From Her Grave

Sunita was busy selecting necklaces and bangles for her cousin sister Kavya. It was her marriage a fortnight later. Sunita's eyes got riveted on an earing that smiled back at her from within the glass case of the jewellery showroom and her heart craved to own them. She asked the salesman to take them out for her.

"They are gorgeous Didi, " Kavya's eyes twinkled as she saw the earrings, "why don't you try them on? There is a full lenght mirror over there. You can have a better view in it."

"You are right, Kavya." Sunita said as she ran towards the mirror, "I should definitely try them."

Sunita wore the earings and smiled at the mirror. But her smiled vanished instantly as her eyes fell on the reflection of a woman in the mirror. Her eyes widened out of horror and her face turned deadly pale.

"What happened Didi?" Kavya asked as she saw her sister's petrified face.

"Can you see the lady over there in the gaunt pink saree?"

"Yes," Kavya nodded as she spotted the lady.

"She is my best friend Sangeeta."

"So?" Kavya stared her quizzically, "what's there to be so scared?"

"She had committed suicide last year."

"What!" Kavya gasped, "then she can't be your friend. You are mistaken Didi."

"No Kavya I am sure."

"How can you be so sure, didi?"

"There is a dark patch on her right shoulder. It's a birth mark. She is Sangeeta Sharma and nobody else."

"If you are so sure why don't you talk to her. May be she has survived."

"You have a point Kavya." Sunita said and walked hesitantly towards the lady in the pink saree.

"Hi Geetu," Sunita called out as she approached her making the lady turn abruptly towards her.

There was a twinkle in her eyes for a split second but then the light died out and she turned her face away.

"Sorry Ma'am," she said as she rose from her chair, "I am Savita."

"What!" Sunita was baffled, "but..."

Before Sunita could question her futher, a man dressed in a driver's uniform jumped forward and hindered her pace.

"She is Mrs Kashyap," the man said, "and please don't bother her."

Sunita gulped her words and the man walked behind his mistress out of the showroom.

Sunita couldn't sleep that night. She was sure that it was her childhood friend Sangeeta who has drowned herself. Her body was never recovered.

'May be Kavya is right,' Sunita thought, 'she must have survived.'

Sunita decided to find the truth out. She started following Sangeeta where ever she went. Sangeeta used to turn her face away sheepishly every time she came face to face with Sunita. Now Sunita was absolutely sure that it was Sangeeta and she was hiding something from her. She knew Sangeeta will never tell her the truth on her own. But she was determined to dig out the truth from its grave.

One day, while Sangeeta was shopping in a mall, Sunita followed her and waited outside it. As soon as she saw Sangeeta stepping out, she jumped out of her hiding and walked towards the road. Sangeeta put her shopping bags on the back seat of the car and was about to get in when her eyes fell on Sunita who was absent mindedly crossing the road. Sangeeta noticed a truck approaching from the opposite side and ran towards Sunita.

"Hey you," Sangeeta screamed, "what are you doing? Are you blind? Can't you see the truck?"

Sunita deliberately turned a deaf ear to her and kept walking forward as she was sure that she is her beloved buddy Sangeeta and as a best friend she will definitely come for her rescue.

Blood drained off Sangeeta's face as she saw the truck at a hair's breath from Sunita.

"Sunita...!" She said as she pulled her back and fired a tight slap on her face, "were you planning to die?"

"So," Sunita smirked, "you know me."

"Fine," Sangeeta said as she gave up, "I will tell you the truth. My husband used to beat me everyday. I was tired of the tormenting life with him. I decided to end my life and jumped into the river from the railway bridge. A few minutes later, a train passed over bridge and the bridge collapsed under its weight. All of the passengers were drowned in the river. When I woke up in a hospital a man was sitting by my side by the name Sunil Kashyap. He mistook me for his wife Savita and showered me with the love that I have always craved for. I couldn't convince myself to tell him the truth and went home with him after being discharged. Later I came to know that his wife had died in the accident. I kept it as a secret from him as I was bound in the chains of his love. Tell me Sunita, what wrong did I do? Don't I deserve someone's love and a happy life."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Geetu." Sunita said as she hugged her, "sometimes a lie is better than a thousand truths "