Its been a year; yet I still remember her face vividly; 379 days to be precise. Raji.. yes Raji was her name. She was wearing a white top with crisp blue denim. I was lost into oblivion waiting for the train when she approached me and...
Raji: Hey, you are Akshay's friend
Vishal right?
Me: Yes, Why?
Raji: Don't you remember me? We once met outside my college? .....Raji?
Me: Oh! So your Raji? Ya I know you. We have spoken about twice on the phone. He always keeps speaking about you..
Raji: Does he? A bit of misunderstanding between us. He gave me call I just ignored. I'll give him a call after some days. Just don't tell him you met me.
Me: Ya he gave you a call on the 3rd, he dint just call you, it was 5 times.
Raji: How do...
(I cut her)
Me: Even if I wish I cant tell him now, He died on that day!
I said coldly with a hint of anger and sadness in my voice. She was dumbstruck!
Raji: What the hell are you telling me?
Me: Yes I was riding on a bike with him, I was pillion. We met with an accident and he died after an hour.
Raji: What? How? Where?
Me: He wanted to do shopping and we were on our way when the truck ahead of us hit the brakes suddenly to avoid hitting a careless pedestrian. We were not able to apply the brake in time and rammed to the back of the truck and he hit his head.
Raji: He always wears a helmet. What happened to the helmet?
Me: We were to buy a new helmet that day, so left the old one at home. We passed the helmet shop on the road but dint buy because he wanted a racing helmet. We'd have got it if we would have saved some extra cash on the way back from the shopping. I guess it was meant to be that way.
Her jaw dropped open. As I continued...
Me: When we hit the truck the bike was travelling at about 45 kmph. He tried to brake but could not due to rain and the tires slipped. He hit head first into the back of the dumper while I hit him from behind, pinning him further. The bystanders helped me get him to hospital. He writing in pain and out of the blue all what he said was "
Call Raji from my cell!" It was then you got the call five times; you ignored! Of all he called
you.. Damn it!
The anger in my voice was starting to show up now.
Raji: What? Why me? Why not his parents or anyone else?
Me: Because he was always clear with his life. He never faked, always talking out what is there in the heart with zero justification no matter what. When people feel they gonna die they called their loved ones to say that they loved them or to tell them unsaid things. But he didn't need to do that, he was outspoken and frank, he always believed this
real buddies would understand him. He was right! He wanted to tell you that because he told you he likes you, you don't have to reciprocate the feeling. He had made a statement not a asked you a question. You didn't understand it, created a misunderstanding and ignored his calls.
Hah! he was wrong in choosing you out of the millions.
Raji: Did he tell you all this? But how will I know?
I said, looking directly into her eyes defiantly, with a unwavering voice that held the cold subdued anger.
Me: Now, you never will! This is the exact difference between you and him. He never gave justifications; at least not to close ones.
Probably somewhere deep inside he felt that you were not that close so he must have asked me to call you. He doesn't have to explain all this to me! I've known him since I've known things. I was his second conscience; he was mine. I've once heard "No-one is ever betrayed by true Love. Only deceived by infatuation and blinded by lust". After all its true...
She was standing in the crowd.
I pushed her back into the same millions that Akshay had brought her out from. Eyes moist and grasping for breath; that was the last time I saw her! As I left her there, I recalled this quote from the classic
V for Vendetta to be apt...
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.
[laughs] Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me "V".
