Stranger on the Street..............part4

Mili was frantically searching for some documents through her limited closet.She suddenly came across a file that threw her family photograph on her feet and her mind to her past...
It was her 10th birthday when the Polaroid was taken.She had the perfect birthday.She could still recall her day.That's  the day she was rendered orphan and homeless.That evening of her birthday she had asked that they all go out for a movie.It was her day and her Dad had agreed to it.They were driving to the theater hall at the outskirts of the town,where suddenly,out of nowhere a huge truck hit into their car.........Her parents died on the spot.She survived with a scar.The next day's newspapers were filled with her photographs with the caption 'The Lucky Survivor'.Only she knew how really Unlucky she had been to be the only survivor and having lost her family.Two days later,she was welcomed by an orphanage which then became her home.

She had barely adjusted herself and started to find a meaning to her life,when she got the news that she, along with some other kids were to be relocated to another orphanage as they could not house all of them together anymore.With the transport that took a steep turn,her life too took a huge turn,a very steep one!

Suddenly,it all became too much for Mili to digest.Her own past-that had been utterly merciless was pouncing  back on her through that one Polaroid.
Just as she was about to put the past back and go ahead with the future,an ugly scar on her leg caught her attention.Numerous people asked her about the scar and she always lied to them telling that she had fallen of a bike into the road-divider.Which,if any1 cared,was not true.The scar was a remain of another haunting chapter of her life.

While she was on her way to another orphanage,she had heard the driver of the transport talking something about her fetching a good price and her being a virgin.Before she could make sense of what the men were talking about,the men had knocked her unconscious.And when she woke up she found herself tied to a chair in a very dark room.She struggled and made an escape out of the window only to find an ugly looking man trying to stop her.She remembered the tactics her late father had taught her and managed to make an escape.The scar was a parting gift from the kidnapper,the price she paid for the escape.

The incident,in itself sent shivers down her spine and she thanked a gazillion times to a God that she doubted existed for removing her from that hell.Then she was 15.That was 3 years back.She escaped to Thailand,tried to find herself a job,but none came her way.She lived on the street for 2 months where she saw girls younger or her age get sold and molested and again thrown on the streets.She prayed day and night for some Angel to come and save her of the atrocities of the streets,but none came, until she ceased believing in them.

And one morning,a fat lady rude lady walked up to her and took her along.She offered her a job.It was not a very good job,but she promised to pay her handsomely and provide her with shelter and protection,the 2 things she desperately needed! She agreed to the job,being in no position to decline it.The lady ran a massage parlor,where she hired young beautiful girls to give massage to people who came.Her customers were a few regulars and others,tourists from different parts of the world.At first,Mili wanted to deny the offer and run away,but this was any day better than living on the streets.

Two years in the job and now Mili was comfortable.She became a special attraction out there.Not that Mili liked the job,but she was convinced that no other job would have paid her more.Finally,she had a future to look towards.Another year in this job and then,she'd be done.She'll practice as a lawyer,try and get justice to people and make a life!!! Somewhere,she lived with the hope of a better tomorrow!

Stranger on the Street..............part3

"Don't Go Adina! Don't Go!" Vihaan was crying over Adina's body. "Don't Leave me alone.I don't know how to live without you.Take me with you....." Vihaan was pleading unstoppably,but Adina was already gone.Gone for good.Gone to a place where she could rest,i peace,but without Vihaan,this time.

Vihaan woke up with a scream and he could feel himself sweating and shivering at the same time.It was 3 in the morning.And he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for the next couple of nights.3 years that Adina was dead,but still Vihaan could not move on.Or maybe he didn't want to.He still dreamed of her.Many a times they were good dreams,dreams of his and Adina's past,where he would wake up n still feel the smell of her hair,or her tickle,the sound of her laughter,like flowing water,and majorly,her lying besides him......He would sigh and remember her saying "We could have spent so many wonderful years together,if you wouldn't have left,like this"

But,today,was no night of good dreams.He had been through this,number of times.Three years of sleeplessness and restlessness and still the ghosts of Adina's death continued to haunt Vihaan.It was like there was no way on earth,he could ever break this cycle.It was not that he hadn't tried.He changed his home,his country,his profession,but nothing seemed to work!
He shifted from India to Thailand,running away from past,and from numerous relatives advising him to remarry.He knew he couldn't.There could be no one else.And it would be wrong on his part to ruin someone else's life for he would always be searching Adina in her.

With Adina,Vihaan's life had been a fairy-tale.It was like Adina had found him and rescued him from his world of loneliness and taught him to live and smile only to leave him alone again,this time,much worse.With Adina gone,Vihaan's happiness had vanished.There was no hope,no laughter and no meaning to his life anymore.He was just dragging himself through his chores determined to be dead and return to Adina.

And Adina knew that Vihaan wouldn't be able to digest the news of her having blood cancer let alone the news that she had only few weeks left to live.Her cancer was diagnosed at the last stage where nothing could be done.And all she wished to do was to keep Vihaan happy till she could,cuz she knew what would happen when she's gone.

Stranger on the Street..............part2

Mili had loads of homework to do.Her schedule was getting busier every passing day.Her law school was sucking the life out of her.But this was everything she lived for.She had convinced her boss-a fat rude lady who had hired her 2 years ago-to let her go early for the day.With little drama,she let her go.

She was nodding her head to the music falling on her ears through her ipod.Suddenly her eyes bounced to the lights in the commercial building in front of her.They were the only lights lit on the entire floor.She thought to herself "The fella works hard n long it seems;like me!! " Just then she saw the lights go off.A couple of minutes later Vihaan was in front of her.The entire chaos of the busy street melted away when their eyes met and held.It might have been a fraction of second,but in that long unending fraction they searched,read and found the longing and pain that homed each one's eyes...

Mili's bus broke their eye contact and took Mili alongwith her.Vihaan's eyes again followed her as far they could and this time,to Vihaan's surprise,for the first time Mili looked back into those deep blue eyes that watched her from a  distance,till the street chaos came alive again...........
(to be continued)...........

Stranger on the Street..............part1

It was raining heavily.Despite of the heavy rains,Mili stood there waiting for her bus.It was already time and she knew the bus was running late.She could have hired a cab,that is,if she could afford one.She was debating with herself as to whether or not she should wait for the bus or start on foot.At any cost,she did not want to be late to the hostel fearing the gates would close and she would be forced to spend the rest of the night on the streets or return to her workplace,which she did not want.She calculated the risks and was about to take her first step when she saw the bus stop flooded with lights from the bus.

 The driver seemed to be in quite a hurry.Just as she was about to board the bus,she saw this guy staring at her from across the street.She was not new to the stares,but this stare was different.The bus honked loudly bringing back her attention to the bus and her life.She took a seat in the bus and the bus rode off at roaring speeds.

Vihaan's eyes followed her as far as they could.There was something about this girl-something about her eyes-that made Vihaan so restless,that all of a sudden he wanted to know everything about her and somehow unleash the mystery behind those eyes.Vihaan was not a very observant guy,he would hardly notice any girls.But there was something about this girl-her eyes-the pain in them-the loneliness-that his own eyes sensed immediately.

Mili put on her ipod to shake the image of the stranger on the street out of her head..............
(to be continued)