It started as any other Monday morning, the kind where routine blends seamlessly into the familiar rhythm of life. We got up, got dressed, and exchanged the customary good luck wishes from our dad for the impending exams—a routine that felt comfortingly normal.
Little did we know that the threads of our ordinary Monday were about to unravel.
After finishing my first paper around 11 am, an unexpected wave of discomfort swept over me. Determined to push through, I soldiered on to the next exam. It wasn't until we were both done and waiting to be picked up that the day took a sharp turn.
Instead of our parents, our uncle's driver arrived, steering us toward our uncle's place. Initially, I dismissed it as a deviation from the usual routine, assuming our parents were simply tied up and would fetch us later.
As time ticked away, the phone rang. Answering it, our uncle's casual reassurance to have lunch and wait for our mom to pick us up did little to lessen the unease settling in. Sharing my suspicions with my brother, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
An hour and a half later, the front door creaked open, revealing our mom and uncle.
Ignoring us, our uncle hurried to the bathroom. The weight of the moment hung in the air as my mom, with a pained expression, walked towards us. When she finally spoke, her words shattered the fragile normalcy we clung to: "Guys, papa passed away."
Reality hit hard, and I fought to contain the flood of emotions threatening to spill over. Glancing at my brother, I saw strength in his eyes, though the pain was undeniable.
For the sake of my family, I held back tears, embracing my mom as she succumbed to the heart-wrenching grief.
Returning home felt surreal. Condolences poured in, and the house buzzed with mournful visitors. My brother and I, mere shells in our school uniforms, grappled with the incomprehensible void our father's absence had left behind.
Sleepless nights followed, haunted by the cruel truth that he was no longer a part of our lives. Even the simplest act of eating became a bitter reminder of the new reality we were forced to face, marking those days as some of the most challenging in our unfolding story.
A song we will remember him by: Barsaat Ke Mausam Mein