Chapter 38

The van stopped in front of the court building , opening the gate the official took him out , the scene hadn't change much , the media was still there , there was still an angry mob , there was still helplessness in eyes of Pihu and Advait and there was still a smirk on Kabir's face , but someone was not there , whose eyes fighted without speaking with everyone who called him a criminal , actually the eyes which has always witnessed all , were not her to notice how brutal they were with her Vansh.

Taking him through the crowds , it was a difficult task and disgusting too, to protect a criminal who is going to get fruits of his deeds soon, dragging him through the gate , he stood again behind the witness box , as he stood on the first day , quietly and that black cloth hiding the evil face of this murderer .

The police officer walked upto the murderer and took off the cloth to show his disgusting face to the world for the last time , his eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of this world after all this is a world of decents. His eyes once again ran through the crowd sitting in the spectators gallery , the same mob , the same media and Kabir.

But Riddhima was not there , what, neither she was sitting beside him not beside Pihu or Advait , his restlessness grew , the disgustful looks the people gave him , including his own family had no effect on him .

Where is she, he looked at Pihu in stress and helpless , Pihu looked at him and his eyes , she very well knew the questions they wanted to ask but she don't have an answer , everything is lost everything , Riddhima , Vansh , she just everything , she turned her head away breaking into tears , Advait held her and looked up at Vansh in helplessness.

Vansh heart sank ," Riddhima....",

He slowly uttered as his words blocked by horror and now he understood Kabir's smirk was not the usual one , had he snatched something more from his life. No , his heart shouted in horror.

Presently , Riddhima opened her eyes with a jerk , The screen was playing before her eyes , the hearing has started. She gathered up the leftover strength in her to get out while the stubborn ropes laughed at her helplessness. Struggling for few more seconds she finally understood she don't have the strength to break it , not a bit of strength.

Examining her death bed for few seconds she saw the smoke alarm had no effect of the smoke filled in the room , probably it has also adjusted to the smoke of this usual cigarettes. She looked at herself for a last time , her broken skin had pained so much that it was painless now , even the blood has dried up , her tored cloths has spread along the length of the chair , that pin struck had made more of it to lay on the ground than her skin , she felt her fist was empty but the swollen forearm pained more , the infection in the forearm would grow and she has to remove the thing which has pierced in but what's the use she has to die , either from that infection or from this blood loss.

She looked at the screen again , turning her head away in disinterest. She wanted to die peace fully now enough of this...

She looked at the man who was standing at the door , the same so called dead , while the rest would have accompanied there boss probably.

"Hey Mister.....", She spoke with her depleting strength.

The man turned to her in surprise , crushing the cigarettes under his shoe he walked up to her .

"What...",

She straightened a bit , closing her eyes at the sharp pain in her forearm , she looked up with her dizzy eyes.

"Is here some leniency for something like last wish...", She spoke slowly in her tired voice.

The man smircked.

"And what is that last wish",

Riddhima looked up at him and signalled to his pocket. The man gave her a look,

"Cigarette......", He wispered in surprise.

She nodded slowly.

"Do you even smoke.",

Riddhima looked away in disinterest, "I want to smoke before I die , alone.",

"Ohh and any special reason..",

"What is your reason of smoking..... atleast a dieing person must be given the privilege to do something without judging , living ones are already enough to be judged.", She spoke slowly as her tired body allowed her to.

The man looked at her confused , taking out the cigarettes , he lifted it to her , holding it slowly between her lips she backed and took a better grip of it. The man looked at her still in antonishment, she looked up.

"What .....is your boss going to lite this up.", She spoke holding it to the side.

The man bent slowly and lighted it and stood up watching this unique piece , means actually who wishes that on deathbed.

She choked as she took the first sip , adjusting her to the unbearable smoke she let it out smoothly,

"What are looking at , I want to smoke alone , ok.", She looked at the man who was staring her as if......

He walked out in confusion , people become crazy when there death is near , closing the door , he stood outside.

Riddhima coughed holding the cigarette , she knew she don't have strength to free herself but let it be , she looked at the screen again few inches away from her and then her tored cloths whatever, when her cloth got struck in that pin she was frustrated but now it made her smile.

She dropped the burning cigarette to her lap , lifting herself up with every strength she had the cigarette slowly crawled upto her knees, as it touched her skin , she shrieked in the pain, biting her lips she slowly straightened her legs , rolling further down now the cigarette rested on her instep , as it touched her skin more she tightened her fist , there is no way , no way .

Tilting her foot to the right slightly all her efforts were to made it fall on her dress end, which spread there tored off from her skin . But it got stuck , burning her skin a little more , tears of pain falled down her eyes , tightening her fist again , she took a deep breath , there is no way .

And it falled , falled to the dress as her lips slowly curled into a smile , she had tried everything , everything but probably something wants more than your blood , it's ok , she can burn to death , yeah it would be painful but she had promised herself she would try till her last breath .

She opened her eyes but the cigarette laid there as it is , she had a broken smile on her face, let's see who is more stubborn she or this cigarette. The clock ticked further but nothing happened,

"What are you thinking Riddhi.",

Riddhima looked up at Pihu.

"Nothing Pihu , whenever I think it don't happens only.",

Pihu smiled.

"By the way smoke and all.", Riddhima raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous....",

"No means you should have shared with me too...",

"Let me enjoy last thing of my life alone , will you...", Riddhima turned to the cigarette.

"Ok then enjoy alone".

A flamed flashed as she her thoughts broke , her eyes sparkled , it was the first time something was burning but with hope . The small flame took no time to turn into flashes which gave heat waves to her , she knew she would burn for sure today but still ....

The fire proceeded from the tored part of her dress , lighting up to her dress and now it slowly caressed her skin , the sweat which slowly dropped off her and her skin glueing to the fire she looked at the screen infront of her . The trail of fire has sparked and it won't stop before capturing some life in itself , the flames flashed wildy now and touched her skin , she shrieked but didn't uttered a cry .

The latches of fire were sprinkling under the screen but the fire which has covered her was brutally piercing down her skin forming blisters and burns as tears of pain ran down her cheeks, the smoke finally rosed.

The fire rosed and reached her hands as now the chair was not different from it , she coughed and shrieked but the burns didn't stop and neither did the fire , she looked up at the fire alarm which were suppose to ring but looks like it would ring as her death bell.

A wild flame flashed before her eyes as the screen caught fire and now everything was burning , she , the screen , the chair but the alarm didn't ring , the fire pierced her skin some more , she closed her eyes , ok , so it's time , she took a deep breath , let's burn to death only if can't do a thing being alive, the smoke choked her breath , the tears running down her eyes couldn't hold them from closing as she felt something leaving her body something which don't comes back , her head felled to a side ...