Washing-off the Sins

Disclaimer: It is not a Satirical story

Standing on the city's edge, looking for the next prey and the eyes shining like two halogen lights hanging in the middle of a circus.

 The ocean of villages start at the end of that edge.

Just at the corner of that edge, it was standing, and standing with full determination and one can easily believe with a one glimpse of it, that it has taken birth just to crush these well constructed and well maintained roads designed by the government employees.

 Just like everybody has their own versions of truth, it also has its own aspects according to its convenience and happiness, this stylish SUV(Sport utility vehicle) too had various aspects or perceptions for everybody according to their thought process. For example, Any policeman could tell that it is standing in the middle of the road and from the other aspects or side of the road, the driver could easily tell that it is standing on the road's corner.

Don't get me wrong if I have given you this misunderstanding that the protagonist (the car) of this story is just rough and tough and does not follow any sort of fashion or fad. It strictly follows today's fashion, for example the front side door of it was open, which was adding one more feather in it's aesthetic view and the danger of passing even one more passenger, while it was standing was there, completely not in the picture at all.

One one side of the road, there was a petrol pump and on the other side, there were few shops made of scrap, wood, rotten pieces of tins, stacked there according to these regional shopkeepers ability and capability..

The driver of the car was standing at a tea shop, enjoying his fourth tea from the last one hour.

Suddenly a lady, out of nowhere came running, took the support of the car after looking at the people, shops, and most importantly other women there. She took a sigh of relief, and to adjust her fluctuating breaths and heart beat she stood with the support of the car.

 After a minute she asked for a bottle of water from the tea shopkeeper. The driver who was watching all this, passed his water bottle to her and told her to relax. After some time when she was into her senses, the driver and the shopkeeper ask her about the problem.she told that her car was broke nearby and after looking at the yellow color of the number plate of the SUV, she ask about the driver of the car and told them that she is going to his grandfather's house after a long time. The driver took the keys of the car from the table, asked about the village name of her grandfather and told her to sit in the car.

 She opened the back door but the driver told her to sit in the front seat of the car.

Lady: This seat seems wet, I... I will sit at the back.

Driver: But Ma'am there is no space at the back, how will you manage?

Lady: No... No, I will manage.

The lady sat in the car and the car started running on the road.

The driver was continuously staring at her through the car's mirror.

Driver: Comfortable maam?

Lady: Yes.

Driver: So, madam, what do you do for a living?

Lady: Dig the grass

The driver laughed. Accidently, a ten year old half naked boy just escaped from the car. He fell down on the road just like a lizard. It does not affect the driver at all. while pressing some more force on the accelerator and laughing on the lady's metaphor.

Driver: WOw maam, what a cool thing you have said, i like your way of saying things but please elaborate what you meant with that digging?

Lady: Arre, I said so, I dig the grass for a living. It is a metaphor, meaning doing research on something. Last year I completed my masters in archaeology and am now pursuing a PHD in the same field.

Driver: Ohhkay. So you are here for your work, not to meet your grandfather.

Lady: Actually both. My company has sent me here for some research and my village is also nearby so double shift and double benefit, you know. And also after living, breathing in that urban lifestyle, I was starting to fall ill very frequently so I thought It would be good for my body to breathe some freshness here.

Driver : Okay, got it. By the way, I apologize ma'am as the car is not in a very good condition.

Lady: Don't worry about that. I'am very comfortable here.

Driver: I must say you are not at all stubborn like other urban people. You are very flexible in your thoughts. By the way My name is Ram.

Lady: Urvashi.

Ram: Hello Urvashi maam.

Urvashi: No formalities ram. Only urvashi will do. By the way Ram, do you use this road very often?

Ram: Means?

Urvashi: Do you travel on this road very often?

Ram: No . Why?

Urvashi: Nothing. It just seems this car is used for long trips very often.

Ram: no mam. just the nearby villages, and that too mostly as a transportation service and not passengers. Just like now, I was carrying an AC for the chief of our village.He sent it for repair and regular maintenance.

The lady took out one magazine from the car's backseat tray and started reading it. After five minutes.....

Ram: Why maam?

Urvashi: Huh...? Are you talking to me?

Ram: Yes, , Why did you ask about the road?

Urvashi: Ohh.. that.., I have heard some rumours about this road.

Ram laughed at this and said

Ram: There are always some rumours about the road less travelled maam.

Urvashi: True. I also don't believe in such things.

Two roads diverged in the woods and

I took the one less travelled by and

that has made all the difference.....

Ram interrupts her by saying the poem: Robert Frost. Right?

 Urvashi: From your Kid's english book.

Ram: Ohh, that is my cousin's book. Actually my uncle was using this car for the last one month as he was on a family trip.

Urvashi got busy looking at the drawings of the kid,

Ram: So, you were saying something about the road.

 Urvashi: Ohh, you are still stuck to that . It's just that it is said that it is Haunted.

Ram: hau.......Haunted?

Urvashi: It is said that there is a ghost of women on this road, who is on a continuous quest for her prey and especially young men.

Ram: And you believe in all this?

urvashi: Yes and no.

Ram: means? Please pick a side.

Urvashi: Yes. I don't believe in such things but one cannot deny that all these stories are there and just because you have not experienced such things in your life yet... they can't be true or more precisely saying less true than the actual truth.

Ram: Wow!Really urvashi?

Urvashi(Sensing the sarcasm in his voice): So you don't believe in ghosts or spirits at all?

Ram: No.

Urvashi: Why?

Ram: because it can't be proved.

Urvashi: God can't be proved so you don't believe in God too?

Ram: The only and absolute truth here is logic NOT Magic.

Urvashi: Okay. But I hope you are aware of the fact that there is a whole genre of novels dedicated to ghosts and the supernatural. Do you read novels?

Ram: Yes. I must have read one or two of those. But they are just fiction. lies . just a source of entertainment, to give feathers to your wild imagination. But it is quite unusual to have a taste in these types of novels with such a pretty face of yours.

Urvashi(with a smile and sensing some flirtation from his side): Look, you don't know me at all. and as a matter of fact you also don't know whether Iam saying any truth to you.Why can't I be a ghost?

Ram: I was just expecting something like this from you urvashi. I can't believe we are actually discussing this .

Urvashi: No seriously, You are a logical man. Tell me what are my chances of being a ghost. tell me the probability.

Ram: chances of being a ghost of you is 50 percent. just like flipping a coin in the air and getting heads or tails.

Urvashi: fifty percent is equal to half the truth, and It is a significant number, right?

ram(with a trembling voice): ri.....Right.

Urvashi: Arre, don't worry . I was just joking and playing with your logics. that's all. please relax.

Ram: OH. It's quite refreshing !.

Urvashi: Now we have become friends. I want to say one thing .

Ram (with a smile): yes, please.

Urvashi: Actually, I have no money with me right now.

Ram stopped both, the smile and the car at that moment.

Ram: I knew there was something amiss. Free service in the name of god, magic and ghost. You fraud, Get out of my car immediately.Now!.

Urvashi(the angered voice of his didn't trouble her at all and with the same Zen and keeping her cool she said): Instead of money..... what if I offer you something that you have been thinking about.......... all the time during this ride?

Ram was not expecting such a reply. He got confused.

Urvashi opens the gate and gets herself out of the car.

While Ram was watching her disappear into the forest, suddenly rainfall came and it was directly falling on Ram, as if the roof of the car wasn't even there. The water was continuously passing through the roof, falling on him directly as if the roof wasn't there at all. 

Washing off his sins, his bad thoughts and intentions all were washed away with that rain.

 That rain and holy water was falling on that car only.