Magic Ribbon

She tied the magical ribbon around the crow's neck. Krishna's neck.

What made her do this? She didn't know.

She sat by her window on lonely nights. Her suffering, her turmoil, a storm
within. A storm that drowned her, made her suffer most of the times. Her
mother never understood her, Her father, the most evil person in her life.
The tormentor of her life, The giver of bruises and kicks.

She told Krishna, he black-feathered, big beast of a bird everything.

Her only brother had died, the only person who truly loved her. He died
giving her a magical ribbon. The talk of magic never left his lips but she
knew, She knew it was magical, she hoped. Her brother spent his last
moments trying to give it to her.

She wanted him to say goodbye. Shout "I love you Parul!" to her.

But he did not speak anything, nothing about the ribbon and nothing about
her. He put his precious energy in the end, in tying the ribbon around her
hand. And then he died. His tongue silent forever. Her heart screaming
forever.

Of course, the ribbon was magical, a magical parting gift from her brother.
He talked of her death to crow sitting in his nest by her window.

The Crow. The Bird. Krishna Her only. Friend. The friend she could talk to.
Her pure black beauty. Her silent partner.

"Krishna, I love you," she said to him. "I will miss you!" "Don't forget me!"

She said as she was tying her ribbon around his neck. He let her put it
patiently. Patient, unlike any crow she saw.
Her father had seen her talking to the crow. He called her crazy and
thought her insane. He was going to end this madness of her. Destroy the
crow's nest and maybe even kill the bird.

He would do that. He was an evil man, destroying her only hope in life.

She won't let anything happened to her Krishna.

"Go away Krishna! Fly my friend! Fly until you are away from me. Away
from my hell!

At least you will be free!"

She was expecting something to happen when she tied the magic ribbon.
But nothing happened. There was something in Krishna's eyes as he
looked at her for the last time.

Was that love or regret she thought. She was just imagining it. Krishna
head bobbed one last time as if to say 'Goodbye' and flew away.

She cried. Cried in her bed. At her fate. For her brother. For Krishna. For
the realization that magic was a lie.

That love was a lie. Her brother's parting gift was futile, useless. She hated
everything now.

A month pass, she suffered without her friend. The emptiness was eating
her.

She had no one to talk to. She was drawing her rangoli for no reason at all.

She liked drawing. But father won't allow it. She just had a plain white
Rangoli.

She was drawing her Krishna, a crow. She imagined his dark feather, his
beady eyes as if full of
wisdom unknown. Father was shouting at mom. He was in a bad mood. He
was going to hit mom and she would be next. But he heard his voice
coming towards the door. He was not supposed to see this.

He is going to be so angry. She trembled with fear. Her hands shaking.

"You idiot girl!" he shouted seeing what she was doing. "You whore! What
are you drawing?!! A crow? Are you out of your mind?"

She shivered knowing what was coming. He came closer. His hand coming
for her cheek.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the slap and the further bashing. She
waited. She waited and waited even more.

But the blow never came. She opened her eyes, one at a time. She saw
her father's hand was stopped by a hand.

A hand belonging to a man. A handsome man who was the darkest person
she ever saw, dark like the night. His face made her shiver with unknown
excitement.

His eyes had wisdom and charm. He smiled at her and winked. She was
dumbfounded.

He took her father's hand and twisted it until her father was on his knees.

"If you ever do that again in my presence or even when you are alone with
her. I will break your hand!"

He said with a stern voice. Her father was silent and fearful. The mighty
demon she feared was just a coward who was silent now in front of
someone powerful. His threat was enough. Her father ran into the house.

"Does he do that often?" that man asked her

She nodded. Telling him the truth. She did not know why.

"I am Kedee btw! Nice to meet you!"

He picked her up from the ground.

"I am Parul!"

"I think you should not go in there for a while. Let things cool off a bit. You
wanna come in and have a cup of tea with me? I am your new neighbor by
the way."

He did not wait for her to answer. He started walking towards his door. She
followed.

"You don't have to worry anymore! I will keep a watch on your dad! How
does that sound?"

A bit of hope in her. But people betray. But not this hunky, dusky man. She
felt different about him. She did not know why she felt that.

"I am a pilot if you wanna know. I 'was' a pilot, actually. I recently left my
job. Something happened and I had to give it up. But hey! looking forward
to my new life!

What about you?"

"I am a student at the local engineering college.... Btw what kind of name is
keedeee!???

"hahah Its not Keedeee as keeedee. It is Kedee as K and D. The initials of

my name."

Hope. Once again. Blossomed.

"What does K stand for?'

He brought his hand forward to shake hers.

His hand tied with a ribbon. Her brother's ribbon.

"Well... K stands for Krishna!"