An Accident
NOVEL - A STONE HEART AND SOFT LIPS
AN ACCIDENT
11:53 PM, Jan 10th 2012, Pondicherry.
80 Kmph… Half Drunk… Heart Broken
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108 Kmph
As I increased the speed further, the combined effect of cool breeze and spattering rain chilled my spine, and slowly, like a spreading poison, I got lost in her beautiful memories. An involuntary smile appeared on my face, just like every other time when I thought of her. Sensitivity of her memories began to increase and made me remember her words: “I know you are not at all handsome, but I love you because I love the way you love me.“... “I will kill you if you look at other girls. You are only mine, and I want you to think only about me...always.”
A sudden sound of horn from a heavy vehicle behind made me to come out of her thoughts. My whole body jerked with the sound of horn. I briefly turned my head and signalled them to cross me on my right. When I turned front I could not see anything in fog but I realized that I was about to hit a car which was rushing towards me, driving on the wrong side. I slammed on the disc brakes and turned to the right to avoid collision, but my bike made a dying skid heading towards the centre road. The vehicle behind me too deflected to its right because of my sudden deflection. But it was too late. Within no time, the vehicle behind me hit my bike.
Something happened...I was in the air…My whole body was floating in the air…I was thrown forward. The smile on my face disappeared. There was nothing that could slow me down; my fast moving body smashed against the front glass of a car coming on the wrong side and then leaned backwards like in Ushtrasana. My face turned at an awkward angle from the neck, and bloody hands were touching my twisted ankles from back. I could feel the pain of shattered glass fragments imbedding my face and peeling off the skin on my right hand. My face crumpled up and felt like the squeezed football before it was kicked off. My jawline wrenched and teeth got knocked out. Blood spurted out from my forehead and my nose. I could not move my hands. My legs were twisted. I heard the sound of my own bones in my hands, and legs sounded like broken twigs. A piece of glass pierced an inch through my shoulder separating my muscle and bones. My body rolled on the front deck of the car and fell on the ground facing the moon-lighted sky.
Slowly, I tried opening my eyes, but couldn’t see anything clearly. There was no trace of life in my eyes. And I lost hope that I would survive this accident. I guessed my death was endorsed. I guessed Lord Yama was waiting somewhere around me to take me with him.
Looking at the glistening stars during those last moments of my life made me feel like I was about to reach them in a few minutes. It is believed that the few minutes before we die, our brain creates a visual world around us. In my visual world, I did not see money or fame, but the only thing I could see was one person who meant the world to me. When I looked back on my life and searched, there was only one beautiful memory for me…Sanjuuu…my Angel…my Idiot…my Love. I was scared that I might be pulled away from my world. Yes!! My World!! It was ”HER“. I was scared that I would never be able to feel the way I felt when I was with her. My eyes searched for signs of her in those sparkling stars.
The morning sun was mine
The glittering stars were mine
The most precious stone lay in my palms
When I had you in my arms
The illusions seemed more realistic
The magic made sense
My greatest fears destined for calms
When I had you in my arms
My primitive aura defined around you
All the cherished memories lying around you
It seemed I held the world with charm
When I had you in my arms
Why did you leave me when you loved me so much!! Why!! You left me without any reason!! I need a reason!! I want you back, Sanjuu! I would do anything to have you back!! My heart spoke to the silent darkness around me. Never ending thoughts crept into my heart. Those unforgettable moments with her never left me. Though she was not with me, HER every thought, HER every memory, HER every dream were still with me. I could hear a man’s voice; he was calling for an ambulance. All I wanted to do was to get up and grab that phone to call my Sanjuu and listen to her voice for one last time before leaving this beautiful world. Within no time, I felt I was taken into an ambulance. I started to lose consciousness. I wanted to shout “Sanjuu”, but all I could manage was whimper escaping my lips and I was _____
20 Minutes Earlier:
11:33 PM on the same day.
ECR WINES – Bar and Restaurant,Pondicherry.
It was a hut behind ECR WINES with a dim light hung in the centre and 8 tables arranged unevenly. All the tables were occupied by the happiest people in the world - the drunkards. Finally and luckily, we got 2 chairs to sit inside the heaven: ECR WINES.
“Will this kill my pain? Can this make me forget her?” I repeatedly asked these questions to Ravi, while he was busy mixing the right proportion of soda and whiskey as if he were a scientist experimenting with chemicals.
“Here,” Ravi beamed, edging the glass towards me. I looked at the glass of whiskey, which was now, in my hands, and wondered how the taste would be. Before I could even smell it, Ravi completed his quarter and started his usual speech.
“Machaa, this is the only magical cure for any pain in this world. God created Amrutham and gifted alcohol to us. Just have two pegs and you will forget who you are and even about her,” Ravi replied enthusiastically as if he were an expert in solving love problems. But then he had always been my love guru.
“I am going to become an alcoholic from today!!” I shouted bitterly.
I didn’t know why I was here in this bar with a glass of whisky in hand. She entered my life like a magical breeze, got stuck in my mind and made my life miserable by leaving me without even giving any reason. I should find it now. I should find out why she left me.
We came outside the bar in half drunken state, my eyes were blinking and a cocktail of pain, frustration, hatred mixed with love oozed out of my mind. As I was about to start my bike, I could hear a familiar voice speaking behind me. I turned back and was shocked.
“Enna da pandra Inga,” my circuit’s lab technician asked. I was still in shock.
“You came here alone?” He asked again. “No.... Noooo Sir, I came with Ravi, he is sitting behind me.” I replied.
“Have you lost it? Where is Ravi?” He questioned.
I turned back, but couldn’t find him. He must be sleeping back there on the chair in the bar. He had consumed 6 glasses as I was the sponsor.
“Keep your foot on the kick rod, not on footrest and start the bike.” The lab technician commanded and went in the bar to fetch Ravi. As soon as he went inside, I started my bike towards road no: 1, Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Pondicherry, the place where my angel lived.
