Hi...
Riha here.
Riha Menon.
A journalist and a philanthropist.
Very jovial, very outgoing, very friendly, but a big failure in finding that perfect man who would understand my needs.
I didn't give a damn though....
I mean.....even till last month..
But now, I'd been suffering from a disease.
'Peep through the window' disease.
Whenever I was at home, I found myself peeping through the window, to catch a glimpse of.....someone....
Someone who had recently moved in next door, at my friend Rohini's place, in the second floor, in the room at the left corner of their long balcony. Since last month.
I had somehow one day caught a glimpse of him, leaning on the railings, feeding a huge bird, probably a kite, from his hand, with a smile on his face.
I was dumbstruck, because such big birds usually never came close to humans, unless they found them dependable. As a result, I spent a long minute, more than usual, staring at him from my balcony. Also I had never seen him before, that too in my friend's house.
However, as soon as he caught a glimpse of me staring at him, he disappeared, as if running away.
I was taken aback. Why would such a handsome man shy away?
Throughout the day, a killer inquisitiveness bit me on the insides. I had always been this way. Soon as something caught my attention, I wouldn't breathe till I knew what the crap was about.
I ran to Rohini's house on returning home.
As expected, I did not see the new guy around. Rohini chattered for a long hour, pulling me into her room. But I was growingly impatient.
Finally, I couldn't contain my inquisitiveness, and asked,
" There's a new inmate to your house. I saw him feeding kites from the second floor balcony. "
Rohini grew stern. Then lowered her voice to a minimum,
" Don't talk about him. He's such a headache to our family. He's chachi's nephew. "
" You mean, Medha aunty's? "
" Yup. She requested to let him stay for sometime. Papa agreed after a long denial. We don't ever talk to him or go nearby. The room he's stays in has its own stairs down. He's secluded. Even chachi doesn't interact with him much. "
" But why???? " , I was taken aback.
Why would someone be so rude to a man who looked so kind?
Rohini murmured.
" He murdered someone when he was fourteen. Was in a remand home for three years. "
I could not react in the first place.
Then, gulping my own, I said,
" No...
How even?
I don't believe this!
He looks.... So innocent!!! "
" I don't know much.
The murder was probably an accident, but he had intended to hurt. This much I have been told.
However, I will stay away from him till he's here. " , Rohini shrugged.
" Hmmm...
It must be an....accident.. "
I muttered to myself. I couldn't dare believe that he, could kill someone on purpose..
Such was his damned impact on my brain just at one sight.
" You people should have at least known his side before secluding.
What's his name? "
" Oh please!
We are not interested. He has been a criminal. Whatever be the age or cause of his crime.
Plus we don't have the activist brain you do, trying to find causes in every human action.
