The Woman In White ...

 

It’s New Year’s Eve …

The entire world is excited and is in a celebratory mood.

This 2-Storey Lavish House Party, isn’t any different.

We see people coming in with big smiles and having a glass of their favourite cocktails in their hands, dancing to the tunes of Bollywood. Everyone is excited for this coming year with hopes and dreams and aspirations, as they were the year before.

But one man isn’t a part of this celebration. In fact, he isn’t happy at all. This man is called Raj and the truth is in the middle of the loud music and dance moves gone wrong, he is sickly worried. He doesn’t have a glass in his hand and neither he is meeting and greeting the people inter-locked in this house. His eyes are looking, frantically, for someone. Someone he came in this party with but who vanished without a trace. The only thing he can do is try to find her and retrace his steps to unfold this mystery of the disappearance of the beautiful woman in white he came with. Raj is convinced that he will find her. After all, this is just a house party and the color white will surely pop-out in these make-shift neon lights. But Raj doesn’t have time, for in the next 10 seconds, the new year will begin and the woman he came with told him to not leave her side when the clock strikes 12. For if he does, she will forever be in despair. Raj, clearly not a believer in superstitions doesn’t take her words seriously but for some reason, he is still pulled in by this mysterious woman. By her mystery, by her aura. By her innocence. 

They say time is relevant and it couldn’t be more relevant to raj right now just mere seconds before the clock struck 12. As the men and women hold each other and scream 10, Raj just closes his eyes and tries to remember. Remember exactly what happened …

10!

We show Raj in his car, driving alone, lost in his thoughts and the radio turned off. Raj doesn’t want party music being played right now as he knows there is gonna be a lot of head-banging music to the party he is going too. Raj didn’t wanted to step out at all tonight but his best friend insisted that he come. It is unusual for Raj to see such empty roads in a city like Mumbai but Madh Island is still that part of the city which hasn’t been filled with an ever-expanding population, so Raj is taking in the quiet and enjoying the lone drive.

9!

As Raj is driving in the serene quiet, his eyes catch a shadow ahead. For a moment there, he is confused with what he is seeing but not more than a second later, he sees the shadow being an actual woman just waiting alone, on the side of this loom road. He immediately reduces the speed of his car, dims it's headlights and stops right in front of the woman.

8!

Raj is awestruck by this woman! She is by far, the most prettiest woman, Raj has ever seen and not only is there a charm about her but her White Satin Dress and her open hair and mascara in her eyes, is increasing her beauty to infinity. For the first time, in a very long time, Raj doesn’t have words to speak. His heart is taking beats faster than a race car! After what feels like forever, Raj finally opens his mouth to speak but before he could say a word, it’s the woman in white who speaks up.

7!

The woman in white says, “Hi, sorry, my uber broke down a few kms back and I tried too call for another one but my phone’s battery is dead and I was wondering if you could give me a lift? My house is just down the road. It will be a huge help to me.”

Raj doesn’t think twice and immediately says, “Yes, of course!” As raj gets out of the car and opens the passenger seat for the woman in white, a part of him is thrilled and a part of him is surprised with the emotions that he is feeling right now. It has been 3 years since Shikha broke Raj’s heart and since then, he has never felt this way. As Raj, sits in the driver’s seat and places his hands on the steering, he senses that his hands are sweating. He knows this is all out of the crazy adrenaline he is feeling because of the woman in white and he tries his best to keep his composure and pushes his foot on the gas and the car moves ahead.

6!

Both, Raj and the woman in white are now in silence but Raj decides he has too start talking, so raj asks, “So, where is your house?” The woman in white replies, “It’s called Bhullar House. It’s just a few minutes down the road.” Raj notices how pleasant and kind her voice is. It has a serene feeling, like someone playing the flute in an open garden. But Raj also realises that it is the same house to which he is going too! With a burst of excitement raj quickly replies and says, “I am going to the same house party too! What a coincidence!” To that the woman in white replies, “There are no coincidences. Everything is already pre-planned.”

5!

As the wheels of the car take them ahead, Raj doesn’t want the house to arrive soon, for he wants to talk to her more and more and he feels that for the rest of his life, he only wants to listen to her voice. But he knows that the house will be arriving soon and the silent emptiness won’t do him any good, so he asks her, “So, you are spending tonight with friends over there?”. To which the woman in white responds, “Actually that house is my parents. I am going there to meet them and be with them on new year’s eve. The thing is I study in Pune, Senior year college and I had told them I won’t be able to come home due to the heavy load of my studies and assignments but actually, I lied to them and I had planned to surprise them. So, this is me, surprising them. My mom and dad are very social people, so I know they must have kept a huge gathering at home. I thought, it will be the perfect cover for me to slip in quietly and go and hug them when the clock strikes 12. I hope I can do that as we are already closing in on 12am.” Before raj could say something, the woman in white starts talking again and says, “Can you do me a favour? I mean, another favour? If you would be so kind, can you please stay besides me when I am with mom and dad? I want this moment to be recorded so if you could just record me surprising them and seeing the joy on their face, I will be eternally grateful to you.” I want the new year to start with a good omen. If I don’t do that I feel I will be in despair! Raj, who is now completely mesmerised by this beauty doesn’t flinch and says, “I would be delighted too!”

4!

That moment arrives, as they see the house in front of them. The car slows down and it’s like the air goes quiet as well. Raj finds a parking spot and then shuts the engine off. But before he opens the door, he turns towards the woman in white and asks her, “I am sorry and where are my manners! My name is Raj and what do people call you?” To which the woman in white replies with a smile on her face, “Pari. People call me Pari.” Ever since his break-up, Raj stopped believing in love but when he hears her name, Raj knows, without a shadow of a doubt, in his heart, that for the very first time in his life, Raj knows what Love At First Sight feels like!

3!

Both Raj and Pari are walking towards the main door. They both can hear the loud music which is trying to tear the sound everywhere. The windows reverberate the vibrations and within a few seconds they both arrive at the main door. The door is unlocked as it should be given the number of people arriving for the party. Raj looks towards Pari. He gives her a look of pure joy, like he has found a lost treasure. Raj takes his hand to open the door but then Pari stops him and tells him, “Thank you Raj. You really helped me tonight. I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it here but because I met you, I am here, home, with my parents. I am never going to forget what you did for me.” To which Raj blushes and replies, “It’s ok. You don’t have to thank me. All I did was gave a lift to a kind soul who wanted to surprise her parents.” To which Pari replies, “Trust me, you have done more than that.”

2!

Raj opens the door and as soon as he does, his eyes are blinded with the flashing lights and smoke. His ear drums feel like they are about to burst. But raj finds his footing and the moment he looks towards Pari, she is gone. Raj looks around, left and right and his eyes try to gaze every inch of the room but he can’t find Pari. He can’t find the Woman In White. Raj tries to squeeze his broad, athletic body amongst the people dancing and twirling. He is confused and angry on himself that how could he loose Pari so quickly. He had promised her that he would record her when the new year began. He keeps looking but doesn’t find Pari anywhere. In his quest to find the enchanting woman, he stumbles upon a man and a woman, both whom tend to be in their early 50’s. Their Hair Grey, their eyes, protected by glasses and their faces long, which shows that they have seen life more than others. They smile but they aren’t smiling from the heart. They hold each other’s hands and are counting down the numbers. Raj’s eyes suddenly catches a glimpse of a photo and a face he can never forget. The photo is of Pari and oh my does she look beautiful in it. Even in this picture, she is wearing the same white satin dress, just as she is tonight. Raj is delighted and has a feeling that the people standing next to him must be her parents. Raj feels that he should stand next to them and soon Pari would find them. Raj’s guilt has gone and a sense of joy returns to his face.

1! 

He looks and waits for Pari with awaited breath and he takes out his phone and keeps it on record. He knows any moment now she is going to come and surprise her parents. He is filled with excitement!

0!

The whole room erupts together the words, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Raj looks through the crowd but he doesn’t see Pari. “Where is she?” He murmurs to himself. But then, the music quiets down and the whole room goes silent, like someone reduced the volume of a song drastically. All the guests started looking towards the direction of the couple who were standing next to Raj and even Raj gazes his eyes towards them. He notices both of them are crying and smiling at the same time and they both turn towards the picture of Pari and see in a very hush voice, “Happy Birthday Beta. I hope this joy, gives you joy as well. We love you and we will always miss you.” They both wipe their tears and turn toward the crowd and they say, “Thank you all for coming tonight. We all loved Pari very much. Not a day goes by that we don’t want her back. It was this day, 3 years ago that she was coming home to meet us and to be with us. But she was taken away from us on that lonely road when she was only minutes away from us. If that man wasn’t drinking, she would had been her with us. We have cried and grieved over her for all this time. But this year, we decided that we won’t mourn our Pari but celebrate the life she had and the joy that she gave us. I really hope that by celebrating tonight, we have somehow given her soul rest and that she is smiling at us from heaven.” The couple then say, “Happy New Year Pari!” And with that the entire crowd also repeats the words, “Happy New Year Pari!”

Raj is numb. Raj is silent. Raj doesn’t believe what he has heard. It can’t be! Pari was with him. He picked her up. He spoke to her! He felt the connection with her! Raj wants to say a thousand things but not a single word comes out of his mouth. His mind is all over the place. But then as his pulse quiets down, he looks at Pari’s Parents and then to Pari’s Photo. He keeps looking at her is again lost in her beauty. Raj understands now. Raj understands everything. Raj did keep his promise to her. Raj smiles and as he does, a tear rolls down his eye. He picks up his phone and presses it on record and looks at the frame of Pari and says in silence, for he wants this moment to only be his. He says. “Happy New Year Pari. Happy new Year My Woman In White.”

The End.