1 Chapter 1

As usual I went to school, and like ordinary kids, was playing with my friends. We were playing different games one after another like conducting various competitions among ourselves and putting one or two as judges. We all made pairs of two and were practicing for the dance competition.

Lara:  You(Yuma) and Tina are paired. Now you have to tell me and Rosy about your upcoming dance performance as we are the judges.

Rosy: No, I think it would be better if we directly see their final performance and the songs they have chosen. Let it be a suspense for everyone .

Tina: OK, now go. We have to rehearse. We only have 10 minutes to go.

After ten minutes, they dance and even they are declared as winner team. Now it was time for the singing competition.

Ohh God , never in my life I got so tensed and felt so embarrassed . That day was like meant to insult me even though I am just 10 years old, I still had some reputation before my friends but everything was against my favour at that time . Atleast I felt it was ruining my so called reputation that was actually nothing at that time but of course a kid's mind is unpredictable . So yes I was over-thinking .

Tina asked me of songs I like or the songs I remember so that we could sing and win this competition also but to her disappointment, I never listened to songs . I was never interested in music, atleast at that time of my life . Still she tried to make me learn a few lines in those ten minutes but I was really very bad student as I couldn't remember the lyrics so she just asked me to give beats and tunes whenever she signs and I did as she said .

We lost the competition and her words affected me when she expressed "I knew this is gonna happen because it was a duo competition and I only sang, you didn't ."

I was so affected because she not only expressed it in words but the whole day I could see her disappointment through her face and so could be seen on mine .

"How stupid we were to think of small things as a big matter ." I smiled looking at Alicia(called her Alice in short) .

"Don't know when will I get rid of your childhood stories ." She sighed, clearly bored of my talks .

"I won't allow you to get rid of it so easily . There are still many stories for you, and you can't step out silently like that . I am standing with my back that doesn't mean you could get out so easily dude , I have caught you these many times at least now stop trying to run away . I thought you must be already habituated of me caught ingredients you leaving without saying a word . Which one is this , umm....oh ya.. 27th time . Have patience ."I replied (while looking out of the window in my apartment).

"Of course, why would I leave I was just looking out as I thought someone knocked on the door or else I won't go near the door and please , I beg you , don't start with a lecture and then remembering another story and then not letting me go to my home on time . And that doesn't mean I was trying to leave, again I am repeating , I was just waiting for you to complete as always and you were continuously talking like always ." She said giving excuses (in her words , as always) but I remained calm and asked her to leave if she wants to because I knew she would get irritated . I just love to tease her as she gets angry for small things .

I knew what she was gonna say , so we both said the same thing at the same time "Yuma , you always do that to me . You want me to leave , right? Ok then, bye bye ."

She started to move when she realized I was mimicking her so she made a pout face, folding her arms in front and stood with her back in front of me .

" Ok sorry.... sorry... sorry.... you know I was just kidding ", I said doing 2-3 sit ups and continued ,"Now stop getting angry , I am making green tea for myself and if you wanna leave, its ok . I thought we both will be enjoying our evening with your favorite green tea but it's ok you are upset with me , I can understand . May be next time when your mood is good . Ok then , bye bye ." I knew she would not only be ok but just like kids will be convinced in two seconds by hearing green tea .

She loved green tea especially made by me and I rarely made green tea because I don't like it too much but it's the best way to deal with her anger .

Soon I made green tea and we were chit chatting sitting in my garden enjoying it like nothing happened . She suddenly stood by whispering something and her chair fell down . She then placed the chair and started leaving by saying that she is late as she had to meet her boyfriend and forgot because of me .

Wait a second , I never knew she had a boyfriend, why didn't she tell me and when did this happen ? Who is her boyfriend ?

All these questions traveled in my brain but before I could ask she was gone .

"God knows what she is upto . Atleast she could have told me. I am her best friend , I never kept anything secret from her . She always told me everything before getting mingled this time . Maybe her boyfriend asked her not to tell anyone . Or was she lying so that she could leave otherwise I would have stopped her . " I spoke to myself moving left to right constantly thinking about Alice in the garden .

I am really worried for her because her previous relationships were not so good (as in they did not last over a month) and I just want to know if she was having a boyfriend he is good or bad . I just don't want her to get hurt as she is so sweet that anyone can fool her with sweet talks . I was the one who broke her previous relationships as I got to know those boys were bastards cheating my best friend . So I was always worried for her but this time I am more worried than ever as she has not told me for the first time about having a boyfriend as she was single since 6 months . How can suddenly she have a boyfriend that too without telling me ?

If this is a joke , I am not gonna leave her

for sure . I am praying to God it must be a joke as I don't want her to get herself in it again because I can't see her getting hurt . She is not picking up my phone since she left . I am scared now it's been an hour , atleast she can call me back by seeing my 20 miss calls . She never does this . Even if she is in an important office meeting she messages me to not to call her as she is busy .

Finally she has called . As soon as I picked up the call I started yelling at her not even hearing for once what is she telling ," What the hell is wrong with you , can't you just text me if you are busy , I don't think you have ever been so busy in these 8 years of our friendship that you couldn't text me once . I was really worried for you Alice and you know it very well , then why didn't you reply me . And what was that you told me while leaving from my house that you left to meet your boyfriend, you never told me you have one and....." I was stopped by a male voice who yelled at me to shut up . I could hear someone trying to speak when I picked up the call but I thought she is in crowd .

"Who was that ? Why was he asking me to shut up and how dare he yell at me and what's happening ? I got a call from Alicia's phone so who the hell is talking on other side ", I thought in fraction of seconds and immediately asked," Who are you and where is Alice ? Why are you talking through her phone and....." I was again asked to shut up and listen to him and this time he yelled at me even louder than before that my hands immediately took the phone far from my ear as a reaction.

"Will you stop asking questions and listen to me for once ? If you keep asking questions how will I give you an answer which you are demanding but never ready to listen ", he said with irritation in his voice and I could feel anger in his voice .

I immediately said ,"Yes, please speak without giving unwanted lectures ", I said worried and frustrated with his behavior at the same time .

Unwanted lectures... anyways I will come to that later. Right now you are the one who is not listening to me, so please shut up . I am calling from this phone as I got this number in this phone as an emergency number as this lady is admitted to my hospital, I am a doctor. I am sending you the location. Please come fast as it is a rape case and this lady is in a critical condition " he said .

My heart skipped a beat when I heard 'RAPE CASE' . If it's her boyfriend then I am gonna kill him whoever it is . I got the location and immediately left my apartment .

I immediately said," I am coming . Please start the treatment , I will reach there as fast as I can and handle the formalities but please be quick , nothing should happen to her doctor , please I am begging you , please just do whatever you want but save her . I will reach there in 10 minutes " I hung up saying that and drove myself to the hospital as fast as I could .

When I reached the hospital, I came to know that Alice is in ICU . I immediately rushed to the ICU on the second floor and lift was on 3rd floor , it felt as if lift is not coming down so I immediately took ladders and reached ICU huffing .

I tried to go inside ICU when a nurse stopped me and asked me to wait outside . I argued with her to let me go in but she refused . After 10 minutes doctor came out and just when I was about to bombard him with questions he informed me," I am sorry but she doesn't have much time . She has already given a statement to police , she want to talk to Yuma , if you know someone named Yuma..." I immediately said," I am Yuma , please let me in and you can't say she don't have time , I know you will save her . It's your duty to save her how can you say that . Just don't say that please . Please save her please...." I started crying by taking deep sobbings and sat in front of ICU door when he asked a nurse to take me in to meet Alice .

I got up and wiped the tears rolling down my cheeks . I tried not to cry and moved in with the nurse and sat beside Alice . I asked her by holding her hand ," Who did this Alice ? Just tell me how did this happen . I swear on you I will not spare him , just say his name . Don't be afraid , I am with you . And nothing will happen to you , I will make you slap and punch that bastard who did this to you . Just tell me who the hell that idiot is . "

I kept on asking about the rapist but didn't hear anything , I thought why isn't she replying when I looked at her struggling to speak in a very low tone , so I leaned my ear towards her and tried to listen and she said, " Ni....Ni...ti...n..." as she completed tears started rolling down from her eyes .

I thought who was Niniti I don't know anyone by such name , I told her not to worry and ensured that I will find him and get arrested . I didn't let her know that I don't know who she was talking about but inside me I was really confused as the way she told and reacted , I can easily figure out that she thinks I know the person but I can't remember . I came out by consoling her for sometime . I asked the doctor to not give up on Alice and try to recover her , I asked him whatever amount is it , I will pay but atleast try to save her as he can't be standing like a statue by saying I can't do anything . If he couldn't then who could , he is a doctor he must do something .

I asked him to just go in and treat her even if it is for showing me ," Please don't stand like a statue . Please treat her even if it is just to show me. I can't let you out here if she is struggling for her life . My prayers won't work either if doctors stop trying .

After my insisting for few more minutes , he said," I am really very sorry , Miss Yuma but it is too late . She had got internal bleeding and she is very badly injured , it is impossible for any doctor to save her and I don't want to give you any false hopes . Even if I agree to you and go inside , when I come out I would say the same that we can't save her . If it was in my hand I could have done but doctors can save them who want to live and this lady you say Alicia is so disturbed with the incident that she don't wanna live , so no matter how much we try we can't succeed in saving her . I am sorry again. "

I was broken up for a moment when I heard him saying he can't save her but I collected myself and said," Don't say that she don't want to live , she has to live . I will give her hope to live , I will convince her , give her strength to deal with the bad memories , give me 5 minutes and I will do whatever I can but please say you will treat her again . "

He let a heavy sigh out and said, " We don't have any time to save her now she is not in a state of recovering , her body is not responding to the medicines . I would suggest you to spend time with you relative as much as you want rather than wasting time in convincing me as she doesn't have much time left ."

I rushed to her thinking I can't let her die . I didn't have anything to do but pray because only God can give me some more time with my best friend , my almost sister rather would say more than a sister .

"Hello readers .

Everyone have something first time in their lives . So here goes my first story . Please forgive me for grammatical mistakes and please support .

This story is not related to anyone . If it looks like one , then it's purely coincidental ."