Sweven

I looked at her. Same place, same position, same look. Her lean body perched on the bench, eyes searching for something in the skies above and lips moving as if she’s singing a song. I have spotted a lonely tear trickle down her cheek once or twice before, but most of the time, she looks so dead. I don’t know why, but it hurts me to look at her like that. She is a loner and I can see it. She talks to no one, and strangely, no one talks to her. She is a fresher, but looks older. And God, is she beautiful! I am a part of a group of 4 boys, all of us very popular in college as seniors. No one cares about her because, all they care about is well, hot girls and popular ones. She’s so different from everyone around her.

“Hey! What are you writing? Show ME,” Diksha shouted. “Why do you keep coming everywhere I go? Can’t you leave me alone for a second?” I replied. “You are not getting away from your best friend, mister, ” she grinned and snatched the notebook. She read the content of the page, looked at me and said, “Why don’t you talk to her once, Abhay? Come on, man! Priya would shower blessings on you to see you finally at peace with yourself. Go.”

Before I knew, what I was doing, I was sitting beside her on the bench.

“Hi, I am Abhay. ”

“Jane.”

“Fresher? Any problems with anything?”

“Yes, I am a fresher. And problems, they are always there. You can’t help them.”

“You can share, I am here to help you out.” And just then, I saw her crying, for the first time since I saw her. I hate myself for this, but once she stopped crying, her long eyelashes, flushed cheeks and red lips made her look like a goddamn angel. I know that’s cringe, but can you really blame a man in love?

“Raped. Molested. Suicidal.”

Everything switched from butterflies around me to complete silence. I took a long breath in and told her, “My life was never easy. My mother died at an early age, father used to get drunk and beat me up into a pulp everyday, blaming me for her death. But, I had Priya, my childhood friend, the love of my life, and she meant everything to me. Fate had different plans and took her away from me as well. It’s been 5 years since she died. Suicide. Sexual assault. However, ever since I saw you, I felt I could be myself and feel alive again. I am done with people dying on me and getting abused. Your abuse will be taken care of. Even if it costs my life. Because love, and you, Jane, are worth dying for.”