Changing Colours of Sky
 
“Don’t cast thy pearls before the swine, for they will smell them and leave them and jump at you” reading this line, she closed the book.
 
She always carried the New Testament of the Holy Bible with her. Her father said that Bible saves us from every kind of danger. But today it was different because no prayer had helped. 
 
Whenever she left her house, her father said, “God save our children from evil.” 
 
She would often laugh at the idea and reply, “Papa, even evil is frightened to approach your dangerous daughter.”
 
Her father would look towards the sky, as if trying to find the invisible demons.
The police service had hardened her and enabled her to face every kind of adverse situation.
 
At night, she pulled her service revolver from her briefcase, looked at it, and then counted the bullets; she aimed at her right temple. For an instant she thought of pulling the trigger, perhaps, just to see what happens. But suddenly she began to laugh.
 
On his wheel chair, her father entered the room. Her old father was also in Police service and now she was his only support in life. He was lively, friendly, courageous, and strong; he had never felt defeated in life in spite of his physical condition. When he saw his daughter with her revolver aimed at her temple he was confused why his daughter was doing that.
 
“Oh, no, Papa, I am not committing suicide. Why should I? What crime have I committed? Why shouldn’t I kill that singer, that singer with the God like image?” she said and kept the revolver back in her suitcase. 
 
She knew that her father would not be able to bear if something happened to her. She was not going to take any such foolish step.
 
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It was her first night on out of station duty; she was on a mission. She had not phoned her father. She was very tired and she didn’t pick the phone that had been ringing for quite some time.
 
He had, very cruelly, chewed her lips. There were distinct marks on her thick lips with tiny drops of blood at some places. He had pulled her wet hair and scratched her arms at many spots. Blue spots had appeared on her arms. She had tried to escape from his embrace but it was vain. His hands were as if made of iron. He had closed her mouth with his hand. She had cried but his one shout silenced her. He began to slap her on her face. 
 
Not even in her childhood, she was never given physical punishment. None had even scolded her. She was very well cared and very delicately nursed. She could never imagine being slapped and beaten like this.
 
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Next morning, in the bathroom, she cried for a long time. When she came out, there was the tray of tea and a newspaper on the table near the bed. The struggle of the night, pain, and tiredness compelled her to pour tea for her. She was about to pick the cup when the singer touched her. She pulled her hand back and made angry gesture. 
 
He picked the newspaper and threw it into her lap. He went near the window and began to smoke a cigarette.
 
She smelled her own fingers and found that there was smell of cigarette. She entered the bathroom and washed her hands. Meanwhile, there was a knock on the bathroom door. She opened the door.
 
“You have to attend the meeting,” his back was towards her. He was in a blue striped shirt.
 
She dressed quickly, and, picking her briefcase, moved out of the room. She left him as if she did not know him at all. 
 
She took a taxi and reached her office.
 
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She remembered how he had entered her life. She loved beautiful voices and his voice was magical. When she had heard him singing in a night club, she was mesmerized. After that it was easy for her. She being a police officer could easily enter any night club. He had noticed that she was following him to different night clubs.
 
One night, he invited her for a drink which she happily accepted. It was attraction and there was nothing called love between them. She spent that night with him in his apartment. 
 
After that it was almost necessary for her to meet him at least once in a day. She had never brought him to her house because she did not want to hurt her father’s feelings. She did not want that her father should know that his daughter was seeing a night club singer.
 
Only after a few months, she realized that there was other part of his life; he was addicted to drugs. She felt her existence divided into two parts: one belonged to a duty bound police officer, and the other to a soft hearted lover who could forgive him even a murder.
 
……………………………………………….
 
In her hotel room, she was waiting for him. Not even her father knew that she was in a hotel room, away from the city. He only knew that she had gone out because her duty demanded it.
 
She had tolerated physical torture for many months; she had never complained because the magic of his voice suppressed every other feeling. Every morning she was a stern looking police officer but every evening, hearing his soulful voice, she used to be a woman who only knew love.
 
She was expecting a knock on the door any moment. Then it came. He was very handsomely dressed; his eyes were red but dreamy; he was smiling. She smiled back and embraced him. She was sure that he was highly under the effect of the drug he was habitual to. They made love that night with the passion that is impossible to put into words.
 
Just before dawn, she got dressed, put dark glasses over her eyes, and moved out of the room.
 
…………………………………………………….
 
The story was there in the newspaper about the murder of the singer. He had been shot twice at his right temple from point blank range. The report mentioned that he was with a woman who could not be traced. His killing was associated with the drug Mafia.
 
She kept the newspaper at the table and said to her father, who was sipping his morning tea, sitting in his wheel chair, “Papa, sometimes it is necessary to eliminate the devil. Prayers for safety don’t help!”
 
He was confused and he did not understand what she meant by it.