The crying soul

    Down the lane I was walking on the pavement, it was a chilly evening, the fresh cool breeze was like soothing elements to my tired working day. Suddenly I felt as if I was in the middle of a lonely road. To my surprise it was indeed a lonely one. I turned back and paced up towards my home. Again I felt like someone is following me and suddenly a shadow like image crossed my back. Then gosh!! It was my bestie, Disha. She’s such a nuisance who can take the hell out of me. It was scary and even I started shouting at her in the middle of the road. I just couldn’t understand why is it necessary for her to scare me like that. She was giggling and was amazed for a bit when she felt that I wasn’t scared actually but, my eyes were searching something in the dark. 

     Gradually we started walking to our home. suddenly she asked me what was eating me up. I was like Hell no!! Not again!!! But with a sigh of relief I gave it a thought and started narrating the incident that had shaken me completely. At first I was unwilling then rest assured that with this living witch (Disha) by my side there can’t be anyone else more scarier than her, in my life. Yeah I mean it when I say “in my life”, cause it was an accident or god’s wish I don’t know but both my parents died when I was small. I was taken care and pampered by my grandmother(nani). She was everything to me. really I’m proud of her. Then I met Disha who soon became my other half family member. Now I’m a working person which doesn’t matter for now. So where was I. yeah, I was preparing myself to speak about the incident. Then finally I started.

     That day was kind of similar to this day yet it was less scary and less chilly. As usual while returning from work I crossed the neighborhood near my office. Then started walking towards my home. Suddenly I heard a weeping sound. I went pale with the sound. At first I thought someone was playing prank on me, maybe some of my colleague but there was no one. I stayed there for a bit and my eyes started searching who it was. But in the dark there was no one. I increased my footsteps and was almost running. It was a busy night with lesser people. I took a turn and then out of nowhere saw a lady wailing and asking for help. But in vain no one was helping her. I was anxious as well as felt a lump on my throat that how can be someone so cruel. Like, in the middle of the night everyone was busy in their own way and there’s not a single glance on that helpless lady.

      I was rest assured that, ok! It was finally this lady’s voice that I mistook as something else. I went to her and asked her whereabouts and why’s she crying sitting here alone on the road. Till then she has suddenly changed her emotions and it felt like she was very happy on getting my attention. Indeed she was very happy but her eyes were gloomy. She said that she’s a single mother with her only child. She looked like a working woman in her late forties. Then she pulled me towards a forbidden street in the black. I followed her. Then I saw a pathetic scene where, a car has been crushed on the road and a boy was lying unconscious drenched in blood. She said he is her son who had met with an accident some hours ago. Then It came to my mind that in this lonely place there’s no one to be seen till far that’s why she was asking for help there, leaving her son here. I was clueless about the situation and thinking about how can be the lady unwounded while his son is blood soaked. But at that moment it wasn’t important as the boy. Maybe she was informed about the incident, but why did no one helped him to the hospital if they had informed this to his mother. Maybe he himself had informed before losing his consciousness and maybe not. Thoughts were flying in my head. The chain of thoughts got broken when the lady asked me to carry her son and asked to call for an ambulance. I immediately dialed the number and within few moments the boy was carried onto the stretcher. I planned to follow them to the hospital. 

   I took a taxi from the next diversion and followed them to the hospital. After asking at the reception I went straight to the corridor of the operating room. I met her there who was praying helplessly outside the operation theatre. Really there are few things left more powerful, than the prayers of a crying mother. Her eyes were worn out and so does mine but it differed from hers’. I told her to take rest for few minutes as the operation may get longer to wait. She closed her eyes only then, I realized “Mother’s don’t sleep; they just worry with their eyes closed”. Tears flowed in pain and so does her prayers. There was no sign of what’s going on behind the closed door. I decided to check at the reception so that I can help her. while I moved forward switching floors and crossing corridors suddenly my steps stopped. I tilted back, only to see the most unexpected sight. To my front was a room where bodies were lying as if they are in deep slumber. But to the extreme right corner there lied a body identical to the lady whom I had just left behind undisturbed. The ground collapsed underneath my feet. I asked to the doctor in-charge. The doctor confirmed me that she’s a fresh corpse who died a hour ago in minor heart attack. I thought maybe she is a different person cause the lady on the upper floor was with me since some minutes. Still I tried to search more about what’s going on there. I hurried to the reception for the details of both the cases.

   Maybe it’s not what I was thinking. The sweat on my face was clarifying that I was confused rather than getting afraid. Moreover I was about to get a panic attack if not being told what’s going on there. I asked the receptionist about the family details of the injured boy whom I just got admitted but they were missing clues. Then I inquired about the body. I got to know that she was Arati Mathur. She was admitted to the hospital by her neighbors and they had said that her son may soon come and pay a visit to her dying mother but unfortunately she died in cardiac arrest. till now no one had came. The receptionist asked me if I’m her relative. I nodded in yes. She gave me all her belongings and I went back to check the premises of the operation theatre. All my way back I was thinking about the one whom I was addressing the lady shouldn’t the same body whom I just saw. Right, few moments ago I was saying her as lady but now she is just a mysterious body for me. This is the fact of life. Until a person dies we address him as a person but the moment he dies we simply call it a body. 

   To my surprise there she was, sitting calmly and weeping, eyes on the door. I was an atheist who doesn’t believe easily in supernatural powers. Although I was getting late I thought of solving the mystery. I left behind her undisturbed, went to the reception, took the address and heeded towards the home of the lady who was dead in search of more details. Maybe she’s not the lady whom I left behind, it can be a coincidence regarding their being identical. Also the staff didn’t mention whether the son has also met with any accident. So it’s baseless to join these two cases. Finally I reached the destinated place and went in. It was a small house full of memories, on the wall many photos were pinned that clarified my needs. Gosh!!!! Both were same. The lady was none other than, whom I have just left at the hospital corridor.  To it’s side another photo was hung where both the boy and his mother smiled “Ear to Ear”. I don’t know why but I felt a urge to search for more details. There I came to know that the boy is Aditya Mathur, a fresh MBA graduate working in a MNC. 

   I was literally scared the hell out of me. Thinking whether I should heed towards the hospital or home. After a brief discussion between my mind and heart, my mind gave in and I followed my heart and heeded towards the hospital. The corridor was empty now, I can clearly able to hear the dripping of water. I went there and sat silently. Till now I understood what has happened. Suddenly I felt some eyes on me and hands patting on my shoulder. I was startled yet didn’t lose my calm. I knew she was there and suddenly whispered in my ears “You must be knowing what has happened , I was waiting for him to return for dinner but it didn’t go as planned ..everything got ruined when he called me only to let me hear about his accident and then he collapsed….thanks a lot for  helping this helpless mother.” It kept ringing in my ears. I couldn’t leave the patient there lying on the bed and fighting with death. Now I wasn’t scared of her being on my side but questions aroused on my mind ‘why god!! Why only did she choose me? Why? Why not anyone else? ’ she understood my situation and half smiled and then replied ‘I didn’t choose you , it’s god who has chosen you to help me.’ Maybe it was a hidden message for me. I was drowned in thoughts. The thoughts came rushing to mind that in a similar way my parents are with me in my good and bad. Doctors rushed out from the operating room and informed that it was a smooth and successful one. There I met one of my fellow classmate, Akash who was interning there. He said that the boy’s life is saved in correct time. I felt the satisfying smile on the mother’s face. I was about to heed for clearing the bills when a voice said from my back. ‘Thanks Avni for being the brave girl ’. It was Akash’s voice but sounded like words coming from my parents. 

   Back to the present day when I completed narrating the horrific incident we’ve already reached our room. Yes I forgot to mention she(Disha) was my roommate as well. She was really scared and filled with tears and first time have I seen her in this state. She went to the other room and started talking to her mother to calm herself. Needless to mention, Aditya recovered well leaving back his deteriorating health and has been in my contact. Thinking about the incident it taught me ‘Whether a mother is alive or dead, she will be always with her child every moment, feeling the pain of the child and being part of her child’s happiness.’ A body can be soiled or burned but the soul inside it never dies or vanishes. Tears drops made me realized it was not ‘the crying soul’ but my soul crying for the pathetic soul.