Has she, hasn't she? - part 1

Its funny how sometimes a song, or more specifically, its guitar solo can inspire a whole story...sitting in my friend Keshav's house, listening to 'Arriving Somewhere but not Here' on his humongous system for the nth time, bobbing my head with closed eyes to the solo, this story just walked itself into my head. Hope u like it...

It was a crimson sky. Liberally splattered with shades of pink and more orange and the odd violet. That was how the sky always looked here at dawn. There were various exotic shapes floating in the sky, as the wind chose to shape the malleable clouds as they willed. It indeed looked like a giant canvas, subjected to the eccentric ravings of the maddest artist of them all.

And it was cold. Not the cruel, wintry weather that kept you at home, numb and bored. It was a lilting chill in the breeze, lingering just long enough to prick your nose, and then passing by. The fog hugged you just long enough for you to pass a quick shiver, and then left you alone. There was a peace in the sheer emptiness of the roads and the footpaths surrounded by trees; as if nature had finally had its way, and had managed to put the bustle to permanent sleep. But among all these niceties, the solitude and the silence carried with it a hint of loneliness, of hesitation and of menace. It was in the dark after all, that all evil and fear resided.

And Vineet was feeling the evil and the fear very strongly in particular. He did not care for all the poetic beauty surrounding him. He did not care for the pictures the sky painted, the games the wind played. In fact, he did not even care about the fact that he was driving at a hundred kilometers per hour with barely a glance on the road. He drove on, wide-eyed with shock and terror, looking but not seeing the path ahead. He barely blinked, and did not hold back the tears that leaked from his eyes. He was clutching the steering wheel with all his meager strength, till his knuckles had turned white. He was sitting rod-straight, and shivering at intervals, although it had nothing to do with that romantic chill.

Although Vineet was actually driving down NH-17, back into the city, in his mind's eye he was still at the swamp, three hours back in time.

He had just laid down the bag in the bubbling pool, his hands shaking violently. Then that had happened...

...now he was running through the undergrowth, the wet fronds slapping across his face. The slimy surface he was running on threatened to yank itself from under him. He knew he was being chased. Whether by an animal, a thought, a memory or retribution itself, he did not know. He had never been as scared in his life, his heart already having settled itself down in his mouth. He ran on, tumbling through the foliage blindly, and finally reached the car. He flung open the door, and was tearing down the road in a second.

Now he was back again on the road, driving at a hundred clicks. He was entering the city again, the traffic was thickening again, and he found the first traffic light after a long time. He slowed down to a halt, trying to hide his face, as if the whole world knew what he had done. He looked out of his window at the road. The wind was playing with two birds' feathers, blowing them in circles, as if they were catching each other's tails. Abandoning them, the wind came to play with him, caressing his cheek. He merely shuddered and resumed his abject look of terror. He wiped his tears once and looked around again. To his right was a woman in her thirties driving a brown Civic. She suddenly turned in his direction and gave a solicitous smile. He trembled at that, and quickly turned away. He had just rolled up his window, when a dirty, rough hand fell upon it. A poor, old lady, begging for alms. He shook his head at her and shuddered again. Trembled and shuddered, trembled and shuddered...

Again in his mind he dived. He was at home with his wife now, and she was shouting at him as usual.

'Don't complain about how I cook or clean all right? What right do you have to say anything? You couldn't even get me that gold necklace for our anniversary, despite slaving like a donkey in the office everyday. You probably are as stupid as I think you are then...'

She went on, as he stared resolutely at his plate, eating in silence. The first few times she had rebuked, he had said nothing. That had led slowly to this...

The signal turned green. He started his car, and once again the empty road was in invitation to let his mind drift. He was back at the dining table, only this time, while his wife's nagging voice bombarded his ears, he was thinking about the dressing-down he had received at his boss's hands that morning. Simultaneously, he switched between both voices.

'Do you expect to achieve anything in the workplace with some mediocre work Vineet? This is the most lousy presentation I have seen in a long time.'

'My mother was right, I never should have married you. Only I was blind enough to fall in love with you then. Look at what our son is having to go through everyday now.'

'This really is your last chance Vineet. I haven't forgotten you bungled up our last client as well.'

'Sunil needs a new set of uniforms, but we can't get it now, no money. His birthday's coming up, but...'

'And I hear from your colleagues that you have been spreading some rumors about them? What the hell are you doing all that here? Are you in high school?'

Vineet got up from the table and went to the kitchen to keep the plate. He had not spread any rumors, he just didn't get along with them, and they had said that about him because they didn't like him either. He tried to keep the plate, and walk out of there without further incident. But she stood in his way; it was not to be.

'Where do you think you're going that silently? Look at me!'

'Why are you standing silently like that? Say something! Why am I hearing all this about you?'

'You thing you can walk away from all your problems like that? Honesty hurts when it's flung at you doesn't it?'

'You think silence will help your case here or something? You can just walk away from it?'

'Look up, face me, my dear husband.'

'Speak up, I don't want that from you.'

'Act, you coward!'

'Act, you coward!'

'SHUUTT UP!!' he said, in a voice that sounded like a cross between like a sob and a roar. Without his knowledge, his hand rose as a fist and connected with his wife's jaw with a strength he knew not that he possessed. The force of the blow knocked her right off her feet, and she flew and her head hit the marble platform with a sickening thud.

Vineet ran to her, alarmed, and bent down over her, apologizing and asking if she was okay. She barely moved; it was only her eyes that were bug-eyed with terror and shock. She had never expected her husband to do something like this. After a few moments, she turned limp.

That was when the magnitude of the grave truth had washed itself over Vineet.

He had just killed his wife...