She was waiting for him. Finally she saw him creeping sheepishly through the dingy dark alley. She kept following him, and he kept prowling through the alley, unaware of the eyes behind him.

Something rustled. He turned to see. She hid behind the enormous garbage bin. Oh! It was just an alley cat. He hushed it by throwing a pebble. It shriek broke the eerie silence. The cat jumped past her. She stumbled to balance. She sat there, motionless, yet watchfull.

He opened his bag. Unloaded it. Out came the purses, the bags, and all his steal. Then something tingled. She peeked hard to get a view. The dim street light made it glitter.

Oh! It was her gold bracelet. The one that her dad gifted her on her 13th birthday. It was her favourite. She had never let it go. But today, it was in the hands of this demon. She felt like pouncing on him to retrieve her priceless possession. But, she felt powerless, she felt intimidated.

The man emptied all the cash into his dirty pocket. Then he took out a knife. She could see the blood stains on the knife. She felt a sharp pain in her throat. But she continued looking at the ghastly demon residing inside that man.

He dropped the blood stained knife inside the bin. It made a thumping sound which made her uncomfortable. He left the spot. She followed him down the lane.

She kept following him, without any plan of action. How was she supposed to confront him? She lacked the strength to fight with him. But she kept following him. After a while, her fear started subsiding. She somehow felt an insurgence of strength. Was she ready to take him down? What would be the repercussions of her actions? This was all a new experience for her. She has been doing it only for a few hours now. What if her plan backfires?
He kept walking. She kept following him. He stopped by a cigarette shop. Lit a cigarette. She saw his face for the first time in the bright light of the shop. She saw remorse. There was something the man was not able to come in terms with, and his face reflected that exact feeling. He sat down, looking at his hands. He rushed out of the shop and vanished into the street.

She kept following him from a distance. She could hear him sob.
“I shouldn’t have done it. I’m not evil. Why did I do it?”

He kept mumbling as he moved forward.

“Ramesh, you did it for your daughter. Now she will be saved.” He kept talking to himself.

“But, at what cost? I’m evil. I have no right to live.”

The mumbling continued as she kept following him.

“But, you did it to save your little girl.”

“No. No. No amount of convincing can help me overcome my guilt.”

“Why is there a crowd outside my house?”

She could hear his palpitations rise, as they pierced through the crowd. He could see horror in everyone’s face, and she could see it too.

“Meera is no more.” A lady cried, as he entered the shanty.

He staggered.

“She paid the price for my misdeed.” He started howling.

“I was going to give her, her lunch, when she collapsed in my arms. Her heart couldn’t take it anymore. It was too weak to even breathe.”

“Lunch?” He thought. “That was the time when I murdered the lady for her gold bracelet. I didn’t mean too, but she wouldn’t let her bracelet go. And I needed all the money I could, to save my Meera’s failing heart.”

“I killed her. I killed her. She paid for my misdeed.” He shouted as he started hitting his head on the wall.
She plunged forward to help him. But she passed through him. She saw a little girl sitting near her father.

“My father was wrong. I know. But all he wanted was to save me.” The little girl said.
“Meera, don’t worry. I have forgiven him. Wish he had told me his problem, then I would have helped him in a better way. But, what is done cannot be undone.”

He clutched the bracelet in his hands. If only, he had not killed her, may be Meera, would have been alive…..

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