❝ One day there will be nothing left but stories.❞
🍃
7 Years Later
"Ek tha raja, ek thi rani, dono mar gye, khatam kahani." Siya narrated quickly to her 5-year-old baby daughter who was looking at her fondly to hear a good story from her mother. But her little innocent brain couldn't understand her Doctor mother was already late for the hospital.
"Mumma, Mumma... Who's Raghav?" Her sudden question made Siya stop dead in her tracks as she turned to her quickly to see her standing there with her diary in her little palms.
"Where did you find it?" Riddhi got frightened by her mother's cold, angry voice. She never talked with her like this.
"Rid, how many times I told you not to open the drawer!" she scolded her to which she hung her head down. Tears started gathering in her doe-shaped eyes as few drops slid to the ground. She wasn't used to her mother's harsh behavior. If only she knew her curiosity hit back at her like this.
Siya heaved a deep sigh and kneeled to Rid's level, lifting her chin to meet her swollen eyes. She hugged her close to her chest and cooed to her, "I'm sorry baby. Mumma wasn't in the right state then. Promise me you won't ask me about this again?" Feeling her mother's loving touch she instantly forgot about that and nodded her head like an obedient child. She kissed her cheeks softly before waving her goodbye.
Loving someone with all your heart isn't a sin right? Then how can it be a sin when they break your heart and you start hating them?
That was what Siya was feeling at that time. After all those years she tried countless of times to forget about him. But did she succeed?
Unfortunately, No.
He was in her dreams, in her mind, in her diary, deep down in her... heart may be where the vague fog of hatred had enshrouded.
Her phone buzzed as she smiled to see the caller ID,
"Mrs. Mrinal Siya Singhania, mind tell me what took you so long to reach here?" His husband's voice chirped from the other side. It had been six years since they got married. Though Siya didn't want to, her parents forced her, and upon noticing his loyal side she didn't deny it.
He knew her relationship with Raghav. Even he was shocked to hear Raghav could do such horrible things as they were close back at the campus.
He said he loved her present, not her past. He loved her with all he had, there was no doubt about it. Siya too said she loved him. But did she? There was everything in her life but something felt lacuna.
"I'm on my way. Just traffic problem," she answered.
"Don't be late. I'm waiting, love." she declined the call and thought of choosing the shortcut path which would lead from across the forest.
Speeding the car through the desolation road she watched as the green trees moved past by as if competing with her. The clouds above darkened a little, forecasting it would be raining now or then. It felt like the time trickling very slowly.
The car jerked forward for her sudden break and her heartbeat accelerated to watch a person run in front; almost crashing under her car.
She quickly came out to see a man with a shaggy beige-colored shawl wrapped around, darkish brown messy hair started growing white, wearing a dirty, torn shirt-pant, his face covered with unshaped moustache and beard to which he was mostly unrecognizable.
"Are you goddamn blind or what? Can't you see such a big object was coming? What if something happened to you?" She was no more than quiet and innocent Siya, her heart grew cold.
"I'm sorry." the person's voice was barely audible as if it was coming from the depth of the underworld.
His shaky hands brushed against the cold ground and moved aimlessly as if trying to find something.
Siya watched in sheer as with great difficulty he picked up his ragged bag and next after his thin stick to steady his unstable body.
He was indeed blind.
A pang of guilt coursed through her distinct heart but before she could say anything she noticed a book fall from the bag as she picked it up.
A knot formed in her throat to see what actually it was. She knew it very well.
It was his diary.
Shocked would be an underestimate to describe how she was feeling back then. As if her breath hitched, preventing her from speaking.
How on earth did his diary come to this stranger?
But as she was about to ask him she observed in horror that not a single person's trace was there.
A blind man who was barely able to stand properly disappeared in just a fraction of second?
The sky roared in the venture. But an unknown magnetic pull forced her to open the diary and with a deep breath she opened it as a date welcomed her inquisitive eyes,
26.03.2025
The same day of that horrible accident.
The same day the person shattered her heart.
It was Raghav's handwriting— she recognized it. The dreadful events started popping out differently from the writing like a devastating flood on Siya.
🍃
The cool breeze of the early morning of Delhi felicitated Raghav as he was viewing the pleasant atmosphere; sitting comfortably on his armchair. He had the same heartwarming smile on his face.
Carefully picking up the bouquet of white roses in his hands he admired it with the image of his ladylove, Siya.
Today he was going to propose her, in the hospital, in front of everyone, to say how he instantly fell in love for the very first time after seeing her. Just admitted it then.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door as Danish entered with his one-man followed behind.
"Bro, can you please do us a favor by giving us your SUV for some time? Our car got punctured and we've not enough time to repair it. We have a very important meeting to deal with." He requested him.
'Siya told me that he's changed so there's nothing to be suspicious.' he thought and agreed without knowing the uncanny of him. How a wrong permission could destroy lives.
Thanking him Danish and his man left from there and stopped near a parlor. He strictly ordered one of them to make over his companion the way that if one could see him from a distance; would misunderstand him as Raghav and it would be easier as his appearance matched his a lot.
Next, he made the replica of Raghav driving the car and instructed him to hit Siya's car without killing her.
And he did that. But he was skillful and fast enough to dodge his harm and left the place at the main time.
Siya was taken to the hospital and as soon as the news caught Raghav's ear he rushed to the hospital by hiring a cab— too timorous to think anything.
But before he could enter her room a firm hand gripped his arm and yanked him to an empty hallway.
Terror, anxiety, rage— when he saw Danish and his men standing there with an evil smirk plastered on their faces.
"What did you do with my car?" He spat out furiously, his stoned face glistening with tears that he was holding along.
"Nothing more. Just tried to ki-" Raghav caught his collar and gritted his teeth.
"Don't you dare," he warned.
"I swear, I'll never, if you do as I say." he sarcastically demanded.
Danish gestured to his men and they put a voice recorder in his hands.
"Now say here that you're the reason she's here. YOU wanted to kill her for YOUR reputation." he pointed it to Raghav as he felt the ground beneath him slipped.
He couldn't do this.
As if sensing his mind he again threatened, "If you'll not then I won't hesitate to kill Siya next time and you know this time I won't miss the target."
Hearing this his face dropped, and all the anger switched into fear of losing her. He could burn the whole world for her but when it was the question of her safety he wouldn't cost anything but obeyed what cruel desires they had.
And he did. All venomous words he spoke against her pierced his heart uncontrollably but he didn't stutter. He would never stutter because he knew, after that she would be safe forever in her life and he could torture himself thousands of times if it meant that.
"Do not come near her anymore," Danish ordered Raghav who stood outside of her room numbly with a tear-stricken face.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched helplessly her screaming in pain, accusing him that he destroyed her. His chest tightened to see her like this. To see her in pain.
He must have to do something.
"Doctor? I want to donate my eyes to Ms. Siya Chauhan." At first, the doctor was startled to hear his statement.
"But my son, you're too young for this and your life is just started. It's aga-" he cut him off.
"Assume this is the atonement for my sin."
The only regret he had was not just being unable to hug her for one last time but the words which were remained in his heart.
The white roses now became desiccate as glancing at her for the last time he stored as much as her face in his memory before closing his lids forever because it was of no use now being closed or opened when the only thing he could see was blackness.
As the operation completed, they both opened their eyes at the same time. But the difference was when one could see everything the other could nothing. On one hand, as the new sun rose in her life, on the other hand, the black night of darkness was installed in his.
No one found him where he went after that.
Like how it was supposed to end...
🍃
Siya knelt on the hard road. Water drops showered from the sky as if throwing all the truths in her face harshly.
With shaky hands, she turned over the last page,
❝ It is not necessary that every time Radhakrishna has to separate, maybe this time the story of Ram and Sita should be incomplete? ❞
By the time she completed, her whole body stiffened.
Depression?
Devastation?
Súton.
Her phone started ringing vigorously, bringing her back to her numb state.
Pressing the phone near her ear she started speaking without giving the other person a chance.
"Mri-mrinal... Ra-Raghav... Aj yaha pe Raghav aya tha... Woh-"
"Huh? Raghav? Uska to do saal pehle ek road accident me mout ho chuka hai. Karma! Karma!"
🍃
THE END.