Have you ever wondered as you walk through life, thinking who would even look at me, or who would even care, that there is some one who is always watching you? No, I am not talking about God. Do you some times feel a chill down your spine, when you are perhaps walking towards your apartment? Has your heart skipped a beat because you feel that you just saw someone by your window? Eerie isn't it?This is a story of a very normal person. A person who would have perhaps not even been noticed for she looked too 'normal'. As I recite this story please bare in mind, this story has no resemblance to anyone living or dead, and is purely fictitious.
It was poruing one Friday evening, as I rushed back from a long day at work. My body was giving up on me. Yet I stood there patiently at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the lift to descend.
People who stay in my apartment block have this overwhelming feeling of If I didn't go in the lift why should I close it when I hear the bell for it? Why should I care if somebody is stuck in it? So I waited and waited for somebody to close the lift door on the third floor so that I could go home.
A girl joined me. I guess she was new to the place and around my age. So I looked at her and smiled. I said that there must be something wrong with the lift. She looked at me and extended her hand to introduce herself.
"Hi. I am Devika. I live on the 1st floor"
"Hi, my name is Tanya. I live on the 3rd", I said shaking her hand.
"I wish someone could close the lift door. I cant climb up two floors now".
Our apartment had its ground floor where the first floor should be and 1st floor where the 2nd floor should be, and so on and so forth. If you look at it that way, my apartment is on the fourth floor. Finally the lift came down after almost a few minutes of waiting, which felt like an eternity. I climbed into the lift and so did Devika.
She got off at the first floor. "Bye. Nice meeting you", she said with a smile. "Yeh, same here", I said, returning the smile. By the time I got to my apartment I forgot all about Devika and returned to feeling sorry for my aching body.
The next day again after work I bumped into Devika again.
"Hey. Hi", she said.
"Hi"
"We bumped into each other again. This is nice. Maybe we should be friends. How about coffee? Do you want to have a cup of hot coffee at my place?" she asked expectantly.
I was too tired anyway, so I accepted her offer and went up to her place for a cup of coffee. As soon as I stepped into her house I noticed her talking to a few photographs on the wall.
"Hi my love. How are you doing today. Mama's back home"
"Why are you talking to photographs?" I asked, rather solemnly.
"Well there is nobody else to talk to so I am talking to the pictures of my kids"
"You are married? You look so young to have two children", I said.
"Well, long story. I will tell you when I have the time. But let me make you some coffee", she said and hurried into the kitchen.
I sat down on one of the plastic chairs, which was a part of her plastic dinning table set. Her house was sparse, a few plastic chairs, an alter there, few curtains and a neatly kept kitchen.
"So what do you do?" she asked me from the kitchen.
"I work for an IT company. I am a Business Analyst", I said.
"Oh wow. I work in a school. I teach English to primary classes"
"Oh that's nice. I always wanted to be a teacher"
"Well it doesn't pay well but I manage" she said placing the cups of coffee on the plastic table.
"So why do you stay alone?" I asked, wondering whether I asked the right question or not. She stared at me for a moment, sat down on a chair opposite mine and said, "well...I am separated". Wow...I thought in my mind. How should I respond to this?
"May I ask what happened?" I asked hesitantly.
"Oh long story. My husband and I didn't get along, he abused me. So I got out about couple of months back. I am only worried about my kids. I wish I could get them from him" she said.
I noticed that there wasn't much emotion in her voice or on her face. Maybe she is still in shock. My mind was working over time. She went on to explain how her husband abused her and how she was tortured by her in laws. I was shocked to hear the story myself. Immediately I began to sympathise with her.
"Don't worry. You will be alright. How old are you?"
"I am 31"
"Oh..well...you are still young. And who knows you may find someone suitable this time"
"Really? You think so?" she asked, almost as if the words coming out of my mouth are magical.
"I'm sure you will get your kids back as well" I said, not knowing what else to say. "Oh, I think I finally found a real friend in this new place" she beamed.
We exchanged phone numbers and then I left. I did not know how a stranger could affect me or my life. But what happened next was something even I would never have dreamed off.
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