Crossroads (Completed✅)

Chapter 6: Highway

Maya was in her room going through her wardrobe. Everything was white except three or four dresses that she had bought in the last month. Maya had hated colours. Colours reminded her of her grey shaded past. They scared her to such an extend that she lived a life in black and white. But it has changed since Zoya came to her life. She had started loving colours as Zoya loved them. Zoya always wore the most colourful things. Dresses, accessories, bags, everything. She was so wonderful even to look at. She brought happiness to the people who saw her and Maya wanted to see her all the time. People might call it madness, but for a person who has never known happiness it was something else. It was called living her life.

Zoya was working on a presentation. It was for a client who had given Zosh a contract for their company’s golden jubilee celebration. It was a huge assignment and Zoya was working overtime to make sure everything was perfect. It was not just about arranging an event for Zoya, for her it was something emotional. She enjoyed her work. Her work was about bringing happiness and satisfaction to people’s lives and that meant the most to her. Zoya was searching the Web for ideas when her phone rang. It was Maya.

Maya: Zoya, are you free this evening?

Zoya could understand the anticipation in Maya’s voice and Zoya replied: I have a project to finish but why are you asking?

Maya was silent for a moment and then said. Maya: I want to go shopping. I want to buy clothes and I want you to come with me. Would you come? Please, please.

Maya literally pleaded and Zoya’s heart melted. Going out with Maya meant that Zoya had to sit until early hours to finish the presentation. But Maya’s smile was worth it. Maya deserved happiness and that smile. Watching her smile made Zoya happy.

Zoya : Maya, I will be ready by five. You should pick me up by then.

Maya: Sure. I will be at your flat by then.

Maya was jumping up and down on her bed. And there was a wide smile on her face.

******

Maya and Zoya went to a shopping mall. The mall was crowded as it was a Sunday. Maya hated crowds. She was fine in office rooms. She was fine talking to colleagues and business partners but not at all comfortable with loud noises and crowds. Maya usually ordered clothes online or went to stores at times but never to malls. But today she was with Zoya and coming to a mall means being able to spend more time with her. She can go from one store to another, eat and if possible play pool.

Maya was in her thoughts when she realised that she had left her keys in the car and had not locked the car. Maya asked Zoya to stay near the escalator and went to the parking lot.

Zoya watched the crowd. Mumbai was so different from Mussoorie and the people and places were so fascinating. She was smiling watching the people when she heard a group of men talking behind her and she suddenly turned and they were looking at her and passing lewd remarks in low voices to make sure no one except her would hear it. Zoya got angry and scared and wanted to go from there but the men surrounded her. Zoya tried to move through them and one of them touched her body and Zoya was shocked and she ran from the place. Tears fell from her eyes. Zoya hurried to the parking lot and found Maya midway and Zoya asked Maya to drop her, at her home. Maya asked for the reason and Zoya didn’t say anything. But Maya knew that something was wrong. She did not ask anything afterwards and dropped Zoya at her apartment and left the place.

It was late night. They were all drunk and were roaming around in the highways in a car. Suddenly a huge Hummer started following them. It was all black, even the glasses were black. They didn’t mind at first and didn’t even think that the Hummer was after them but later they realised that it was following them, a few yards behind. They were scared. It was a huge vehicle and theirs were a small car. They increased the speed of their car and the Hummer also did the same. The glass at the driver’s seat was an inch lowered and there was some loud music playing inside the Hummer. They started panicking and asked the person driving to go faster and he raced through the highway. But after sometime the Hummer was nowhere in sight. They were relieved at last and started laughing about it. Then suddenly when they reached a Crossway the Hummer came from the side and hit the car hard. The car overturned on the road. The people inside the car were badly injured. They tried their best to come out of the car. They could barely move. Then one of them who was facing the Hummer saw someone coming out of the vehicle. It was all dark and the face of the person was not visible.

Maya Mehrotra got out of the car with a Beretta in her hand and pointed the gun at the head of the man who touched Zoya at the shopping mall. The man was so scared that he was trembled all over. He understood it was a woman but could not see her face at all.

Maya was so angry when she heard from a member of the cleaning staff at the mall about what had happened to Zoya. Zoya gets scared so fast and seldom has the courage to react, Maya thought. But she had a friend. She had Maya. Maya would never let anyone hurt Zoya and walk out of the place on both legs.

Maya wanted to kill the man then and there at that highway. Then she looked at the sky and thought otherwise. Maya took a deep breath.

Maya: Next time when you dare to touch any girl think twice because if it happens again the bullets in this gun would be in your head. All fifteen of them.

Maya turned around and walked to the Hummer and spoke. Maya: Hoping that some cars would pass through the highway and would see you and get you to the hospital or I would be reading your name in the death column of tomorrow’s new paper.

Maya had a smile on her face as she got in to the Hummer and left the place. There was loud gothic metallic rock music which was being heard from inside the Hummer.

Amrutha