ALSphere Foundation
Summer temperature was soaring high as if determined to break all the records of the past hundred years, and adamant to test the tolerance capacity of the living species.
Sreeja lived alone in Mumbai. After dinner, with her dog Furry she strolled outside her residential complex for half an hour. That night, the street was filled with people as during daytime none dared to go out. It was 11 P.M. She felt Furry was dragging her in a particular direction. She followed. It led her to a dark corner of the neighborhood park.
She noticed a shadow sitting on a cemented bench. She threw torchlight at the human structure. A teenage girl got startled at the flood of light poured on her. Hiding in the darkness, she was perhaps sobbing and was disturbed at the presence of a stranger. She seemed a known face to Sreeja. Oh! She was the daughter of Mr. Mehta.
Sreeja went near to her and asked if she needed any help. The girl showed her displeasure at the unwanted interference in her privacy. She rudely denied it. Sreeja left her saying ‘sorry’ for the disturbance. She also decided not to inform the Mehta family about her meeting with their daughter crying alone outside the park.
A week later, she was shocked to hear that Mr. Mehta’s daughter committed suicide. Sreeja attended the condolence meeting and got informed that the poor girl was harassed by her boyfriend. He belonged to an affluent family. He demanded absolute control over her and mentally tortured her. When she announced a breakup, he leaked her personal photos on the internet.
Sreeja was sure if the girl could open up with her that summer night, she might get a solution to the problem. She felt sorry for the girl and decided to forget about that meeting.
At night, she again strolled in her surrounding area. All of a sudden, she felt something very unusual. A chilled air numbed her senses. She visualized the deceased girl with a folding hand. Sreeja gathered courage and uttered, “I could save you if once you had trusted me. Now, you have lost your precious life, but the real culprit is still behind the bar. “
The girl disappeared. Sreeja noticed a mobile phone on the grass. She understood there must be some solid evidence, recorded on the phone, proving that the boy was guilty. She immediately went to Mr. Mehta’s house. She knew he would never believe that she had met with his dead daughter. So, she cooked a story. She told him that once she and his daughter were in the elevator. At that moment she noticed his daughter’s mobile phone. While strolling, she saw the same phone on the grass outside the park.
Mr. Mehta rushed to the spot and informed the police. The police collected the evidence. Sreeja was relieved to know later that the boy was sentenced to life imprisonment. After the justice was done, she never saw the girl.
