Living those moments, I had missed.
Shreya talking to someone over the phone looking irritated.
"Siddharth just listen to me, I am not free. Main nahi aa sakti party me. Aur waise bhi tum aur tumhare dosto ki party me mera kya kaam?"
"Shreya main apne dosto ko tumse milwana chahta hu, please make some time, please!" Siddharth requested.
Shreya's mind changed after wrangling a little more with him. "Achha theek hai, main aa jaungi!" She replied reluctantly and cut the call.
She was about to keep the cellphone back in her pocket when it started ringing again. "Daya sir calling" flashed on the screen. She received the call.
"Shreya, maine tumhe ye batane ke liye call kiya hai ki aaj ghar pe main ek choti si party rakh raha hu. Sab aa rahe hain. To tum bhi aana please!" Daya spoke.
Shreya became confused, "Lekin kis baat ki party sir?"
"Wo to party me hi pata chalega? Tum aa rahi ho na? I hope tum mana nahi karogi!" Daya said very sweetly.
Shreya held her head finding herself stuck in a dilemma. "Sir..wo actually main...sir wo Siddharth ne bhi ek choti si get together party rakhi hai aur main.."
Daya understood before she finishes, "oh! no problem, It's ok its ok Shreya. No problem, tum aati to achha lagta but, I understand. Ok then bye!"
"Bye sir!" Shreya said sadly in a low voice. "Dono ko ek hi din party karni thi?" She mumbled.
She made herself ready for Siddharth's party and left on time.
"Siddharth ka farm house bhi kitni door hai. Ghar pe nahi bula sakta tha apne dosto ko!" She was murmuring while driving the car.
She peeped outside and found complete silence on the road. "Ye road bhi kitna sunsaan hai. Street lights bhi nahi hain. Ek aadmi bhi nahi dikh raha aas paas." She was talking to herself.
Suddenly from somewhere a black cat jumped on the car's bonnet making a sound of 'meow'.
It happened so promptly that Shreya almost got a heart attack. She screamed on top of her lungs controlling the steering. "Aaaaaa"
She lost her control over the steering. She immediately tried to apply the break but it did not work. "Ye breaks kyun nahi kaam kar rahe? Oh my god!" She cried out. Before she could apply the breaks her car collided with a huge tree on the side of the road. With the force of the deadly collision Shreya was thrown outside the car even when she had tied her seat belt properly. Her head hit a rock and she became unconscious after letting out a shrill cry. Streams of blood were running down from her head. Her car was at a distance totally destroyed and she was lying unconscious and imbrued in blood.
o-o-o
Shreya opened her eyes slowly and found herself in a cottage. She sat up straight on the bed holding her head in her hands. Suddenly realization dawned to her and she looked at her own body. She was perplexed like hell.
"Ye main kaha hu? Main yaha kaise aayi? Abhi kuch der pehle to mera accident hua tha. Kitna khoon beh raha tha but main to bilkul theek hu. Ek jara aa scratch bhi nahi hai meri body pe? How's it possible? Kya main sapna dekh rahi thi?" She jerked her thoughts off, "agar wo sapna tha to theek hai, lekin main yaha kaise aayi? Main to Siddharth ki party me ja rahi thi." Shreya mumbled in wonderment.
"Main le aayi tumhe yaha!"
Shreya looked up and found a young and gorgeous lady standing in front of her.
"Kaun hain aap?" Shreya asked staring at her.
The lady let out a laugh, "Ha ha ha" she stopped laughing and looked at Shreya. "Mera naam kashish hai Shreya!"
"Kashish?" Shreya became shocked, "But aapko mera naam kaise pata chala? Main aapko nahi janti, kaun hain aap?"
She smiled, "Tum mujhe nahi janti lekin main tumhare bare me sab kuch janti hu. Tumhara naam Shreya hai aur tum ek cid officer ho. Tum apne fiance ke party attend karne ja rahi thi lekin us party me tumhe koi interest nahi hai. Actually tum dusri party me jana chahti ho, kyunki ye party uski hai, jisse tum pyar karti ho?" Kashish said with a gleam in her eyes.
Shreya's mouth opened wide in shock. She stood up with a jerk. "Kaun hain aap? Mere bare me itni personal details kaise pata aapko?" Shreya was pestered.
Kashish guffawed seeing shreya panicked.
"Stop laughing, kaun ho tum?" Shreya shouted.
Kashish stopped laughing and looked at her, "I am a witch"
Shreya rolled her eyes, "Oh really? I don't tolerate such nonsense ok? Saaf saaf batao tum kaun ho aur mere bare me sab kuch kaise janti hu?"
Kashish heaved a sigh, "Mujhe pata tha tum yakeen nahi karogi? Jara socho, thodi der pehle tumhara kitna bada accident hua tha. Jab tak koi tumhari help ke liye aata na tumhari saanse band ho gayi hoti. Dekho khud ko, tumhare jakhm itni jald kaise bhar gaye? Tumhara dard bina kisi treatment ke kaise gayab ho gaya? Bewkoof ladki, ye meri powers ka Kamaal hai.!"
Shreya looked at her body and a chill ran down her spine remembering her accident. She shivered.
Kashish caught her hand, "Nahi yakeen ho raha na, aao mere sath. Apni aankho se dekho tumhara accident kaise hua tha!"
She dragged Shreya near a stand which was holding a huge vessel filled with crystal clear water. She did something with her fingers into the water and the water was immediately transformed into a silver screen. Shreya's eyes widened seeing the visuals on the screen. It was displaying everything how the cat jumped on her car and how she met with that accident. She saw herself lying on the road drenched in blood.
Shreya's breath got hitched. She looked at Kashish shivering in fear.
"Tum sach me witch ho? To tumne meri jaan kyun bachai? Tum to insaano ko maar kar unka khoon peeti ho na. Aur..aur young aur khoobsurat ladkiyon ka heart kha janti ho khud ko young rakhne ke liye." Shreya said gingerly.
Kashish laughed at Shreya's innocence, "Oh God, those nonsense movies and scripts!" She sighed, "Tum insaano ne bahut galat theories bana kar rakhi hain humare bare me. Sari witches buri nahi hoti. Kuch achhi bhi hoti hain. Aur mujhe dekho, kya mujhe aur khoobsurati ki jarurat hai? Nahi na, to main tumhe kyun marungi. Hum kisi ko tabhi marte hain, jab hume jarurat hoti hai. Tum insaan bhi to apne entertainment ke liye jaanwaro ka shikaar karte ho? Khud ko witch kyun nahi bolte?"
Shreya felt embarrassed and looked down.
Kashish put her hand on Shreya's shoulder, "Don't worry, mujhse friendship karogi? I was feeling lonely, isliye tumhe yaha uthakar le aayi. Tumhe mujhse darne ki koi jarurat nahi hai. I won't harm you!"
Shreya felt safe with her and smiled. "B-but mujhe party me Jana hai, I am getting late!"
"Don't worry, abhi party shuru hone me time hai. And I can teleport you. Palak jhapkate hi tum party me pahuch jaogi. Tab tak yaha ruko, mujhse baate Karo. Tumhare bare me to main sab kuch janti hu, tum mere bare me kuch jaan lo." Kashish said smiling.
Shreya smiled back, "Tumhare paas to bahut sari powers hogi na? Are han wo tumne kaise kiya? Mere accident ka pura video mujhe dikhaya? Amazing, tum past me huye incidents ko phir se dekh sakti ho?" Shreya asked in excitement.
Kashish nodded her head, "Bilkul! Aao tumhe kuch aur visuals dikhati hu. Bolo kya dekhna chahogi?"
Shreya thought, "Mere past ke bare me to mujhe sab pata hai? Phir kya dekhu?"
Kashish looked at her, "Kuch aisa jo tumhara past hai, but tumhe uske bare me nahi pata. Jaise ki tumhari friends tumhare muh pe kya bolti hain wo to tum janti ho, lekin tumhare peeth peeche tumhare bare me kya baate karti hain, wo tumhe nahi pata!"
Shreya's eyes shined, "Yes yes, you are right, mujhe dekhna hai ki wo log mere bare me kya baate karte hain jab main unke samne nahi hoti"
Kashish smiled and did something with her fingers in that water.
Purvi and Tarika appeared on the screen. Shreya jumped in excitement.
"Shreya ki dress kaisi lag rahi thi tumhe?" Purvi asked.
Tarika made a face, "Dress to achhi thi but uske earrings bilkul match nahi kar rahe the? Kuch bhi pehan kar aa jaati hai Shreya!"
Shreya was shocked.
"You're right! Aur lipstick dekhi, kitni dark thi. Oh god! Shreya ko na sach me dress up karne ka bilkul sense nahi hai." Purvi said.
"Right, uske muh pe to maine bol diya ki bahut achhi lag rahi ho. Warna gussa ho jati na!" Tarika said.
Meanwhile Shreya came there.
"Kya baate kar rahe ho tum log?"
"Kuch nahi hum log bas tumhare dress ke bare me baate kar rahe the. And Shreya I must tell you, tumhari earrings bahut pyari lag rahi hain yaar!" Tarika said.
"Yes, aur lipstick bhi!" Purvi said buttering her.
"Aww, thanks!" Shreya said smiling.
The video ended and Kashish burst out in laughter. Shreya was standing there boiling in anger.
"In dono ko to main chodungi nahi!" She said gritting her teeth.
"Ye to kuch bhi nahi tha, abhi to bahut kuch baki hai Shreya!" Kashish said laughing.
Suddenly something clicked Shreya's mind and her expressions changed to a soft one. She turned to Kashish.
"Kashish, ab mujhe Daya sir ko dekhna hai. Meri absence me wo mere bare me kya baate karte hai, mujhe janna hai please!" Shreya requested.
Kashish nodded, "Sure!"
.
.
...to be continued