It was a long day,and a quite exhausting one-both physically and mentally.I was on my way home.My best friend Aneesh had a terrible accident.I bet you know how common road accidents are in this country.Everyday we hear news about an accident happening some place.But who cares,life goes on and the accidents continue to happen.
So where was I.Oh yes,I remember,Aneesh’s accident.The accident was quite fatal,with Aneesh sustaining multiple fractures.But by God’s grace,Aneesh was alive,still breathing.I was at the hospital by Aneesh’s side.It was awful.Hospitals make me feel sick. The over-the-top cleanliness,Doctors and Nurses dressed in white and the distinctive odour lingering in the hospital have a nauseating effect on me.But sometimes endurance is the only way.So there I was by my best friend’s side,praying silently for his quick recuperation.Aneesh’s parents were obviously very tensed after the accident.It was quite impossible to fathom how disastrous it would have been for them if anything would have happened to Aneesh.He was their only son,you know.So there they were,thanking and praising lord for saving their only son’s life.
Still engrossed by these depressing thoughts,eventually I reached home.It was quite a relief to be back home after such a gruesome ordeal in the hospital.I believe that the combined feeling of exhilarartion and relaxedness which swept over me on reaching home is common to almost all of us when we reach home after a long and tiring day.But as soon as I headed for the entrance of my home,the feeling of joy departed and a feeling of disdain took over as if an evil soul had possessed a man of God.The door of my house was open and through it I could see a flurry of visitors in my house,and this sank my heart.I am not much of a social person,you know.It is generally the tendency of uncles and aunties of our country to ask totally rubbish questions like “ Beta,how are you” or “How is College”,behaving as if they don’t have the slightest clue of what my answer would be.God save me from such pretentious people.
But as I have already said once,sometimes endurance is the only way.So I cursed all the visitors under my breath and keeping my emotions and true feelings in control,I entered the house.The ambience of the house felt somewhat strange,sort of lamenting I can say.I got really concerned.Quite predictably,pessimism took over me and negative thoughts started clouding up my mind.People were engulfed in their own thoughts,heads down,as if they were in a deep slumber.No one took my notice as I passed.What took me by surprise was the presence of Aneesh’s Parents.Why were they here,when their own son was in the hospital with half his bones broken.Ignoring them,I headed straight for the kitchen,as I was really starving and was badly in need of food.But alas,so neatly arranged was the kitchen,as always I couldn’t find anything to gorge upon.You know,sometimes too much order can also pose a serious problem.Disappointed I called out aloud-“Ma,where are you?.Get here fast and give me something to feed myself,I’m starving.”I waited for her reply,but none came.Now I’ve had enough.Impatient, I headed straight for my room,and what I saw inside was appalling.There on the bed sat my mother, shoulders slouched and eyes red,as if she had been crying for quite some time.Several of my relatives were next to her,consoling her.There in the corner stood my dad,ash-faced staring right in the middle of the room and shivering uncontrollably.It seemed to me like he was fighting his tears.My uncle was by his side,patting him on the back sympathetically.I followed Papa’s gaze,and then the sight before me was so astonishing that it gave me goosebumps.There on the bed was a body,motionless and absolutely still,surrounded by lamenting women.Perplexion took my toll,and I inched towards it,fearing what lay ahead.I finally reached close enough to see whose body it was.The face which presented itself before me was a familiar one.How couldn’t it be,it was mine.Right in front of me,my body was lying perfectly still,my face white and emotionless,as if all the blood had been sucked out of it.I kept staring at my face,unblinking and it seemed an eternity when at last memories came flushing through my mind and I remebered everything.Events were registering in frame by frame,as if a movie was being played inside my head.
I recalled how very happy I was on getting the new bike.It was a present on me making it to the best college of the city.Mom and Dad were really proud.It was an overwhelming experience for them,their son going to college for the first time.I was also overjoyed,why shouldn’t I be as my best friend Aneesh was also in the same college as me.I clearly remember my mother’s words when I was leaving for the college,’’Good luck,beta. Have a nice day.And drive carefully for God’s sake.”I kissed her goodbye,not knowing it was my last goodbye kiss.I picked up Aneesh from his place and we were on our way to college when the unthinkable happened-the accident.It was terrible.There lay both of us right in the middle of the road,bloody as hell.A gentleman,unlike others who were busy staring at us,as if a freak show was on,called for the ambulance.We were rushed to the hospital.What happened next I couldn’t remember.
The flashback was over.I found myself still staring intently at my face,and then the horrendous reality struck me like a bolt of lightning.I was dead.There in front of me lay my body.What was left of it was only the flesh,the soul had long departed it.Panick struck me like never before.I ran straight to my mother,shook her and said,”Mummy,see.Here I am,here is your son.Won’t you kiss me.”No reaction.I let go of her and went straight for Dad.”Daddy,are you listening me.Daddy,control yourself.” Still no reaction.How could they react to me,I was dead.Exhausted,I fell on the floor,still looking at my mother’s weeping face and my father’s cold eyes.Every effort made by others to console them was in vain.How could they be consoled tonight.You know,today their only son had died.
