2nd Jan 2017:
8.30 am
Gita parked the car outside the house and locked the parking gate. When she was about to enter her car when the figure came in front of her and yelled
‘You killed my son!You killed my son!”
Words failed to come out of Gita’s mouth. She was scared of the figure and its anger towards her. Gita screamed but the woman continued to stand before Gita and repeated ‘You killed my son.’
That was a friendly neighborhood and everyone knew Gita well. Soon crowd gathered around Gita and the woman.
‘What’s wrong madam? Who is she?’ inquired the shopkeeper in the street.
‘I don’t even know who she is. She is accusing me of killing her son..; said Gita who had recovered a bit because of crowd support.
‘Looks like a mad woman..’ said her neighbor.
By then the woman who yelled at her took a stone and threw at her. She then made a huge noise and ran somewhere.
‘Some mad woman..Don’t worry madam..’ her neighbors tried to cheer her up. That woman’s face remained in her mind as she reached her office.
She dialed her husband’s number but as expected he didn’t pick up. . Pankaj, her husband is a leading surgeon and his work hours were hectic.
2nd Jan,2017:
8.30 pm
As Gita’s car turned into her street, she breathed a relief. Street was clear and the mad woman is not in the vicinity. Despite her busy day, the image of mad woman haunted her thoughts.
Her husband was home already and she felt secured. He became very concerned about the incident and as they were talking about it they heard some noise from the road.
Gita was shocked to find the same woman standing in the street and cursing at her. She repeatedly shouted ‘You killed my son.’ Pankaj immediately rang to police , who arrived fast and took the woman under control.
Eight months earlier:
‘Pankaj. Finally..What took you so long? I thought we are cancelling this trip again.’ Gita told as Pankaj rang the door bell.
‘You want me to answer you or get ready?’ Pankaj rushed to his room to get ready.
‘Come lets move..we need to grab something to eat before boarding the plane..’ Pankaj said clutching his bag. That was a long pending vacation and they were looking forward for it.
As they boarded the taxi, Pankaj received a call.
‘What now?’ Gita demanded when he finished.
‘Emergency…. There was a car accident and the victim is in very critical condition. I need to…’
After a brief pause Gita said, ‘ Okay. Turn to hospital.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. That’s way better than you being guilt-ridden about it through out the trip’
Traffic was chaotic that time of the day and it took them good thirty minutes to reach the hospital:
‘I’ll rather wait in the garden. If I don’t hear from you in next twenty minutes, I’ll cancel the tickets.’ Gita said in stony voice
Pankaj reached the garden in ten minutes and from the look of him Gita knew something was wrong.
“If we had reached before ten minutes, I could have done something. He is just 17 years old…’
‘You did your best Pankaj. Remember we took a detour as soon as we heard the emergency, if not for the traffic….’
Pankaj was upset for initial few days of vacation and eventually became normal.
3rd Jan, 2017:
7.30 am
Pankaj’s mobile disturbed the silence of the hour.
‘Doctor Can you come to the station. Bring your wife also.’
Once Pankaj’s family reached the station, the inspector introduced to Thomas husband of the woman.
‘I’m Thomas. Apologies that my wife made a scene before your house…We lost our son eight months before in a road accident. It was when I knew you, Dr Pankaj. You were starting for a vacation and hospital called you since it was an emergency.’ Thomas said slowly.
‘Yeah I remember that. But why is she saying that my wife killed your son?’
‘She was completely disturbed , she didn’t talk to anyone or accept that our son died. I took her to counseling where she refused to talk initially. Offlate she has been making some progress. But since last fifteen days she has been saying your wife delayed your arrival to hospital, if not my son would be still alive…..’
‘That’s not true..We immediately turned the taxi…’Pankaj interrupted.
‘I know that. I’m indeed thankful for the same…Apologies for my wife’s behavior. I’m trying my best to keep in house itself till she recovers…’
‘Where is your wife now? May be we all can clear things to her.’ Gita suggested.
‘She is at house. Doctor had given her some sleeping pills. Everyone is trying to explain to her.’
Thomas assured them such incidents won’t happen again and asked them to contact him directly if at all anything happens.
16th Jan 2017
7.50 pm
It was a long day again for Gita. She was no longer worried about the woman as she didn’t bother her for last fifteen days.
When she was about to lock the parking gate, she saw her. Within a fraction of second she felt something on her stomach and immediately lost consciousness.
3rd March, 2017
10.00 am
‘We have a new patient madam. He is Dr. Pankaj..’ said the assistant.
‘Dr. Pankaj..the one whose wife was killed recently?’ asked Maya
They heard a knock and Pankaj entered the room.
‘I’m sorry to see you here Dr..’ said Maya as her assistant was moving out of the room.
‘I’m glad Maya..’ Pankaj said and they laughed.
‘So our plan worked and no one suspects us. Thank heavens that Mrs.Thomas came to me for counseling and you made the plan immediately..’ Maya told while holding Pankaj’s hand.
‘I didn’t want to take any chances. Gita wouldn’t agree for divorce without claiming my entire savings. Your hypnotism and drugs worked well with Mrs. Thomas I guess…’
‘Yes. She completely believed Gita is the reason her son is dead…’
‘For others I came to counseling unable to withstand the vaccum left by my wife and met you..’
‘Yes after six months or so we can make it official’ Maya laughed.
15th Mar, 2017
3.00pm
Maya was waiting for her weekly appointment with Pankaj. Pankaj too was waiting for this appointment and arrived in time.
Minutes within his arrival, they heard the door knob turn.
‘You killed my son..’ Mrs. Thomas stood before Pankaj.
Maya sprung from her seat and said ‘No Mrs. Thomas this is the doctor who…’
‘My son would have been alive if he was in hospital’ and out of a blue a sharp object made contact with Pankaj’s body.
–END–
