Prologue
He was sitting all alone, away from the world, hoping for a new morning in his
life, thinking about how harshly life had treated him and brooding over what exactly had
gone wrong.
He was busy thinking, When things go wrong, you feel so miserable and all you
wish for is to completely erase the bad memories, especially when your intention was
never to do wrong. Or was it? Was her death my fault? When things are not under
your control, you feel so helpless before your so-called ‘destiny’.
The cold moon was peeking through the clouds floating above Lavasa valley. It was a
perfect moment to hide yourself in the arms of your beloved; here he was, all by himself,
with no one to keep him company. His fair skin was hidden behind a stubble and his
depressed state was visible not only from his sore eyes but his defeated face as well.
As he threw away his cigarette and turned, he saw a girl walking towards him. She
was wearing a red top and jeans. He could not see her clearly as she was a bit far off
and the fog had lowered visibility. He kept on staring at her to find out who she was. As
she came close, he could see that she had left her hair loose. Her face was still not
visible. But he felt as if it was a familiar face by the way she walked and the way her
hands played with her hair. It was then that he saw her clearly. Her smiling face and her
sparkling beautiful eyes made his heart skip a beat. She was his girlfriend, the one for
whom he could have sacrificed his life. They loved each other so much that if angels
were watching them from heaven, they would have been left stunned.
She came and stood close to him. He was lost in her eyes. He didn’t realize when she
came and sat on his lap. Their breaths embraced and their lips were only inches away
from each other. Then a strange sound fell on his ears and he closed his eyes. Suddenly
everything flashed in front of him and took him back to that day when he lost his love,
friends, job—everything.
He remembered all the accusations she had made on him—You are solely
responsible for this mess. You deserve nothing better. You can try to be honest to
yourself, if nothing else. And if you can’t, then go away! Suddenly everybody was
pointing fingers at him. Suddenly he had become answerable to everyone around him. He
saw nothing but a dead end ahead.
He opened his eyes wishing to see her in front of him, but there was no one. He
searched for her in all directions, wishing to be with her at that moment. He wanted to
relive all their memorable moments again, but all his desires evaporated in thin air as he
sat in his resigned state. Sometimes he would question himself whether he was really
innocent. Or was he the culprit behind all the chaos that had occurred in the last few
months?
He was about to light another cigarette when Kritika came and stood next to him,
patting him on his back. Kritika was his 4 am friend who always supported him in the
worst of situations. She was your typical girl next door, with short hair and a cute smile.
She was full of positive energy and could make anyone feel happy even on the worst of
days. According to her, the reason behind her charm and beauty was the amethyst crystal
she carried in the locket around her neck. She believed it was a symbol of positive
energy and could seduce anyone around her. Kritika was one of his best friends, even
though they had met only a few months ago. Together they believed that: ‘Time cannot
define your relationship. It’s the bonding you share even if you have met a day before.’
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.
‘I just want to be left alone. I want to be away from everyone.’
‘What will you achieve by doing that? We all know that you are innocent. Whatever
happened was fate’s doing. You are not responsible for the accident. I am sure you will
find some way or the other to prove your innocence. You just have to wait for the right
time to come,’ Kritika consoled him.
‘I really don’t know how to do that. It seems as if sand is slipping through my hands
and I am watching helplessly.’
‘Come on now, everyone is waiting for you at the hotel. It’s my birthday.’
Kritika had booked them at the Ekaanth Hotel to celebrate her birthday on February
13.
As soon as he got up, a drop of tear rolled down his cheek. He remembered all that
he had been accused of, and that broke his spirit into pieces. He took out his mobile
phone and sent a message to Aleesha.
It’s hard to describe how I feel now. I want to explain everything to you, but I don’t
know how to. I feel so alone and I’m scared. All kinds of thoughts are running through
my mind. Stress is eating me up every minute. If only you were by my side today, I
would have never felt so alone. Our gang has gathered here to celebrate a birthday party
and my eyes still search only for you. But alas, you are not here. Do you feel the same
pain as I do?
Kritika was watching him, waiting patiently for him to finish texting. She thought of
making him understand that everything will be back in its place one day. However, she
avoided looking at him as it would hurt him more. She looked the other way round,
rubbing her hands, trying to keep herself warm in the cold wind.
It was a starless night. The other couples around him seemed to enjoy the darkness of
the night and the privacy it allowed them. It was not the same for Kritika and him though.
Kritika was extremely worried for her friend who was looking for a way to bring back
normalcy to his life. But they knew that they were trying to climb an impossibly high
peak. They were trying to forget the hurt of the past and the fears of the future, wishing
his life gets back on track soon, and with it, the smile on his face.
‘Thanks, Kritika, for being by my side during this tough phase,’ he said feigning a
smile.
‘Oh, shut up! I know how much you love Aleesha.’
