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On the Bridge...

A dying winter Sun had hushed the land below to sleep but on the bridge that spanned the backwaters Saira stood wide awake in stillness. Transfixed like a little girl caught in headlights; eyes captivated by the water currents far below.
She watched the water that rushed unquestioningly on in its blind search for an ocean’s dark but welcoming shroud. 
            
By eleven in the night, it was almost graveyard silent. But she stood there lost in thought. The slight breeze rustled through her hair and her long flared kurta moved along. This was all she needed that night or maybe any night. Her body and soul braced forlorn on the wrong side of the railing.

Suddenly a voice shattered the silence and with it went any semblance of peace she might have had. Saira nearly jumped out of her skin, for she’d not seen or heard a soul for a long while now. 'Steady on mate,' said the voice, ‘didn’t mean to make you jump.'
She gripped the railings even more tightly with both hands, pulling her back firm against the bars, her mind now in turmoil, for she'd hoped to end it all alone.
The voice came from the dark and a gentleman came closer and stopped a few feet away, rested his folded arms on the parapet and continued talking as though finding a walker, on the bridge at this god forsaken hour was quite a normal occurrence.
'So, what you doing here then, girl? Sure, it is a lovely night and what a beautiful view you've got yourself here. But it is full of life down there, the crabs and fishes don't sleep at night you know.'

Saira wasn’t sure what to say or rather she wanted to remain silent. All she wanted was him to clear off. She’d been content with her prior misery. However, curiosity had the better of her and she sensed a non judgmental calm from her surprise visitor.
'What on earth are you doing here at this hour?' she asked.

'Well girl, I could ask you the same, but me, I'm what you might call of no fixed abode, a gentleman of the road, homeless if you like. Loads of things went wrong before, lost my love and kids, parents died, injured at work ... in the navy I was you know. Oh the government was generous but rupee notes were no compensation nor cure for my ills.'

'So what brings you to this road, this bridge, tonight then?’ Saira asked.
'Not sure. Just going with the feelings. Always follow the good feelings I say. When you walk with a smile on your face you’ll always get some coming back your way. Yeah, that's about it really – just feelings and as it was a breezy night, I thought I'd take advantage of the cooler air and quiet road. Then I met you, nature watching from your fine perch on my bridge.'
            
'Sorry about that,' said Saira.  Empathy for the ex-navy man and his losses. She realized that somewhere, way back, we’re all linked together somehow. In fact, this happy man had suffered far more than she ever had herself.
'You never thought of ending it all then?' she enquired.

'Yeah mate, I thought about it but when I got there some young girl had nicked my spot – you going to be long?' the jovial man’s smile could just be made out in the moonlight.

For some peculiar reason, it appeared funny to the ‘would-be jumper’ and she smiled back, 'Oh yeah, good one!' she said. The strange thing was, the thoughts that drove her body to the bridge were changing and as the thoughts changed so did her feelings. In fact, the gentleman was right. It was a beautiful view, it was a great night, the moon smiled down on a land at peace with itself and she, for that moment felt part of that.

What had possessed her to ever want to throw such beauty away? 'I'm coming back over,' said Saira.
            
'No girl. Stay there, you'll be fine. In fact, I'll join you over there – that little bit of fear, the adrenalin rush just spices life up a bit at times, makes you feel more alive than ever – come on, shift over a bit, give me a hand.'

The two of them sat there for long like two reunited long lost pals. He’d given her a gentle push – in the right direction. 

Saira’s body and spirit lightened from the burdens she'd earlier carried to the bridge. Now it was as though she'd dropped them into the swirling depths below to be lost forever. She was now free and felt it, like somehow she’d paid off some long outstanding debt at last.

'I'm gonna stay a while longer, then I’ll make my way to the other side. You be good, and think happy. Live it well.'
            
As Saira reached the end of the bridge, she suddenly realized she didn't even know this gentleman’s name.
Saira went home, worked towards a better life, repaid that good deed a thousand times over and never forgot him.
She resolved to share her story with anyone who would listen, just like she had listened that night.

......And now you’ve heard it. 



I must leave you now, for there are others waiting in darkness, on bridges they built for themselves.        

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