Heal it can not

The waves lashed as if they were angry at the rocks for stopping them, spraying foam and water over the deserted pavement, deserted except for Sachith who was sitting exactly where the path curved,a perfect place to hide away from the cops who would make any one present at the ungodly hour to leave.
The black shirt and the dark colored trousers were also a camouflage enough, not that he had planned to camouflage. He did not care for cops today or any more. This place on marine drive was important to him because this was the same spot he and Riya had spent hours laughing, fighting, crying, gossiping and making plans for their future, late into nights, hidden from the prying cops.

"Raees, please. Its my birthday and we should go to a movie I want to see" Riya had squealed loud enough for the whole marine drive to be informed about their plans to celebrate Riya's birthday. A hardcore Shahrukh

A film actor in India

fan, she could not miss any of his movies and what better way for her to spend her birthday rather than watch her on screen love with her real life love.
Sachith loved to see her excited and animated like this, full of energy and life, "OK dear, Raees it is" Sachith bowed gently to show his acceptance.

Riya hugged Sachith, and gently kissed him before getting up to leave "Bye, I still have to visit my aunt before I go home"
Riya picked her small backpack she carried to her office and strapped it on her back as she climbed down from the embankment they were sitting on.
"OK, I will pick you up at 10 tomorrow, that is fine ? "
Riya nodded, her short boy-cut hair bouncing on her head as she did.

Sachith and Riya had met when they were forced into sharing a taxi ride on one of the days when rain had taken complete control of the maximum city, Mumbai, where they both lived separated by only three buildings.

Sachith had wondered that day, how he had missed seeing such a wonderful girl who lived just three buildings away, but then it was Mumbai,where it was not surprise not knowing who lived in the room next to yours. After that day Sachith made sure he bumped into her as often as possible, at the newspaper stall where she brought newspaper every day and which Sachith had not visited even once before in the past year of stay, at the grocery shop every Tuesday where Riya bought her grocery and Sachith learned that there were more types of noodles available other than maggi, which was his staple breakfast.

It did not take Riya too long to realize that Sachith was bumping into her way too often to be just a coincidence but she did not mind it, she liked talking and spending time with him and soon both accepted that they will turn these accidental bumping into planned meetings everyday.

It would have been her 23rd birthday next month, Sachith watched as another wave lashed at the rock, water soaking him again. The air had the typical mumbai winter chill and getting drenched in water would have made it even more cold but Sachith seemed to be least bothered about the chill or the water. As if the anger,the pain with in him was suppressing all the external feelings. His hands grazed the the wound on his hand and he could not stop his tears, drenching his already wet face.

Riya walked out wearing a peach colored long skirt with a black top in response to Sachith trademark horn outside her building. Sachith adored Riya in whatever she wore and today was no different.
"Looking lovely as always" Sachith smiled at her as she hopped on to his bike.
"And you are sloppily dressed as always" Riya hugged from behind "as I love it"

Riya loved Sachith's care free nature, not worried about what people would think of him or his looks,just being as he was comfortable with.

"Which road are you taking, this does not go to the Inox theater" Riya tapped on Sachith's shoulder wondering why was he taking a right at the dairy circle.

"When did I say we are going to theater now" Sachith had to turn his head and raise his voice so that Riya could hear over the noise of the traffic and his helmet muffled voice.

"What" Riya thumped him on his back "You can't do this, come on"
Sachith laughed as he smiled and shouted "Surprise"

The salt water splashed over Sachith, it did not seem to matter much to him, but the salt brought back the wound on his arm back to life. He gently touched the wound, it was healing , but the pain of the memory had not, the wound on his heart had not.

"Why are you stopping here ?" Riya was bewildered as Sachith parked in front of RK party hall.
"Surprise" Sachith repeated as he walked ahead of Riya into the hall, Riya followed still not sure what surprise Sachith had planned.

Riya was still climbing the steps that led into the hall when the her favorite music track of one Sharukh khan's film started playing from inside the hall.
She looked from where she was standing and saw Sachith at the door of the hall with a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands and a even bigger card of happy birthday in other. The entrance of the hall was decorated with red and white carnations, her favorite flower.

Riya was moved beyond words, as she stepped into the hall Sachith hugged her

"Happy birthday my love"

The wonderful music beautiful flowers and a loving hug from her true love could her birthday get any better. Riya had never felt so pampered in her life and could not stop shouting with joy.

"Sachith this is so wonderful. Such lovely decoration" Riya looked around the small hall which had balloons, flowers and birthday cards all over it. Her eyes stopped at the center of the hall .

Two bean bags, a huge table and a projector screen were placed right at the center of the hall.
"What is that Sachith"
Sachith just smiled as he held her hand and led her towards the table.


"Happy Birthday Riya" the screen displayed as the projector turned on automatically as soon as they neared the table, the background music changed to a melodious guitar instrumental of another Riya's favorite song.

"Black forest cake" Riya exclaimed as she saw the candle lit cake kept at the center with the message "Happy Birthday to my life"

Life had come to stand still for Sachith now. Some body shouted from behind "Go home man, cops will trash you if they find you here at this time" Sachith only heard the voice, the content had become immaterial. Content of anybody's speech had become immaterial to him, neither did he hear them nor did he respond to them.

Riya had thoroughly enjoyed the day as Sachith led her out of the RK party hall after a personal screening of the movie Raees, along with the service of every snack that she liked. Riya could not believe to what extent Sachith had gone to make the day special for her.

The evening was setting in, the offices were closing as people emerged from the office buildings around heading back to their homes.
"Let's head out before the traffic sets in" Sachith pulled his vehicle out of the parking lot and adjusted the twisted mirror. A man dressed in red T shirt and faded jeans emerged from a bus which had just stopped behind them and was looking around as if searching for some thing. Sachith noticed the hurried look in his eyes, as he backed his vehicle out.

"That is some vehicle" Riya pointed to the Hummer standing across the street.
"Yes, a very powerful one" Sachith nodded, "Not something people use in these parts of the city " Sachith commented generally as the Hummer came to life and started to reverse itself.

Riya seemed transfixed by the vehicle and its size as she stared at the vehicle.
"Come let's .." Sachith's sentence was cut off by a loud shriek across the street, followed by an even louder one from Riya.
The hummer had started driving right on to the footpath, crushing everyone on its way ,what Riya and Sachith did not spot was at the same time the guy who had got out of the bus was welding a huge knife slashing it at everyone in his way as he marched ahead.

"What the hell" Sachith got down from his bike transfixed by the horror across the street. Another shout from behind them made Sachith whirl around to see the knife coming down on Riya.

"Riya get out of the way" Sachith threw himself towards Riya as the knife came down on her. Cutting deep into his hands as it continued to cut right across the back of Riya from her neck to spine.
Sachith looked at the blood spurting from Riya's back and then at the man in front whose eyes displayed no emotions as he punched hard Sachith with the handle of the knife on his head, knocking Sachith unconscious.

The whistles of the cops brought about a little commotion as a few other still sitting around on the pavement started to walk away.

The whistles and sirens were the only thing that Sachith could recall now of that night after he had got hit as he floated in and out of consciousness he felt some one lifting him on a stretcher.
"Wait, Riya where... " He wanted to shout out, but words choked in his mouth he tried to get up but seemed to lack any strength in his body .

It had taken two days for Sachith to get back his consciousness, conscious enough to realize that he would never be able to spend another birthday with Riya, conscious enough to realize that the special day he had planned for her, so meticulously, had become the last day of her life, conscious enough to realize that he never wanted to get back his consciousness.

The water splash brought back the sting in his wound, as he rubbed on it again. Sachith knew that the wound would heal, but the scar would never.




Word count : 1753

Written for

FORUM

Write From the Heart - Story Contest  (E) Write a story that pulls on the heartstrings based on the given prompt. #2121278 by Purple Holiday Givings

Prompt: Scar