Story - Always know where you are headed

‘Excuse me. Helloooo…Is there some one here? Helloooo…’ shouted Harry trying to find someone in the wilderness.
‘God! I should have listened to Urshi. She was right, this is no weather to go on a drive,’ he lamented.
‘And of all the places, I had to choose this deserted road only. I like taking roads less traveled. I am a big Idiot, idiot, idiot. That is what I am,’ he realized.
‘Hellooo, helloo, somebody please help me.’ ‘Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...’ he further screamed.

A man emerged from behind a dilapidated building. His muscular built was wrapped in an air of smugness. His face was smeared with dust and mud, and his hair was horribly tousled. He looked like the kind of man who cared less for himself, and even lesser for others. He moved towards Harry with scorn and irritation written all over his face.

‘Hello there. Are you an idiot or what? What makes you shout so much? Come over here,’ the man commanded.
Harry turned to face the man and took slow, reluctant steps towards him. He was mentally calculating whether the man was an answer to his prayers or a result of his curses.

‘Sir…my…my bike broke down. I am Harry, I mean Harish.’
The man, towering over Harry, stood still and gave him a hard look which seemed to gauge his honesty and intentions.
‘Why...why...are you staring like that? I...I’ve come from Delhi. You can have a look at my bike too. It’s over there,’ Harry pointed.
‘Where were you headed to?’ the man enquired.
‘I...I don’t know sir. I was going ahead just like that.’
‘Whaaat? Do I look like an idiot or what? You want me to believe that you were riding down this road without any purpose? Tell me, why have you come this way? Tell me, where does this road go? Tell me!’ said the man, his voice grew hard and body tensed as his veins started showing.
‘Sir...sir...sir please. I...I do not know. I...I thought you may help...help me.’
‘Help? You want me to help you? And what about me? Who is going to help me? Tell me honestly where does this road lead? I swear to God I wouldn’t do anything to you,’ the man said.
‘Sir...I…I honestly don’t know where this road leads. I...I have come here for the first time,’ Harry mumbled.
The man moved closer to him, grabbed him by his shirt collar and howled, ‘Have you been sent by that Naseer to hunt me down?’ His eyes became red-shot and his voice grew murderous. ‘Or are you a policeman? You bastards will never get me alive…’
Harry’s voice trembled as he wriggled to free himself. ‘No...no...I know no Naseer and ...and… am no policeman. I work in a software company. This...here...here…you can see my id-card…here…here is my driving license …here is my visiting card…please sir… please …I beg you…I...I do not know where this road leads…I swear by my family...please sir... please...let me go…’
‘Huh, you really don’t seem to know where this road leads…’
‘Yes...yes sir...I really do not know…can…can I go now? I…I…will find a way...may be I will get a lift…’ Harry said as he began to move away from the man.
‘Hey listen!’ the man called. ‘Come here, sit down with me,’ said the man as his voice suddenly sounded dejected yet friendly.
Hesitatingly, Harry moved closer to him and sat next to him, trembling and sweating profusely.
‘Do you smoke?’ the man asked Harry.
‘No...no...I mean yes...sometimes...but I am fine...do not feel like it…right…now,’ he responded, stuttering.
‘Here, have one while you can still taste it...couple of hours...and you will be like me…’ the man said looking straight, as if searching for something in the horizon.
‘What…what do you mean...like you...?’ Harry said slowly picking up the beedi.
‘You know, one should always know where one is headed. All the time...every time...’ said the man.
‘Yeah, I know. My father always used to tell me. One should be clear about where he wants to reach in life,’ said Harry, suddenly finding his voice back while the man kept looking towards the horizon.
‘If only I knew where I was headed when I killed Naseer’s brother. If only I hadn’t got so scared! If only I had taken the left turn instead of…if only…I wouldn’t have been stuck here for days.’
‘But...but...why is it so important to know? We...we can get a lift or just start walking. It’ll be better than being stuck here. Don’t you think…so…sir?’ Harry lost his voice again as man turned his face towards him and looked straight into his eyes.
‘Did you still not get it? We can not go anywhere from here. We have to stay here. Till we find out where this road is headed.’
‘B…b…but...why?’ Harry blurted, confused.
‘Your bike did not break down on its own. I did that. I put that log in your way, and you stumbled over.’
‘What???’ Harry was shocked.
‘Yeah, because when my truck went down this hill, I didn’t know where this road leads to. I had to know the destination of the last journey of my life…before I could start a new one.’
‘Wha...what are you talking about?’ said Harry as the world began to swirl in his head.
‘I had no way of finding out except to ask someone passing by, so I had to do this to you. I am sorry friend...’ said the man, looking softly at Harry, his eyes saddened with disappointment.
‘So...so...you mean to say...you mean…’
‘Yeah, you are dead. We both are dead. See, the wound on your hand is still fresh. You can not smoke that beedi now, like me. You can have no pleasure…’ the man revealed the secret as matter-of-factly as possible.
‘So…so…what do we do now? I mean what one is supposed to do when...when…when one is dead?’ said Harry trying to grasp what he had just heard.
‘He is supposed to find out where he was headed when he died,’ said the man standing up and looking at Harry with eyes filled with wisdom attained a little too late.‘Let’s go and find out then,’ said Harry, his eyes filled with excitement of a new born, as the sound of a car filled the air.