A pleasant encounter ( Part-2 )

August 5, 2012 | Filed under: Stories | Posted by: Tanuj Rawat

Read A pleasant encounter ( Part-1 )

Splash…Splash…

I opened my eyes on hearing the sound of water, as if someone has jumped.

Dumbstruck!

It was the same girl, I saw few minutes ago. The water of river was taking her downstream. She was near drowning and shouting for help: save me! Save me! Help! I do not know how to swim! Some-one please come for help! I do not want to die!

I looked around but no-one was there to rescue her. I thought and thought and thought and at last I jumped into the river to save her.

I rescued, and brought her near the floors. I could feel, her breathe was running out. Her eyes were closed. She was scared and panicked. Then she started coughing, and opened her eyes slowly, regaining her conscious.

‘Are you mad? Why have you jumped, if you do not know swimming? You could have died’, I said

She heard the comment, but did not respond.

‘You could have died!’ I repeated.

She nodded.

She didn’t answer me immediately. She remained quiet for few minutes.

I shouted, ‘Come on! Speak Up! Say something.’

‘I want to die. Why have you save me? I want to escape this world’, she answered.

‘What? You were trying to commit suicide? Are you mentally sick? Where is your family? Have you run away from your home? Or What?’

She remained unanswered and started to cry.

‘Stop crying and give me the answers’, I screamed.

Now she looked into my eyes.

Her eyes were beautiful, large, light green colored. She was fairer than what I had imagined. She was looking as beautiful as a pearl of water on a leaf during winter.

‘What’s your name?’, I asked frankly.

‘Shruti’, she replied.

‘Okay ! My name is Devesh. Please, be calm and tell me what the problem is? Why you were trying to commit suicide? I will help you. You can trust me. Please say something, please..’

She allowed her sobbing to subside, and let it all out.

‘Do you know my sister is a very good dancer and singer, my mother is an artist and a house wife, my father apart from being a businessman, he’s a very good writer, but look at me? I don’t have any talent. I am an engineering student. My all friends are topper of their respective stream. I also work hard, study for hours, but still I am a below average student. I try to concentrate in class, but kya karu, kuch samaj nahi aata? And you should know this society respect only toppers. My future is in dark. Lots of money has been wasted on my studies.. Neither I am good at playing unlike my other friends. Mujhe kuch nahi aata. i am a looser.. zero at every field of life. I haven’t accompanied anything in my life. Then, why should I live? People complain I do not smile, why should I? I have no right to smile, live, become happy. God has wasted his precious time in creating me. I do not love my life. I hate it. I hate myself. I am failure. I have known life, and for me, the meaning of life is only sufferings and pain because I haven’t gained anything even after struggling so much. My life is full of stress and depression. My life has collapsed. And yes, you were right, I am mentally sick.’

The words came out in a gush. She was breathless, I was speechless too. I wasn’t expecting conversation to take such an emphatic tone. Now again she was close to breaking. With a quiver in her tone, she started to scream her head, “Why should I smile, Why should I be happy. Why should I be grateful? Why should I love myself? Why should I live?”