Truth is stranger than the fiction

[Friends, giving a break to my previous series of blogs, I am presenting this.]

This is an incident which happened just a week ago. My friend Amrish got in such a situation which can really be a great script for a movie.

It all happened just one night before his wedding. 

That night his house was full of guests. Everybody was waiting to witness that moment impatiently. In one corner, aged people could be spotted discussing about the preparations of the wedding. In another corner, some girls were too busy with their girly talks and most of their talks was about the kind of dresses they were planning to put on. A few old ladies were trying to dictate the correct manner of the rituals to the middle aged ladies. And kids, they were totally busy in playing and running around. Happiness was in the air and the atmosphere was fully prepared to greet the new bride.

 Amrish wanted to meet her fiancé Richa that night. Amrish called Richa.

Richa picks up the call.

“Hey, how are you? I want to meet you right now,” said Amrish.

“Like right now. Really. It is 9:00 pm. Are you serious? By the way, what is the matter?” said Richa from the other end.

“Yeah, absolutely. Come, I can’t talk about it on the phone.” Amrish replied.

“Ok. Let me ask my mom and see if she allows me. I’ll call you back,” She said and hung up.

After 15 minutes Richa calls Amrish.

“Fine. I’ll come down. Mom was little worried and asked me to return as soon as possible,” she told Amrish.

“Ok. It won’t take much time. Just come over. Nehru Bridge sharp 11:00 pm. I’ll be there.”Amrish decided the time and place.

“Ok” she agreed and hung up.

11:00 pm. Nehru bridge. The bridge wasn’t so illuminated with dim street lights. Cold breeze could be felt due to the Sabarmati river flowing under the bridge.

Standing over the river Sabarmati, Amrish was eagerly waiting for Richa. Soon, he saw a Ford car with bright light approaching him which stopped by him at the next moment. And then Richa came out of the car.

“Hey Amrish! How are you? Why have you called me here at this point of time?”She asked anxiously.

“I am glad you came. Tomorrow, we are going to get married....” Amrish said and paused in between.

“Yes. And I am so excited about that. But is there any problem?”She asked sensing something.

“Richa, before I say anything, I want you to be calm and listen to me carefully whatever I am gonna say. Ok ?” Amrish said.

“Now you are increasing my heart beats, ok. Tell me what you have in your mind” Richa requested

“Richa, you should know something more about me. I mean to say....” He again paused but this time he had another reason to pause.

Both of them could behold a bunch of 8-10 people coming towards them. These people were actually running. And one person who seemed to belong to that mob, was running much faster that rest of them. Amrish got little terrified and so was Richa. It was 11:00 pm and almost no body was there on the bridge. The mob was coming closer and closer.Amrish assumed that the mob must be full of miscreants who want to harm them.

Sensing the danger, Amrish screamed, “Richa, Let’s get into the car.”

She understood and rushed inside.

The mob was coming closer. Amrish took the driving seat and put the key in the hole and ignited the engine..

That one person, who was running faster than others had something in his hand, came very close to the car. So close that the gap between him and car’s headlight was less than 5 meters. Rest of them were behind him.

Sensing the danger, Amrish put his car in the reverse gear, pressed accelerator, stopped and then again in 1^st gear, accelerated more, turned his wheels right, 2^nd gear , 3^rd gear, pressed accelerator harder and boom! He lost his control and smashed the car against the barrier along the bridge.

Next, when he opened his eyes, he found himself at a hospital surrounded by his kith and kins. He had survived numerous injuries. This evening was supposed to be the best day of his life. All these kith and kins were to see him getting married. But it was not destined to be. Richa had also some severe injuries. Only thing which was sort of a reliever was that both of them were out of danger now. This is how this young couple ended up having their wedding night in the hospital.

On the same day local newspaper published, “On the Nehru Bridge, angry mob beat a criminal brutally who was allegedly involved in shoplifting.”

Another portion of the same newspaper also said,”A car lost control and smashed against the barriers on the Nehru bridge. Reasons are not known yet. Severely injured victims have been admitted to SAL Hospital at Drive-in road.”