Rajiv was woken up to a slap. Yes! You heard that right. He opened his eyes to see his nephew sitting on his head side and giggling. He smacked Rajiv's face again and laughed when Rajiv groaned.

His elder brother, Karan and his wife, Saira were blessed with a baby boy 5 months back. The baby who was born was very sweet and cute but this was a monster growing up.

Rajiv held the boy and rubbed his bearded face on his stomach making him go into a laughter fit. Every morning, his brother would leave his monster son in Rajiv's room to wake him up.

After leaving his nephew with his brother, Rajiv went to take a shower. He had just come out when his eyes fell on the date being displayed on his phone.

He had to visit her today. Rajiv sighed remembering everything he had done in the past. He couldn't change anything but he desperately wanted to correct it as much as he could.

He was 17 years old when he was out on a drive with his friends. He was the definition of a badboy. They were still minors driving the car without a license when Rajiv took a wrong turn and bumped into a cab driver.

He got out in anger and the cab driver also got out.

"Kya sir? Kaha dekh kr chala rhe ho?"

The driver said checking the damage to his car.

"Oh really? Ab tu mujhe batayega ki mai kya kru aur kya nhi?"

The man looked at Rajiv and said.

"Dekhiye, mai bhut tameez se baat kr rha hu aapse. Aur galti toh aap ki hi hai na. Wrong side aaye hai aap."

The man spoke with utmost respect but Rajiv was an asshole back then.

"Achha? Aur kya kr lega tu? Haan hu mai wrong side. Bta ab kya krega?"

"Dekhiye, aap pehle tameez se baat kijiye. Aap chhote hai mujhse mai phir bhi aaram se bol raha hu na."

Rajiv and his friends started laughing at the man. Rajiv asked one of his friends to call the police officer on duty, who was standing at one side of the road, to them.

"Aapko lagta hai aap police ko bulayenge toh mai darr jaaunga? Aap wrong side pr hai. Meri koi galti nhi hai. Mai nhi darta kisi se."

The man said and Rajiv smirked. The officer came to them and asked.

"Haan bhai? Kya baat hai?"

"Iss aadmi ne pee rakhi hai aur meri gaadi thok di."

Rajiv accused the man who looked at wide eyed at his blatant lie. The officer went near the cab driver and sniffed him for any trace of alcohol.

"Kaha bhai, pee toh nhi hai. Aur wrong side pr kya kr rha hai tu?"

It was the man's turn to smile in victory. Rajiv's smirk fell and an angered expression took over his face. He called his brother.

"Bhaiya! Yaha pr ek cab driver mai daaru pee kr, wrong side pr aa ke, hamari car ko takkar mar di hai. Aur ye police officer kuch nhi kr raha."

"Mai phone karwata hu."

His brother had said and Rajiv smirked again. Not even 5 minutes later, the officer's phone rang and he picked it up with utmost attention.

"Sir!...yes sir...jee sir...sorry sir...abhi krta hu sir."

The call was disconnected and the officer handcuffed the cab driver.

"Chalo bhai. Tumhe giraftar krne ke orders aaye hai."

"Arre pr sir...meri kya galti hai...abhi aapne bhi toh kaha na ki ye wrong side se aaye hai...sir please...sir neri biwi aur beti ghar pr intezaar kr rhe hai...sir please...maine kuch nhi kia hai."

The man kept begging but the officer dragged him away.

When Rajiv had come back from rehab, it had already been 6 years since that incident. He had started looking for people to apologise from them. He had apologized from the girl whose private video he played in front of college and from her boyfriend too.

He had searched for the cab driver taking his brother's help and when he finally found out about him, he was drowned in guilt and unforgettable regret.

The police had a murder case investigation going on whose suspects were unknown. When Rajiv put the cab driver behind the bars, police got the perfect person to accuse. They put false allegations against him and started his murder trial.

After doing through months of humiliation and torture, he had committed suicide in the jail itself. When Rajiv got to know the truth, he had cried the whole night. Blaming himself, cursing himself, wanting to kill himself. He was the one responsible for the man's death. An innocent man's death.

He wanted to correct his sins somehow and that's when he got to know about the widow and daughter the man had left behind.

He had searched for their address and went to meet his wife. He offered her money for her sustainance as he was the one who took away her husband from her.

At first, the lady was confused as to why he was offering her money. But when Rajiv told her who he was, she started yelling and hitting him, taking out all her anger on him. He let her and endured everything without a word. He knew he deserved much worse than this.

She had then shut the door on his face asking him to leave. Rajiv had left them but posted the money to her address. He had seen the condition and locality in which they were living. It was not safe for a man let alone two women.

He was responsible for this condition of theirs. He had continues sending money through post for a few months. When he thought that the lady had started accepting the money, he went himself.

When he knocked on her door, she had looked at with eyes blazing in anger. She had then went inside and brought a bag full of money and put it in his hands.

"Ye rakho tumhare paise! Nhi chahiye! Koi ehsaan nhi chahiye. Nikal jaao yaha se aur dobara kabhi nhi aana."

"Mam please! Ek..ek baat meri baat sun lijiye. Mai aapke pati ka aur aap sab ka gunhegar hu. Aap mujhe saza de dijiye. Maar lijiye, gaali de lijiye, lekin please ye accept kr lo. Bachpan ki, nadaani mai ki hui galti samajh kr hi sahi, lekin ek mauka de dijiye usse sahi krne ka. Mai aapke pati ko wapas nhi laa skta, agar laa skta hota toh yakeen maniye ko unki jagah khud chala jaata. Lekin jo gaya mai usse nhi badal skta. Bad itna chahta hu ki jo sapne unhone apni beti ke liye dekhe honge, unhe pura krne ki ek koshish krna chahta hu. Aur unme agar ye kisi kaam aa rhe hai toh please inhe accept kr lo. Please mam."

He had begged and cried near her feet. Her resolve had finally broken seeing him being genuinely guilty and trying to rectify his wrongs.

And since then, every month, Rajiv went to her home to give her the monthly allowance. She had told him that her daughter wanted to pursue diploma in culinary skills. She looked cooking. Rajiv had started giving her extra money for that too. Maybe if her daughter became something successful, his guilt would lessen.

Today was the first day of the month and Rajiv was visiting the lady with the money.

He parked his car in front of the building where she lived. As soon as he reached her floor, his steps haltered seeing so many people gathered in her one bedroom apartment. He knew something was wrong with the way people were muttering and whispering things to each other.

He tried looking inside but the crowd was so much that he couldn't see anything. He asked one of the men, who looked to be in his early 40s about what was happening.

"Aap kaun hai?"

"Ji-mai-umm-Ekta ji ka jankar hu. Kya ho raha hai yaha?"

Rajiv answered and the man scrutinized him from top to bottom before saying.

"Jankar hai unke aur aapko nhi pata? Bhut dino se bimar chal rhi thi, aaj subha neend mai chal basi Ekta ji."

Rajiv felt his heart stop for a minute. No! This was not possible. How will he ever survive the guilt of it? He was already not able to take the guilt of taking one life. And now, this!

His mind reminded him of the lady's daughter and his eyes widened. What was her name? Priya? Parul! Yes, Parul. She was so young. Merely 19 or 20 years of age. Oh God! What has he done? He destroyed a happy family. Only if her husband was alive, she would have been healthy and living. Somebody would have taken her to the hospital on time, gotten her treated. It was all his fault.

And now, he was responsible for the innocent life who God knows was coping with the departure of her mother. He somehow made his way inside and searched for her. He didn't even know how she looked.

"Umm -Parul kaha hai?"

He asked no in particular. Everyone eyed him suspiciously.

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