Story of "Su"

Rohit, Neha, Amit and Isha... my best buddies. I think I am lucky to have them as my friends... Actually, they are also lucky to have me. Whenever we are all in city, we are together. I think we all met first during our studies. Now after more than 10 years a lot has changed. We all are working; Rohit, Amit and Neha are married, but our group is still the same. It has been so many wonderful years together. Time just flies, when we are together. Sometimes we did not meet for months, but whenever we do it is like the same group of buddies. There is no awkwardness or formalities.

Never serious and always funny Rohit, witty and intelligent Amit, Oh-so-glamorous Neha, and sweet and simple Isha... and myself... all of us together make our awesome friends group.

There was one more member of our friends group, Supriya, whom we sometimes called “su” with love. In whole of the world only me, Rohit and Julie know about who she was. I tried telling about Supriya to Neha and Isha, but they never believed me. Let us now begin the story of Supriya aka Su.

Supriya. The amazing girl we will never forget.

Let us start from when I met her first time, about ten years ago.

It was Rohit’s party at Pizza Hut. We used to party even for small things like is someone bought a new mobile phone, it would call for a party. We would never miss any chance to hang out. But this time reason was very valid. Rohit was leaving India for a job in France.

While most of us knew each other well, there were some new faces also. One of them was this girl named Supriya. Rohit introduced all of us. Supriya was jolly and sweet little girl. She was average height, with a doll like pretty shining face, with deep black eyes—a picture perfect look, with not even a single hair out of place. For a moment I urged to touch her and check if she was really made of plastic. She looked like the youngest of Rohit’s friends. I thought she was probably just out of college. But when Rohit told us that she’s a professor in local university, and she was 25, we were all surprised.

‘WHAT?,’ I was surprised. Soft drink was about to come out of my mouth. Amit’s eyes were also a bit widened with surprise.

It was unbelievable. I must have lost the bet even if someone told me that she’s more than 20. I mean she looked like a teenager who is very graceful and mature also. She must be working hard to stay in shape. And that shining doll like face must be over make-up. I thought. I had heard about people working real hard to keep looking younger. She was the same case.

She had a shy and mischievous smile on her face. Very soon we were chatting with her like she was part of our group. As we were enjoying Pizzas, Pastas and Garlic breads etc, Supriya got up to leave waving bye to all.

Rohit asked her to stay for some more time, as it was only 05.30 PM, but she did not stay.

Supriya just said with a smile, ‘you know dear, I have to go there is lot of work. My sister is waiting for me.’

‘Come on Yaar, you cannot break your 05.30 PM rule for even a day, I am leaving tomorrow morning, and do not know when we will meet again’ Rohit was a bit emotional at that moment, ‘chalo anyways, take care and be in touch’. He got up, hugged her, and walked her out of the Pizza hut. He knew there was no use convincing her.

She will probably go to work out in gym. I thought

Later on Rohit told us that Supriya is very strict about her time schedule. She has to reach her home before 06.00 PM always. We all partied till late evening and wished Rohit well for his journey.

After few weeks of Rohit’s leaving we met Supriya again in another party. Neha and Supriya became friends first, may be due to both of them interested in looking good always. Very soon she was regularly hanging out with us. Before meeting her I thought she was all-looks-and-no-soul type girl, but I was totally wrong. She was instantly liked by all. She was friendly by nature and very intelligent. With time I found her even cuter. She became bubbly and emotional element of the group. However, her time schedule was still strictly followed. She never stayed with us later than 05.30 PM. We never minded her strict rules, as she was always there with us during the day. This went on for years. She still looked like a teenager.

Rohit visited India once or twice every year, during festival times. It is always fun when he is here. He had always been the funny element of our group. He knew how to bring excitement into a dull day. Be it going to the lake in Midnight, or making me bunk my office, he always brought excitement to our life. Once he came to India for attending a marriage ceremony. This time he was going to be here for two weeks only. I took rest of the day off from my office to meet him and others, the day he arrived. He also called Supriya, Neha, Amit and Isha. We met at our regular place from afternoon to evening. I used to hang out with Rohit all the time while he was in India. My whole days were booked while Rohit was here.

‘Chal yaar take care’, Supriya said while getting up, right at 05.30 PM.

Isha and Neha got up and gave Supriya a lazy hug.

‘Hey Su, please stay, Julie is coming. I have told her about all you guys, she would love to see you all, and she is in the city only for two days. We are leaving for Jaipur day after tomorrow. I really want you to meet her’ Rohit said.

Julie was Rohit’s friend from France who came along with Rohit to see an Indian Wedding. Indian weddings are a craze among people, who have never seen one.  Julie had gone shopping for some traditional Indian dresses with Rohit’s sister. As expected despite lot of persuasion by Rohit, Isha, Neha and myself, Supriya did not stay. Rohit was visibly disappointed this time. He did not even get up to hug Supriya, as he usually did, and did not even say bye. Supriya just smiled and left.

Rohit’s mood came back to normal when Julie came. Julie was very beautiful. Rohit had told me that she was the prettiest of the girls he had even seen. And he was right. The guys in the Bistro were noticing her well. Rohit introduced her to all of us. Rohit had told Julie about all of us. My eyes were also fixed on her. I had used a lot of French curves in my engineering study, but today I got to know why they were called “French Curves”. In next one hour Isha and Neha also left. The time out allowed to girls is always less than us guys.  Now it was only Me, Rohit and Julie left. Rohit’s sister also left.

After some time, Julie asked Rohit about Supriya.

‘She was here, but left early.’

‘Oh, I really wanted to see her.  I have heard a lot about her’

‘You know she has a very strict time schedule, she has to reach her home before 06.00 PM always.’

‘She also missed Neha’s Wedding and Engagement parties’ I added.

‘This is very strange, why this 06.00 PM rule’ Julie was not able to understand this time concept of Supriya.

‘Nobody knows, it has been like this since we met her more than 03 years ago. We could never know’, I said laughing, ‘It is like mystery of Bermuda.’

Rohit got up and said,’ Let us solve this mystery today, Julie will meet Su today. I have a plan.’

Rohit really got serious whereas I was only being funny.

‘Do you have her address,’ He asked me.

‘Mm.. no, but I know where she lives. Once I dropped her off, it is near an old fort just outside city limits. She said she lived just next to the Fort. But I have never been to her house there myself’.

‘OK let us move, tonight we will have a surprise dinner at Supriya’s home’ Rohit was excited and serious at the same time.

As I had nothing else to do that evening, I thought it would be a good idea. I would love to see the look on Supriya’s face when she will see us unexpected. I had never seen Supriya’s house, even in such a long time.

‘Good idea’ I said.

‘Yeah good Idea’, Julie also supported this plan. I think she liked mischievous side of Rohit. Very soon we were in Rohit’s car moving towards Supriya’s home. We planned to order Pizza and Chinese food at Supriya’s home.

In twenty minutes we were out of city. We reached the fort, I asked Rohit to take the turn where I had dropped Supriya once.  We turned and moved for more than 1 Km, but that road led to no residential place, there were only empty fields. After some time we realised we had completely encircled the area, but there were no houses visible nearby. Now we were getting tired. I tried calling Supriya, but her phone was switched off. That was also one of her stupid rules. We asked guard at fort about any houses nearby.

The guard was a funny character. He looked like someone from Ramsay brother’s horror movies, but only funny instead of scary. He was large built, with long moustaches, but his voice was like that of an old lady. He was wearing a dhoti, kurta and a pagdi on his head, with an old 303 gun. He said, ‘Who are you looking for? There is nothing. This place is not safe. Every evening there are strange noises coming from the back of the fort, Noises of Whistles, Whooshing sound of wind... You should go away, come in daytime only.’

What he was saying was not making any sense at all. We thought it was better not to talk to him. He seemed high on something and probably did not even know what we were asking. Julie was scared by guard’s appearance as she had clutched my hand tightly, which I gladly allowed.

Once we were back in the car, Rohit mimicked the way guard was taking, and we burst into laughter. Julie was also relaxed now. We called Neha and Isha to ask for Supriya’s address, but surprisingly they had also never visited Supriya’s house. Only Neha had also dropped her at the same place once like me. This was really intriguing. It was already 09.00 PM and we were getting hungry so we came back to city and went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.

‘This is really freakish. None of us has ever visited her house. How is it possible?. This is inexplicable-- totally weird’ I said while digging a sizzler. I was actually freaked out about Supriya. I had dropped her at the same place near the fort, and now there is no house nearby. I was being proved wrong. How was it possible? Now I was in doubt if I got the location wrong. But Neha also told the same location.

‘Oh do not worry. This might just be a coincidence. May be she is just too private person at home’ Now Rohit was trying to talk sense.

‘Too private... naah.. I do not think so. Why she always have to reach home before six? Nobody has seen her home, she has never invited any of us to her home? It is all too weird, nothing makes sense. This is definitely something odd. She is hiding something’ I said anxiously.

‘Maybe she likes to roam around naked at her home after six in the evening,’ Rohit said laughing. He was back to his real funny and cheeky nature, not paying any attention to my anxiety.

‘Oh come on... please’, Julie said smiling.

‘Yaar, now I really want to know what is the mystery’ I said

‘Relax, It is very easy, we will ask her tomorrow’ Rohit said.

‘Oh she will not tell. She has not told in last seven years.’ I said

‘OK there is one more way to find out’

‘And what is it?’ I asked

‘We will follow her tomorrow and see for ourselves where she lives and then, we will surprise her. OK?’

‘OK. Done.’ I said with excitement. I felt like a kid excited for a treasure hunt.

Next evening we met Supriya again. She was same chirpy and teenager looking sweet girl. We had not told about this plan to Neha and Isha. Of course they are our friends, but we did not want the risk of Su getting to know of our plan.

We were good at acting cool. Supriya had no idea of our plan of surprising her. Like always, she left at 05.30 in the evening. We waited for couple of seconds to ensure she is in her car, and then rushed out to follow her. Neha and Isha were surprised, as we never left this early.

Thankfully Supriya’s car was a red in colour, which was really easy to follow. Rohit’s car was in white colour, the most common colour in the city, so it was not easy for Supriya to spot a car following her. She was driving at steady speed so it was easy to follow her.

After some time, we reached outside the city limits. Supriya was moving towards that old fort.  She took the turn from where I had dropped her. It was a small village road between fields. We kept following her from a distance. Now we were in a village road, and there was no traffic. There was no other vehicle. The area was dark and silent. We were all ready to surprise Supriya. After moving on the same road for about 1 Km, there was still nothing around us. Only empty fields and no person visible anywhere. Supriya’s car stopped midway. We also stopped at a distance. After about a minute she came out of her car. She seemed taller and slimmer. She looked towards sky. We were watching all this from our car. It looked like there was some problem with her car, it stopped and she came out frustrated.

Just when we started to move for helping her... the weather changed. It became windy. At this time of the year this weather was surprising. Supriya was standing still looking towards the Sky. Sound of wind kept on increasing and we would not believe what we saw next.

It seemed like some kind of very advanced rhombus shaped air craft, with bright lights all around. It came whooshing down from sky and stopped right next to Supriya, just a few feet above the ground. Supriya took a step back, but next moment she vanished in to that air craft type thing, her car was also not visible now. We were almost paralysed with fear. Our friend was abducted by aliens right in front of us. We were really scared, now even I was clutching Julie’s hand. We all clung to each other.

The real scary thing happened next. That aircraft stayed there for a second and then it floated towards us. In a moment it was right outside out car. The whooshing was very loud, we could not see outside. We were all trembling with fear now. Now it was our turn to be abducted by them. I had heard stories of people being abducted by aliens on Nat Geo channel, but never believed them and never thought anything like that happening to me or my friends. And here it was actually happening. Rohit tried to start the car, but engine did not crank. We were doomed.

The blinding white light from that aircraft was focused on our car now. Three very tall, may be about 08 feet tall and very slim figures, with slightly bigger heads came out from that light. They came close to our car. They were having very big shining black eyes and their skin was shining grey. All of them had some strange looking object in their hands. It looked like some kind of weapon. For a moment I thought it was a very weird and bad dream, but it was not, we were actually going to be abducted by aliens. They pulled us out of the car.

Just as we were about to be pulled in to that craft, another grey person came out of the aircraft. This one was little shorter than others although taller than us. We were stopped right outside the craft. This grey person came close to the three grey persons who pulled us out. They seemed like talking to each other, but we could not to hear anything. They were probably talking in some frequency in-audible to us. After some time those three went inside the air craft. This new one came to us. We all were holding each other now. The grey person came right in front of us and then started speaking.

‘Why did you come here?’ It spoke in our language, and the voice was sounding familiar. It was Supriya’s voice.

OMG! Supriya is alien. The reality struck all of us together. She always looked younger, and we had never seen her in the night. This explained everything; Supriya’s being so secretive about her house, then that unchanging teenager look. Even what that funny guard was saying a day before was making sense now. 

‘Su..Supriya.. Is it you?’ Rohit stammered, while looking at that grey person like he was searching for Supriya in that grey alien.

‘Yes, it is me and my real name is Tevachi. I am from the planet Telbertus’

‘What are you saying? You have been us all these years. How can... how..? What are you going to..?’ There were so many questions I wanted to ask but words were not coming out properly.

‘Our planet was captured by Xenomos, a species from our rival planet Xenom. My family managed to get out and since then we were living here on earth. Every evening we shift to the next dimension from this point, as we cannot stay in human form for more than 12 hours. My parents and my sister thought you guys as a threat to us, but I have explained that you guys are friends and not a threat. So relax... you guys are safe.’

Finally we were little less scared, but we all were still astonished by what we were witnessing. Julie was still scared. She moved back and sat in the car.

‘So now you are going to go to this different dimension and come back again tomorrow?’ Rohit asked Tevachi, trying to understand all that has happened.

‘No, since you guys have seen us, we will move away to some other place on earth, or may be another planet or it will be threat to our species. I may come back here in about 100 earth years’

‘What... 100 years? This means we are never going to see you again?’ I said. Even though Tevachi looked horrible, but somewhere inside that scary alien body was our friend whom we called Supriya.

‘Yes. 100 earth years are like a few months on our planet. And for your own good please do not tell anyone about us. People will not believe you and may call you crazy. I wish you guys all the best.. Love you guys’ she said moving to the air craft. She turned and waved to us before vanishing into the bright light. The whooshing sound increased again. We stood there waving to her. Next moment that light disappeared and aircraft whooshed back to sky.

That was when we last saw Supriya.. or Tevachi.

______

This is a work of fiction. Resemblance to some people living is intentional. 

Picture Source: Wikipedia