Archa Krishnan (Class XI Science)
She was a beautiful young lady. She had beautiful eyes, now as red as strawberries because of continuous weeping. Her eyes overflowed continuously like a river in the floods.
She held her child’s head close to her heart and simply moved her fingers among the childs hair. In her green saree she looked more beautiful than a rose.
Suddenly it started to rain. During the rain she simply stood there with a vacant gaze, looking at something far away.
The headlight of a vehicle bathed her in a sudden flood of light.It was a taxy. Seeing the lonely lady the driver stopped the car.Holding the child firmly she got in.
“Where do you want to go maam”? The driver asked
“Manganam” She replied.
Hearing the answer, the driver smiled. It was a wicked grin. His teeth were black because of chewing pan. She felt uneasy. She just sat there looking at the raindrops falling on the window glass of the car. The child lay on her lap silently, clutching her finger tightly.
“What a rain”. The driver said shifting the gear. He turned back for a moment to look at her; his bloodshot eyes fixing her like an arrow.
She felt afraid. Fear gripped her like the cold wind blowing outside. She looked at him helplessly.
He asked, “What’s your name”?
“Rose” she said mechanically.
“You look exactly like a Rose” He said grinning wickedly again.
Suddenly she felt something wet and sticky under her nose. She took a white handkerchief and wiped it.She looked at the kerchief . There was a big spot of red - - Blood!!!!
She watched it without any reaction. “He is getting closer and closer.”. She thought. That Joker who takes away one’s life just because he has become bored of playing with it..
She looked at her child’s face. Suddenly she started crying again.
Oh! God, Why are you throwing me into the gallows of cruelty?
Fate… My fate…. But what wrong has this innocent child done? What will happen to her? You took my master’s life and threw us into the streets.”
She opened her bag and took out a small earthen pot covered ibn a red silk cloth.
Her tears, now flowing unchecked, mixed with the blood coming from her nose made the red cloth even redder.
She thought of the happy days she had spent with her family. Those joyful days…
He had lost her parents long ago. Now she has lost her husband too.she was not at all sure how long she had on this earth. What will she do with the child?
She looked out of the window. It had grown quite dark outside. The car was moving like a horse without reins. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the seat.
The child started crying - first softly and then loudly. She did not hear anything.
The car started to gain speed.It sped through the wet and deserted streets like a comet. It reached a sharp turning. But it did not take the turn. It went on straight- into the darkness… into the chilling cold of the deep water. The headlights still burning, the engine still running it slowly sank into the depths.
There were no cries. Even the child was silent.
Nobody heard anything.
The journey was over.
