Friends & Foes

Thank You!

Karthik cried loud as he finished narrating the story. "Go and check on Kamal Shetty, he should not die." Officer Rathi groaned.

"Yes sir" Shinde accepted his order and left the room.

"What were you thinking, all this time?" He spluttered. "What kind of love was it? You don't even know what love and friendship is. What it is to be a friend. Creatures like you should rot in hell." He bombarded at Karthik.

"Sir" It was Shinde's voice which interrupted him. "The boy is dead." He said. Rathi was as frustrated as before. He noticed Karthik didn't react to the news. "You knew about it, don't you?"

Rathi sighed and said "You are a daemon. How can you do such a thing to your friend? There is no humanity in you, is it?"

"The biggest fool was Kamal, to throw his life in trench for a pathetic person like you." He added.

Karthik looked down, he was ashamed and guilty. But it didn't matter, it was too late. Tejal was already dead and Kamal too kicked the bucket.

"When did he die?" He asked Karthik, and then looked at Shinde. "This morning, Sir"

"But how can he commit suicide inside the jail." He queried. "He cut his wrist and bled till death. Apparently there is no theory about how he got the knife. Maybe he stole it from the kitchen, or maybe someone gave him or helped him get it."

Rathi slammed his hand with frustration. "It's a murder of innocence!" He exclaimed. "I will do anything to get justice done."

"I have to reopen this case. I know it's hard." He said. "But I must do what I have to do." He walked out of the room.

Karthik sobbed while he rested his head on the desk. Shinde was sorry for the boy. He saw him as a child who needs help. He wanted to comfort him. It was his deep caring nature that was making him blind that the one he was sympathising was a criminal –a rapist and murder.

"Kid, Don't worry!" He hesitated at first but sympathy gave in. "You should go! Run away!"

"Run away with that woman, she loves you, even after all this things. You should be thankful to her and dedicate your rest of the life towards her." He suggested in a low voice. He didn't want be busted for helping a criminal.

Even he was not sure why he was helping him. But the moment he met him, he had a soft corner for him. "Why are you helping me, a criminal?" I questioned.

"I know what you did was a terrible thing, and it's unforgiveable. But I can see how truly sorry you are for your sins and you will atone for it your lifetime. Enough life had been sacrificed already. If there is a chance to make a better man out you, then you should suffer in free air."

"I have seen a lot of young people like you behind the bars. They never got themselves out of the pit of crime. The jail doesn't make you a good person –love does. You are only going to be worse in the jail, meeting new criminals, who are ready to harness your innocence into something that favours their selfishness –something dark."

"The case is already closed; Rathi sir will have a hard time reopening it. Go home and burn that letter, it is the only evidence." He advised.

Karthik stood clueless, not knowing what to do. Shinde pushed him to go. Karthik didn't think of anything and sneaked out of the police station. This idea of running away bothered him. He wanted to atone for his sins.

He went straight to Neetu, with whom he hasn't been talking. But she was happy to see him; the long lasting hug right after she saw him implied that. "I am ready to leave everything." he smiled.

Her face blossomed suddenly with bliss. She couldn't stop smiling, with a little pinch of blush. She was looking forward for the rest of her life she was planning to spend with him. "I missed you!" She sighed.

"I missed you too!" Karthik grinned.

"I want to spend the rest of my life right here, in your arms curled around me." Her heartbeat fastens as she snuggled in his chest.

Karthik held her, with his hands on her shoulder. She flushed and closed her eyes. Karthik kissed her forehead softly. "I am so lucky, I realised it today."

"Thank you so much!"

"For what?" Neetu asked with a smirk. "For everything, for believing in me, to see the little light in me. You helped me when I was down in the dark."

"I am a daemon, wrapped in a human body. But you loved me, with this monster in me. I am forever grateful. If I could have given you a quarter of happiness for what you did for me."

Neetu interrupted him, with her finger on his lips. "Don't say anything." She kissed him.

"I'll call my friend in Australia; I think we can crash in his place for couple days, until we find our own. I should go check the next flight. I have some saving, I can cover our expenses. You don't have to think of anything." She rushed inside the bedroom, probably for packing up her stuffs.

"You should go home and pack the necessary things too –passport, other IDs and documents, some clothes." Her voice echoed in the room. "We'll buy new clothes for you, you need a makeover anyway. You look like a dork in those clothes."

"Hey!" she came out to check on him as there was no reply from his side.

"Karthik?" She looked across corners; he was nowhere to be found. Karthik left without saying anything. "He must have left to get his possessions. But that was very strange –leaving without saying anything."

"But again, he is tensed; it must be hard for him. He is disturbed." She kept babbling in her mind.

The sun set long back and it was dark out. Karthik didn't call her yet. Neetu was getting worried, all the worst possible thought were coming to her mind. "Why hasn't he called?" She was getting restless.

She tried calling him but there was no answer. She tried multiple times. She was losing hope slowly. "Has he abandoned me?" the very thought to her mind.

She again called him, this time there was an answer; but it was not Karthik's voice. There was a lady on the other line. "Karthik?" Neetu gasped.

The woman on the other line sobbed and said no words. Tension grew in Neetu's mind. "Who is this?"

"I am Karthik's mother; you must be Karthik's friend." The mystery woman spoke. "Where is Karthik?" Neetu was getting worried, she came to point.

The woman –Karthik's mother –let out a sound of cry, "He is dead."

"He came home, and hugged me and thanked me. He acted strange. Then he went terrace and jumped off." She cried.

Neetu was silent, phone dropped from her hand as her dream was shattered. Everything that she planned was for nothing. Happiness slid from her as the man she loved was no longer alive –the man she was passionate about.

Karthik pour meaning to her pale life, gave reason to her living, made her smile. With him, she was comfortable and for the first time in her life she had a hope.

She moved her hand on her stomach as she struggled to accept the fact that her child will be born with no father. She cried all night, mourning for Karthik, whom she loved endlessly and meaninglessly.