Prologue

The chirping sound of birds and the morning cool breeze were faded in the heavy traffic at the Mumbai station. The people were rushing in and out , no need to walk you will reach you destination by the push and pull only, something like human autopilot mode ...

No matter your knowledge of being a high rated introvert and isolated person, it is hard to crack a way out of this traffic. The smoke from the tea stalls, the horn of the running rails and the mouses strolling for there daily bread, everything in one frame; now this a railway station.

But someone was just unaffected from it , someone who could still hear the bird chirping between the noises at station, someone who could feel the cool breeze inspite of the smoke and crowd, someone who could smile looking at those tiny creatures wandering in a human laden ground and this was the girl sitting at the window side with a smile on her face , Riddhima.........

This was her first visit to Mumbai and she just felled in love with it. It's not that she had a huge crush over traffic or noises it was just something different , a change from the cold snowy climate of Shimla. But she has to move back to her college, coming Mumbai was just an assignment but assignments can be interesting too, lucky girl.

"Riddhi ......... Held this suitcase man....."

Pihu shouted, struggling to lift the suitcase into the train from the low platform.

"Riddhima......" She shouted again. Her thoughts broke and she turned to Pihu , standing at the door and trying her level best to pull the suitcase into the train and in process blocking the traffic ; the whole crowd was shouting at her.

Riddhima suppressed her smile and rushed to her. They pulled the bag inside and kept it in the aisle.

Pihu took a deep breath and looked at the people who pored in as if water was released from some dam.

"Ma'am excuse me I have to go there ."a man pointed at Pihu.

She looked at him,

"Walk over me ,no no do one thing throw me out of this Train only."

She shouted and the man was blank.

Riddhima held her shoulder and made her sit and the man walked away.

"What Pihu calm down."

"What calm down ....no what calm down , they were shouting as if I struck that suitcase intentionally ..... A girl is struggling with suitcase and instead of helping her they are shouting..... I will just......".

"Ok.... Ok .... Her drink this water ." Riddhima calmed her down.

Keeping the suitcase to its place Riddhima got seated .

"Never ask me to come to this place again.... please....",Pihu exclaimed wiping off the sweat from her forehead.

Riddhima smiled at her frustration.

"What...... no matter how lovely you found this place , it's not at all for me ...... so much crowd , God."

Pihu removed her jacket and adjusted herself to the seat.

"Come on Pihu we will never be able to visit Mumbai again, and now the assignment is also complete , so let's enjoy our left over moments her , from tomorrow we have to shiver in colds of Shimla only ".

"Cold but gold, it's so humid her, my body just can take this climate."

Pihu said with disinterest and got engrossed in her phone.

Riddhima smiled at her. No matter her anger , Pihu was her friend ....... best friend , any problem, she was always there for her . She said just once and yet being allergic to warm climate , she never denied to accompany her to Mumbai.

The train started.

Riddhima looked outside,

"I will go and take a last view ".

Pihu nodded still busy in her phone and Riddhima walked up to the door.

The train was slowly picking up the speed. Riddhima looked at the platform which was slowly leaving behind.

She poked her head out as the train left the noisy crowd behind , her carefree hairs were fluttering in the wind and she closed her eyes to fell the breeze.

The train took up the speed and she turned to return when she saw someone running to catch the train , she stood there looking at him, when she realized looking won't help , she stretched out her hand to help the person.

" Hey mister come fast......" she shouted the platform was about to end and the train got into its speed, the man rushed and grabbed her hand, he jumped into the door and ran in to the aisle in a hurry.

Riddhima took a deep breathe and leaned against the door,she turned to look , but the man was nowhere.

" Weird, who was he at least he must have thanked me........... Whatever".

She turned to return to her seat when she noticed her hands were wet.

She looked at her palm..........BLOOD ........

" What is this...... "

Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes broadened , she panicked and rushed to the washbasin to wash it off.

" How this blood.............." All the her mood felled into pit and her heart was bouncing in fear.

".............was that man injured......or....." .

She rubbed her hands to wash off every trace of blood from it and hurried to her seat .

Pihu was busy listening to songs to escape her frustration but she sensed that something was wrong , plucking the earphones from her ears she looked at her.

" What happened Riddhi.... Is everything fine"

Riddhima looked at Pihu and calmed herself . She took the seat and narrated the incident which just happened.

" I just can't understand....... What was need to stretch out your hand to some unknown person.... was this some romantic film going on.......... With guitar playing in background and now a love story will start as your hand touch............ Spark.......".

Riddhima looked at Pihu who suppressed her laughter and her so serious sympathy towards her.

" let it be , Riddhi, he must have got hurt.... that's why that blood...... Don't think too much, enjoy your Mumbai otherwise it will be left behind soon."

Riddhima nodded, she was not able to remove the incident from her mind but she calmed herself and looked out of the window.

"That man ran away .......... he didn't even waited to see who helped him.." Pihu interrupted Riddhima , who just got engrossed in the running sceneries.

Riddhima looked at her and nodded.

" See Riddhi I told you , now you seriously need a makeover otherwise stay single throughout your life." Pihu said with a saddened expression.

Riddhima gave a look of disinterest and looked out again.

Was that man injured or it was something else, why he ran away as if he was running from something, who was he.........

These thoughts were running in Riddhima's mind and the running sceneries left Mumbai far behind , the train went running through various tunnels and crossing mountains and slowly the thoughts of that unknown man washed away from her mind.

The train stopped at a station and the people started coming out while the cleaner team went inside. Wiping of the floor one of the cleaner came across a trail of blood. He slowly started following it, he stopped as he saw something , breathing heavily , he leaned holding his heart to look at the source of the blood and a loud scream was heard........

......................................................

P.S.-

It is more complicated than it appear.

Hope you will be able to hear,

Its once again blood and scream

Not exactly those fairy dreams

but still if I have to give hope

Wait for next chapter though.

Yours,

Scarlett Sparrow.