It was just past midnight, and with a power outage, I decided to sleep on a cot on my grandparents' terrace. The moonlit night was beautiful, and I enjoyed the swaying coconut trees and the gentle breeze. Suddenly, I heard the jingling of bangles and wondered who could be strolling at such a late hour. The highway, bustling with trucks all night, was right next to our entrance pavement. The other side of the road was dimly lit due to intermittent streetlights.
From the edge of my terrace, I could barely make out a woman walking by, likely the one wearing the bangles. The next day, I asked my grandmother and the caretaker about the woman, but they couldn't provide any information. They said they hardly knew any newly married women in the neighborhood and were surprised that anyone would walk on the busy highway at that time of night.
The following night, I considered shouting to the woman, but she seemed to be in a hurry, and her bangles jingled quickly. Around 4:00 AM, I was awakened by a screeching sound from a truck's brakes on the highway. I heard people gathering in their patios. I quickly went downstairs, woke up my grandfather, and accompanied him to the entrance gate.
A large crowd had gathered on the highway, and as we approached, we saw a dead body covered in blood with a crushed head. I turned away, unable to bear the sight. My eyes fell on some red bangles scattered nearby. At first, I thought it was the woman who had been killed and felt guilty for not saying anything. However, I later learned that a newlywed woman had been killed by her husband and in-laws by being pushed out of a moving vehicle. Her husband's dead body was lying at the same spot. The reason for his presence there at that hour remained unexplained. After that night, I never saw the woman again. Thankfully, the power was restored, and I preferred to sleep indoors for the rest of my summer holidays.
*A story inspired by true events.
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