by Rimil
She gripped the railing firmly as she huffed catching up her breath. The city was all dark and calm yet threatening. Ruchika’s face was all wet; whether from tears or sweat, even though she considered both of them the same, as both these droplets of water somehow made you cleaner and created more space for more challenges. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks as the thought that she lost, dawned over her. Although pensive and grim, she needed a place to sit down. Her uncovered feet were all swelled up and muscles cracked breaking her more than she already was. She peered over the railing to see if there was some empty clean bench on the park. However, its sinister green cover thwarted her. She leaned on the railing and sat down on the pavement. All her shattered hopes and deductions flew past her to remind that they can never be mended again.
Ruchika was in her early twenties. Delectable and blatant, she was very receptive to everything. Soon she fell in love and got lost in the whirling pink thoughts of birds and bees. Her single mother didn’t see any way out to unfold her child’s prejudiced hopes because she never wanted Ruchika to end up like her, helpless, aimless, and deceived. Ruchika never had met her father not because she hated him but because she loved her mother more. Well love is the only thing in whole universe that crushes every aspects and expectations as it’s the only one who knows how to manipulate the heart. Sometimes it conquers, sometimes it gets clobbered but it always manages to hold sway over all other thoughts. Ruchika pitied upon her soaked out state with no arms to let out her wrath and pain. She eloped from her house to live with the one whom she once had called ‘the love of her life’. Love did whatever it wished to and blemished the relationship. Ruchika couldn’t go back to anywhere, neither her house nor her other ’so-called’ house. She kept cursing him to destroy her with such aplomb. And her eyelids drooped down doing all that they could to stop her tears.
“Hey miss, get up! Are you alright? Can I drop you anywhere?” Ruhika responded to the voice and winked herself straight. There was a car, a yellow car painted the word TAXI neatly on top of the front screen. She tried looking at the male source of voice but with the car lights she was unable to. She felt his hand, held it and pulled herself up. A dark and lean man looked at her with much intensity to her distraught condition. The tinge of warmth that she felt when he held her hand tingled through her backbone. She looked at him. There was no qualm that he was tired too. Maybe he had a partner and was just like she used to soothe down his pains in someone’s friendly arms till the morning peeked to herald the day. She sighed and then was jerked by the harmless driver. She looked up. “Can I drop you anywhere? There’s no need to pay me. “He recurred again softly. Ruchika even though vulnerable was quite sure of herself. It was midnight and she was not to get into the cab. The word “unsafe” scribbled over her mind .She can hold herself. Ruchika stepped a step backward and shook her head “There is no need to reach anywhere. I am fine”. However, strong yearn bubbled inside her to say that unknown taxi driver just to be there, no sympathy or nothing just to stay beside her. She didn’t want to be helpless but now she didn’t want to be alone either. “You look hungry. My house is nearby. You can come if you want to…” those concerned lips moved again. Ruchika smirked and tilted her head. “Won’t your wife mind?” and then she laughed at her own self, at her own state. He smiled at her and shook. “My wife left me to live with her lover. I live with my kids. They will be asleep by now. You can come.” Ruchika’s mouth dropped open. Under many layers of this man’s skin somewhere too had laid once a situation like this. Maybe she is not alone after all. “Your kids? Doesn’t that tire you? How do you manage it?” she questioned him curiously to continue the sudden desired conversation. The driver reflected his hesitance but still thawed to this girl who seemed so weirdly intense. “I do get tired but I feel good that I have been able to take my wife’s place. My tiredness gets wiped when my kids hold my hand that I am there for them. Anyway, do you need a lift? I need to go home.” Ruchika gently nodded. The faint wind-swept past her inviting the crack of dawn. She held that man’s hand in hers and clutched it tightly. Faith instilled into her soul and roamed vigorously happy to be alive again. “Thank you… but I may better walk down to my home.” That driver shrugged his shoulders and drove off. He didn’t look back even once. Ruchika looked down at her feet. They seemed okay now. She wriggled her fingers and walked towards her house. Mother will be there. She will forgive her, she knew she would. Ruchika tottered of swiftly.
Rimil is a sixteen-year-old class eleventh student, who expresses her thought through poetry, sketches and blogs. All the views expressed in this blog are author’s personal views, It’s Possible does not necessarily endorse it.