CLARET

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It was still green.

Her eyes on the signal and her foot on the brake, she ignored the honking cars behind her.

The traffic rush was maddening at this hour and in a way, so was she.
3…2...1

The signal turned red.

Her foot shifted to the gas pedal and the car shot forward amidst a whirl of screeching and honking. The car twisted and turned, missing the other vehicles by a hairsbreadth.

Two blocks later, seeing another green light, she screeched to a halt.  Besides her, he sighed. “Why on earth do you do this every time? Putting yourself in danger isn't going to bring her back.”

Stone faced, she kept on her eyes on the traffic signal. Her foot itching to press down on the gas, she impatiently waited for the light to turn red and as always, ignored the angry crowd behind her.

Just as the colours changed and the car zoomed ahead, they both heard the tell-tale sounds of a police siren behind them.
He groaned. She smirked.

Expertly avoiding the onslaught of automobiles, she raced ahead and allowed the chase to begin.

With a reckless glitter in her eyes, she navigated her way off the highway and faked a right turn at the intersection. At the last moment, she swivelled and took a dangerous turn onto the left lane. The police car, having been successfully tricked into the right turn, was left behind to bite the dust.

Her triumph over the police, at least for the moment, allowed her to slow down onto the familiar momentarily empty road.

She bypassed the traffic signal and halted near the dip at the side of the road.

After a moment of silence, she responded to his previous question, “I know it’s not going to bring her back.” More quietly, she muttered, “I’m just trying to understand. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that she ran one red light, one, and it killed her. I run them all time and I’m always fine. Not even a scratch.”

He placed his hand on her arm and said, “I ask myself that question every day. I’m trying to understand, too. But you cannot keep putting yourself in danger. She wouldn’t want that. I don’t want that.”

She raised her defiant eyes to her brother’s. “But I just-”

He cut her off. “It was a crazy accident. An accident. What you’re doing? That’s just plain crazy. You’re putting yourself and not to mention, other people in danger. It’s going to get you or someone else killed one day and I’d rather have my sister in one piece.”

At his words, her body deflated. All the fight drained out of her and sorrow replaced it. Tears of anguish filled her eyes and she let herself be engulfed in his arms. Her shoulders shaking and her body trembling, she let the misery take over.

That day, in the same place that her mother was killed because she ran just one red light, she finally let herself grieve.

- Rtr Sakshi Mehta,
Editor 2015-16,
Rotaract Club of Bombay Uptown

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