Deadly Drive

A Short Story - By Khushboo Khilwani

Usually my shift ends by 10 p.m, but today I am working late in the office and felt quite exhausted and sleepy. I glanced down at my watch while walking out of office in the parking lot, 1 a.m. It showed. As soon as I reach home, my mom is going to scream on me for working late. GOD blesses me!

Ugh! I yelled in frustration, my cell phone’s battery is gone and I can’t even call my mom. It was chilly breeze, my teeth chattering, my arms clutched my jacket tightly around me. I hurriedly got into my car and drove towards home, streets were silent and there was no rush.

An old woman stood on the street asking for lift.

“Should I give her a lift?”

Uhm…ah…eh…My mind says NO so I just surpassed by the old Lady.

I started feeling guilty and my poor heart did not permit me to leave her alone on the street, as it was too late for her to find a vehicle over there. I took a reverse and stopped my car right in front of the old lady. She was in white sari and was covered with a black old rusted blanket. Her back was curved, wrinkled face, her grey hair tied loosely and she was shivering in cold.

“Can you drop me home?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“Okay, get inside,” I nodded. She got into the car and I buckled her seatbelt.

“Child, what is your name?” She asked.

“My name is Fairy,” I replied.

“What, Dairy?” she asked again.

“It’s Fairy,” I raised my volume this time.

“Dairy, what kind of name is this?” she laughed.

“Whatever!”

“Where should I drop you,” I asked.

She did not answer at once and looked at me strangely.

“I said, you please show me the way where you want to go and I will drop you there,” I shouted.

“Left from here,” she said in a dim volume.

“All right,” I replied and took a sigh of relief as she got me correct this time, but I wanted to go right. “Never mind,” I said to myself and kept driving. On the left was an alley, dark and dusty, where I drove.

“Right from here,” she muttered and there we went into another alley.

“Is it too far?” I asked.

“What?” she asked.

“Is it too far?” I asked again.

“Take a left,” she said.

“GOD! Where am I punished?” I said annoyed.

As I took a left turn it was getting a bit smoky, there were huge trees, jackals cry, bats flying and I could not vision any residence.

At a little distance from there…

“Stop here” she said.

“Are you sure?” I confirmed.

“I can only vision a Cremation ground (Shamshaan Ghaat) from here,” I said confused.

“Yes, I live here,” she laughed and disappeared.