Click for Part 1 and Part 2 on the Rick & Sasha series
My radio receiver crackled. “The VIP is arriving, ETA 14 minutes, is Checkpoint 4 secure?” “Rick here, Checkpoint 4 secure” I responded, looking around. My station was charged with securing the event. It was a rock concert. Me and the detective squad were under-cover, in plain clothes while the uniformed officers were posted all around. It was a boring routine job that counted towards overtime, so, it meant something, I guess. “You look like a joker. Where did you get that hat?” I turned to see Joshi laughing at me. “Hey, we are undercover. Plus, I won this at the games” I jerked my fingers towards the stalls where they had set up some games. “Lemme guess, shooting?” Joshi snatched the hat. “Hey, I won that. Plus this.” I pulled out a keychain. It had a mini teddy bear holding a pink cushion with the words I love you on it.
“Yeah sure. Whatever. Still lame” Joshi handed me the hat. “I’m going to the north entry. Saw lots of chicks there. Might even get lucky!” He laughed. “Sure, go ahead. I’d pay to see you talk to at least one.” “Hey, we are undercover police officers. My coolness factor is through the roof. You’ll see” He walked off. I stared at him till he disappeared into the crowd. I sat down on a bench, taking off my glasses. Just like that, every pretty face, every perfect body, every million dollar dress, became an out of focus blob. It was just an out of focus whirlwind of colours. Nameless. Faceless. Is this how others see the world? So busy in their lives that they see everyone else as a smudge, as a blob of existence. See just themselves, and two feet from them?
A commotion broke my reverie. Someone was screaming at the checkpoint. I got up, walked to see what happened, when, I saw her. Sasha! Here! I stopped in my tracks. How was she here! She was wearing a black dress and red lipstick. As if teasing me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked gorgeous. Her friends were with her, but I could only see her. I sidestepped out of her way. I felt my hands shaking. I sat down. I couldn’t breath. All this time I spent trying to move past her, just one look and I’m back to what I was. My head was pounding, my breath shallower. I felt my heart beat faster and faster. It’s okay, I reassured myself. It’s gonna be okay. I should just talk to her. Confront her. What’s the worst that could happen?
Trembling, I dialled her number. Miraculously, she picked up. I heard that voice I knew only too well. “Hello? Rick? Is that you?” “Y-yeah, it is. Hey, Sasha, quick question, where are you?” She paused. “I’m outside actually. Why?” I took a deep breath. “Can you turn to your left?” I watched as she turned. It was almost like a scene from a movie. I saw her, mere meters away, alone, as people hustled all around her. She turned slowly, and saw me, her eyes wide in surprise. She’ll come running to me, I thought. She’ll run to my arms, I thought. I’ll be holding her close to me again, I thought.
“Oh you’re here?” I heard her voice on the phone. I disconnected the call wand walked over to her. “Yeah, I know. I love the band, Sleeping Bill-” “Pill” “Yeah, that” I laughed nervously. I shoved my hands into my pockets to stop them from shaking. “Can we take a walk?” I asked. She looked at her watch. “Umm okay”
“Okay, why are you really here? And how did you even get in? It’s an exclusive concert!” She turned to me. I pulled out the keychain I won. “Here it’s for you.” She raised an eyebrow at the lettering. “Well, I won it at the shooting stalls, its template. I don’t mean to say-” “I got it Rick” she cut me off. I tried to see any familiarity in her face. None. It was like seeing a stranger. “My station is providing security tonight. It’s the nature of my work. Plus, it’s in my overtime privilege. I have no one at home so” I trailed off. She nodded. “How about you? How did you- ” “Junaid” She sighed. “Sasha, you still-” “Yes, I am. He got me and my friends the tickets.” “Is he coming?” She nodded. “How you’ve been? She asked. I couldn’t speak. To have held her and love her, only to have her so near me, yet, miles apart. “Rick, are you okay?”
“What did you think? When you saw me and realised I was here too?” I had to ask her. I had to know. If she- “Nothing actually. I mean it’s a big city you know. Crazy things happen all the time.” “That’s brutal” I grimaced. “I wasn’t actually thinking anything. So, no, I don’t know.” She finished. “Panic, confusion, irritation, anything?” She shook her head. It was at that moment, I realised, no, Sasha has changed. The last sliver of hope I held on to, was dead. She had become the person she swore would never be. I could see it in her eyes. She was lost. I could see her face, but it was too smooth, too shiny. She has become the person she said she wouldn’t be.
My mind went back to teenage years when we used to talk about our future. She said she wanted to join some NGO, travel the world, doing good as a doctor. That she’ll adopt kids, give them a home. Our home. Adopt puppies. Every single thing she said to me. That she planned. She was no more. I had to believe my Sasha was still there, but I could see, there was no hope left, anymore. My Sasha was really gone. All that was left was a painful reminder what she used to be. Sasha’s ringing phone broke my thoughts “Rick, you okay?” “No yeah, I have to go. Some security problem. See you, have a good time” I walked away. I wanted to hear her call my name. Ask me to come back. Tell me she loved me. Tell me that Junaid was a mistake, but no. There was no voice. There was no call. I turned back, hoping to get one last look at her, but she was already disappeared into the crowd.
Sasha picked up her phone. “Hey Baby, I’ll be reaching there is 5 minutes. Hope you’re wearing something nice!” “Yeah, I bet you’ll be blown away.” She laughed. ” Come quick, I’m waiting.” She started away when she stopped. Looking around, she found an empty bench. She walked over, dialling a number. It rang rand rang. She tried again. The call connected the third time she tried. “Amy, are you up?” A tired voice on the phone answered back. “Yes, now that you woke me” “Amy you were right. I need your help. I’ve lost myself. Everything you said, about me, about Rick, about Junaid, about every choice I made since that night, you were right.” She spoke quick, her voice shaking. “Jeez Sash, now you see? What happened?” “Rick. I saw him just now. Met, talked. And I don’t know what happened. I don’t wanna be like this anymore.” She broke down. “Please pick me up. Let me crash at your place. I don’t wanna go back to Junaid’s place tonight” Amy stayed silent. “Okay, Sash, baby, tell me where you are. I’m coming sweetie.” “The concert I told you about. Please take me with you” “Sash, I’m picking up my keys, just wait. I don’t wanna bring this up, but when your older sister says something, its usually right. Just like now. And again I have to rescue your ass” “Shut up! I just need to think. Are you coming?” “Yes Sash, I’ll be there, just wait.”
Stories are meant to be told 