15 Minutes

I glanced at the tabletop clock and sighed; It was close to midnight

I just can’t afford to look at the clock; no matter what time, I have to finish the script I was working on and mail it to the associate director else; I would lose the contract which I was desperate to hold on to.

I was startled by the phone ringing. The mobile was kept on the side table near the bed, away from my desk.

Who could be ringing me at this time? I was scared whether the deadline has been advanced? Could it be my associate director?

I got up and the phone stopped ringing.

I was about to sit back when it rang again.

I moved, took my mobile and looked at the number. It was an unknown number.

I contemplated whether to answer or not.

I just pressed the answer button and held it near my ear without speaking.

“Why are you not answering my call? Please don’t disconnect again. I beg you.

Please, I don’t have …...” there was a pause, and the girl's voice stopped. Then I heard the crying sound. A few seconds passed and then she spoke again.

“I don’t have much time left, Raj, please…. please…….”

I just did not know what to do. Obviously, it was a wrong number but I sensed desperation in the girl’s voice. She said, don’t have much time or something like that. I took courage and spoke.

“Hi. My name is Ananad. I think you appear to have dialed the wrong number.”

The girl stopped sobbing and said, “I am sorry” and the line disconnected.

I held the phone in my hand not knowing what to do. I was disturbed for sure.

The phone rang again.

“Raj, is that you?” I heard the same troubled voice.

“I am sorry. Again, you have dialed my number and I am Anand and not Raj. But hey, please don’t disconnect. I sense that not everything seems all right. Is there anything a stranger can do?”

There was a long pause almost for a minute before I heard the girl’s voice.

“I am sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Anand. But……” she paused. “There is nothing anyone can do. Sorry again, you will never hear from me again.” The line got disconnected.

I held the phone and once again, was clueless about what I should do.

I shrugged my shoulder, kept the phone on the side table, walked to my desk, and looked at the incomplete script.

Wait, my muse spoke.

Being a writer, did you not notice desperation in the girl’s voice? What if the girl, who said she did not have much time, is planning something bad? Come on Anand, remember what happened to you?

I walked back took the phone and dialed the number. It rang several times and there was no answer.

I dialed again.

After several rings, the phone was picked up but no sound came from the other side.

“Hello? Are you there? This is Anand. The man whom you called twice by mistake. I am very much disturbed and hence called you. Is there anything I can do? Are you ok? Please speak.”

I waited for several seconds and was contemplating disconnecting the call when she spoke; her voice shaking and sobbing loudly.

“No one can help me. I… am about to leave everything and everyone….” She stopped.

My heart skipped a couple of beats.

My god, my suspicion was right. This girl appears to be heading, maybe for suicide or something.

“Hello, hello, please, what is your name? Please, I can sense something is not right. Please talk to me.”

There was no answer, but I heard a sobbing sound.

“I don’t want any help nor want to talk to you. What did you say your name? whoever you are, please disconnect and go to bed. Because I am also about to do the same….. perhaps, for the last time.” She disconnected the call.

I almost dropped my phone. My hands were shaking.

My God. I knew what is about to happen.

I could clearly imagine the scenario not because I used my imagination as a writer, but … well I faced a similar situation myself once.

I can’t afford to waste any more time so, I rang the phone but despite holding for a long time, it only kept ringing and she did not pick up.

Am I already late? I controlled the trembling in my hands and dialed again.

After several rings, she answered but I could hardly hear her voice. It was very feeble.

“Why don’t you just leave me alone? Why are you interfering in my life?”

“The minute you called me, even though by mistake, you have involved me. Now, please tell me what exactly you are doing or done. Are you, by any chance…..” I searched for the right word. “Planning anything drastic?”

I spoke and held the receiver tight on my ears and caught whatever sound that came from the other side.

I could hear the rustle of either paper or plastic and heard the glass being dropped before I heard the girl’s voice.

“Look, whoever you are, you are wasting your time. I don’t deserve any sympathy. I don’t want, ok? So, just leave me alone at least, let me die peacefully.

My thinking was right.

My God.

The girl appears to be committing suicide.

I thought of calling some help lime and giving the only evidence I have, her number for them to trace and provide help.

But I knew it would take time and perhaps, it could be too late.

I had to think fast; what can I do to get some time to save her?

I dialed again not once but four times; my heart started beating faster and my mind started to get cloudy. What if she is already……?

The fifth time, she picked up.

“He did not let me live and now you, won’t let me even die peacefully. Who the …… you think you are?” She started abusing me using all the bad words she could think of.

I waited for the deluge to stop and then spoke in a measured voice holding the phone so tight that my knuckles turned white.

“Look, I don’t know who you are or why you want to die. Being a total stranger who just got entwined into your life by the quirk of fate, I want to tell you something which I have never ever told anyone.

I too was once on the verge of committing suicide. 

Would you please give me just two minutes?” I paused and I could hear a heartbeat – my own.

After what appeared to be an hour – in essence, it was less than one minute – she spoke haltingly.

“Are you making it up for my sake?” I could hear the disbelief in her voice.

“Why would I? I don’t even know who you are and your living and being dead does not make any difference to me, does it?” without my knowledge, my voice raised several notches.

She spoke, fear written all over her voice.

“Please don’t shout at me. I have been abused and shouted all my life…..”

I softened my voice and continued.

“I always wanted to be a writer but because of compulsion and my education worked in finance to make money. 

I was working for a large MNC in the finance department and a major blunder happened from me. I was suspended pending a detailed inquiry. During the suspension, I was paid only half my salary. My wife who is ambitious always wanted luxurious life which I could not afford. My car was small, my house was small and so was my salary.

Without even thinking twice, she just left and sent me a divorce notice when the company removed me permanently.

She took my six-year-old daughter with her. The court verdict for custody went her way. With no one to work or live for, I decided to die.”

I paused even as that terrible day passed in front of me like a nightmare.

After a few seconds, I recovered and spoke and I hardly recognized my own voice.

“I had no one to call; at least in your case, you called me, even though it was by mistake. I went out to buy pills that would put me to sleep forever. I used to buy them as I had a sleep problem and the chemist knew me.

On my way back I stopped in front of a large tree stump that was cut several days earlier. It was more than 40 years old tree and had withered the storm – it was even hit by thunder once.

I saw a very small green sprout coming right from the middle of the tree which was chopped off. Either I had not noticed it earlier or it would have come just a day or two before.

I just stood there looking at it for a very long time. 

The tree simply refused to die. Here I am trying to give up my life without a fight.

I threw the pills into the gutter.”

I paused for several seconds.

Now I could hear her breathing; she was breathing heavily. After a long silence, she spoke.

“You had reason to live may be, your passion for writing kept you alive. In my case, there is nothing……left for me to …….”

“Hey, you could at least tell me your name” I spoke before she completed.

“What will you do? Write an obituary?” She laughed sarcastically.

“I don’t know. But what difference it would make to you anyway?” I spoke in a challenging tone.

“Call me Neelam.”

“Neelam? I know it is not your real me Is it not? But it does not bother me. Now that I gave you a glimpse about me, would you like to tell me what your reasons are?”

I waited with holding my breath.

“No. I don’t want to talk about anything. Why should I? Look, Mr. Anand, you sound like a good guy and on top of that a writer too. Perhaps, my conversation would trigger a story in your brain. 

So long Mr. Anand. It was nice talking to you.” The line was disconnected.

I just could not let her go like that. 

I looked around and suddenly I realized, I could use my laptop to find someone to trace her number while I kept talking to her. Why it did not occur to me earlier? I rehearsed the sentences I would say so that the message reaches correctly and quick action initiated.

So, I searched and found a helpline and dialed; the number did not exist.

I tried another couple of links with the same result.

The third number was ringing and after a long interval, a lady's voice, very soothing and soft answered.

“I am Anita here. How can I help you?

“Thank God you answered, someone, is on the verge of committing suicide. The girl called my number by mistake. She wanted to reach out to her boyfriend I believe before the act. I just have her number and it's almost 10 minutes since she called. 

Can you please trace the place and reach out to her? I believe we don’t have much time left on our hands.”

Anita listened to me without interrupting and took the number promising that she would find a way.

I waited for a long time hoping that Anita and her team would find Neelam and save her. I looked outside the window and traces of a new dawn were appearing.

I felt miserable and lay on the bed tossing and turning waiting and waiting for some kind of response from Anita, but none came.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, I heard the familiar ringtone again.

I sat on the bed looking at the number; it was a landline number.

Hesitating, I pressed the answer button on the phone hoping to hear Anita’s voice.

But it wasn't Anita on the other end.

It was Neelam.

“Hi, Anand. I am calling you from my landline.

I had kept the sleeping pills ready and wanted to swallow them all at once. But, after listening to you, a total stranger, I decided to give another chance to myself. It will not be easy but who cares. As you did, I have decided to fight. Thank you, Anand. 

And hey, by the way, my real name is Asha.”