Second Chance

It was 2 AM. Amit got up from his bed. His throat was dry. Took a sip of water and went back trying to sleep which he was trying from 3 hours but no luck. This is his state from the past 6 months. Dark Circles, fatigued, no social life and fear. The fear that’s stuck with him from the last time he drove his car 6 months back on that fateful night.

He wasn’t always like this. A party animal before and the life of it. He started drinking at an early age of 15 and it only grew on him. Always ready to try new things, meeting new people and have more drinks. So much that certain mornings he could never recollect what happened the previous night at all. If only he could take something that would make him forget on what happened that night. But he never dared touch a bottle again.

6 months Back:

It was March 1st. Amit’s 25th Birthday. He invited every person he knew, to Club Exotica Resort. A party of a lifetime. By the end of it, people were just not in their senses, especially Amit.

His sober friends offered him ride back home but he was too proud of his driving. Started his car and drove away in the midnight at a furious speed. He was just crossing an isolated bridge and he looked outside. Fresh sea breeze. Happy Birthday to me he shouted and then he felt it. A loud thud, a scream and a body just flew. He pressed hard on the brakes and got down. A few meters away was a person screaming in pain and suddenly the screaming stopped. He couldn’t see the face but knew it was a lady and there was so much blood. Amit froze. He had to do the right thing instead fear got the better of him and he drove away even faster than before.

His Car hadn’t left his garage from that night nor did Amit leave home for the next few days. He was keenly checking the newspaper to see if any thing came up about that day and then finally it did appear. A hit and run case on March 1st. Maria aged 21 died on the spot. Police found a suicide note near her body. The note mentioned “ I am tired of this life and want to get it over with. Nobody is to blame for this. Good bye World. Let the Sea consume me and set me free”

She was planning to jump the bridge but instead got hit by a car while crossing the road. This information did not help Amit. It did not matter if she was planning to die. What mattered was, he was the reason she is not alive.

Current Day:

It was 2:30 AM. Amit sat thinking, surely there was some way by which he could put all this behind him. Then it occurred to him. I will drink till I forget everything.

He opened his stash of booze and started gulping it down. 4 AM and he could barely stand and he took his car keys and headed out to the same bridge. He climbed it. This is the only way to get this guilt out. Suddenly he saw someone in the water drowning. All his buzz went away. This was his second chance. Without a thought he jumped in the icey water. He was always a good swimmer and took the drowning lady to safety.

A few minutes later the lady came to her senses. She didn’t thank Amit instead broke down. “You shouldn’t have saved me”. Amit consoled her, the booze still in his system and he just blurted out the events of that night and why saving her was important to her. The lady looked at Amit shocked!

You are the guy that hit the lady on March 1st night?? Amit nodded.

Sobbing she continued “ My name is Priya. 6 months back I had decided to end my life by jumping this very bridge and as I was nearing it I saw the accident. When you drove away I approached the lady who was killed. I got scared and threw the suicide note I had and ran away. Today I mustered up courage and came back to finish what I intended to do but you saved me. Your actions have saved me twice! I guess its not meant for me to leave this world behind“.

Amit smiled. Wished her luck in her life ahead and went straight to the police station and surrendered. That night in Jail he finally slept.