Separating Shadows

By Neeldip Barot

Walking down the pavement of silent street at midnight midst the heavy drizzle he rested down his briefcase gently on the ground and continued the stroll, upon walking across the road he sat on a platform barely elevated from the ground, winds fluttered his drenched trench coat in the lavish downpour, he looked at his watch with eyes full of regret and glanced towards his briefcase, the surreal silence of blurred lights made distress wrinkle over his face. There was no one around as far as the eyes could see, only the ground there knew it was not only rain drops pouring upon it.

Winds grew in intensity just enough to shake the advertisement boards behind him, he rested his forehead on his palms mercy and closed his eyes behind the curtain. Rain had now caught up with the winds making a noise suitable only for a heavy heart, there were some sounds of vehicles passing by but separated by large intervals, and he heard a shattering noise from behind among the distractions, he cared not to look back.

Minutes elapsed with time still the same for him, he felt something warm on his hands, he brought them forward and saw them tainted with his own blood, before he can deduce something, things around him started to became blur, he tried to get up which he could only manage after a struggle with the slippery stones beneath, efforts of walking were fragile with every next step a vanity, he began to loose more consciousness and drifted with his feet in the middle of the road and after a tough struggle with the situation his legs lost power rendering his body on the mercy of gravity alone, his fall was stopped by two hands from behind which emerged out of nowhere, the savior rested his body on the wet road and said with a calm voice by looking towards him.

"You seem changed, your eyes reflect sheer regret - what have you made of yourself, don't let mistakes define your destiny, you are more than the outcome of your mistakes, leave the things behind which weighs you down and you will rise again"

He only heard what the savior said among the other noises, laying there he tried to figure out who saved him but could only deduce a blurry image of a man in front.

He barely gathered energy to ask

"Who are you?"

"Just someone who has learnt the hard way" The men replied.

The ending of the sentence was followed by the sound of a car rushing toward them he tried to get up but couldn't, the other man looked toward the car but it was too late the headlights became brighter with every second and soon he felt the impact.

In that unparalleled moment he cried out loud with all his strength and his sight fell on his hands they were just fine, he looked for the other person but couldn't find him then checked around his head there was no blood, he was still sitting on the platform with rain now diminished and winds smoothened, he looked at his briefcase it was still there across the road, as he tried to recall the other person he could only remember a trench coat, his face sported a subtle smile and by leaving the briefcase in hindsight he started to walk away from there.

Every new page of a book is empty, so if you make a mistake don't throw the book away, just turn the page.

By Neeldip Barot