It was only 11 pm, but the road of South extension, Delhi was almost empty. Any vehicle, a car or a bike, was passing from this road only after half an hour or more. Every vehicle was in a hurry to reach his destination. By the side of this road, near the bushes, someone was laying silently since last one hour, in the same position, without any movement or noise; not even the noise of the heartbeat.
She was a girl, wearing a beautiful anarkali suit, whose colour has turned from white to red due to the blood around her body. She was submerged in her own blood. Her body was pale. Her eyes were widened with pain, fear, and shock. She had many cuts all around her body. Despite of all this, she was alive.
She tried to cry for help but she couldn’t speak. She tried to stand up but she was not even able to move her body. Every part of her body was paining but she can’t do anything. She could only stare at the sky above her head with a hope that someone will come for her rescue. One hour passed in the same way.
Now, she didn’t have any hope that she would survive. She had accepted her destiny and started waiting for her final destination. In the last moments of her life, her past came to her mind like a flashback. She was soon lost in the memories of her past.
She remembered her childhood days, when she was a little kid and her grandma used to take care of all her stuff including getting her ready for school, dropping her to school, picking her from school, taking her to parks, temples and other places for visit. Her grandma loves her very much. Why not? She was the first child in her house and the only girl in the family. She was loved and pampered by all her family members including mother, father, uncle, aunt and other relatives. She also had a younger brother, who often fights with her on small things.
With time, she started growing younger and her grandma becoming older. Now, she took her Grandma on walk and other places like temples. Till the time she finished her 12th class exam, his father was almost bankrupt. His shop was gone and he became a supplier, who supplies products to shopkeepers. She wanted to support her family in this financial crisis but at the same time she wanted to make her career. So, she discussed this with her father. Her father didn’t want her daughter to work for the survival of the family. He wanted her to complete her studies. He took an education loan for her and send her to the nearest city for further studies.
She remembered how this decision, only a single decision, has not only changed her life completely but also changed her identity for forever.
Her chain of thoughts was broken by a sudden sound, it was the sound produced when a full speed car is stopped by applying sudden brakes. The car stopped near the bush where she was laying. A young man came out of the car. Though he came out of the car due to nature’s call, but as his car lights was falling on the girl’s body, he could see her. At the first instance, the man got scared as he thought it was a dead body. But when he saw her eyes is moving, he went to her and checked her pulse. Founding her alive, he took her into his car to the nearest hospital.
At the Hospital
In the hospital, the doctors took her to the emergency ward and told the young man that they will be filing an FIR about the patient and he had to provide his details as well.
Soon, a police officer, named Srinath Dubey, with his two constables reached the hospital. He took the details of the young man, whose name was Mr. Rahul Arora, age 30, owner of a software company in Noida, Delhi. Rahul told Srinath that he was going back to his home in Hauz Khas from his office, when he saw the girl laying on the side of one of the roads to South Extension, Delhi. He told the complete story to Srinath.
As soon as Rahul finished his story, the doctor reached them and told them the girl is fine now. She was stabbed with a knife. All the wounds are not so deep. The wounds would take around 3-4 months to heal properly.
Srinath along with his two constables and Rahul met the girl. Srinath asked her, “Hello madam. I think the doctor might have told you that your wounds will take 3-4 months to heal. I am Inspector Srinath Dubey. I am the incharge of the area where the incident happened. I want some details of you.”
The girl said, “Yeah, sure.”
Srinath asked, “What is your name?”
The girl said, “I am Mrs. Sanaya Mishra.”
Srinath asked, “So, Mrs. Sanaya, please tell us what actually happened.”
Sanaya said, “I don’t know.”
Srinath, his constables, and Rahul all were surprised at the Sanaya’s reply.
Srinath asked Sanaya, “What did you mean by this?”
Sanaya said calmly, “I mean that I don’t know what had happened.”
With little irritation, Srinath asked, “And how it is possible that you have been stabbed and you don’t have any idea about it.”
Sanaya said, “I was unconscious when I was stabbed.”
Srinath asked, “How you got unconscious?”
Sanaya said, “I don’t know. I slept in my bedroom and woke up on the road with every part of my body wound.”
A smile ran on the lips of Srinath and he said, “You were sleeping in your bedroom wearing sandals, a party wear suit, and a handbag in your hands. Isn’t it strange?”
Sanaya seemed a little puzzled over Srinath’s question and said, “I was about to go for a party but then I was not feeling good and went back to my room and lie for few seconds but soon I felt asleep.”
Srinath was a little satisfied with her answer. He further asked, “Have you eat something on that day?”
Sanaya said, “Yes, I ate the regular food made by my cook.”
Srinath asked, “We have to talk with your cook.”
Sanaya said, “Yeah sure.”
Srinath said, “Do you suspect anyone who can do this?”
Sanaya said, “No.”
Srinath said, “There should be someone who wants to hurt you. You might not remember him/her right now. Tell me later, if you remember someone. Give me your husband’s mobile number. I need to ask certain questions from him.”
Sanaya said, “My husband has expired last year in a car accident.”
Srinath said, “I am sorry for that. Please provide me the mobile number of any of your family members who can take you home.”
Hearing the word ‘family’, Sanaya felt a sudden pain in her heart and she said, “I am alone on this planet.”
Srinath said, “You might have some relatives.”
Sanaya said, “No, I don’t have. I am the only child of my parents and my parents are no more. Even if I have relatives, I don’t know about them.”
Srinath asked her, “So, you live alone?”
Sanaya said, “Yes.”
Srinath asked, “And what you do for your living?”
Sanaya replied, “I work in a call centre.”
Srinath asked, “Ok. Please provide me the address of your house and office. I will contact you later.”
Sanaya told them that she lives in Greater Kailash in a 2BHK flat and work in a call centre of Okhla. She provided them the complete address.
Srinath left the hospital along with his constables. While standing near his Police car, he said to his constables, “What do you think about this case, Ramanaa?”
Ramanaa, was one of the constables who visited Sanaya with Srinath. Ramanaa said, “Sir, there are certain things which are making the case more confusing.”
Srinath asked, “Like what?”
Ramanaa said, “Sanaya is saying that she doesn’t have any relative, which is a little indigestible thing in India that someone does not have any relative. She said that she used to work in a call centre and she lives in a 2BHK flat of Greater Kailash, which is an expensive area. Her clothes, jewellery, sandals, and handbag all are from premium brands. Can a girl working in a call centre afford these things?”
Srinath said, “May or may not be. If she is working on a higher post in the call centre, then she can afford these things. Also, if she doesn’t have any relative, then someone from her office, friends, or a known person has attacked her. However, if she does have relatives, this means that is more to the story.”
Srinath became a little confused from the replies of Sanaya. On the other hand, Rahul was more concerned about Sanaya as she was injured and there was nobody to take care of her. He himself was an orphanage; thus, he knew how it feels without family. So, he got Sanaya discharged from the hospital and took her to her apartment of Greater Kailash. It became his habit to visit Sanaya at her home in the morning as well as in the evening. He started spending his weekends with her. They became good friends.
Sanaya’s Past
Sanaya told Rahul about her past. She was telling him about her college days in the city, “I have seen the city many times. But, living in a city is much different from visiting a city for a few days. Living in a city becomes more wonderful when you are staying in a hostel and studying in a college. I was living a wonderful life. I and my friends used to roam around the college campus all day. We used to bunk classes to watch movies or to visit a tourist place. We used to party almost every night. Along with all this fun, we also study hard and always get good grades in our class. We spend our two years of college fabulously.
In the third year, I took some different subjects and was separated from my friends. Though we meet in the hostel, but I am unable to enjoy with them anymore as we had classes in different time slots. Initially, it was difficult but slowly we had a habit of it. I also started making friends in my class.
A boy named Ravi becomes a very close friend of mine. We started going for a movie, monument, and restaurants together. One day, he proposed me and I accepted his proposal as I thought I know everything about him. Now, we used to often spend time together and I was not able to concentrate on my studies. As a result, I got a back in one of the papers. I cried the whole day. Ravi and my friends tried to console me.
On that evening, Ravi took me to a bar and asked me to have a drink so that I can calm myself. Initially, I denied but when he forced, I had one drink. It was the first drink of my life and I lost my senses. Ravi started taking advantage of my situation but few of my classmates and some teachers were also there in the bar. They escape me from him and drop me at my hostel.
Later, I got the information that Ravi was a sex addict. He had relationships with various girls inside and outside the college.
I started my studies again with full enthusiasm and got good grades in the final exams. I passed my college. I was extremely happy. Now, I was able to support my family financially. I was going back to my town by bus.
When I was around 20 kms away from my hometown, the bus was suddenly stopped. There was military and police all around the road. They asked the bus driver to take the bus back as all the nearby towns were submerged in water due to floods. I lost my complete family.
I came back to the city and started working as the office administrator. I lost myself in work. My senior was attracted to me. He proposed me one day and I denied. But, after a week his mother came to me and asked me whether I would like to be her daughter in law. I asked for some time of her and later, decided to get married.
After one year of my marriage, my husband and mother-in-law expired in a car accident. I once again become alone. I shifted to Delhi and started working here.
Here, I am working as an office administrator. This apartment belongs to one of my college friends, who has settled abroad and asked me to take care of her apartment.”
Rahul got answers to all of his questions which were in his mind from the day he met Sanaya. He was touched with the story of Sanaya and became more caring after knowing her story. Slowly, his caring was turning into love. He started loving Sanaya. He loved to spend time with her. He wanted to be with her for now and forever. He finally decided to propose her.
On the other hand, Srinath investigation had confirmed that Sanaya was a victim. However, he was not able to identify the person who attacked her. The case was open but there was no progress.
The Proposal
One evening, Rahul took Sanaya to a nearby famous restaurant and proposed her for marriage officially. To his surprise, Sanaya accepted the proposal immediately. He was at the seventh cloud at the moment. They danced with each other and while dancing Rahul whispered in her ear, “I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time to a stop.”
They had their marriage after one month. Sanaya and Rahul shopped from premium brands. Sanaya had bought so many dresses and jewelleries like she will never buy them again after her marriage. Rahul was happy to see Sanaya so involved in her marriage preparations. He gave her full responsibility of their marriage. She had done all the arrangements of marriage. Rahul just had to sign the cheques for these arrangements.
Sanaya had booked a banquet hall for their marriage. The bride and groom had to reach the banquet hall at 8 in the evening. Sanaya told Rahul that she would be busy in the beauty parlour from 3 pm to 7.30 pm and would reach the hall from there only.
The Marriage
Rahul and his friends were in a shock when they saw the banquet hall. They were shocked because the banquet hall was empty. It was completely empty. There was no decoration, stage or anything, which could show that it is a marriage hall. Few workers were sitting on chairs and gossiping, Rahul asked them about the booking and marriage. They said that there was no booking for today.
Rahul called Sanaya but her phone was switched off. He went back to his office and tried to call the caterers, the jewellers, the decorators in the name of whom he signed cheque and took their numbers for Sanaya in case of emergency. Every number was a wrong number. He tried to search their addresses on the Internet and by visiting the addresses but all were fake.
It took a week for Rahul to realise and confirm that his marriage was fake and the girl lying at the road side was fake.
Srinath got the information about Rahul’s fake marriage. He investigated it deeply and found that the girl was a robber. She used to target young men, who are rich and do not have any family or few members in their family. She made such situations that men fall in love with her. She promised them to marry and then run away after getting some money from them.
Srinath told Rahul that she was not injured, when she met him. She used makeup for showing blood and paleness on her face. She gave good money to the doctor for telling the lie.
The girl has not only robbed the money of Rahul, but also robbed with his feelings.
–END–
