I will never forget her – her soft smile, earnest voice and sweet nature of friendliness. It was during a train journey that I met her. Train journey was not new to me. I travelled to my home from my college campus and vice versa by train. But this journey was unlike any before. I was called telling my father was really ill. I had rushed to get a ticket in the very next train I could catch. I thought of nothing else but my father. I wanted nothing more than to reach him at the earliest. It was not until I found myself in an almost deserted railway station that the full impact of my situation hit me. For the first time I was aware that I was alone. The few people around me seemed to know each other. They were talking and laughing. A sudden prickling in the back of my neck told me I was being watched. I turned to see a man watching me with cruel bloodshot eyes. A smile was playing on his lips. I quickly walked over to a family and stood next to them. I wanted to get away from him as fast as I could but I got rather unpleasant news. The train was late.
His glance pierced me uneasily till the train finally arrived. Keen to get away from him, I scrambled into the ladies compartment the first chance I got. It was empty save for a girl.
“Hi…” I smiled sitting down next to her.
“Hi. I’m Lekha.” She said, returning my smile.
I liked her at once. Her friendly eyes and bright voice were very inviting.
“I’m Shalin.” I said, happy I was no longer alone. We talked for some time. She was open and friendly. Travelling with her was a pleasure except…
Every time the train stopped I could see those bloodshot eyes gaze through the windows straight at me. I felt uneasy and wished to be surrounded by people.
“Lekha, let’s get into the general compartment.” I told her.
She smiled. “Don’t worry, my friend. You are safe here.”
I wondered how she could be so calm. I was certainly as ‘uncalm’ as one could possibly be. Nothing except the thought of what would happen if she was alone while that man was there stopped me from going off on my own that night.
As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, my mobile phone chose that moment to ring. But before I could take the call, it switched off. I cursed myself for not charging it before I set out.
“What happened?” Lekha asked. I blurted out all my worries about my father. Good thing I did too. If I had kept my thoughts to myself for a second longer, I would have exploded.
“I’m sorry but I don’t have a mobile.” She said, genuinely looking unhappy.
I nearly burst into tears. The only thing I could feel was fear. Fear of what I would find when I reached home.
The next station was almost deserted. I got out and found a public phone. My fingers shook as I dialed my home number.
“It’s Shalin.” I said quickly as someone picked up.
“Shalin! Where are you?” It was my uncle who answered. “Please be quick!”
“The train was late uncle…I’ll be there by 12:00.”
Before I could restrain myself, I blurted out. “How is he?”
“He wants to see you.” My uncle said.
Tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes. If my Uncle said anything else, I didn’t hear. What brought me back to reality was someone saying “The train’s leaving.”
I ran and somehow got into a general compartment. I was so preoccupied during the rest of the journey that I never thought of Lekha. When the journey was over, my uncle was waiting for me at the station. His face was deathly pale. The news he had for me was devastating. My father had taken a turn for the worse.
As I was standing in front of the ICU the next day, my glance fell on a newspaper somebody left on a chair. A dead body was found next to the railway track. Those bloodshot eyes were eerily familiar.
The report that followed sent chills down my spine. This man had been accused of murdering no less than 5 women. Every time he had walked away because of lack of evidence.
It was then than I saw her photo. Lekha…His last victim... Murdered over a year ago.
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