Abhira Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Fate's Lesson - Part 8

"Sss!"

"Ah!"

Akshara held her forehead and cried in pain. The wet liquid oozing from her forehead coloured her palm red. With her blurry eyes and a throbbing head, Akshara stared at the riots all around her, wondering how long she had been lying unconscious behind a broken furniture on the footpath. Her head only ached worse as she struggled to assess her surroundings.

Screams.

Cries.

Stampede.

Ruins.

Fire.

Ruby.

"Ruby?"

Akshara's eyes widened at the sight of the girl standing just two feet away from her. Ruby has a disgusting smirk on her face, and the victory of having finally found her prey. She immediately stood to her feet and stumbled.

'Tsk tsk tsk!" Ruby shook her head in pity, "Agar humein pata hota chidiya khud apne parr katwane aa jayegi yahan, hum itni mehnat hi nahi karte!" She turned to the goon accompanying her and fake scolded him, "Tumne Abhi ki Akshu baby ko itna high dosage de diya? Dekho," she laughed at a swaying Akshara, "theek se khadi bhi nahi ho pa rahi!"

Akshara held her head, "Kya... dosage? Kya.. bol... rahi ho?"

Ruby strode to Akshara in two steps and grabbed her hair.

"Kya-kya nahi kiya tumhe marwane ke liye," She gritted her teeth, "lekin woh Abhimanyu har jagah tumhare saath chipka rehta tha. Birla camp mein fire, raaste mein gunde, garden mein smoke bomb ya woh buddhon ka bhandar..." The pull on her hair made Akshara cry in pain, "Tumhare aage-peeche jitna ghoomta haina Abhimanyu, agar uska 10% bhi attention mujhe de deta toh aaj tumhari yeh halat nahi hoti."

Akshara's drunken mind felt like giving Ruby one punch on her face for what she said, but the rational part of her mind was scared of falling weak in her defence.

"Tumne uss din apni life ki sabse badi galti ki thi Akshara." Ruby left her hair and pulled Akshara's arms behind her back, "Mere saath mind game kheli thi na, aaj jo game khelenge uska naam hai maut se badtar zindagi. Poori duniya ki nazron mein jab giregi tab pata chalega, kya feel kiya tha maine uss din."

In no moment, the goon came forward and grasped her tender arms in an iron grip.

"Ruuubeee!" Akshu gritted her teeth and struggled to free herself from their grip, "Mere Abhi se door reh!" She flared her nostrils, "Tune mere Abhi ka gussa dekha kahan hai! Nazron se kya, mera Abhi mujhe kahin se bhi girne nahi deta. Never!"

Ruby's laugh sent chills down her spine.

"Really? Aaj ke baad Abhi haath bhi nahi lagayega tumhe!" Ruby smirked, "Abhi sirf-"

"ABHIMANYU! DR. ABHIMANYU BIRLA." Akshara screamed on her face with all the strength left in her. "And he doesn't like you."

"YOUU-"

"Haath lagaye na lagaye mujhe, dil toh Abhimanyu mujhse laga chuka hai." Akshara glared right back at her, "Mera Abhi... aur tumhara, Kabhi Nahi."

Akshara watched in horror as Ruby placed her phone on her ear and informed someone on the other side of having found Akshara, and to summon some men to come and take her away. For the first time in a while, Akshara was scared for her life. Like a little prayer that came out of her lips, Akshara whispered just one word.