Beyond Reality's Veil

Remorse

A month later....
.
DS- Anubhav, Karishma ko bula aaj uski result thi, abhi check karte hai.
.
Anu calls Karishma.
.
Karishma, with a laptop, enters the hall and, with a weak smile, logs in her credentials.
.
The results appear after a minute of buffering. Karishma looks at Anubhav and gives a positive nod.
.
Anubhav calculates the marks, his face flushed with surprise. Anubhav examines Karishma's demeanour and gives her a startling look.
.
KS- Kaa hua?
.
AS- Behna tumne.... Tumne top kiya hai with 99.89%
.
What!
.
Hume bhi vishwas nai ho raha hai. Par.... I am so happy for you (hugs her)
.
DS joins the siblings in kissing Karishma on the cheek. She was proud of her daughter for fighting through everything. And, perhaps more importantly, with herself. But little did she know, Karishma hadn't changed herself; it was her rage, her frustration, that drove her to focus there, so she could escape her thoughts. Karishma was only acting for her family, for the happiness and peace she had stolen from them. The hug is broken, and Karishma excuses herself to go to her room.
.
KS is sitting on the balcony when two girls catch her eye. We were talking while the two of us sat on a mat together. The scene was ordinary, but it meant everything to Karishma. She was feeling lonely at the time. Karishma had adapted to her new surroundings, but deep down she yearned for a better life. A life like others', or at the very least a happy life. After much deliberation, she pulls her diary from her bag and tears one page, placing it on the desk.
She makes a note in her diary.

.
Dear Diary,
Aaj humne pure Lucknow mai top kiya hai, par pta hai? Iski Khushi nai hai hume. Jab hum dusron ko dekhte the naa, ki inke paas sab hai tab bhi yeh itne dhukhi kyu? Aaj jaake woh jawab hume mila hai. Insaan jo chahta hai usse kabhi milta nai! Aur agar mil jaaye toh short- lived. Pal do pal ki zindagi hoti hai aur usme bhi itne saare struggles. Kon jhelega.
Hum... Karishma Singh.. ek boj hai.
Humari Amma ke liye musibat jisse woh puri duniya se bachati hai, defend karti hai. Humare bhaiyaa jo humare khilaf ek shabd nai sun sakte hai. Aaj jab hum unko dekhte hai lagta hai, kya woh yeh deserve karte hai?
Nai, nai karte woh, unhone humare saath sirf acha kiya aur humne? Unko itni badnaami di. Itni tension di. Seriously, hume nai pta hum kyu aise hai, aur hum theek hona chahte bhi the. Dil se, par hum haar maante hai. Hum aaj humari life ko khatam kar rahe hai. Shayad papa ke paas jaaye toh acha lage. Shayad kahin na kahin Haseena hume mil jaaye. Kon kehta hai soulmate khali aapke husband yaa wife mai hota hai, humari soul toh Haseena thi, humari dost, humare papa the. Jab life nai humare souls ko humse cheen hi liya toh hum kya kare yahan reh ke?
.
Aamma aur Bhaiyaa!
Jab aap dekhenge tab hum aapko gale lagane ke liye nai honge. Maaf karna please. Humne bhut try Kiya sab theek karna, but this was the only way. Aasha karte he agle janam fir aapke paas aaye.

Aamma aap, agar iss puri shristi mai humne bahadur, nidar aur strong insaan dekha hai naa, toh woh hai aap. Kash aapki tarah har musibat ko paar karne seekh paate, kash.

Bhaiyaa, aapna ek number ke gadhe hai! Har raat ko humare room mai check karne aate the ki hum soye hai yaa nai. Aur blanket ko udha ke chale jaate the, aapko ek secret bataye,
Woh blanket aapke aane se pehle hum jaan bujh ke phek dete the. Taaki aap aake hume pyaar se sehla ke sula de.

Humne aaj tak aapke saath kuch sahi nai kiya, shayad ab sab sudhar jaaye.

I love you both so much. And I am sorry.
Bye.
.

Karishma tears this page and places it on the table with the other. She walks slowly down the corridor and sees Divya and Anubhav happily conversing. Karishma's gaze is fixed on them. She wanted to squeeze them both tightly one more time. But she withdraws and goes to her room.
.
Karishma takes a slow step towards the balcony. She closes her eyes and presses the corridor's door rod. She opens her eyes and stands over it in a matter of seconds. She loses her balance and falls as she takes one last look around her room.
There was no pain in her eyes, no fear of falling; memories of her family flashed before her eyes, and she smiled, looking back at those priceless moments.
Karishma collides with the ground, and her head begins to bleed. Nearby people notice the incident and crowd around Karishma, but Karishma's gaze is fixed on the sky. She notices Haseena waving at her and asking for her hand. Karishma extends her hand, and Haseena accepts her hand and takes her away from this world.

And Karishma dies.
.
The misfortune confused and shocked the pedestrians, but one thing bothered them: Karishma's smiling face!
Why would a girl smile if she was about to commit suicide? This question was left unanswered. Divya was informed about Karishma during this time.
Without missing a beat, the couple dashed out of their house and discovered a bloody road and a lifeless body on the ground.
.

The pedestrian were confused and shocked

.
DS- Karishmaaaa! (Falls over her knees)
.
Anubhav lost control of his body and collapsed close to Karishma's corpse. He looks at her lifeless body. He checks the pulse in Karishma's arm with shaky palms.
.

Beh.....h....naaa..... (Whispers from his mouth with much difficulty)

.....................................................................................................

After few hours, police and reporter arrives at the house.
.
R1- Yeh hai woh ghar jisme aaj Board topper Karishma Singh ne suicide ki hai. Kya wajah ho sakti hai ki ek topper apni jaan de?
.
R2- Kya Karishma Singh ne cheating ki thi? Yaa unka koi Raaz khulne wala tha?
.
All the reporters made a story in their view, and we're entertaining people.
.
The police handles the paper to the family after reading it. They depart after expressing their condolences to the family.
.
Anubhav reads the first paper, which was written by Karishma the day she bet the girl and was restricted from the school.
.
KS writes-
Koi itna important kaise ban jaata hai life mai? Aur kyu jab ek din usse jana hi hota hai. Bhut ajeeb hai yeh, ki jisse aap apna maante ho, woi aapko dhokha de jata hai. Kaise? Koi itna zaruri ho jaata hai ki, aapke saamne jo hota hai aap usse nazarandaz kar dete ho aur sirf uss insaan ko apna sach apna wajood maan lete ho! Hum nai sehen kar paa rahe ki jo bhi tha woh jhooth tha, ek chall tha. Humara Bharam tha. Uss pal mai hume vishwas nai ho raha jis din humari pyaari si duniya barbaad ho gayi. Kyu bhagwan? Humne kisi ka kya bigada tha, jo itni badi saza mili! Aapne humse huamre pitashree dur kardiye humne accept kar liya. Toh Haseena kyu? Nai, yeh aapki bhi galti hai aapne hume aisa banaya. Aapne hume ek loser banaya, ek pagal, jo reality se kuso dur rehta hai. Hum nai jeena chahte ab. Aise humare Maa pe Bhai pe boj banke. Unka chahra dekhte hai toh unki aankhon mai humare liye dar dikhta hai. Sirf Dar, ki hum fir se kuch kar na baithe. Humne apne parivaar se unki khushi cheen li. Humne sab barbaad kar diya. Aur hume yeh bhi nai pta kaise sab theek kare. Aaj hume agar koi rasta dikh raha hai toh woh hai... Khud ko khatam karke. Ji, hum khud ko khatam karke saare tanta hi khatam kar denge. Ab toh hume itne trust issues hone lage hai ki, aisa lagta ki hum bhi exist nai karte. Haan, sunne mai bhut weird hai, par jo mehsus kar raha hai woh jaanta hai. Humara bharosa uth gaya hai. Aur waise bhi Haseena bhi chahti hai hum sab chodh ke uske paas aa jaye. Hum aayenge. Hum aapke paas aayenge. Humare jawab maangne, aur shayad kisi duniya mai hume Haseena aur PitaJi mil jaaye. Kahin toh hoge woh. Kahin toh.
.
They read the another one. And cries hugging the letter.
.
The End
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I know I've ruined my writing skills. But thanks to you all for being there with me during this journey. Tell me how was the story and Bye Everyone!
.