The STOP Sign Board

“Stop, stop, stop,” shrieked a girl raising both her hands, trying to stop me. I was on my bike riding towards Mumbai for some work. It was around 8pm; the street was dark and due to recent lockdown's instruction, there were barely any vehicles on the road. I could faintly see a charming beautiful girl through the helmet glass and, when I stopped my bike, I saw her bewitching blue eyes, distressingly anxious. “Please take me to Rukhjapur; my maa has had a heart stroke, and there isn’t anyone at home to admit her to the hospital. I have just received a call from my neighborhood and unfortunately there are no auto rickshaws here at this time. Rukhjapur is only 15 Kms away from here, please dear, I must reach there now.” She had a soothing persuasive voice and when she spoke, I had seen her eyes trying to speak more than her tongue could.

"Please be rest assured madam, I will drop you at.. which place did you say?" I asked her inquisitively. "Rukhjapur!" She replied. "I never heard that name before, are you sure it's just 15 Kms from here?" "Yes, yes. It's a small hamlet inside. Please take a right from this stop sign board." She mandated. I obeyed her directions undoubtedly. 

She sat on the pillion and we rode off for at least half an hour and I remembered, that she had placed her hand on my shoulder while sitting on the bike. “So what exactly happened to your Maa, madam?” 

“My neighbours were saying that she has had a heart stroke and I must reach there urgently.” “I am sorry to know that; has this happened for the first time?” “Yes, I did not know if she has ever suffered a stroke before my birth”. We were having small talks throughout the unilluminated road and all of a sudden, I applied the brakes. My bike’s tires screeched and came to a halt abruptly. 

I was in the middle of the half constructed bridge. “I am sorry, madam, I didn’t notice the road ended and had to apply breaks all of a sudden.” I was trying to explain her by turning behind and I found that there was no one on my bike, and I was all alone in the middle of the bridge. When I looked aside, at the corner of the bridge, there was this big sign board of red coloured STOP placed on the barricades. Along with that STOP sign board, those barricades were scattered and were lying down. It was as if those barricades were displaced deliberately. 

I realized one thing: Red coloured STOP sign board was an ‘omen’ that night.