The Fate Takes its Turn
By: Afifa Hanif
Tags: Short Story, Fantasy, Destiny, Fiction, Fate

She was walking down the dark street of the town at midnight alone. Her gait was slow; she was trembling and murmuring something slowly. It looked like she was sad and drunk. I stopped my car, I was curious to know her narrative. She was immensely attractive and her face was shining like a star in extreme shadows.

I stepped towards her; she was unaware of my influx. Holding her hand I said: ‘what are you doing here? It’s around 12:30 and this is not safe.’ She glanced at me with her gorgeous eyes and fell unconsciously. In meantime a man with light complexion and a middle-aged woman came up to me. They grasped the young lady from my arms cruelly and departed. I didn’t say anything nor did I follow them because I thought they would know her and she is safer with them. More than two weeks were gone by, but the attractiveness of the girl’s eyes remained in my thoughts. I was thinking about her too much and I fell in love with her thought, her eyes, and her beauty.

I and I alone were going through this phase of love, that girl didn’t even look at me for a while. I don’t even know who she was, what her name was or anything like that.

That day I realized, love is a pure feeling that can rise with just a glimpse of the one who is made for you. But I, I was sad and depressed because I had no idea what the divinity had planned for me.

My friend who was aware of all the feelings that I was going through, said: ‘why are you so disappointed, go in the search of the one whom you had presented your heart in just one glance’.

I laughed and then sighed at once ‘how could I look out for her when I don’t know anything about her.’ ‘Keep faith in deity’ he replied. It touched my heart.

Next day I made up my mind to go that place and ask nearby about that girl, but wait a second; what to ask? I don’t know anything. Name, address or nothing. But I will.

I went to that street; a couple of people were passing by the street so I decided to ask them about her. A man was standing out of a house, I said him: ‘Hello Mr. I am Danielle I wanted to ask you something.’ ‘Yes, please you may’ he said. ‘It’s about a month I saw a girl here in your street she was drunk and wandering here. If you know about her please tell me.’ ‘No here’s no such girl you are on the wrong address boy’ he said angrily. ‘I’m sorry sir, please don’t get angry on me I’m sorry I wasted your time. It’s okay thank you very much.’

The very while I was just about to go on a woman screamed ‘she ran again, she ran! Catch her.’ The man closed the door in a fit of fury.

I was still standing there and examining the situation, all of a sudden that man and two other with him opened the door sat in their car and set off with high speed. In intervening time I saw that middle-aged woman coming out of that house. She didn’t see me and she started to look for someone. Something clicked in my mind, what if the girl that ran is the same girl I’m searching for. I couldn’t figure out what’s happening. With so many thoughts coming to mind I sat in the car and moved on towards my home. I was driving but I was busy thinking about that girl, suddenly my car got hit by a motorbike.

When I opened my eyes I was in hospital. I was okay but my head got injured a bit. The nurse told me that a girl took me here and she’s at the reception; filling the form. I thought to thank her before she would go, I walked to the reception slowly but she was gone. I came back to bed and lied there. Someone opened the door, and I was astonished to see that girl I was searching from many days on my door. I was as happy as the prince who found his Cinderella.

She came in and said: ‘I took you here but I forgot my purse here, I am sorry to disturb you.’ I was silently gazing her, she took her purse and moved towards the door. I called: ‘hey, what’s your name? I was searching for you from many days.’ ‘For me? Why? I don’t know you and I think you also don’t know me’ she answered. I told her everything that happened between her and me. She was quiet. ‘Now if you believe me and trust me please tell me why you were there? And who were the people that took you back?’ She started to tell her story.

“I am Sarah Williams. A group of three men and a woman kidnapped me from my village; they took me here and treated me as a slave. That night the son of one of the men offered me a glass of juice and said: ‘you work all the day here and nobody takes care of you. Please drink it you’ll feel good.’ I thought he is a nice guy and drank the juice. He had mixed some drug in that juice. He thought now I would be unconscious, and came close to me, he tried to touch me inappropriately. He was also drunk he started to beat me up when I tried to resist. For self-defense I hit him hard with a vase that was put aside. He fell on the floor; I was so afraid that I ran up from the house. I don’t remember anything that happened with me after escaping the house. But when I got awake I was again in that house. They all beat me up again. And today as well when the woman was beating me I hit her hard and ran from backside of the house.”

I was shocked. “What? That was you? You escaped from the house? I was outside your house in search of you when you escaped. I can’t believe this”

She was as shocked as I was. I never thought I would meet her here like that. She was so pretty and she was talking to me. She was in front of me. I was really happy. I made her trust me. I promised not only to her but also to myself. ‘She was my fate. I will take care of her’.

That day I realized that disappointment is a sin. Divinity has better plans for us than we think. Sarah and I went to her village, there we got married and are now living in a healthy and happy relationship.