A Promise Kept - II

 She glanced above and found the white orb, which is called the moon shining down upon her. She looked below and saw numerous tiny sparks of light all around, which were part of the night life of the city. It was well after midnight and most of the inhabitants of the city were lost in their own dream world, oblivious of the fact that a person was standing on the edge of a terrace, and only one step from that ten-storied building could be the difference between life and death for her.

Yes, she stood there, having lost all hope of her life reviving back to being ‘normal’. Suddenly, it started to rain and her tears were lost somewhere within those raindrops. The sky looked pitch-black and covered with clouds all around. Her mind also shared the same picture, her thoughts having taken the place of the clouds. She was being unable to decide between what was right for her and what was wrong. And deeper down, in her heart, there raged a battle, where she was the one who was attacking and she was also the one defending her own blows.

“I have got to end this. I can’t take this anymore.”

“No, you must not give up hope. You are still too young to take any decision of your life.”

“Oh please, I am not young anymore. I have seen enough of this world already. I don’t want to expose myself to such brutality and cruelty that exists in this god-forsaken world.”

“How can you be so selfish? If not for yourself, you must live for your brother. He needs you, his elder sister. You need to show him the right way, you need to be his guiding light.”

“But what will I guide him when I myself don’t know where my life is going. I am sure he doesn’t even know what am going through, he is absolutely least bothered. The silence that has prevailed between us for the past six months is proof enough that he doesn’t even care for me.”

“But what about your father? You can’t leave him alone. How will he feel when he will come to know that his own daughter has deserted her?”

“Oh, yeah right. He doesn’t need me; all he cares for is his business and his money. When was the last time he actually sat beside me and talked to me properly for a minute?”

“But what he is doing, is for your sake. This money, this fame; he is earning this only for you, so that you can later pursue the career of your choice.”

“But what good is money, when the soul inside you has decayed out, longing for care and warmth from your loved ones? I have had enough. I don’t want to hear another word another word about this. This is my life and my decision. So, back off!”

She closed her eyes and cherished the final moments of her life.

“You are a coward. No, you are more than that. You don’t have any right to speak of love and care. How can you expect people to love and care for you when you don’t remember the promises you made to them? Have you forgotten what your mother did for you? Have you forgotten the promise you made to her on her death bed?”

It was four years back. Julia was merely a kid then. Her mother was a lady of immense beauty and yet, all that was left of her now was that charismatic smile that always enchanted Julia. She was, holding her mother’s hand and listening to her final words.

“Julia. Promise me that you will take care of both the kids, when I am gone.”

“Both the kids? I know Mark is one, but who is the other?”

Julia saw a faint smile on her mother’s face.

“The other kid is your Papa, Julia. He might seem to have grown old, but he is still a kid at heart. He gets hurt too easily. Both of them need you. You need to take on the role that I had so far in the family. Look after them and take good care of yourself too.”

“I will, Mom. I won’t ever leave them. I am going to take care of everyone.”

But before these words could reach her mother’s ears, her heart had given up. The light left her eyes and blood cancer brought an end to a life which had meant so much for the Stone family.

Julia restored herself with a supreme effort. She looked up at the sky and her eyes met the stars. They were all twinkling but there was only one star that caught her eye. She gazed at it and then understood what it was saying to her.

“I can’t break my promise. I have to live on.”

She looked up again and said, “Am sorry, Mom. For a moment I absolutely forgot about the promise I made to you. I won’t do that ever again.”

The star twinkled back, but by then, Julia had closed the terrace door, and quenched the lights.