Don’t do it. Wind blew across her face. Heart pumping fast. Anna looked down. The water looked cold. The air, dry. The words still rung in her ears. Don’t do it, he said again. Standing on railing of the famous Howrah Bridge, Anna finally looked at him.
Tall and slender, the man bore through her. Standing little further, calm and composed despite the situation, he looked at her. Intense and deliberate.
“You don’t even know me!” Yelled Anna. “I agree” he said casually and continued, “but I very well know what you are planning to do now” Anna was unsure of what to say. The most obvious thing she could say was “So?” Silence paved its way between the two despite the heavy noise of traffic. He gave a small laugh and asked, “What’s the reason? What’s making you end your life?”
Anna looked at him. Hit by the fact that she’s standing on the railing of the bridge, awaiting to end her life. She once again contemplated her more. But convicted towards the step taken, she asked “why should I tell you? Who are you?” The man looked away. Thinking. He looked back at her and said. “How does it matter?”
Anna stared at him. Silence slid back between the two. Anna was almost half the age of the man who was trying to save her. Confused, exhausted and helpless, she gave in. She broke out a loud cry and yelled! “He dumped me!! He dumped me got damn it! Why? Why did he do it?
The man didn’t lose his composure. He kept looking at her. While he showed no reflex, his eyes gave away his inner self. He could feel her pain. Somewhere it hurt him too. With a straight face he said, “And so that’s an end of life? Just for a boy?”
Anna looked at him. Sharp and mad “he wasn’t just a boy. He was my everything!” “But you weren’t the same to him!” Replied the man instantly. “Had it been the case you wouldn’t have been here girl!” He said to support his statement. Anna looked away, towards the setting sun.
The cars made heavy noise. The water looked scary. The iron of the railing was cold and her body was aching bad. What this random stranger said hit Anna hard. She promptly stopped crying. Tears dried on her face, she looked different. Breathing slow, she felt that she was able to gather herself back.
She looked at the man again. “Don’t do it girl. Your life is much valuable than you think.” Anna gave a small nod. Just at the age of 20 she didn’t know the value of her life. However, this God man had helped her realize it. She got off the railing and came near the man. She said a polite thank you and turned back. With her head heavy with thoughts, she started to walk.
Suddenly she heard a splash and she froze in her path. Her heart beat increased and fear creeped up. Slowly she turned towards where the man stood few moments back. He wasn’t there. Crowd gathered.
Everyone looked down. “I think he is dead” said someone. “He jumped all of sudden” said another. Shocked and perplexed, Anna went near the spot where he stood. A wallet was fallen. May be it was his.
Anna bent down slow and picked it up. Looking at the water below her, involuntarily she opened the wallet. Inside stood a picture of a beautiful lady. A picture that was old and tattered. Torn out of a perfect photograph!
