The scarlet western skies were slowly turning black. A bird or two could be spotted flying back to their respective dwellings. The meadows were still visible faintly, carpeted in green while the heavy clouds adorned the hills above. The windchimes chimed as the zephyr brushed against them. The serenity of this pristine atmosphere soothed her weary body and withered mind.
The loneliness of the solitary villa helped her escape from reality into a parallel world of fantasy. A world where it was only him and her, a world where love was the building block, a world where dreams turned into reality and above all a world where they will be together for eternity. But this euphoria never lasted long.
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It was the 26th of November, a day long awaited by Sagarika. She had saved every penny for three whole months, not an easy task for an extravagant teenage freak like her. From the very first day of September, the moment this idea clicked her she, started giving shape to it. Now ‘giving shape’ implies cut down on dresses, parlour expenses, mobile top-ups, meals at KFC, coffee in Barista and so on and so forth. Considering the cause of the sacrifice, it was worth it. Yes, every bit of it. She was now the proud owner of Rs. 10,000 which means champagne could be supplemented to a decent meal.
The clock struck four. Just two hours to go and she yet had to dress up. OK now that’s like ‘OMG!! just 2 hours!!’
Surprisingly by six she was ready. Just then there was a knock on the door. She opened it. And there he stood, right in front of her, the smartest, cutest, most appealing, most charming and most precious thing that ever walked the surface of the earth. Yes, it was indeed Akash, dazzling in a red half-sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
‘Happy Birthday! Wish you all the health, wealth and prosperity in the world!’ she said, hugging him.
‘You look beautiful!’ He said with a radiating spark in his eyes, the one Sagarika could die for.
‘Thanks.’ She said gently looking down, hiding the colour that rose in her cheeks.
‘The driver is at your service Ma’am. Where would Your Highness like to dine tonight?’ Akash bowed.
‘Hmmm, I’d prefer Taj.’ She said beaming. ‘Don’t worry the treat is on me.’ She added before he could say anything.
‘Taj??.. Sagarika, but its damn expensive and…’
‘Akash please!!’ she cut him short, ‘I haven’t gifted anything yet, let it be your twenty first birthday present’
Spell Bound he took her in his arms.
********************************
It was eight by the time they reached Taj. She had visited this place once before, for him it was the first time. Everything was world-class the tables, chairs, crockery and the enchanting view of the Arabian Sea girdled in a garland of street lights made the date a dream come true.
She looked into his eyes, it was hard to believe she was finally dating her dream guy. She was now in front of the person she had craved to be with ever since eighth grade. She did everything she could to become visible in front of him. Ultimately when he took notice, it wasn’t her fair complexion, it wasn’t her slim figure, it wasn’t her long dark curls neither was it her attitude that appealed to him. He looked beyond all this. It was her virtues, her caring nature, her indomitable spirit and most of all her heart that grabbed his attention.
They looked into each others eyes and smiled. The next moment what happened was difficult to conceive and hard to believe. Two men clad in black entered the eatery and opened fire.
‘Run Sagarika!’ Akash yelled out.
Sagarika ran for her life, Akash behind her. She kept running without turning back. The deafening bullet sounds, the injured people, the panic in the corridor and most of all the horrifying terrorists, their deadly weapons and their targets, everything went unnoticed. She just ran as though in a trance.
She was one of the very few to escape then. Trying hard to catch a breath, she turned towards him. Flabbergasted was she to find no one behind her. She felt a lump in her throat and a hole in her stomach. She yelled out his name at the top of her voice. The effort was futile, there was no response. She tried running inside the hotel again, but some people stopped her. By now the crowd on the sea-shore started running helter-skelter. Everyone was in fear. They screamed running for their lives, not understanding what was happening. Sagarika stood motionless, tears in her eyes. Yet she didn’t lose hope, she knew he’d be safe inside.
In an hour or so the local police rescued her from the place. The news channels had already started flashing updates about the terrorist attacks. The number of deaths and casualties increased from time to time. People whose relatives were stranded there were devastated, others were furious. No one knew for how long it would continue. Schools, colleges and offices were called off. There was commotion in the entire city. Everyone prayed for the hostages.
Sagarika sat home without food, without water, motionless, speechless staring at the TV screen. Hoping against hope, waiting for his return. But he didn't.
Akash’s body was identified, mutilated by bullets. Sagarika watched on TV, she got a glimpse of his torn and tattered body. But of course it couldn’t be him. He couldn’t leave her like that. She couldn’t imagine a moment without him, now it was the question of a lifetime.
A day later his parents telephoned to confirm the news of his death. The news was thrust into her ears. Sagarika felt her knees weaken, she collapsed on the floor unable to stand. The tears that she had held back all this while started gushing out. She wailed and bawled, her world had come to an end. Soon she was unconscious.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a different place. Her grandmother was smiling down at her. She was in her ancestral home in Dehradoon far away from the hustle bustle of Mumbai.
******************************
Its been over five months now. People have forgotten the Doom’s Day, but not she. For Sagarika the truth is too bitter to digest.
Perhaps Sagarika and Akash were never meant to be together. The ocean and sky can never unite. People rejoice seeing their wonderful unison at the horizon, where the sea blends in with the sky. But then does that happen in reality? No, never!
In the past five months there wasn’t a day, an hour or even a moment that didn’t remind her of him. He was always there holding her in his arms. He is always there beside her and will always be, in her parallel world, forever and beyond.
--Ekata Banerjee
