I stood in the verandah holding my cup of tea waiting for today's newspaper. My day usually begins with hot tea and news. It was half past six. The weather was at its best; the early morning sun looked mesmerising. The chirping of the birds was a relaxation to the ears. I closed my eyes and felt the cool breeze touching my body. A sudden sound forced me to open my eyes. It was the newspaper man; in a hurry he threw the newspaper and rushed. I took the newspaper and went inside.
"What a beautiful day!" I thought.
I opened the newspaper. As soon as I read the headline, my heart was in my mouth.
It said, "200 people die in the Hindu Muslim riots in Delhi."
My friend, Aisha had just shifted to Delhi a month back. I wanted to check if she was fine so I called her but no one picked. I read the article further.
The area the article mentioned was exactly where Aisha lived. I felt tensed.
I could feel drops of sweat on my forehead.
The frantic attempt to check on her went futile. I decided to go to Delhi. I got ready and packed my bag and rushed. While driving my car, several thoughts hovered my mind.
" I hope she is fine." I thought.
I turned on the volume of the radio.
" A lot of bloodshed took place in the Delhi riots. More than 200 people died on the spot. Many were injured. Religions have divided people so deeply that they have almost forgotten the religion of humanity. Even women and children were not spared."the radio jockey remarked.
My heart started beating very fast. I did not know what to do.
"You have reached your location."
"Thank u Google" I smiled.
I got off my car and walked into the lanes. Dead bodies lying all over the place. I started walking towards Aisha's house. Just ten steps away from her house, I saw her body lying. Blood was all over her face. She was torn apart in the riots. A tear drop fell from my eye.
I felt as if my heart has been thrashed into pieces.
I could not move. I looked at her constantly, and flashbacks played in my mind.
Sometimes, the flashbacks aren't the best things on earth. This state of my friend shattered me.
Although, there was no hope for her to be alive, yet I kneeled down to check. To my surprise, she was not dead. She was struggling for breath. I picked her up and carried her to my car. My eyes were filled with tears. I splashed water on Aisha's face but she did not open her eyes but I could still hear her struggling for breath.
I drove the car as fast as I could toward the nearest hospital. Numerous thoughts hovered my mind during this drive.
I wondered why my friend was dragged into all this. Was it even her fault?
