Posted on by Sonia Dogra

Close Encounter – The Many Faces of Truth

Hello and welcome to this month’s post for ‘Write Edit Publish’. The prompt for June, 2023 is Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I have chosen to interpret the prompt in my own way, keeping the spirit of the WEP intact, which says that you can take the cue in whichever direction you want to! The idea is to just have fun!! So, here we go …

CLOSE ENCOUNTER – THE MANY FACES OF TRUTH

( TW: Mental health, Abuse, Blood)

A deep-red blotch had settled on my kurta.* I was still holding the safety razor blade stolen from Amol’s kit in the morning. Stolen, because there was no other way of getting it. I’d been under house arrest for months.

Amol lay on the bed, his eyes heavy, his breathing languid. Blood gushed from his wrists, dripping on to the cotton bedsheet. His lips moved slowly. I think he called my name. ‘Sudha …’ Not the way he usually did, miffed, irritated. It was softer, almost limping out of his mouth.

Outside, I could see the grey winter clouds heavy with rain, settling on the mountain top. It’s the perfect day for tea and pakoras,* Amol had said. I had stealthily slipped a Restoril in his cup, one from the many subscriptions that had been piling up on the night stand. His favourite brand, Topaz Platinum, lay secure in the drawer.  

Amol was trying to say something, but I could make no head or tail of it. In all these months, he had almost always failed to make sense of my words too. You’ve lost your mind, you’re hallucinating, ridiculous, you need to listen to the doctor – was all that he ever said.

I caught a glimpse of Amol’s wet eyelashes – long and dense, just the ones I had fallen in love with. I drew my face close to his, dabbing his eyes with the corner of my dupatta.* This encounter had been long due.

That’s when I heard the first splatter of rain, followed by a loud knock at the door…

***

We hadn’t come this close in months. Not since the neighbourhood had erupted with abrupt news of my brutality against Sudha. I wouldn’t have known had it not been for the suspicious glances, murmurs, and hushed silences that greeted me wherever I went. It was the local grocer’s help who muttered in my ear as he packed my day’s purchase. ‘Didi’s* been telling us all about your anger issues.’

I’d nearly dropped the bag of spices I was carrying. Sudha had been feeding me stories about the neighbourhood over the past few months of our married life. Had she been doing it the other way round too?

Sudha wiped my eyes with the end of her dupatta. Her face was a blur, a dim shadow of someone I had once known. I tried to speak but no words came out, only short, intermittent gasps escaped my mouth. Sapped of energy, I would have slipped into unconsciousness had it not been for the loud patter of raindrops. They kept me awake, reminding me of the tea and pakoras – perhaps, my only lapse in so many months.

That’s when there was that tap on the door…    

(Total Words : 427 , FCA)

Kurta – shirt

Pakoras – potato/onion fritters

Dupatta – a long scarf

Didi – sister

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34 Replies to “Close Encounter – The Many Faces of Truth”

  1. You’re on a roll Sonia. First your superb piece in Usawa and now this!
    I’m on the edge of my chair! The tension, the perspective, the doubt you plant in your reader’s mind–Uff! Too good. In awe!
    This is a brilliant story.

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  5. Hi Sonia – lots to this tale … with many sides to be explored. I certainly want to read more and to hear more of the story … Also the sentence: “It was softer, almost limping out of his mouth.” implied much … loved it – thank you … Hilary

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  9. This is a very powerful piece. I enjoyed the two sides of the story perspective. Unlike some people, I like stories with ambiguous endings. Very well written!
    ~Ornery Owl~

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