His feet walk past her, but his eyes refused. Against his will, he walked a few meters but not anymore. He stopped in the shade of the tree along the side of the road. On the other side, she was talking to someone else. This was not his first time staring at her. He saw her a few times at the young writers club and a few times at the library. Among these encounters, he couldn’t forget the one that happened on one rainy night. While he was thinking about that night, those two women started walking toward him. The woman she was with was an editor in the company he was recently signed with.
They warmly greeted each other.
The editor woman introduced her as Lily and she has newly moved to this town only a week ago.
He said,” I am Zayn and I am a writer ….
The editor women intervened and added that he was quite famous for writing stories based on true events, recently he was researching the Mysterious missing that happened in the woods.
The editor woman unexpectedly got a call and it seemed to be important so she took her leave
They started to walk along the road and there was an awkward silence between them. To break the silence Zayn spoke out
"Purely innocent”, said Zayn
She gazed at him intently
“No, I mean the flower lily represents innocence…..”, said Zayn
“About that night, I want to ..…”, said Lily
“About that night, let us both pretend that it never happened ", said Zayn
He dropped her near her house and started walking while walking he had a glimpse of that night
It was a quiet night except for the rain. It poured heavily on that night and Zayn was returning home after meeting a friend.
He saw a woman completely soaked in rain and beside her, a man was lying down. Zayn gazed at them and realized that the man was dead. Zayn asked her what happened, she said that she didn't even know that man and she looked like she was frightened. Zayn helped her out that night. He even helped her with police enquiry as he was the first one to witness the incident.
After that incident, she moved into the town where Zayn resides. Zayn helped her a lot by getting a membership in the library and joining the young writers club.
But not everyone was interested in her because she had a gloomy appearance and usually didn't speak to anyone except for Zayn. The mysterious nature of the woman attracted him even more.

And they had begun to meet frequently. But at every meeting, she only asked about how the research for his new book was going
“It looks like you are only interested in my works but not me”, said Zayn.
“Because I also love to write stories based on true events like you”, said Lily
“you really don't know about that”, said Zayn
“About what”, said Lily
“That's why you don't respond when the kids in the writers club called you ' dark witch’”, said Zayn
“It may be because I always wore long black gowns”, said Lily
“It seems like you don't know about that urban legend…Uhm…it is about a woman who is a witch. Everyone says that she will lure and kill young lads. This rumor spread like wildfire after one died in the park. After that people strongly believed that urban legend and they abandoned the park too”, said Zayn
“Do you really believe in that”, said Lily
“Probably, cause I'm covering that story", said Zayn
“Shall we meet tomorrow”, asked Lily
“Sure, in the library right," Said Zayn
“No, in that park”, asked Lily
Zayn asked shockingly “In that abandoned park”,
“can't we” asked Lily
Zayn tittered and said,” Sure we can meet there”
The next day, on a calm and cool evening ,Zayn arrived at the park .Lily was already arrived and was writing something
He took his seat beside her.
“What are you writing”, asked Zayn
“I'm writing a crime based novel and I'm plotting the next chapter”, said Lily
Lily started noting down every detail of Zayn
“Blue shirt and black pants….”
“Well I'm curious about one thing”, said Zayn
“You are curious why I'm writing this, right”, said Lily
“No, why do you want to meet here”
" Isn't it a place for perfect crime”, asked Lily
“Yeah, Perhaps, did u made me the main character in your story", asked Zayn
“No, you are the one who is going to die", said Lily
Zayn giggled and said, “You killed me in your story” and that
“I think it'll rain today "
He never saw her this enthusiastic about writing
“I'm also curious about one thing”, said Lily
Zayn inhaled deeply and asked what made her curious
“About that night, why did you believe me blindly? How did you conclude that I'm innocent? You always believe what you should not and you do not believe what you actually should”, said Lily
Zayn was startled by her words and before he realized it, Lily pierced his neck with her pen. He fell to the ground. She leaned forward and whispered in his ears that
“You perceived my name wrong. I am quite fascinated by the wild flower Lily of the valley because it was deadly despite its fragrance and attractive look”
As she walked away, the rain started to drizzle.


When Lily arrived home, She was completely soaked in rain. She went to her study room and sat in the chair near the writing table.
Then she opened the drawer on the table and took out the pen box made of wood. A flower was engraved on the box.
Lily took out the pen from her pocket, with which she stabbed Zayn. She gazed at the pen. It was an old vintage pen and it also had the same flower engraved on it as that on the box. She wiped the blood on the pen with a cloth and placed it inside the pen box.
A week passed by. The police investigated Zayn's murder case and came to the end that the murder was done for theft because Zayn's wallet and valuable watch were found missing.
Lily returned to her routine life as if nothing happened. She planned to move out of the town and meanwhile she thought to write an epilogue to her story " Zaafira, a Wildflower”.
One fine morning, someone knocked at her door. Lily opened the door and saw a decent young man with a good physique.
“ I'm Zayn's friend. Can I come in?”, he asked.
From her look, he understood that she was suspicious of him.
He said, “I'm his junior at college and we had grown up in the same neighborhood so we were quite close”.
“ Are you a police officer ?”, asked Lily.
He said,” Yes”.
He showed his identity card. Then Lily allowed him to enter.
“what do you like to have”, asked Lily.
“ No, thanks. Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Zubair and I came to …… "
“Did you say Zubair? ”
“What?”, asked Zubair.
“ Nothing the name reminded of me something….. Leave it…. . Let me bring coffee for you”, said Lily and went into the kitchen for making one.
Zubair peeked around the house.
“It seems you are about to move out”, said Zubair.
Lily didn't reply. Zubair took some papers out of the file that he bought and started reading them aloud.
“Zaafira, a wildflower………. In everyone's life, there will be a turning point that will change their life entirely. That day came into my life too. I was once a girl who had an amazing life and a loving family but not anymore. That day changed my life upside down.
I wore cloak of sadness, hiding the fury in the eyes with a smile. Armored with a pen, started to chase and hunt down people…..”
Lily came with a coffee and snatched the papers off his hand and said,
“That's my story. Isn't it unusual for police to go this deep into some papers that are not important? Wouldn't they search for solid evidence? ", asked lily
“yeah, but it grabbed my attention”, said Zubair.
“Grabbed your attention?”, Lily chuckled.
“Zaafira, it's my late sister's name”
“why am I even telling you this? By the way, you don't look sad after all that happened to Zayn”, said Zubair.
“He was just someone whom I had met a few times and there was nothing between us…. I too felt bad for him” said Lily.
“what you felt bad for him. How can you even say this?” asked Zubair.
He pointed out the papers in her hand and said,
” There was no evidence for what I had done so far. But he saw what I did that night….. I pierced his neck with my pen and I felt all my resentment vanishing”
“This is what you wrote right,” asked Zubair.
“ I wanted him to know why he is going to die. But what a pity, he just died without knowing the reason ", said lily.
Her words unnerved Zubair.
“That’s the next line”, said Lily.
Her imprudent behavior and words made Zubair furious.
Zubair said angrily,” I'll make the person pay twofold for what they did to Zayn and it'll happen soon”.
Zubair looked pissed off. He was damn sure that Lily did that to Zayn and he badly wanted to find evidence against her.
While he was on that thought, he got a phone call and it was from an editor woman in the company where Zayn worked. She told him that she was free tomorrow and that he can come to her office.
The next day Zubair went to meet the editor woman. They introduced each other.
“I am sorry and I was shocked after hearing the news. Zayn was a talented person. How can something like that happen to him? ", said that woman.
“The one thing, I can do for him is to find the person who did that to him”, said Zubair.
“Yes, you should. And I think it's not just happened because of robbery”, said the editor woman.
“ Why do you think so”, asked Zubair.
"I already warned him not to write about her”, said the editor woman.
“ About who”, asked Zubair.
" The witch in the woods……It is one of the cover stories that Zayn wrote… After publishing it some unusual things happened”, said the eeditor woman.
“what unusual things, I want to know everything”, asked Zubair.
“ After publishing it, Zayn received an anonymous letter…. It stated that he should stop the publication and should also take that story down otherwise witch will haunt and slay you. He also received a couple of letters like that”, said the editor woman.
“ Did he do anything about the letter”, asked Zubair.
“ No, he didn't care about that and told me not to worry about something that is not trivial”, said the editor woman.
“Can you give me a copy of the story ", asked Zubair.
“ Yes of course”, said the editor woman.
After getting the copy, he had gone through it and he decided to go to the village which was mentioned in Zayn's story.
“ I should go and check the place where it all began”, Zubair said to himself.
The following day, he went to the village and roamed around, meeting so many people. Finally, he found the person who told Zayn about the urban legend.
Somehow he got a chance to meet that woman. Her name was Saliha.
“How long have you been living here?”, asked Zubair
“I was born here and married here. I am residing in this village for more than fifty-five years”, said Saliha.
"Did you remember a man who came to meet you two-three months ago? He was in his late twenties. I heard that you told him about the urban legend”, said Zubair.
“ Urban legend… it's not just a myth… it happened,”, said Saliha.
“ So you are saying that Laila killed her family when she was alive and after she died…. She became a witch who is still roaming in the woods killing lads. I don't believe in those kinds of stuff”, said Zubair.
“ I didn't say that Laila killed”, said Saliha.
“ No, it was like that in that story, The witch in the woods…he wrote what you have said to him. Now you are denying that”, said Zubair.
“ No I didn't say that, why should I manifest things… Laila was my friend and she died unfairly. When that man came to me saying that he will write the truth about her, I was relieved that someone came….I thought that he will write the truth”, said Saliha.
"What's the truth”, asked Zubair.
“ Everyone said that she killed her husband and herself too, but she is not that kind of person who was irresponsible , leaving her two children alone”, said Saliha.
“ Why didn't you tell that to the police, why didn't you file the complaint”, asked Zubair.
“I did but they told me that they had evidence that she killed her husband…he was stabbed with a pen and it had her fingerprint…. They also said she fled away with money…. But the next day, they found her dead in the woods”, said Saliha.
“What about her children?”, asked Zubair.
" There was no trace of her daughter, A couple of days later, her son was found in the woods in unconscious state”, said Saliha.
“ Did they find the daughter”, asked Zubair?
“ No, we couldn't find her. She is only twelve at that time… how she….”, her voice broke and she burst into tears.
Zubair didn't console her and was just staring at her. She wiped her tears and blew her nose.
“Her children alone witnessed what happened to her. Her son was too young to handle that…. He was under psychiatric treatment for months…doctors said that he couldn't remember what happened that day…he was a smart kid. I wished to raise him but my husband didn't accept him…. So we gave him for adoption…”, said Saliha.
"Thank you for your time”, said Zubair.
After returning to his town, he went to Lily's house. But it was all empty. She already moved out.
"How can I not recognize you”, Zubair said to himself.
Tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly he noticed that there was an envelope by the door. He opened it and realized that it was an epilogue to her story,’ Zaafira, a wildflower’.
He took the envelope and went to home. While he was climbing the stairs, he saw his mother working in the kitchen.
Zubair asked, " Mom, why did you adopt me”.
“ Why….. What happened….”, asked his mom.
“ Nothing happened, I was just curious ", said Zubair.
He went to his room and read the epilogue, it was about a little brother and sister.
"She also knew how to write feel-good stories”, Zubair said to himself.
He noticed a sticky note on the bottom of the envelope.
He got up and took a box from his cupboard which has some old stuff. He took out an old scrapbook. He opened it, it has so many sticky notes. Some with motivational messages and some with appreciation.
He smiled while looking at it and turned to the last page and pasted the sticky note which was on the envelope. It was written that
“ When there is no one for you, you should be the one there for you”.

#TheWritingProject


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