Nandita opened her eyes and looked at the Krishna and Radha Hindu deities whom she prayed to with expressions of deep love and devotion. In prayers she found answers, her life blessed with love, faith and a strong belief in herself that brought success in her studies as she strove for excellence. Tragedy had interrupted their lives. When she was a young girl her father died in an accident. Such a great loss could have broken her mother but prayers and belief had given her the strength to continue living for her child, to stay focused on the light that would guide them through the dark days. 

A satisfying smile touched Nandita’s lips as she waited anxiously for her mother to come home from work to give her the news. The afternoon took long to arrive but finally she heard the gate then the door and she ran down the stairs, screaming.
“Mom! Mom!”
“What?” her mother paused at the door, alarmed.
Nandita tried to look serious but failed, bursting into a big smile and doing a little dance on the stairs.
“I topped the country in CAPE!”
“Oh my God!” her mother gasped in delight.
She embraced her daughter, tears of joy in her eyes, the tiredness of a hard day’s work gone from her body and she looked up at the Heavens, “Thank you dear Lord.”
The happiness of that moment wrote a song in their hearts and put a dance in their steps. From the crumbs of life the mother, through selfless sacrifices had helped her daughter build a stairway to reach for the stars. Today, the CAPE results showed how far she had ascended and hoping no obstacles would step in her way to greater heights for no one knows what tomorrow brings.
She had become a star for her school and her country, admired and applauded for her excellent achievement. Nandita was modest in her thanks, the simple girl she was and tried her best to please all her friends who sent invitations to her for the summer holidays. Today she was going with three of her girlfriends to the theatre and she kissed her mother goodbye for the show was at three and her mother would be home from work until four.
“Love you!” she called, waving to her until the bus drove away and she continued exploring the multiple features on her new smartphone. It was a gift from her mother who had been secretly saving to buy her something special for her success.
Nandita had been surprised and thrilled when she opened the gift. “This is so awesome!”
At the theatre, she and the girls had just exited the lobby after the show when Dravid pulled up in a brand new Infinity car.
“Oh my gosh!” all the girls exclaimed at once, “This is so cool.”
Dravid from the same school had placed third in the country and coming from a rich family, the car, as promised by his father, was his gift.
“Who wants to go for a ride?” he asked, proud of his car.
All the girls wanted to but everyone except Nandita had long distances to reach home. She was somewhat uncertain though Dravid was a good friend.
“I’m not sure, I have to reach home before dark.”
“It’s just a short drive,” he said, “You won’t be late, I’ll drive you home.”
She got in, thrilled that she was actually sitting in an Infinity and he smiled at her, “How does it feel?”
“Great,” she said and showed him her phone, “We both got cool gifts.”
He drove a little way towards the highway, stopping by a roadside snackette for refreshments and drove for a little while more until Nandita said: “I think we should go back now.”
“Okay,” Dravid agreed as he waited on a break in the traffic to turn, his phone rang.
“Damn,” he muttered, picking up the phone to answer, “What does he want now?”
He listened to the caller and then asked, “Where are you?”
The answer seemed to displease him and he said: “I can’t do that now, I’m with a friend okay.”
“What is it?” Nandita asked.
“It’s my brother,” Dravid replied, sighing in frustration, “He has broken down and wants me to pick him up.”
“How far away is he?”
“About a ten minute drive away.”
Nandita thought a little, feeling sorry at the worried look on his face and said: “I guess you can do that.”
“Are you sure? He’s not a nice person and he may some something rude to you.”
“I’ll take my chances with that.”
Dravid smiled, still not too pleased and touched her hand. “You’re such a nice person.”
A little over ten minutes, they reached his brother, who was looking very impatient.
“What took you so long, nerd?” he asked rudely, getting into the car with his friend.
“I had to drive carefully,” Dravid answered in defence.
“You’re such a wuss,” his brother said insultingly, slapping him playfully but hard behind his head.
Now, Nandita understood why Dravid, though worried, was reluctant to pick him up. They were driving for just five minutes when Brian instructed Dravid to pull over.
“Why do I have to stop?”
“Just shut up and stop, will you?”
Brian brought a few bottles of beer from a roadside bar, much to Dravid’s annoyance.
“You can’t drink in the car.” He said firmly.
“Why? I’m not driving.”
“Yeah, but I’m not comfortable with that and my friend is not either.”
“Why, is she a Hare Krishna, Hare Rama girl?”
He and his friend broke into laughter and Nandita touched Dravid’s hand and shaking her head slightly not to answer his brother.
Less than five minutes along the roadway, Brian called again for the car to stop. This time Dravid erupted angrily, “What the hell for now?”
Brian came out of the car and opening the door on the driver’s side, he hauled Dravid out roughly.
“Where are you going, to a funeral? Get in the back and let me show you what this baby can do.”
“No!” Dravid retaliated, pushing him, “You’re not driving my car to wreck it like you did to yours.”
The two brothers almost came to blows and Nandita held onto Dravid’s arm as his brother got behind the wheel, ordering them to get in. He revved the car and spun it around, going back up the highway.
“What are you doing?!” Dravid shouted, “I have to take her home before it’s dark!”
“Relax loser,” Brian said, drinking his beer, “I’m just taking it for a spin.”
Nandita held onto Dravid’s hand, looking scared.
“I don’t like this.”
The car was going dangerously with speed, taking sharp turns that caused Nandita to scream. She thought of calling her mother but before she could, the car sped around another turn, on a lonely stretch of road and this time, she screamed in horror.
A farmer riding his bicycle alongside the road was in imminent danger as the car took the turn too close, hitting him-his hapless body flung a far way. Nandita couldn’t stop screaming and worse yet when Brian drove away, leaving the lifeless man lying on the roadway.
“You can’t do that!” she screamed.
Dravid grabbed him around the neck and shouted, “Stop this car now!”
Brian stopped the car abruptly and turned around, punching Dravid in the face.
“Shut up, both of you.” he said angrily, “I need to think.”
He drove to a desolate place off the highway and exited the car, a wild look of fear in his eyes, “That was an unfortunate accident that we can’t do anything about. This…”, he stressed, “No one will talk about.”
“What do you mean?” Nandita asked, tearfully still in shock, “You just killed someone!”
“That is wrong,” Dravid said vehemently, “You can’t do that.”
“Yes I can,” Brian said, heartless as a stone, “And I want your solemn promises, here, now.”
Nandita shook her head, “I won’t do it. It’s murder. Just the way a drunk driver killed my father.”
Brian looked at her, a dangerous glint in his eyes, “Lies can leave but the truth dies here.”
Dravid stood up to his brother, “Are you out of your mind?! You can’t harm us!”
But he was wrong as evil intent took control of the situation.
He fought valiantly to protect his friend and school mate but lost against two older, stronger guys and fell to the ground, hitting his head on a rock.
“Dravid!” Nandita screamed, trying to pick him up but he had lost consciousness.
“Please,” she cried, “He’s your brother, how can you do this?”
The dark look in Brian’s eyes was answer enough and he grabbed her around the neck, trying to suffocate her. She fought back hard, hitting him in his face but that enraged him and he hit her repeatedly until she blacked out.
Nandita opened her eyes, slowly gasping for breath. It was dark, she could see nothing and she tried to move, crying out in pain but she couldn’t move to either side.
“Oh God, where am I?” she cried silently.
She tried to scream but there was not enough air in her lungs.
“Oh dear Lord,” she prayed, “Please don’t let me die here, I have to go home, my mom is waiting for me.”
Tears wet her cheeks and almost as an answer to her prayers, she felt a vibration in her pocket.
“It’s my phone,” she gasped, “Thank God they didn’t take it.”
But her arms could not move freely to get the phone. She knew it was her mom calling and she struggled to move, her arm scraping against something rough, tearing her skin until her fingers grabbed the phone.
“Mom!” She cried, gasping for breath.
“Nandita, where are you?” her mother asked, desperation in her voice, “It’s late, I’ve been calling so long.”
“Mom,” Nandita said, breathing in deeply, the little air she was getting, “I think I’m buried alive.” (TO BE CONTINUED)
Written By Maureen Rampertab