When I was ten, she pushed a boy off a swing. He hurt his forehead badly. There was blood and screams all around. “He deserved it”, she whispered in my ears, “He teased you because you stammer”. I looked into her beautifully assuring eyes as she nodded slightly, held my hand and took me home. Her deep brown eyes have followed me since then.

She would help me to copy in exams, lie to my parents for late night escapades and cheat on my boyfriend. She taught me to smoke cigarettes when we drank vodka on the college terrace. We shared our first marijuana joint; our first apartment when I left my parents' home and the pain of our first tattoo. I would clean the blood and vomit she would leave on the floor in the night after a party. She would tease her hair and roll her eyes when I performed at cheap concerts. 

Then I met Saurabh and she couldn't stand our happiness. She would sulk at home all day, waking up in odd places and not remembering most of the night she spent out. Saurabh took great care of me; I sobered up and took my music seriously. I was happy with him so I forgot about her and she pretended to neglect me. I couldn't remember seeing her or talking to her for days at a stretch. 

One day when I returned from the store, I found the door unlocked. In caution and preparedness, I grabbed the umbrella and tip toed to the sitting area. Saurabh’s dead body was lying on the floor in the pool of his own blood. She was smoking on the stool, a bloodied knife was thrown close by and her clothes were torn at places. Her hair was disheveled and I guessed what would have happened. She cried in my arms apologizing a million times but I had to call the police. I narrated the whole episode piece by piece to them yet they didn't believe a word I said. They declared I was in a “different” mental state. 

Six months of solitary confinement have gone by. Every day I stare at the window of the room and she sits in a corner staring at me. Her eyes never leave my face as she puffs away cigarettes gloriously. 

Mr. Dasgupta, my attorney came to visit today. He said he had some great news for me. “Due to lack of substantial evidence and quizzical circumstances of the untimely death of Saurabh, the court has granted you bail. There is one condition though.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, ”You need to sign these papers which say you'll complete one year in a rehabilitation center. We will plead the case in Supreme Court now. Looking at…well, the circumstances…proving attempted rape won't be difficult”. He took off the glasses and I could see the fine lines of age and stress on his face. He smiled from across the table “No more of this solitary confinement dear, you wont be alone in this… this godforsaken room”.

A maniacal smile spread across my face. I leaned in from across the table and whispered in his ears “I am not alone. My devil walks with me.”  Thoroughly bewildered, he quietly left the room, as he turned to latch the door I winked at him with my deep brown eyes.