The Rejection

2

The wedding was after ten days. Everything was going according to Sia’s plans and that was only how she wanted it to be. She wanted perfect hair, nail color with nail art, and perfect appearance, the wedding was going to be her day and she never wanted it to get messed up by her or by anyone else. Sia was quite excited about highlighting her hair and she went to the salon which she booked before two months. Her appointment was at 11:00 in the morning. She reached the salon at 10:50 and picked up her regular magazine and pretend to read while deep down she was looking for someone who could entertain her and would talk with her and listen to her story of where she was going to get married. From where did she buy her dress and how many items were going to be there in reception, where did she meet her groom, how did she make her family convinced about his groom-how perfect he was for her and everything. She wanted someone who could listen to her-some extrovert just like her. 

The magazine was boring, she put it out and took out her mobile from her purse and wanted to call Sameer before she could do so, the clock hit at 11:000, it was her time of appointment for hair, and she was asked to sit on the chair for it. As she sat on the chair and was about to start a conversation with one of the cosmetologists about how she wanted her hair and how it should be exactly like that without any error, she saw one girl running on the road in a very disturbed manner. That girl was barefoot with frizzy hair-which did not seem combed for like a month. Her one earring was missing, she had worn clothes and clothes had dirt on them, she was not in her conscious state to know that she was running like that publically. While running her clothes were getting tangles and her tired feet were not supporting her and she was almost going to fall on the floor from it but she managed to save herself with the help of a pole.  She was running on the road back and forth like she was just born on this planet and had just learned how to walk. Sia saw that girl for the first time in that area, the area she used to come quite often for her skin and beauty treatments. The girl was vague about the age of 30s and it did not seem like she was being followed by someone as she was running back and forth in the same place. Sia was really disturbed by seeing that but there was nothing much she could do. She just sat quietly there and kept thinking about that girl. 

One cosmetologist, who knew Sia for a long time came to her, asked her, “Are you getting cold feet or what? You have not said a word since you had come here. What happened your groom is not entertaining enough for the whole life?”  She said so just to tease Sia. Sia on other hand was lost and did not reply to what was asked of her. “Who was she? Why would she run like that? Had she fled away from a mental hospital? What if someone was following her? Was she a beggar? What if she was alone and needed help? Where would she go if someone was following her? Had she ran out of her wedding? What if she is following someone, some kid or some young girl? What if she should be stopped by someone in order to save herself and save others? What if she is not supposed to run like that for her own sake? What if she is abnormal and would hurt herself while running like a nerd?  What if she is in actual trouble and needs some help from someone but is not able to get attention from anyone?” All kinds of questions were running in Sia’s head she could not wait for a minute to tell all those things to Sameer. 

As soon as she was done with her hair, she started her car and headed towards her home. Bam..!! There was huge traffic as one bus and ambulance were finding their way out because one truck was stuck amidst the road and was not in a position to let go of the ambulance and everyone was blaming and shouting at the truck driver for the chaos and honking horns continuously. There she was standing and waiting but despite worrying about traffic she still kept thinking about that girl. Sia was in hurry to tell everything about that incident to Sameer but could not, because she was struck in the traffic. She started looking outside the window to check how much more time it would possibly take. She was stunned to see that girl again who was still running back and forth on road but this time it was at a crossroad. She was running madly without any sense. Sia saw her and thought she might be seeking help. Sia had second thoughts like whether she should help or not because at first she was running on the road near the salon and then on the same cross road, where Sia was, it could not be simply coincident. Though Sia had doubts and questions she still wanted to help her. Her naïve mind had won an argument with her cunning mind; heart had convinced mind that she, Sia should help that strange girl. Sia decided to went over there on the road where she was running and help her but was restrained to do so. As she thought how could see help a strange girl who was not screaming for any help, if she needed help she would have found it by now. Sia thought so and sat in the car only. Traffic got opened. Sia could move her car easily, she started her car but her eyes were stuck on that girl. She looked back at her, she was still running. Sia took her car towards her and stopped the car and she came out of it. She stood over there, as she did not know how to stop the running girl or how to approach a running girl. That girl would have been killed if Sia had not been there and pulled her from getting hit by a car. Sia asked her, “Are you okay? Have you got injured?” She did not reply to anything. Instead, she gave Sia a weird look. Sia asked her, “Why are you running like this?, What is your name?”  That girl did not even look at and did not reply anything to Sia and was again going to start running on the road but this time Sia hold her hand and pulled her asked again, “Are you alright? , Something wrong happened? You can tell me, I can help you.” This time girl looked deep into Sia’s eyes and murmured something with great tremor. Sia could not understand anything. She again asked her to speak it louder and not to be afraid of anyone. That girl murmured again just three words. Which were, “Aakriti, Manan, and Diamond.” Is Aakriti your name? Sia asked. That girl did not reply for some time and waited but she then nodded positively and confirmed to Sia that Aakriti was her name. And who is Manan? Sia asked again. That time she did not say anything and she looked at Sia with tears in her eyes and request not to ask anything related to that to her with just her eyes. After that Sia did not even bother to know anything about diamonds and she asked Aakriti if she wanted to come with her. 

Aakriti sat in the car before Sia did. Sia looked at her strangely but then sat in her own car and started. Sia was confused about whether to take her to the hospital or police station or at her home or at Sameer’s home. “Sameer oh Sameer, I have to tell him everything. I cannot drive right now I need to tell him right now about everything and how one strange girl is sitting in a car with me. I have to tell him”. Sia was thinking to stop the car and call him but she thought it would be safer if she would go directly to his place and tell him everything in person. During the car drive, Sia remembers something about the third word which Aakriti kept murmuring. She asked her, “What diamonds you were talking about?” Aakriti stared at Sia and did not reply anything. She kept staring at her; there she was sitting perfectly with her newly highlighted hair, wearing a beautiful yellow dress, wearing wedge sandals, and wearing humans. And Aakriti looked at herself, she was barefoot, was wearing clothes which were given to her a month back, her hair was not combed. Aakriti was laughing at her own fate as she was comparing herself with Sia. Her attention got broke as Sia asked her, “Are you from this town, Aren’t you curious to know where I am taking you.?”  Do you know these paths? From where do you belong.?”  Sia asked her hundreds of questions but what Aakriti would do was, pretend that she did not hear Sia, to stare at her like she did not understand what she was being asked, to stare out of a window and watch people passing by their car. Sia took her car to Sameer’s house. Sameer was on the call with the tailor and told him, “That is not how I wanted this suit. You have got it all wrong, the pattern which I selected, well not I but my fiancée selected was totally different and even measurements are uneven. I have a wedding in ten days. How do you expect me to calm down.” He saw Sia standing at the door and she was about to open the door with the key but Sameer came there and opened it by himself. And before Sia could say anything Sameer said, “If you heard anything about my conversation with the tailor, please do not freak out, he told me he would do the new pattern from this suit only and he will return it to us before we know.” Sia just smirked at him. “Oh what happened, are you that devastated from hearing about the suit that you have lost will to scold me.? By the way you were supposed to be at saloon for your highlighter, why did not you do that.? Sia now made frown face at him and hit him softly on his shoulder and said, “It is already highlighted, how you cannot see? You will never understand any of these things; move aside let me check is it perfect or not?” Sameer smiled and told her, “It all looks same, how can one tell difference.?” Sia was just going to check herself in a mirror then she suddenly remembers Aakriti and how she was still standing outside the door, she ran back to entrance. She did not see Aakriti there, where she had left her. She facepalms and told herself how she could leave her alone. But out of her surprise, Aakriti was just wandering in a corridor. She sighed and hold her hand and took her inside Sameer’s house. Sameer was stunned to see Aakriti in a way she was standing in front of him. Sameer asked her who she was. Aakriti was quivering and she hid behind Sia. Sia told Sameer, “She is Aakriti. She does not speak much. I met her on road. She was going to be hit by a car but I saved her”-Sia said that with pride and looked at Aakriti. Sameer was still confused. “Sia, could I talk to you for a second in the bedroom?”- Sameer said so with a puzzled face. Sia asked Aakriti to settle on the sofa and offered her water. Aakriti drank water like a camel-Like she had to store water in her voyage to the desert. She drank five glasses of water in a very distressing manner. Sia finally went to the bedroom to have a conversation with Sameer.