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I was thinking of not posting this till Monday…but…changed my mind. Here you go, enjoy!

Swara
Tears are the envoys of heart. In isolation and silence they emerge from the shadows of your thoughts, from the depth of your memories and release their pain, from the valves of your eyes. I have always been a fan of crowds, giggles, shouts and vibrant expressions…that self seemed to belong to a different age. Suddenly, I realize that I have left that part of myself somewhere back, the creature breathing through my nostrils belonged to the shadows, lived in the nights.
The area is going through a black out, I am used to the frequent power failures, but never before had I been glad of them. Then come the tears, when I have finally loosened my grip around the bleeding wounds inflected upon my heart, they bleed freely, through my eyes.
Somewhere above my head, a candle flickers to light. I sigh, wiping my eyes furiously. He is back.
‘Casper?’ He says, pretending to look around. I know for a fact he can see me crouched against the kitchen counter, leaning against the woody surface, with my arms wrapped around my knees. ‘Where are you sniffing from?’
‘I don’t sniff!’ I snap at him, looking up to see his bemused brownish gaze glitter in the candle light.
SK fixes the candle on the counter and joins me, on the floor.
‘Wow,’ he says, leaning against the kitchen counter and putting one of his arms behind his head for support. He stretches his legs and makes himself comfortable. ‘What a hideout!’
‘I’m not hiding!’
He turns to look at me, rummages his pocket for a moment and pulls out a handkerchief.
‘Here,’ he says, forwarding it for me. ‘Clean your face, Casper!’
I don’t say anything as I snatch the handkerchief and wipe my face with it. I used to hate having my face blotchy; surprisingly it no longer irks me.
‘Aren’t you a little too old to cry when the power’s out?’ SK asks then, tilting his head curiously, from the candle light, his eyes gleam mischievously. ‘I used to do the same thing when I was…hmm…I think when I was four.’
‘Go away!’ I say waving my hands; he catches one of my wrists lazily.
‘I’m not a fly...’ he points out and puts my hand down. ‘And this is my house.’
True. I turn away from him, ignoring his silly smile.
‘Hey Shona?’
‘Huh?’ I almost jump at that, he is still grinning.
‘Your mom calls you that right?’
I bit my lip and nod a little.
‘Here,’ he said handing me his mobile. ‘Call her… Your crazy dad might be asleep now…’ His voice tails off as I stare at the phone. ‘Come on now, you’re not psychic enough to dial without touching right? Take it, Casper…I can’t sleep when you’re sniffing in the next room.’
I gulp before dialing the number; Ma picks up after a few rings.
‘Ma,’ I say taking a deep breath. SK stands up, walking away with his hands in his pockets. I hear him mummer something about Casper again, but my attention has more pressing matters to employ.
‘Where are you Shona?’
‘I told you, I’ll stay at a friend’s right?’
‘Yes you did, but I thought…’
‘That no friend would have me…’ I complete the sentence for her, rather bluntly. There is a guilty pause then.
‘Did you eat beta?’ Ma asks after a moment, as if trying to cover up her earlier mistake and in a pretended light tone.
‘Ah, yes…’ I play along; in the lightest voice I could manage. ‘I am so full, even feeling sleepy now!’
SK snorted somewhere outside. That guy would never give up on his eavesdropping.
‘You’re saying the truth right?’
‘I don’t lie Ma, you know me…’
‘Okay then, I’ll call you later…’ She suddenly says in a very diplomatic voice.
‘Is Baba there?’
‘Oh yes.’
‘Good night Ma,’ I say, trying hard to keep my voice steady.
‘Good night Shona.’
‘Those were some of the best lies I’ve ever heard.’ SK adds his elbows folded on the kitchen counter and his chin resting on them, looking down at me. ‘You can give Kaali a run for his money any time.’
‘Who’s Kaali?’ I ask, handing him the phone.
‘A contract killer,’ SK says casually. ‘No one ever found any evidence against him, has a Phd in lying…but you’re better.’
I say nothing as I make my way towards the microwave. It had been beeping before the power failure.
‘So you think I’m a contract killer?’ I ask mildly, taking out the bowl I put in the microwave and taking its lid off. Fortunately it is cooked and smells good.
SK sits on the counter, pinching his nose, he watches me as I place the bowl on the counter beside him. He catches my wrist again, before I turn around.
‘I would never side with a criminal,’ he said in a low tone. ‘If that’s what you’re curious about. I believe everything I said in the court and I will make sure others believe the same by the end of your trial.’
‘You don’t even know me,’ I say shaking off his words. ‘How can you trust me so easily?’
‘I don’t know who gave you this wrong idea Casper, I don’t trust you, I trust what I see and I hear and trust me…I know where to look and listen.’
He is still holding my wrist and now, after those words established, he turns my hand in his and examine my palm.
‘When was your mehendi?’ He suddenly inquires, chasing a pattern through my almost smudged design.
‘The night before the wedding.’ I tell him.
‘The night of the murder?’ I jerk my head at the look he gave me as he put down my hand, skipping to the hall to fletch one of his files.
‘Why didn’t you tell me this before Casper? I could have ended the trail today itself. I thought it was your Sangeet that day!’
‘The sangeet was before the Mehendi, on the same night.’ I say, trying hard to keep bitterness only a trace in my voice. ‘Why?’
SK does not say anything as he tousles his hair by running a nervous hand through them. His hair looks soft, I wonder for a moment…wait what? No I do not think that. I wait with my mind empty of anymore unwanted thoughts, for him to find his answer.
‘Tell me something,’ he says then. ‘Since when do you hate each other?’
‘Huh? Who?’
‘You and Mrs. Maheshwari, I mean your sister.’
‘Why would we hate each other?’
‘Why would she lie in the court then?’
‘She lied?’ I feel my throat go dry as I utter those words.
SK grabs my shoulders and shakes me a little.
‘You didn’t touch the murder weapon, those finger prints were planted!’ He says gleefully.
‘Planted?’
‘Mehendi! Your mehendi, mightn’t have been dry then, there should be mehendi in the knife had you touched it…you didn’t…’ his voice tailed off as he lets me go. ‘So if you didn’t, there’s no way she saw you with that knife in your hand, she lied!’
‘She lied,’ I repeat emptily.
‘And Mrs. Maheshwari doesn’t have mehendi, that’s why she drove so easily!’
‘Yes, she’s allergic to henna…’ I say uncertainly.
The landline which was my responsibility rings loudly, breaking our conversation. I go to answer the call as SK dials Vikram, excitedly.
‘Give the maids’ favorite answer,’ he called after me.
‘What?’ I ask him, stopping an inch from the receiver.
‘You know…no one’s home!’ He chuckles. ‘Vic, hey listen…’ he turns around, muttering to his phone as I pick up the receiver.
‘Hello?’ I say.
There was a moment of silence.
‘Hello?’
‘Swara?’ The voice on the other side says and I feel breath hitching in my throat that had suddenly dried of words. ‘What are you doing there?’
I clutch the receiver not saying a word in reply.
‘Are you staying with him?’ The voice asks a second question. ‘Why are you staying with him? Huh, what am I saying right? You don’t care do you? Whatever others think it doesn’t matter to you…you only think…’
What my only thought is I never knew, SK snatches the receiver before that.
‘Cut the crap Lucky, we don’t ring each other right? Continue that, I have nothing to talk with you outside the court room.’ He slams the receiver and turns to me. ‘Next time, don’t add to my bill.’
He has almost reached the door when I call out.
‘How do you know him?’
‘None of your concern,’ he says curtly stopping for a moment.
‘Why did you call him Lucky? Only…only his friends and family call him that. Who are you SK?’
‘Swara,’ he says in a dangerous tone. ‘I think you do realize that people hate some topics, like I didn’t ask you about your broken marriage… This is off limits for discussions. Please, drop it okay?’
I say nothing as he glares at me.
‘Okay?’ He asks again, in the same daring tone.
‘Alright…’ I say in a small tone.
*
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