Yukti

The rotten smell, of dead bodies hanging off the tree, fills the murky doomed atmosphere. The constables cut off the ropes tied like a noose around their neck. They lay down them on ground. Judging from clothes they must a girl and a boy. We can't identify them since their faces have been brutally damaged. Someone must have thrown acid on their faces.

The damaged marred skin dangles off, their once beautiful but now mortified, face.

"Ask around, gathered people for some info." I say as we wait for the medical team to arrive. The whole crime scene has been cordoned off restricting the local people's access.

"Yes, Ma'am. "

Who could've done this?

And this level of inhumanity.

Throwing acid on someone's face just to torture them and taking away their life. It's so sick.

Human species never fail to shock me. People have stooped so low that they are butchering their own kind. These people have lost their conscience.

That's so sad. And Sick!!!

"Aur madam ji! " A deep husky jolivial voice whispers. His lips brushed against my ear shell jolting me away from the deep thoughts.

"kya kr rahe ho? Kahi mere khayalon mein toh nahi khoye." He asks.

(What are you doing? Were you lost in my thoughts?)

I roll my eyes and ignore him. I am not in the mood to deal with him.

Shankar looks over my head at the girl and boy now being carried away by the medical staff.

"Are yeh toh mar gaye. Isse accha toh mere bare m soch lete. " He says sadly but unbothered by the dead people.

(Oh they are dead! I would've been better if you were lost in my thoughts)

I angrily face him. "Tum kis type ke insan ho ?"

(What kind of a man are you?)

Unfazed he states, "hum toh ashiq misaj ke insan h. Baki aap batao?"

(I am the 'Lovers' kind, what about you?)

Uhhhhh!!!! Why is he so infuriating.

Why am I even engaging with this guy?

I should probably ignore him and walk away.

"Waise.. Yeh humare gaon ke nahi h. Aas pass ke gaon ke log aksar dusre goan mar kr fek dete h. "

(Oh! by the way, these dead people are not from our village. You know people from nearby villages usually throw their trash or in this case the people they kill in our village.)

"Lekin kyu ?" I ask .

(But why)

"Ek ladka ladki ko saath mein maar diya jata h wo bhi Haryana mein? Kya karan ho sakta? Baki aap samajhdaar ho. Apko pata hoga aisa kyu kra hoga.?"

(A boy and a girl are killed together in Haryana. What could be the reason? You are smart, you might know why ?)

Honor killing.

It is such a violent practice that l has its roots gripped into our society. It's the 21st century. People are getting educated, but still a poisonous disease like Honor killing is stuck here. It's shallowing the entire humanity.

"Ma'am the jeep is ready. We are ready to go. " The constable says.

"Chalo. Mein phir milne aaunga. Jada intezaar mat krna mera. "

(Well, then that's my que to go. We will meet soon. Don't miss me too much.)

He states scratching the back of his head coyly.

"Bhool kyu nahi jate mujhe ? "  I ask when he spun around. (Why don't you just forget about me?)

Shankar's back turns stiff. He faces me and slowly stalks towards me.

My chest moves with every step he makes to get closer. His somber black eyes capturing me, keep me rooted in my place.

He leans closer to me. I gulp nervously due to the closeness and the storm visible in his eyes.

At last he breaks the silence, his every syllable was laced with pain.

"Mohabbat ki h tumse, Ki mohabbat ki h tumse. Tum kehte ho ki tumhe bhool kr aage badh jau... Aa ji mere saans lene ki wajah hi toh tum ho.. Toh kya saans lena hi bhool jau ?" Shankar leaves me speechless.

(I love you and only you. Yet you say that I should forget you and move on... You are the very reason I breathe.. So should I stop breathing then?")

Why is my heartbeat so loud?

Can he hear my crazy heartbeat? I hope not.

I turn around and leave him standing there.