• Published : 25 Jun, 2014
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  • Rating : 4

My life was coming back to normal; all the pieces that lay shattered here and there were falling into its place, nonetheless slowly but they were healing. For past few months I had completely withdrawn myself from the rest of the world; perhaps struck by the fear of having to answer those innumerable questions waiting to pounce on me, having to give an ear to the sympathy that would inevitably pour in. I never imagined, not even in my worst nightmares that the world could come crashing on me so hard. Fate! The almighty fate!! Or was it destiny, the lines between the two seems to have blurred.
It was a beautiful New Year’s Eve; Nagpur was drenched in lights. People were getting ready for New Year’s celebration and I was cross-checking everything. Last month I had bought a new apartment and since then it was a surprise for my mom. Painters and interior designers were working day and night as I wanted it to be completed by 31st December by all means. After a hectic haul for a little over a month the work was finally over and I was eager to disclose this surprise to my mom. I reached home and my mom was preparing dinner for us. I hugged her and out of curiosity she asked me of reasons for this sudden happiness. I told her that it’s a surprise and her face lit up; mom had always liked surprises. I asked her to get ready so that I could show her the surprise that awaited her. Since it was the New Years Eve and there was crowd frenzy, my mom insisted on driving us to the destination, more so because I had recently secured a driver’s license and mom wasn’t too keen on taking chances especially on such happening nights. Excitement was flowing all over the place, people getting ready to meet their loved ones, little kids overwhelmed with joy, everything seemed so surreal, so fascinating just like a beautiful dream where every piece was perfectly arranged. Meanwhile amidst all these, we were getting closer to our destination. We crossed the highway and were 15-20 minutes from our new home. I was talking to my mom about my dad, and I could see she was still missing him, a drop of tear or two rolled down her cheeks and I regretted having raised the topic and immediately tried to divert her attention to other subjects of discussion. But she seemed lost, nostalgia took over her and she was quiet, as if the environment was tranquilized with some sort of drug. We said nothing to each other for a few minutes. Just as we were leaving the main road and were about to enter the streets a cargo truck came from nowhere. It was accelerating at huge pace throwing colored lights at us. The brakes screeched, horns honked but the inevitable happened. It hit us, mom’s head smashed against the side window and I could see blood gushing out of her head. For those few minutes before I became unconscious I felt helpless as if I was paralyzed. I was unable to help myself but most of all I was unable to save my mom who perhaps was dying right in front of my eyes. And then slowly everything blacked out. I woke up at south central hospital after being three days in coma.
According to the doctor I suffered brain trauma caused by the accident with the car’s windshield. I remembered that doctor saying “You were lucky that you were saved but your mother is not. She died from brain hemorrhage “. That last sentence kept ringing in my ears and I froze instantly. Hundreds and thousands of memories flashed across my mind, visions of my mother’s face, her beauty, her happiness, her smile, I could see all of it. My heart still refused to acknowledge that something so horrific could have happened, that I have lost my mom that I have become an orphan. My emotions refused to remain confined within the boundaries and threatened to flood out; I started crying loudly. Anger, regret, helplessness that I had suppressed within found vent in my voice and tears. A perfect dream had turned into a nightmare; a beautiful life was shattered into pieces.
The house that I brought is still vacant. I don’t know why I haven’t yet sold it. It has some untold memories attached to it. I feel somewhere deep within that my mother is waiting there with her arms spread patiently to hug me and singing me those lullabies that she used to sing for me while putting me to sleep.

Alas! Call it fate or destiny; it always has some unthinkable surprises for us. Those 10 minutes changed everything, it took away everything, made my world topsy-turvy.

The lullabies, memories and her love is all that I have with me and shall carry in my heart for good.

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Arunesh Prasad

Member Since: 09 May, 2014

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