Somethings should not be postponed. Somethings cannot be postponed. Even as my eyelids struggle to stay open, my fingers run through the laptop. Here's my story.... Enjoy!
What's worse than death? A dementor's kiss, some might say. Even Ratna thought of that answer. But such fantasies could not occupy her mind. Nothing could. Her heart was numb, her fingers trembled, tears rolled out of her eyes. She looked out of the bus and saw trees running away. A cold wind blew against her face. It hurt her eyes. Normally she would have ignored that and would even have drawn her face closer to the half open window to feel the speed in her face, letting the wind run through her lush long hair, fantasizing about everything beautiful in the world. But all she could do was stare at the trees running away. Couldn't they run faster? Can't we move faster? No, she didn't ask all that. She was too numb to think. The sky was morphing, from blue to black, showing off every colour it could adorn. Violet, red, yellow, pink. Ratna stared at the trees running away.
She had to be there in time. There was so much to say.
Fear. So much fear that every tick of the clock kills you. No, it does things to worse that that. Fear. That is what is worse than death. Fear. That was what flooded Ratna's mind. For 17 hours. Or was it 17 years? She couldn't say.
Maria's face; she pictured it in her mind. Every tiny detail of her face. Ratna formed a portrait of her beautiful face. Again and again. She held her hand tight and talked to her. Laughed with her. Again and again.
Preparations for the bus trip from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram would start exactly 45 days in advance. The first stage, deciding to travel home. For a CA article that is a hard thing to do, for you never know what will happen tomorrow. You could be send of to some corner for the world for a whole month. No excuses. And why would you want excuses. These are things you look forward to. But Ratna had an uncanny way of seeing what lay ahead, and her plans never faltered. She would know, 45 days in advance, how long a vacation she would be having in her home town. But alas, that wasn't long enough to get you train seats. No worries, because first class air-conditioned buses are always at your disposal. Bookings open one month in advance. Ratna would undoubtedly be the first one to book a seat.
Maria's face was covered in blood. Blood had splashed all over her body. Her hips had been crushed. Her spine was broken. The thought choked Ratna.
For a person who traveled with nothing less than first-class luxury, that particular trip was unimaginable. But she didn't have to imagine traveling, like she would usually. Even as she boarded the bus, with the last ticket available, in the last bus available, and occupied the last seat in the back of the dingy bus with two men on either side, she had no clue what was going on. Her friend was breathing her last. Ratna was barely breathing.
Ratna picked up her mobile and went through her call register. Maria's name was not there in it. She searched her message inbox, hoping to find atleast one SMS. There was none. Everything had been deleted. Erased from the world.
Maria and Ratna have been friends for exactly 24 months. No, 26 months actually. Before things started breaking down. But what a relationship it was. Truly magical. And why was it so? Just two ordinary girls. Studying in an ordinary school. There was nothing that stood apart. Nothing special. Then why was everything so magical and blissful when those two were together? Probably because their relation was special. They were friends.
"He asked me out!" Maria screamed over the phone. "I am so happy for you", Ratna said shyly. Chennai life was starting to suffocate her. She needed to breathe the air of Trivandrum. She wanted the comfort of her own bedroom.
Anyone can write an essay on friendship. You can write poems about it. About the love. About the care and affection. But friendship isn't about just that. Those minute nuances make this relationship something out of the world. Theirs was special. They talked on phone for hours at one stretch. Swore at each other when they realised, at the end of the conversation, who actually made the call. And after the mobile balance was completely drained, then only would they realise that the phone call was made not to discuss movies or boys, but to clarify some doubt regarding homework. There was little they didn't talk about. Leaning on one pillar in the balcony of the school, they would go on talking from one bell to another, stealing looks at every passing human being. What did they discuss about? Nobody knew. Not even them. But they talked, without fail. It was as if they did not know the purpose of "Lunch Break"
Ratna prepared a speech in her mind. She wanted to tell Maria everything. Every single second of her Chennai life had to be shared.
Ratna shoved off every thought that came into her mind. Shut her eyes and tried to shut her mind. It wasn't that hard. Traveling in a bus is always tiring, and that particular trip was particularly exhausting. And it was already will beyond mid-night. She adjusted her seat to the most comfortable position possible, and dozed off.
Maria always had a hard time with high heels. But however, insisted on wearing them. She walked on the footpath gingerly, but still tripped a couple of times. The fall was saved however. But the third time, she fell, on the middle of the road.
Ratna jerked awake with a scream, waking up some of the other passengers too. "She tried to crawl away, but the bus..." Ratna heard the weeping voice on the other end of the phone. By the time the call was cut, Ratna had headed towards the bus-station. She couldn't bear to think of Maria lying on the road. The red coloured bus speeding towards her. Fear. It is worse than death.
"Very Critical", read the SMS
It had been four months since she talked to Maria. Why didn't she call? Why didn't Maria call? Those nuances of friendship, they can make you and break you. Neither of them talked about it. For they were best friends. It would be rude to complain. But they both thought about it. Nothing specific. "Why didn't you enquire about my life in Chennai?", "Why didn't you console me when i missed home so much?" They didn't say anything. They thought it over. And they never said anything ever again.
"Please God! Don't take her away!"
Ratna didn't know sleep. She was fighting herself. Fear had consumed her completely. After 17 hours, the bus stopped at its destination. Ratna rushed out of the bus to be greeted by a crowd of rickshaw drivers. "SUT Hospital!" Ratna dashed through the hospital, screaming for help and guidance. There were a lot of people outside the ICU, most faces that she recognised. She walked towards the door, but wasn't allowed in. She pushed everyone away, but wasn't allowed to see her. "She is stable now", someone said. Ratna sat down.
Hey Ratsy! No.... Rattie? Rats? No, you need something original. You are going to hear it everyday for the rest of your life my dear friend! What to call you? Ahhh... here's the perfect name
Love
What's worse than death? A dementor's kiss, some might say. Even Ratna thought of that answer. But such fantasies could not occupy her mind. Nothing could. Her heart was numb, her fingers trembled, tears rolled out of her eyes. She looked out of the bus and saw trees running away. A cold wind blew against her face. It hurt her eyes. Normally she would have ignored that and would even have drawn her face closer to the half open window to feel the speed in her face, letting the wind run through her lush long hair, fantasizing about everything beautiful in the world. But all she could do was stare at the trees running away. Couldn't they run faster? Can't we move faster? No, she didn't ask all that. She was too numb to think. The sky was morphing, from blue to black, showing off every colour it could adorn. Violet, red, yellow, pink. Ratna stared at the trees running away.
She had to be there in time. There was so much to say.
Fear. So much fear that every tick of the clock kills you. No, it does things to worse that that. Fear. That is what is worse than death. Fear. That was what flooded Ratna's mind. For 17 hours. Or was it 17 years? She couldn't say.
Maria's face; she pictured it in her mind. Every tiny detail of her face. Ratna formed a portrait of her beautiful face. Again and again. She held her hand tight and talked to her. Laughed with her. Again and again.
Preparations for the bus trip from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram would start exactly 45 days in advance. The first stage, deciding to travel home. For a CA article that is a hard thing to do, for you never know what will happen tomorrow. You could be send of to some corner for the world for a whole month. No excuses. And why would you want excuses. These are things you look forward to. But Ratna had an uncanny way of seeing what lay ahead, and her plans never faltered. She would know, 45 days in advance, how long a vacation she would be having in her home town. But alas, that wasn't long enough to get you train seats. No worries, because first class air-conditioned buses are always at your disposal. Bookings open one month in advance. Ratna would undoubtedly be the first one to book a seat.
Maria's face was covered in blood. Blood had splashed all over her body. Her hips had been crushed. Her spine was broken. The thought choked Ratna.
For a person who traveled with nothing less than first-class luxury, that particular trip was unimaginable. But she didn't have to imagine traveling, like she would usually. Even as she boarded the bus, with the last ticket available, in the last bus available, and occupied the last seat in the back of the dingy bus with two men on either side, she had no clue what was going on. Her friend was breathing her last. Ratna was barely breathing.
Ratna picked up her mobile and went through her call register. Maria's name was not there in it. She searched her message inbox, hoping to find atleast one SMS. There was none. Everything had been deleted. Erased from the world.
Maria and Ratna have been friends for exactly 24 months. No, 26 months actually. Before things started breaking down. But what a relationship it was. Truly magical. And why was it so? Just two ordinary girls. Studying in an ordinary school. There was nothing that stood apart. Nothing special. Then why was everything so magical and blissful when those two were together? Probably because their relation was special. They were friends.
"He asked me out!" Maria screamed over the phone. "I am so happy for you", Ratna said shyly. Chennai life was starting to suffocate her. She needed to breathe the air of Trivandrum. She wanted the comfort of her own bedroom.
Anyone can write an essay on friendship. You can write poems about it. About the love. About the care and affection. But friendship isn't about just that. Those minute nuances make this relationship something out of the world. Theirs was special. They talked on phone for hours at one stretch. Swore at each other when they realised, at the end of the conversation, who actually made the call. And after the mobile balance was completely drained, then only would they realise that the phone call was made not to discuss movies or boys, but to clarify some doubt regarding homework. There was little they didn't talk about. Leaning on one pillar in the balcony of the school, they would go on talking from one bell to another, stealing looks at every passing human being. What did they discuss about? Nobody knew. Not even them. But they talked, without fail. It was as if they did not know the purpose of "Lunch Break"
Ratna prepared a speech in her mind. She wanted to tell Maria everything. Every single second of her Chennai life had to be shared.
Ratna shoved off every thought that came into her mind. Shut her eyes and tried to shut her mind. It wasn't that hard. Traveling in a bus is always tiring, and that particular trip was particularly exhausting. And it was already will beyond mid-night. She adjusted her seat to the most comfortable position possible, and dozed off.
Maria always had a hard time with high heels. But however, insisted on wearing them. She walked on the footpath gingerly, but still tripped a couple of times. The fall was saved however. But the third time, she fell, on the middle of the road.
Ratna jerked awake with a scream, waking up some of the other passengers too. "She tried to crawl away, but the bus..." Ratna heard the weeping voice on the other end of the phone. By the time the call was cut, Ratna had headed towards the bus-station. She couldn't bear to think of Maria lying on the road. The red coloured bus speeding towards her. Fear. It is worse than death.
"Very Critical", read the SMS
It had been four months since she talked to Maria. Why didn't she call? Why didn't Maria call? Those nuances of friendship, they can make you and break you. Neither of them talked about it. For they were best friends. It would be rude to complain. But they both thought about it. Nothing specific. "Why didn't you enquire about my life in Chennai?", "Why didn't you console me when i missed home so much?" They didn't say anything. They thought it over. And they never said anything ever again.
"Please God! Don't take her away!"
Ratna didn't know sleep. She was fighting herself. Fear had consumed her completely. After 17 hours, the bus stopped at its destination. Ratna rushed out of the bus to be greeted by a crowd of rickshaw drivers. "SUT Hospital!" Ratna dashed through the hospital, screaming for help and guidance. There were a lot of people outside the ICU, most faces that she recognised. She walked towards the door, but wasn't allowed in. She pushed everyone away, but wasn't allowed to see her. "She is stable now", someone said. Ratna sat down.
Hey Ratsy! No.... Rattie? Rats? No, you need something original. You are going to hear it everyday for the rest of your life my dear friend! What to call you? Ahhh... here's the perfect name
Love
Loved your style of narration, and the fast-pace of the suspense really caught ontowards the end. Keep writing! :)
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