arshia suddenly realised that it could be time for their namaaz, as Rafeen must be praying quickly in order to bide Aadil away to the bank. She was waiting in a hope that Rafeen would pick her call up but the ring went endlessly. A strange fear settled in her heart.

Arshia knew it that Shravan had done her kidnapping and thrown her to a different city. She next dialled the Hyderabad police station as the shopkeeper kept stealing glances of her. He did not complain about the telephone bill and tried to be patient for the sake of a lost girl in an unknown city. He could not help asking her what had happened when her face went white all of a sudden. The officer had passed the phone to Ghanendra, who next spoke on the line,
"I hope you are enjoying at your grandmother's house. Be glad that we did not leave a dead mass in that sack. Now go and die somewhere".
She knew the whole police force was corrupt and had happily accepted Ghanendra as their commander under the impression of few thick crispy bundles. She cut the call and then last dialled the only number she remembered. Just pick up, I need you, please Abhi! And before fortune could make her sit on the cloud of luck, she was thundered at by the shopkeeper.
"This isn't your mother's house! Get away or I will call the police", said the grumpy man, standing up menacingly. Arshia was slipping into a state of panic but all she said was,
"Please call, I will wait here", she said and sat down on the bench fearlessly. She had faith atleast on the police of whatever the city she was lost in. Yet, a calmness of betrayal was evident in her tone.

She was kicked out of the shop and had to roam around hopelessly. She walked a few distance, then perched on the road divider to take some rest despite the scorching heat. She was anticipating horrible things. What if she was left to rags like this for the rest of her life? Being all alone in constant fear and dying in extreme trepidation of hunger, she could think of nothing but to just jump in front of any vehicle. She cried till the city lights were illuminated and it was terrifying darkness everywhere. She slept under sheds on benches in public rest shelters and just kept thinking about an escape from all the agony. People were staring at her in various ways, some pitiously, and others lecherously. She was scared of the impending night as she knew silent roads often silenced many screams too. When there were no pedestrians anywhere on the roads, she started finding for a place to hide herself. Perhaps she should have done that earlier....

~

He had no realisation that his food database was all vacant. His phone was switched off for those two days since that scuffle with Arshia took place. He had skipped several meals since the past few days and was preparing to leave the city that day, trying his best not to carry any memory of that city. He did not have any picture with her because there was a reason. He felt it all wrong - falling in love with her at first sight, supporting her treacherous deeds and then disappearing forever from her life. He felt guiltier for leaving her abruptly than all those murders. Irrespective of her intentions, she was the kind of companion he had always longed for in life. He was missing her too much and wanted to meet her one last time before leaving the city forever. At least their relationship would end on a note of a sweet apology. He felt like he was leaving a part of himself when he knew this in all of his conscience that he was abandoning himself completely. Forever with her.