Story: The Revenge

I hid myself behind a SUV as I saw her reaching to the parking lot. She was wearing red top, navy blue jeans. Streaks of Her hair were floating in the air as she walked, making her more beautiful than ever. With black goggles on she was gleaming in that sunny day. She was undoubtedly the most gorgeous girl I had ever known. I was again being attracted towards her. For a moment I forgot her deeds and wanted to have her in my life again. A sound of a car’s horn brought me back to present and the task in hand.

She was coming from my left side towards her car which was parked in a lane on my right. I came out from behind the SUV and stood in front of it. My heart started pounding as she came nearer, I could hardly controlled my breath. She walked past me but did not notice presence.

‘How could she forget me?’ I would not let her go like this; I would remind her everything and teach her a lesson that she would not dare do it again to anyone what she did to me.
I shouted ‘Natasha’ as she crossed. No response; she did not react and kept walking like as I was calling someone else. For a moment I too got suspicious if she was the same girl or I had mistaken someone else for Natasha.

Her feet stopped a few steps later and she looked back. I read her expression which clearly showed that she was shocked to see me. For a while she could not understand what to do, her face was pale. I waved her with a forced smile; she tried hard to compose herself.

‘How are you?’ I asked as she stood in front of me. A familiar smell of her perfume went into my nostrils.

‘I..I am fine. H. How are you?’ She stumbled.

‘Still alive’

She looked down.

‘You don’t look happy to see me?’ I asked.

‘Of course I am happy. Its…It’s just that I am surprised to see you here in Paris.’

‘That too, after three years.' I said 'And I bet you had never imagined, not even in your dreams that you would have to face me again in this life time.’

‘I don’t know why you are talking to me like this?’

‘Oh, so you don’t know why I am talking like this. You seemed to have very poor memory.‘ my voice getting louder.

‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’ she did a failed attempt to give an impression of not knowing anything.

‘You surely are suffering from a poor memory. No problem. Let me help you remember that because of you, I spent one year in jail, because of you I was tortured like hell to get any information about you and Mike, because of you my life changed forever, because of you I still get nightmares about my worst ever time spent in jail, because of you I am not able to lead a normal life like others, because of you I was tagged as terrorist in my own country.’

(In case you missed first part of the story, click here)

I was shouting at top of my voice. Natasha looked around to see if anyone heard of my words, the parking lot was empty.

I continued, ‘I had not complained if this was done by someone else, but It was you, whom I loved more than anyone else and with whom I wanted to spend my life.’

Her expressions changed, she looked sad. Her eyes were wet.

‘I can understand your fury. God will never forgive me for what I did with you.’ She started crying as I expected. I was well prepared this time not to fall in her trap by any of her tactics.

‘I am really sorry. I was helpless. Do you think I did really want to do that?’

‘Yes, you very well knew what you are doing and where all that would lead to’ I stressed more on last words to show my anger. I had been rehearsing this for last two years.

‘If I were at your place, I would have thought the same. You don’t know that till date I have not forgiven myself. I have been cursing myself from the day I returned from Delhi, leaving you at the airport.’ She spoke in low voice, her eyes still down.

‘Then why had you not contacted me all these years?’

‘I was too afraid to return to Delhi or make any kind of contact to you. That would have put you in more trouble. I am really happy that you are out of jail now’

‘You forgot that God is still there for those innocents who falling prey to people like you. Further investigations revealed that the timings of all calls made from my apartment clashed with my office timings. And my office staff witnessed of my presence for all those hours in question. Police could not collect any further evidence against me. So after one year of trial, court acquitted me due to lack of evidences’

I paused for a moment to see her reaction but she was still staring at the ground.

I continued ‘Life after my release was even worse. I was fired from my job as they did not want a bad name to their company and could not even find a new job in the city. No friend responded to my calls. I was forced to sell my apartment by the same neighbors who once never fall short of praising me. So I decided to leave the city which was no more a home for me. When I was packing my stuff, I found that novel that you once gave me and I found a paper, an address of Paris was written on that. First thought came that that address would be as fake as you. It took me more than a year to arrive on this decision of finding you. So I flew to Paris. When I reached to this address, the main gate was locked. I kept on visiting the place every day. After two months, I saw a man opening that door and going in. From that day I followed that man and after one week of effort, he led me to you when he met you in a park.’

‘God is really great. You may not believe but I am really happy for you’ she exclaimed.

‘So am I to see you.’ As per plan, I changed my tone to sound soft now. ‘My mind always said that you were a betrayer but somewhere in my heart I knew that you wouldn’t really wanted to do this’

‘Yes, you are right. I was helpless that time.’ as expected she started making story now. ‘They had kidnapped my younger brother and threatened me that they would kill him if I went against them. This is how they operate. Even today they keep a watch on me. I still fear that they can go to any extent if I spoke anything about them’ she was speaking in low voice while shedding tears.

I knew this kind of filmy story would definitely come out whenever I would meet her. But as per my plan I had to act like I believed in her story.

‘So where is your brother now?’

‘They released him the same day when I returned from India’

‘Oh, I see. I am glad that my trust has not been broken and that I had not loved a wrong person.’ After hearing this from me she looked a bit comfortable.
I carried on ‘Look whatever happened had happened. We can’t do anything about it. But can we start a new life from here?’

She was shocked to hear it. She said ‘That means you have forgiven me?’

‘Yes, are you ready to spend rest of your life with me?’

She thought for a moment and said ‘Yes’ showing a sign of joy in her eyes but I knew they were not true. She could not afford to go against me. If informed, French police could arrest her in a matter of time and deported to India where police was still looking to book the culprits of the bomb blast in Delhi. Though I also wanted to get her punished but I had planned it differently.

She said ‘But there is a problem. As I told you that they are keeping eye on me. We might land up in trouble if they find out about us. So we would have to leave this country. I myself will contact you when time is right.’

‘And your brother?’ I asked, as I knew that she had spoken a white lie about her brother being kidnapped just to get words of sympathy from me and to show her wrongdoing as her helplessness. I doubted if she did even have any brother.

‘Oh Yeah, he will also come with us’ she lied again.

‘Good. So let me know soon then’

She took my phone number and left with the promise that she would call me.

Two days later she called me up. She told that next day we would take a flight to US. It was decided that we both would book our tickets separately to avoid any suspicion. Asking about her brother she said that she had already sent him to US and he would meet us once we land there. With that I was fully convinced that she was lying all these while about her brother.

As I disconnected, I started doing my preparations. I wanted to give her back in the same way as she did to me. I called the crook that met me one night at a street few weeks back and pass me a number in case I wanted any drugs. Later in the evening I went to meet him. I gave him some instructions and a briefcase full of money.

While returning to hotel I felt guilty of what I was doing. Three years back I would not have dared to enter these dark streets full of criminals. But the one year spent in the jail had made me a person who would not fear of anyone and could go to any extent to take my revenge.

As planned, next day I checked out from the hotel and reached airport. I did not check-in and waited at the departure hall. After some time sirens of police cars buzzed in the air. I saw through the glasses, a dozen of police cars arrived at the entrance of the airport. They started frisking passengers entering into the airport.

After ten minutes I saw Natasha getting off from a taxi. As she walked towards the gate, she was asked to open her bag. She was immediately taken into custody as two packets having hundred grams of drugs in each and a pistol was found in her baggage. Everything was happening as per plan. The crook did his job of planting the drugs and pistol in Natasha’s bag and informing police about it.

Her hands were cuffed same as were mine three years back. She was frozen; she looked around and saw me watching this whole drama through the glass as police was taking her to the van. Our eyes met and a winning smile played on my lips and probably she knew now what had actually happened to her. I waved my hand in a goodbye gesture as police car moved. Her eyes kept staring me until the police vans got disappeared.

I took a deep breath, I had taken my revenge. I took out my tickets from the bag and joined the queue for check-in for a flight to New Delhi.

I could not have settled in Delhi so I came to my native town. Three months later, I received a letter. There was no sender name or address on the envelope. I read the letter:

“Congratulations on your win. She deserved it.

From the day she returned from Delhi, she always talked about you. She had this guilt feeling of being part of the whole plot which shattered your life into pieces. Throughout her life she had never visited any church. But that day onwards, she was a daily visitor to church. She always prayed for you. Many times she thought of contacting you but stakes were too high that she could not gather enough courage to go against the rule of the game.

The day she met you, the whole night we talked about you only. She told me that you had forgiven her. She also said that you both decided to live together. I can’t tell you how much happy she was. I thanked God for sending a god like man for my sister. But I forgot that there is only one God and no human being can have such a big heart.

Today the French court has delivered its verdict. She has been given life imprisonment. I met her in the jail. We could challenge the verdict in higher court but she refused. She was happy for the punishment she got for the crime she commiteed while performing her duties as a sister. I had seen a satisfaction on her face; probably because she can now look straight into her own eyes whenever she will face the mirror.

Would you be able to do it?”

The question is still unanswered.


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---Kawal

He & She (ep-2)

(He is reading newspaper, she is applying nail polish)

She: Darling..

He: yes Sweetheart

She: You love me no?

He: Of course I do. Why suddenly this question?

She: Because I haven’t heard it from you since a long time.

He: Is it required to say in words?

She: yes it is.

He: Why?

She: to tell me that you still love me.

He: Ok. I love you (continues reading)

She: Say it a bit romantically

He: OK. I love you from the deepest corner of my heart

She: Is it for newspaper? Say it looking into my eyes.

He: you are too much sometimes. (Folding paper and looking at her) You are my life, you are my soul. I cannot even think about myself without you. I really love you.

She: Filmy dialogues?

He: Baby, I mean it.

She: You are lying?

He: I am saying truth

She: No, you are lying

He: No, I am not

She: you are

He: Yes, I am

She: that means you don’t love me?

He: No I don’t.

She: I knew it. You have changed now. You don’t love me anymore.

He: I did not mean that

She: you just said that you don't love me

He: listen... just... leave it.

(He is reading newspaper, she is crying)

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He & She

She: Again, you watching cricket?

He: No, I just switched on the TV..

She: Shall we go shopping today?

He: hmm

She: What hmm? Say either Yes or No.

He: Yes...No..

She: No?

He: I mean yes, but why today?

She: You don’t want to go?

He: Ofcourse I want but..

She (furious): But what?

He: Nothing, Can we go tomorrow?

She: I knew you will say something like this.

He: Actually I am feeling tired today

She: I know you are tired to watch this stupid cricket match

He: No.... It’s not like that..

She: For you, cricket is always more important than me

He: No.. actually I was thinking of spending some quality time together at home (Shit! What did I say)

She(Smiling): Oh I see. And what we will do at home?

He: hmm.... well, I will cook special food for you in the evening.

She: And Shopping?

He: Shopping, we go tomorrow.

She: OK, as you say.

He (delighted): Great.

She: I am feeling very hungry. Why don’t you cook now?

He: Now? I said evening.

She: Oh Darling Can’t we go out for dinner in the evening? It’s been a long time since we had dinner outside. Please.

(He is working in the kitchen. She is watching cricket match and giving him live updates)

She (on the phone): Yes Mom, I am enjoying my weekend. He is cooking for me now. We will go out for dinner tonight and he promised to take me out for shopping tomorrow. I love cricket.

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An Act of Kindness

‘You rascal, this is the fourth time’, Kirorimal was shouting at top of his voice. Customers and fellow salesmen too sighting from the corner of their eye while attending their customers.

‘Sorry Seth’ said Rajat, his eyes looking at the ground.

‘Sorry?’ Seth Kirorimal yelled again, ‘Don’t use this word again in front of me. Tomorrow you will give away all these Saris for free and say Sorry? ’

‘Seth, Deduct the loss from my Salary’ said Rajat, his eyes still staring at ground.

‘Thanks for your permission, Rajat Babu. I have already given you multiple times and this is your last warning. If you do this again, you better not show your face to me. Now go back to your work.’ Furious Kirorimal went back to dig into his account books. Other Salesmen too resumed their work.

In the evening after closing the shop, Mohan asked Rajat.

‘What happened?’

‘I don’t know why this Muchhad (big mustached) Seth doesn’t understand a bit’

‘In fact, why don’t you try to understand a simple fact that Seth is running this shop to make money, not for the charity? If you dare selling one more Sari in loss, he would definitely kick you out of the shop.’ warned Mohan.

‘To hell with him’ was the blunt response from Rajat.

‘I know you are the kindest person alive on this earth’ Mohan smiled ‘So who was the beneficiary of your benevolence today?’

‘An old woman, she wanted to buy a Sari for her daughter who has come to meet her in summer vacation. The Sari cost was 480 Rs but the poor lady had only 400 in her purse.‘

‘And you gave her the Sari for 400?’

‘No, for 380’ his eyes turning away from Mohan.

‘380, Why?’ Mohan gave a surprised look to Rajat.

‘Twenty Rupees for her to pay her rickshaw fare back home.’

‘Wonderful. And why had you not spared her another twenty rupees for her dinner tonight?’

‘You are also a heartless creature like that Muchhad Seth.’

‘OK. OK. My dear big hearted friend, Can we go for dinner now?’

And they left for dinner and then to their one room rented house which they both were sharing.

Mohan knew that he could not change Rajat who was always ready to help any needy one without even considering all the facts about them. He was afraid that someday someone would take advantage of him.

One morning Rajat returned home from his morning walk with a small boy.

‘Who is this boy?’ demanded Mohan, who had just woken up.

‘He is Billu’ said Rajat ‘and from now onwards he will stay with us’

‘Where did you find him?’ Mohan eyes becoming wider

‘He was sitting at the bench of the park where I go for morning walk. The poor chap has no one in this world. So I thought I should help him until the boy finds some source to feed himself.’

‘Are you out of your mind? You relied on what he said to you. He must be cooking story to get you in his trap. By the way, do you think we have any extra space for another person in this ten by ten room?’ Now it was getting difficult for Mohan to control his rage.

‘How much space a small nine years old would need? You don’t worry; I can share my cot with him.’

‘And who will pay for his food and other things?’ Mohan asked.

‘If you don’t what to share, I am fine with that. I will bear all his expenses’ Rajat replied.

Seeing that Rajat would not give up, Mohan agreed to keep the boy with them but on a condition that the boy would do all the daily chores in the house and would cook for both of them.

Rajat reluctantly agreed on this condition.

That day onwards, Billu started to live with them. In return, he used to clean the room, wash their clothes and cook food for them.

Few days later, one evening when Mohan and Rajat returned from shop, they saw that the room door was open which was very unusual because they had instructed Billu to keep the door closed whole day. Their surprised eyes got stunned when they entered the room. Their clothes and utensils were lying on the floor in a scattered way. There was no sign of Billu. The lock of Rajat’s cupboard was broken. His heart sunk when he saw his savings of twenty thousand rupees that he was saving from last one and half year was missing. No other things were taken out from there.

Rajat sat there with both hands on his head. Mohan had advised him many times to deposit his savings in a bank as he himself was doing but Rajat never took his advice seriously.

Rajat had saved this money for his brother’s higher education who wanted to take admission in engineering college this year. His dreams shattered like that broken cupboard. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. This was not the first time he had paid a price of helping others but this act cost him his own dreams of making his brother an engineer. He cursed the day he brought Billu to stay with them. Rajat apologized to Mohan many times for ignoring all his advices.

A day after the incidence, Rajat gathered all his courage and called his brother to tell him that he would not be able to pay his college fee and described him the entire incidence. He was speaking in a low apologetic voice. His brother was taken aback. All his effort of two years in preparing for the engineering entrance exam had gone waste.

It took Rajat ample time to recover from that loss. He was still helping others but in his own limits and stopped going out of the way in the process. This was a lesson well learnt from that awful event.

A month later, Mohan went to Post office to send a money order of twenty thousand rupees in the name of Rajesh Chaturvedi, brother of Rajat Chaturvedi. On the way back home, he met Billu at his tea stall and paid him five hundred rupees; a small price for teaching his friend a lesson that he would never forget in his entire life.

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---Kawal

True Love

Rajeev met Shivani first time in an inter-college sports event at Delhi University. He was the captain of his college’s basketball team. On the fourth day of the tournament, Rajeev’s team won their last qualifying match to enter into quarterfinal. He won a lot of praise because of his play and leading the team to win over a tough opponent. He was packing his kit and about to leave the ground when he heard a sweet voice from behind ‘Well Played.’

He turned around to find a beautiful girl with a badminton racquet in her hand. She was wearing a while top and a white knee length skirt. He stood up and extended his hand towards her ‘Thanks, I am Rajeev.’

‘I know.’

‘You know? How?’

‘Everyone is talking about you. I am Shivani, Nice to meet you’

Rajeev felt a sensation within him as they both did handshake.

‘Are you a badminton player?’

‘Yeah’

‘Are you playing in this tournament?’

‘No, I use this racquet to herd sheep around.’

He looked at her mischievous eyes and then they both started laughing.

This short meeting became the beginning of a new relation between them. From that day onwards they spent a lot of time together. They went to watch each other’s matches. Rajeev liked Shivani’s happy go lucky attitude towards life. She was not very much disappointed even on her defeat in semifinals.

“Losing one match is not end of life, you need to prepare for the next match” was her mantra of life. She became a big support for him and stayed there until his final match. After winning the final match Rajeev proposed Shivani and she happily accepted.

Life was never so contented before. Their colleges were not very far. They were meeting every day after their college and sometimes even bunking classes to spend times with each other. The more close they came the more they liked each other. The appreciated each other’s positive and accepted negatives.

After two years when their graduation was over, Rajeev got a job in a Bank in Mumbai and Shivani decided to open her own boutique in Delhi itself. The two years they spent together were good enough to know each other to take the decision of staying together for the rest of their life. The decision was well supported by their parents. They decided to marry after two years so they could give enough time to shape their individual's careers. Rajeev left for Mumbai and Shivani too got busy in her new venture.

They kept talking over phone for next one and half year. Just six months left for their marriage so they started dreaming and talking about marriage plans. Like all other girls Shivani too was excited for her marriage and she was involved in every task of wedding preparation, be it marriage cards or finalizing venue or shopping for Rajeev and herself.

All the things were going on their way. It was all like a fairy tale for them until one fateful morning when Rajeev got a call from his father.

‘Hello’

‘Rajeev’ His father’s distress voice came from the other end.

‘Papa, what happened?’

‘Beta…’

Rajeev’s heartbeat running fast ‘Papa, tell me what happened?’

With a trembling voice his father said ‘Shivani met with an accident yesterday.’

‘What?’

‘Yes Son, She was returning home on her Scooty after finalizing her wedding dress. On the way she was hit by a speeding truck from behind. She is still in hospital. Please come back soon.’

Rajeev boarded the next available flight to Delhi. He directly reached to the hospital. His parents were already there in the hospital. He saw Shivani from the glass window of the ICU. His father put his hand on Rajeev’s shoulder.

‘Shivani got injuries into her head and other body parts. There was no danger to her life but….’

‘But, but what Papa?’ Shouted Rajeev.

‘Doctor’s say that….’

‘What they say?’ Come on Papa tell me, I cannot wait anymore’

‘They say that she had got serious injuries in her head that has affected her brain and she is in the state of Coma now’

‘No. It cannot happen. God cannot be so cruel to us. She has never done any wrong to anyone. This can’t happen to her. Why it happened to her, Papa? Why?’ Tears rolling down his cheeks. ‘No Papa. We will take her to the top most specialist; we will call the best doctor in the country. This cannot happen to her. It just can’t happen to her’

Today, One year Later, Shivani is still in hospital. She cannot remember any moment she spent with Rajeev. She cannot speak properly, she behaves like a child. She cannot recognize her own parents. She needs twenty four hours assistance.

Rajeev resigned from his job and never went back to Mumbai. He stays in hospital to take care of Shivani. He feeds her, clean her, play with her and take care of her day to day needs. Rajeev took her to every single hospital he knew or recommended by anyone for that matter. He has spent most of his savings in doctor’s consultancy fees and Shivani’s treatment but in vain.

He still hopes that one day Shivani will recover from her illness, that one day she will recognize him, that one day she will be a cheerful girl again, that one day she will become a bride, that one day they will also be called a happy couple.

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This story is loosely based upon a real life story which I saw on Youtube a few days back. I am sharing the link with you too.




I salute to their True Love and pray for her speedy recovery. I wish they will soon become a happy couple again.

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"Losing one match is not end of life, you always need to prepare for the next match"

-- Kawal

मेरे बस का नहीं ...

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घंटो राहों में करना इंतज़ार मेरे बस का नहीं
तेरी बातों में दुं रातें गुज़ार मेरे बस का नहीं

एक ही बार पूछूंगा सिर्फ हाँ में देना जवाब
हर बात पे मिन्नतें बार बार मेरे बस का नहीं

दो गुण सौ अवगुण वाला इंसान पसंद तो देना साथ
बदलूँ खुद को तेरी पसंदानुसार मेरे बस का नहीं

तेरे घर की सीडियां चडके सांस फूल जाती है
ला सकूँ तोडके तारे हज़ार मेरे बस का नहीं

अबकी जन्मदिन पे मिलेगी सिर्फ दुआएं तुमको
दोस्तों से रोज लेना उधार मेरे बस का नहीं

रूठे जो इस बार मनाना मुश्किल हो शायद
लगाना झूठी तारीफों के अम्बार मेरे बस का नहीं

करने वाले करते हैं और आगे भी करते रहेंगे
पर ऐसा इश्क और ऐसा प्यार मेरे बस का नहीं

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