17

6 January 2012

Night had fallen. The hills looked mesmerizing in the moonlight. The wind whipped around Radhika and Madhav.

As she sat next to him on the hilltop, she was amazed at what he had done. He had chosen to adopt Parth’s identity. He had chosen to be this way.

Madhav was in tears. Radhika held him tightly.

‘This is where he died,’ he cried, pointing to the edge of the gorge a few metres away from them.

‘You did not kill him, Madhav. It was an accident,’ she said gently, but he was unable to wrap his head around her words, having spent so many years believing he was a murderer.

Radhika stood up and walked closer to the edge. She looked up at the moon shining in the velvety sky. Madhav wiped his tears as he saw her moving closer towards the edge.

‘Radhika!’ he called out. She didn’t look back. It was growing darker with each passing second. She walked as though she were blind, not looking down.

‘Radhika, stop!’ Madhav ran towards her.

She turned back. Their eyes met, as though it were for the last time.

‘Radhika, what are you doing? Be careful,’ he said. She stood at the edge of the gorge, unresponsive. The wind blew violently as Madhav moved closer to her. She raised a foot and dangled it over the precipice.

He screamed and caught her hand as she went over the edge. She stared at him as he travelled back in time to the moment when he’d been unable to save Parth. His grip on her hand began slipping but she didn’t say a word. She just looked into his eyes. Madhav had to save her in order to save himself. He had to pull her back up. He was stronger now but his heart was as weak as it had been eleven years ago. He dug his feet in the mud to get a strong foothold and reached out for Radhika’s other hand.

He screamed out her name, his voice echoing through the valley as he pulled her towards him.

Radhika believed in her heart that her plan would work. ‘Please save me, Madhav,’ she whispered.

Her words rang in his ears. His vision blurred and he saw Parth in front of him instead of Radhika.

‘Parth,’ he whispered. ‘I cannot let you die. I will save you. I will never let you go.’ He pulled her up, hugged her tightly and cried, ‘I didn’t kill you. I never killed you. I saved you. I kept you safe.’

She cradled his head and wiped away his tears. She knew the love she had for him would heal him in a way that therapy never could.

‘Each breath we take is an opportunity for a new life, Madhav. Live each day fully and see how beautiful your life becomes.’

They had their arms wrapped around each other as Madhav sobbed. ‘I wish I could have told him what he meant to me.’