7PM Walk

Smiling and staring at the phone call, I slowly started to walk away from the Shop buying nothing. Not because I wanted nothing, it's just the high prices. Even while writing this I can't stop thinking of the cost of the spoons I saw, Single piece cost's NINETY-NINE RUPEES!! they also added this word that makes it look useful and cheap, 'ONLY'.

I was like, 'Dude like Seriously!?' well this is not the seriousness that we have when we go to the gym for the first day. I mean like real seriously!

ONLY 99?

'Who would buy it?' I asked myself as I walked out, then I saw a guy at the billing counter who was carrying two spoons worth my two days pocket money and smiled at the cashier for selling such cheap spoons which he can use to eat food half of it's price.

Why am I even thinking all of this forgetting about the story I need to tell you?

Maybe it's just that sometimes the nonsense makes a lot of sense.

Picking up the call from the only person who calls me, mom. I started to walk all the way forgetting that I need to reach my room soon.

'You deserve better than what you want to become,' she said and cut the call.

I looked at my mobile that said it was low on life; battery.

I smiled, closing my eyes, trying to figure out what I needed to do inorder to make my mom feel confident about the path I took. I resumed my walk not knowing where I was even going.

It’s hard to choose the path or accept something you’re asked to do which your well wishers want you to pursue.

They say it’s comfortable and you’ll have a settled life, but they don’t think about how uncomfortable the path they chose for us makes us feel.

Well wisher’s right! They always want us to have a comfortable and happy life; happy in the way they think.

Isn’t life about risking, facing situations and doing what we want to!?

Isn’t it about facing rather than fading away with fear!?

I don’t know...

'Maybe life always stays messy,' I mumbled to myself as I let my mobile slip into the pocket.

I walked thinking of nothing yet feeling everything,

I noticed that the lighting in the street I was walking was dull and it's not the road I always walked into.

Being afraid of the darkness at night where the light is nowhere to be found I took a deep breath and paced up. I walked for almost ten minutes before I realized that I was lost in the City I love. I got shifted a couple of days ago. My wrist watch showed it's 7PM, but the darkness felt like midnight. I stood there clueless of what to do as there's no one on the road and no sign of direction.

Seeing a girl walk on the side line I wanted to ask her the directions.

As I moved towards her she paced up.

I tried to coupe up but she was quick and held her bag tight. I stopped sensing her discomfort and fell silent.

She looked beautiful in her White tee and Denim jacket paired with blue jeans. She didn't smile as she walked away. Her face said she was afraid.

Maybe afraid of a stranger like me walking to her in the darkness.

'I don't want to worry her,' my soft heart mumbled.

'You don't have an option, other than asking her or following her,' my mind giggled as it knows I fear darkness.

I walked behind her maintaining social distance not knowing what to do as my mobile battery died and no one else was on the road.

As we kept walking along the road that felt endless she suddenly stopped and turned to me.

'Why are you following me?

Who are you?

What do you want?' she almost shouted, grabbing her mobile and dialed a number.

‘Hello...! Hello...! Mom, a guy is following me. I don't know what to do. I'm on my way home as I had some special class. Maa? are you there?’ she screamed over the call as tears rushed to her eyes.

I stopped two meters away and fell silent.

I couldn't talk , I felt numb as fear crawled up my spine that made me feel like I made the worst mistake of my life.

I took a step back and stood there silently.

‘Yes mom! Come soon. I’m walking,’ she said and started to walk holding her mobile to her ears.

I stood there for a minute and then started to walk in her direction. As I walked I saw her walking slowly, her steps staggered as she tried to walk.

‘You okay?’ I asked her from a distance.

She faked a smile.

‘Can I know the way to…..’before I could complete my words she asked, ‘ Will you lend me your mobile?’

‘Aa..! My mobile battery died. And, I forgot the route, there's no one else to ask so I wanted to ask you, but….,’ I replied.

She looked at me and said,‘ Sorry!’

‘It’s alright! Should I drop you home?’ I asked.

I know that I don’t know the route to my own home but I wanted to help her. You see, we have this tendency to help a stranger in sorrow. And, if the stranger is of the opposite gender we feel more happy…. actually excited to help!

You might be thinking that I’m trying to know about her. In my defence I’ll say I’m a writer and I need stories of people that come to life in the words you read.

She didn’t say anything.

‘Can I know the way,’ I asked her.

She raised her head and mumbled, ‘ I know you’re a guy and a stranger to me but I need a favour from you.’

I smiled at her and said, ‘ What’s that?’

‘Can you walk me home?’ she murmured.

‘I don’t know the way to my own house, I’m new to this place., I’m lost,’ I giggled.

‘Oh!’ she mumbled slowly.

‘Can we walk together to your home?’ I asked.

‘Thanks,’ she removed her mask and smiled. Her smile felt like the shining pearl making her face more attractive.

Smile always makes a person attractive, right!?

I smiled at her as she walked ahead of me. I’m accompanying her but we’re maintaining a distance; social distance.

‘I’m Aakash,’ I said.

‘Rishitha,’ she smiled back.

‘You fear darkness?’ I asked.

‘I fear people in the darkness,’ she said.

I looked at her as she smiled and continued, ‘Darkness brings the dark side of the people right? I’m a girl and I fear the darkness as I’ve seen enough incidents to make me lose trust in men,’ she smiled.

‘I don’t understand? I mean why do you think of the negativity of the darkness?’ I asked.

‘I’m a girl,’ she said.

‘So? You’re human and so am I?’ I muttered.

‘But I’m a girl,’she said.

‘It’s said by many that everyone is equal, gender equality but now you’re saying all men are the same? I don’t get it,’ I asked her.

She smiled at me and said.

‘If we all are equal and are humans, why is the fear of a girl going out at night worrying our parents? Why is it so tough to be a girl who can walk alone at..’ she paused and checked her time and continued, ‘7PM in the darkness of the night that feels like I’m walking in a world of uncertainty making me fear that without a male person beside me it’s hard to cross the darkness of life. I know that I don’t need a person but that’s how this world makes us feel as if it is difficult to survive.’

I looked at her and exhaled the words with confidence, ‘Considering the position now here it’s me who is dependent on you. You see, it’s the situations that make everything happen and darkness? It’s just a lie that the light never exits in darkness. We’re brought up with the fact that darkness haunts, but as we grow older we realize it’s the lost courage and confidence that haunts us with the fear to live on our own, making us dependent and depressed. Hope is what keeps life going. The harder you think of the dark side you find dead ends, negativity and mistakes. Focus on the right way; the positive way, you’ll find the strength and ways to overcome it without pointing and blaming someone or an incident that affects you.’

‘You talk but nothing changes. You might behave the same when situations change for you,’ she said.

‘Why don’t people focus on the present that affects your future? Why do they think of the irritating aspects of the future and ruin our head and present happiness which is temporary?’ I asked.

She didn’t answer, we kept walking until we entered a well lit street almost near to my room.

‘I can walk alone from here,’ she said.

‘I’ll just walk you home,’ I smiled.

Her house wasn’t too far from mine.

As she entered her house she turned to me and said, ‘ I live alone. My mom died when I was young. I hate men because of the experiences. Past always defines present and present affects future so considering the aspects matter. I’m not a feminest. I’m a girl who is insecure in the world we live in fighting to figure out the fear of surviving.’

I didn’t say a word. I smiled at her as she walked into her house.

Thinking of how difficult it is for her to manage a life alone on her own I walked home thinking of her last words, ‘People fear about what they never want to happen, we’re humans we fear failure.’

*

As I reached my room and turned on my mobile I received a message from mom.

‘Stay uncomfortable, that’s how you’ll get a better result.’