Trapped....(Part:5)

 (....continued from Part:4)

The cuckoo's cry from the distant arjuna tree broke my chain of thoughts and brought me back to the present. My mind had gone into a flashback mode for a while. The afternoon sun sleepily stared at me, as the lazy wind played with the trees, like it had nothing better to do. The river flowed down the bridge, rippling its way around the rocks.

"Nature has Her own ways of mocking people...", I sighed.

I looked at my watch. 3:35pm. It was time...

I looked around for one last time.....possibly, with a faint hope of seeing him..but.............may be, I could leave him one last text.

I fumbled my pockets for my phone. I couldn't find it. Perhaps, I had left it back at home while sneaking out through the window.

Home............somewhere the very thought of home brought me an unexpected tear. By the evening, ma would be worried for me....perhaps, she would be crying. Dad would leave no stone unturned to search for his child. And by the time they would know, I would be gone........it would all end. They would be then called to the morgue to identify a lifeless body that they had known through all these years...that they had loved through all these years...

Would they feel sad for me?? Would they cry??.....Would they even understand why their only child had to leave for good?? Would they finally find peace in the fact that I would be finally at peace?? I had no answers. All I knew was that........I wished I could meet them for one last time.....to hug them one last time...to bid them one last farewell....to tell them that no matter how much ever I had fought with them for reasons known only to me, I had always loved them...

But then, some last wishes always remain unfulfilled, I guess. Probably this too was meant to.

I looked around. There was nobody. Aryan too, did not come. Not that I was expecting him. Or, was I?? Why am I even waiting, then?? Perhaps, with time, he would let go of my memories. Perhaps, he would find a lover worthier of his love. Perhaps....

I was thinking too much. Or, was it just an excuse to wait?? An excuse to reconsider life?? To reconsider being trapped and being alive for the rest of my life??

 Gathering the last bit of my courage, I held the rusted iron railings of the bridge.

"And you thought I would leave you alone......"

I stopped short at Aryan's voice. My legs trembled. My grip loosened, as I turned back to find him staring at me...the same deep eyes.....the same bewitching smile.

"Aryan.....I mean.....how did you come here??..I had just looked around to check. There was nobody present near and far...."

He smiled, as he held my hand.

"Let's do this together...", he said, taking a step forward towards the railings.

"But...."

"Come. Hold my hand."

I followed him, hypnotised by his voice, as my fingers found their way to his.

"Don't be scared. You are finally escaping. We are finally escaping. You won't feel trapped after today. Come with me..... Three....two.......one........jump!!"

The next thing I remember was floating into the air momentarily, before my body hit the cold sparkling waters below. My lungs screamed for air...my limbs struggled to fight the current out of reflex... My brain tried every trick to make me somehow raise my head above the water level for a gush of air, but my stubborn heart rejoiced at the way my body suffered.

And finally it happened..... 

Defeated, my lungs gave up their stuggle to hold to on my last breath, as a gush of cold water entered my chest. Oh!!!...that pain......that burning sensation.....that satisfaction...........

I allowed my body to be carried away by the water current. I was at peace. 

Even at my last moment, I could feel fingers being intertwined around mine, holding me tight. Probably Aryan.........

But where was he pulling me?? Why was he was pulling me in a different direction???....perhaps towards him......??? Where was he???

My semi concious mind was unable to comprehend anything.....

Was I alive..???...was I dead?????

Was I already in my next life????...where was the water gone??....

I could feel a faint breeze blowing over my seemingly lifeless body. Where was I???..where was those familiar noises coming from????..... I could feel a heavy thump on my chest, but I could feel no pain. Was that my heartbeat???...and what did just cruise through my vein???..I could feel something, and yet I couldn't feel anything. My mind was blank.

Is this how after life feels like???

"Where am I??", I desperately wanted to ask, but I had no voice.

I desperately wanted to see what was happening.

My eyes struggled against all forces.

And then, for a fraction of a second, I saw something that looked like the setting sun, before I collapsed.......

(To be continued....)