Screeeeech! Emma was panting heavily as she stopped the
car. Her crystal blue eyes were full of fear and terror. But Tiffany wasn’t
affected. She sat as still as ever. Emotionless. Her light grey eyes looked as
hard as stone. “Tiffy, are you, uh-huh” Emma tried to speak but her words
somehow were lost somewhere. She tried to calm herself, in vain. For a few
moments, all that could be heard was silence of the night. Finally, mustering
up her lost coverage, Emma spoke, “But why Tiffy? What was the need?”
“Susy, where’s dad?” “Here I am
my little princesses!” Upon hearing the voice of her father, little Tiffany ran
upstairs where John stood with open arms for his little daughter. Little
Tiffany had everything that a child her age could desire for. Doting parents, a
loving young sister and a secure atmosphere. His father did preferably well in
his profession and they never had to long for anything. A picture perfect
family. A happy life.
“But mother, why do we have to
follow it?” “Because we’re supposed to dear. The law of entailment says so. We
no longer own all this. Your father’s demise has left us with nothing. We now
have to start our life afresh. Fend for ourselves. Look for a shelter.” Janet
couldn’t resist her tears as she answered her daughter. But Tiffany wasn’t
convinced. She no longer was that little Tiffany. She was now a rational
grown-up woman. “No mother. That belongs to us. Our home. The wealth. My dad’s
hard work. All belongs to us now that he’s no longer with us. How can we give
it to a stranger?” “He’s your cousin Tiff. Edward’s no stranger.” “Oh mother!
He never paid us anything when dad was alive! We didn’t even know about his
existence! How can he suddenly own up everything that is supposedly ours? Why
can’t we inherit our own property?” “Because you are daughters. And the law
says that daughters cannot inherit their father’s property. Only the males have
that right. If you had a brother, we wouldn’t have been homeless now.” Janet
broke down as she spoke.
Tiffany and her family were
leading a happy life until the sudden demise of her father. And this incident
changed their lives forever. The home where they had spent their happy days was
no longer theirs. They were suddenly detached forcefully of their belongings.
Their everything was now owned by someone who claimed to be its heir. And now
they were left homeless, penny less, with nowhere to go. All they now possessed
were the memories of the happy past.
“But why Tiffy? What was the
need? For God’s sake, answer me Tiff! Why did you kill him?” Emma, her eyes
widened, repeatedly asked Tiffany. “I didn’t kill him. I had no intention to
kill him. The law made me to do so. I’m not the murderer. The law, the society
is his murderer", replied Tiffany, her eyes constantly fixed on the dark road
ahead. Her face was still emotionless and her light-grey eyes now appeared dark
to Emma and this filled a sense of fear in her.
The phase of losing their
everything was harsher and crueler than they had anticipated with nothing to
claim as theirs and nowhere to go, Tiffany with her remaining family started to
toil hard for earning a mere bread. Their war for survival had now begun. They
now had come face to face with the trying realities of life. But Susy couldn’t
survive this crucial phase and she soon succumbed to the cruel jaws of death.
Janet couldn’t survive either. The death of her husband had already broken and
shattered her from within, and her youngest daughter’s sudden sad death was too
much for her. The death of her mother and young sibling was too a fatal blow
for Tiffany. This shook her completely from within. She was shattered and
something changed. And that change was irreversible. The loss irreparable. She
had made up her mind. She knew what she now had to do.
Taking a heavy breath, Emma
stepped down the car. The night was chilly and its silence was killing her from
within. She wasn’t able to believe that Tiffany, her most sensitive friend, who
shrieked at mere sight of an injured dog, had a few hours ago killed a man! How
could she commit a crime so brutal? Without looking at her, she asked, “so,
what did you gain after killing him? Did the law change? Did you get everything
that you lost?” Tiffany easily assessed her friend’s agony. She knew what was
bothering her. In a grave tone, she replied, “But he didn’t get what was ours
either. The law didn’t change. But when many more Tiffanys will take the same
brutal step in the future, it will change. It will have to change. You’ll see
that.”
Emma was too tired now to
question her. She was fatigued by the whole thing. She closed her eyes to seek
some peace of mind. Vain. A few moments later, she head back to her car. But what
she saw made her completely pale white from shock and fear. Tiffany was still
looking at the road, but now her light-grey eyes were completely dark. She was
sitting motionless and streams of blood trickled down her slit throat. On the
dashboard lied a rough piece of paper, half-soaked in blood. Emma took the
paper, her hand trembling with fear.
“Dearest Emma,
I know my step would agonize you extremely. But this is my only repose.
Very soon the caretakers of the damned law and the society will come and bind me
by chains, drag me to bring justice to that scoundrel. But I won’t let it
happen. They’ll never catch me. My death will prevent it.
No dear, it’s not a coward step. My death will stop them from
suppressing my voice, and years later, or maybe sooner, many Tiffanys will wake
up and rise and demand for their rights.
The daughters will inherit their belongings. Death of one Tiffany will help
secure the future of many others.
Take care dear.
Adieu.
Tiffany.”
As she read the letter, Emma felt
proud of her friend. She didn’t know whether the future would be the same as
predicted by her friend, but she was sure Tiffany’s efforts won’t go in vain.
With a heavy heart, she left the body in the car and walked away.
