High On Life

64: Hope?

It's been raining this whole week ! Like Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and now Masha Allah se...even on Friday ! Not that I have anything against rains but Allah miyaan jee, ye thandi barfeeli hawaayien to mat bhejein na saath.

I huddled inside my raincoat as I walked to work. LA....I'm back bitch ! I know you missed me. Okay ziada hogaya.

I giggled at my own thoughts and halted in one place laying my hands out on my sides as I felt the cold, freezing raindrops patter down on my palms.

Oh shit ! I'm getting late.

I resumed my stroll to my workplace and on the route heard someone yelling. Hein? Itni subha subha kaun biwi apne shohar ko daant rahi hogi?

I shook my head of the weird thoughts and walked ahead when the sound became clearer.

I took a few more steps, finally deciding on following the source of the noise and saw a group of people gathered around someone or something near a shop.

I heard screams. "Go away !! I want to die ! Just please leave me alone !"

My eyes widened at the words of a female and I tried to look above the crowd but couldn't. Curse my height.

I rummaged through the crowd and the female's voices grew louder and more hoarse, and I could hear a little...smacking?

I finally managed to break through the large crowd to notice a girl who was being pulled by a guy. Her back was facing me so I couldn't really see her face.

"Hey ! Hey ! Leave her." I addressed the man.

"What the hell are you talking about? She's been here on the streets since an entire week. She'll die in this freezing weather. I'm trying to help her out by taking her to the hosp..."

The girl cut him off with her ear piercing screams. "I don't want to go anywhere !!! I wanna die here ! Let me go, you asshole ! I wanna dieee !!!" She screamed and my heart cringed on the inside at her words as she kept on hitting the guy in his chest, trying to break out of his grip.

"Hey sir, let her go, please. I'll take care of her." I told the guy and he let her go at once.

The girl turned to face me and my eyes fell out of my eye sockets. I could not believe what I was seeing.

"Nida?" My jaw dropped and her name came out as a shocked, dry whisper. Oh my God. It was...her. She looked so weak, so....dead, I felt my eyes water up instantly at the sight.

"H..how do you know my n..name?" She asked and I stood there, still in a shock.

I gulped the lump in my throat and grabbed her arm. "Come with me first."

"No ! No ! Who the hell are you? And why are you doing this to me?!" She yelled and yanked her arm out of my grip as she fell to the floor and bawled out crying.

"Hey, hey Nida. Don't cry. Please. Don't you remember me? It's me. The girl you met at the airport before you came to LA?" I tried reminding her and she shook her head.

"I don't remember anything or anyone eversince I came here, and I certainly did not meet anyone at the airport." She spoke in rage.

"Nida...please try to remember. It's me....It's only been a year, and you forgot? Remember, we had a little talk on....marriage." I looked down at the last word, guilt building up in me for bringing up a topic so sensitive to her.

"Marriage? What ?! Why would I talk to you about marriage? Who the hell are you !! And why are you bringing all of this nosense up ?! Just leave me please." Tears streamed down her face as she coughed harshly scaring the wits out of me. I sighed and tried again.