When The World Went Blind

It was half past 1 in the night. There was nobody to be seen on that deserted street. But a noise was coming as if something was dragged. As the noise was becoming louder we can see a tall man in a black outfit walking down the street. As he approached, the noise was clear. He was dragging a big polythene cover with something big in it, as big as a human body. As he dragged it, the blood dripping out from that bag was all over the path. The light was dim, his face was barely visible. But not for so long until he crossed a street light which revealed his bare face. He was a young man in his twenties.

"And that man is none other than brother of that female lead" Meera said. Meera and Laxmi were sitting on the couch watching a movie in their living room. "Maa you know, this dead girl he is dragging will become a ghost and haunt him" said Meera. "Why do you watch it when you already know the story?" asked Laxmi, annoyed by the movie they were watching. "Because I loooooooove thrillers" answered Meera with an ecstatic look on her face.

 "Maa, can you hear a weird sound, as if somebody is weeping?" asked Meera. "No" answered Laxmi with wide eyes. "Maa, I think that's from our kitchen, can you go and check?" Meera asked her. "There is nothing to check, I can't hear anything" Laxmi answered hunching her shoulders. Meera slowly raised her arm and brushed Laxmi's shoulder. Laxmi shouted as if she saw a ghost. Meera fell off the couch laughing. "Crazy girl, you are scaring your own mother?" Laxmi asked furiously. Meera was still laughing (hard). Looking at her laugh Laxmi recollected a memory.

 AUGUST 16TH 2004:

Laxmi was stitching a cloth on her old fashioned Silai machine. Suddenly she sensed somebody entering the room. Before she turned back to check, her eyes were covered from behind. She took her hands off the cloth and placed them over those hands. Then a voice asked her "Hmmm… guess who is this?" the voice sounded so funny to Laxmi. It was voice of a little girl who was trying to sound scary, and of course it was Meera. Laxmi asked "Oh I don't know, can you tell me please?" and chuckled. "Hmmm… it's out of the rules but as am so good I will tell you" the voice said. Laxmi was unable to hide her laughter listening to that voice. "I am Laxmi" said that little demon. Laxmi took her hands off the hands of Meera. She slowly grabbed Meera and tickled her on her stomach. Meera giggled and laughed out very loudly. "You are Laxmi aah? Ha-ha then I am the Naughty Meera" Laxmi said still tickling Meera. Then both laughed like a drain.

JUNE 7TH 2015:

"Maa, can you please stitch this top for me? It got torned earlier while I was getting off the bus" asked Meera giving a white color top to Laxmi. Then Laxmi took the top from Meera saying "you should have been more careful Meera". She quickly took a box from the drawer and opened, it was full of different colors of threads and a pack of needles. She picked a small needle and a white color thread from them. While she was stitching, suddenly the needle pierced into her index finger. Meera came running to Laxmi listening to her small yelp.

"Maa you should have been more careful" said Meera holding Laxmi's hand and disinfecting her finger.

"I'm not a child Meera; this is a very small thing to tailors. That happened because of my poor eye vision I guess" said Laxmi rubbing her eyes and taking her hand back. Meera took a pause and said "Maa just wait two more years and I will earn money so that you will not stress yourself working anymore". These words from Meera reminded Laxmi of Meera's childhood.

JANUARY 6TH 2005:

The sun just got up and the birds started raising their beautiful voices. Laxmi and Meera were standing facing the wall in their living room. There was a photo frame hanging on to that wall of a man in his late twenties. Right under his photo it was written in bold italics font- P. RAGHU RAM and below this- BORN: 23-09-1970 & DEATH: 06-01-1998. Laxmi spoke looking at the photo of Raghu "I pray that all of my daughter's wishes are fulfilled". Hearing that Meera also closed her eyes and joined her hands to pray, she spoke "Papa, I wish Maa is always happy and always smiling. I will study well and I will grow super-fast. I will also earn money and will look after her. I will make her happy. I will never leave her. Papa you just watch us happily up from there. We love you" Laxmi just smiled and hugged Meera saying "and we love you more".

     (JUNE 7TH 2015)

"Maa…..Maa" it was second time Meera called Laxmi, which made Laxmi get back from her thoughts. Then Laxmi looked at Meera, smiled and hugged her saying "I will be waiting for that day my dear daughter".

OCTOBER 5TH 2018:

"Maa the movie will start soon. Come fast we will be late." Meera hollered standing at the main door of their home. Laxmi then came out of the bedroom in a hurry saying "sorry Meera, let's go now". "Offoo I guess Mrs. Laxmi purposely planned to dominate her daughter, wearing all cute things" said Meera staring at Laxmi and her pink saree. "Oh God! Look at this kid. Aren't we getting late?" asked Laxmi. "Yes, I forgot Maa, and the theatre is far too. I hope we are not late". They locked the door and left.

"Maa, do you remember Madhu from my college?" Meera asked her mother when they were going in the cab. "Oh yeah I remember- the girl with the long hair right. What happened to her?" asked Laxmi curiously. "Yes, she delivered to a baby boy yesterday. So all of our gang planned to visit her today" Meera said with a delighted smile. "Oh that's nice, don't go with empty hands, take some fruits with you" Laxmi told Meera. Then Meera nodded her head yes.

They both were descending the steps out of the mall while Meera said "The movie was so good, I just love these action thrillers Maa" with a joy. "What good? I was scared watching that reckless driving of the male lead" said Laxmi with a frightened tone. Meera giggled hearing her.

Abruptly Meera got a call from Madhu. After answering the call, she turned to Laxmi and said "Maa, I am sorry but can you go home by yourself? Madhu called asking me to come now. I thought of dropping you at home but I think it will be late by then. Sorry Maa". Then Laxmi smiled and told Meera "I am not a kid, I can go alone. You just take care of yourself. Come home before its dark okay." "Okay Maa, bye" said Meera.

Meera stood by the road sending off Laxmi, while Laxmi was crossing the road. Meera got another call, this time from Sruthi. "Haa shrutz…yeah. I am on my way, where are you all?" "Oh don't worry shrutz; I will be there …." And all of sudden there was a loud noise.

The sound came from opposite side of the road. Actually it was a noise made by a car crashing into something. Meera was so shocked hearing that, she was scared to death watching that accident. A car suddenly came on to a person crossing the road. Meera was not sure who the person was. The crowd got scared and the traffic was jammed. That was a very dreadful situation. Meera kept her phone inside her bag and walked through the crowd searching for her mother. She reached the other side of the road quickly, moving the crowd and searching for Laxmi. She was sweating heavily and her feet were trembling from the fear.

Before she could see the victim of the accident, her hand was caught by a person. When she turned back and saw Laxmi holding her hand, she almost got tears in her eyes but she held them back. She hugged Laxmi very tightly. "Maa, you know I was scared, you are not hurt right?" asked Meera shouting and looking at Laxmi. "Yeah, I was scared too. No Meera, I am not hurt" shouted Laxmi. There were so many people pushing each other to see what happened there and the only noise that can be heard was of the crowd and the horn sound of the vehicles. "Meera, I feel dizzy so I will go home. You go visit your friend" she said. Meera asked "Maa let me come along. How can I leave you now", "No Meera, see I am alright. Don't worry. You go" said Laxmi. Then Meera again hugged her asking "are you sure?" Laxmi held Meera's hand and nodded her head. She saw Laxmi as she walked past the road and waved. Then she turned back after smiling at her. Then she took a cab and left that place.

It was already eleven in the night when Meera reached home. Laxmi was waiting for her and when she came, Laxmi asked her "Meera, I already told you don't be late. Look at the clock. Why do you make me worry Meera?". "Maa, I am Sorry. But, look at this baby. He was so tiny and cute" said Meera showing a picture in her phone. Laxmi took the phone and both sat together on the couch watching the pictures of the baby. "It would be nice if you also got married and had babies" said Laxmi with a desirous look on her face. "Oh, you started this. Bye I am going to sleep" irritated Meera left the hall saying this.

OCTOBER 7TH 2018:

"Maa, how many times should I tell you, I don't want to get married now" Meera was shouting at Laxmi. Laxmi fretted back "why can't you? All of your friends had already started their families". "Maa enough, don't ask me anything more. I am leaving. Bye" Meera told her with an exasperated tone and left for the office.

It was around 7 in the evening when Meera returned from her office. She got surprised looking at two men standing in front of her flat. She rushed to them and asked "excuse me, who are you people standing in front of my flat?" Then one of then replied showing her an ID "hello madam, I am Vikram and he is Officer Jay. We are from Crime Department". "Oh, so how can I help you sir?" Meera asked surprised. "Are you Meera?" he asked. "Yes, but what happened sir?" Meera asked again with more surprised look. "Madam, Can we talk inside?" he asked. Then Meera nodded her head still confused, opened the lock and they went in.

They were sitting on the couch in the living room. "You live with your mother, Right?" asked Officer Jay. "Yes Sir" she replied. He took a pause only to say "Sorry to say this Meera but your mother passed….(away)." Meera Exclaimed cutting his sentence "Excuse me Sir! I think you have mistaken, what are you talking?" Jay answered her with a pity look "Sorry Meera, Your mother Laxmi Passed away 2 days ago in an accident" she again cut him and shouted "huh, two days ago? Does that make sense? I'm sure you are mistaken. She was with me this morning too. How is that possible then?" both Jay and Vikram were shocked hearing her. Vikram asked her with wide eyes "what? This morning?" Meera answered him "Yes we even had a fight. Now she must have gone to the Market, she will be back soon".

Vikram opened the file he was carrying, took out a photo from it and showed that to Meera saying "Miss Meera look at this. Isn't this Mrs. Laxmi? She died on 5th October 2018 in the evening at…" Meera took the photo from his hand and when she saw, it was of a woman lying dead on the road, drowned in blood wearing a pink color saree and her face- it was Laxmi. "Wait, this happened on the road opposite to that theatre?" she asked startled and in disbelief. Vikram answered her with a pity and a little shock "yes".

Meera couldn't speak a word. She covered her face with her both hands. She swithered as to whether she should believe herself or these people. These people here show that her mother is dead two days back, but she saw her today. What was happening? Is this a nightmare? Wake up Meera OR is this real? Are these people real officers or not? But they showed the picture. These were the questions her mind raised while heart was already about to stop beating tired from running fast. She have mixed thoughts and was dazed as she broke down and sobbed like a child.

When she raised her head to ask them one of those questions, her eyes met with the eyes of a person standing at the door. She quickly wiped her tears and pointed her finger to that person and said "Sir I told you that you are mistaken. Look, there my mom is" she was so happy to see Laxmi who was standing at the door. The officers turned back to see what she was pointing at- but strangely there was nothing. Jay asked "Sorry Meera but what are you pointing at?" Meera narrowed her gaze and asked them again "Excuse me, can't you see a human- my mom Laxmi standing there at the door?" The officers again turned back to check, only to see nobody at the door. Their bewildered look on finding nothing at the door made Meera anxious.

She thought to herself -Did this world go blind or I am seeing things? She slowly raised her head and turned her gaze to the main door and there she can clearly see Laxmi smiling at her. She smiled back and thought- Yeah the world must have gone blind. Now what would that be, that Meera was pointing at and only she can see?