Abhira FF : A Decision

The Road Not Taken

"No Snowfall! No Snowfall!"
He kept chanting in his head from the time he left Udaipur. First he feared cancellation of flight due to weather, then he was scared  about the traffic on the road. Even if his flight landed on time, what if it started to snow when he booked his cab? Or worse enough when he was on the way? He didn't have any prior experience of snow. It didn't snow when he was in Kasauli - not once but twice. Having spent 35 years of his life in Udaipur, the North made him discover his poor immunity to cold. None of his medicines worked. Only home remedies were his saviour. More than his health, he was worried about time. He didn't have time. What if his car slipped on the road? What if snow would really pile up quick and it'd take them time to scrape it off? It all demanded time. He rubbed his fingernails over each other - another yogic remedy to grow hair. He already had them but as the cab paced the road he fidgeted more. After all, what could he do? No one knew where he was. But they'd look for him, he knew that. The first thing he did after getting out of jail was to check the first flight to Shimla and there he was with all adverse details.
The weather department had already warned about heavy snowfall in Shimla. It was his luck that flights after his departure were cancelled and it was his sheer luck that a person cancelled his ticket at the last moment and he got accomodated. Last minute flight bookings were never a thing but maybe this time God wanted his child to win.
He dozed off in stress taking the road he never had taken before.
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"Aapki bail ho chuki hain. Aap ghar ja sakte hain.", the inspector called out from his desk.
He felt the knots in his heart loosen as the door was unlocked.
"Kisne karwayi bail?", he asked.
"Vinay Pathak", the police replied handing him all his belongings.
He was expecting some other name and this was a shock. He knew Vinay sir since his childhood.
Without a thought, he decided to head to Shimla. It was only an year ago that after a chance encounter he never wanted to visit Shimla. Now he prayed for an encounter again - a planned one, an unexpected one. He didn't have guts to make any call. He headed to his destination right away with a relief that his cards weren't blocked and his account not frozen. Nothing could be guaranteed in these merciless winds of despair and insecurity. He walked out of hospital for he knew he could make it anywhere. But now, money was a little important and so was his peace.
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He banged his head on the back of the front seat when the driver applied the brakes.
"Pahoch gaye Sir ji", the driver said.
He made the payment online and got off.
"Itne durr se aaye aap. Na saaman na koi bag. Apne ghar aaye ho kya sahaab?", the driver asked him after a 45 minutes long drive.
" Ghar?" , he asked.
"Ji! Aap airport se khaali haath hi aaye. Na trolley na bag. Warna Shimla mein toh log trolliyan bhar ke saamaan laate hain. Aapne toh muffler bhi nahi odha. Isiliye pucha ghar aaye hain kya aap?", the driver added.

"Kuch aisa hi samajh lijiye. Bahot dino baad ghar aaya hoon. Sab shaayad yahi tha toh baki saamaan laane ki zarurat mehsus nahi huyi."

The driver left him at it.

A small house stood hidden at the end in a colony of 5 bungalows. The white gate was losing its shine but the lawn was mowed well. The Apple tree was now taller. A spider web had completely covered one of the windows. The door like the gate had become dull. The door bell like before didn't work. He knocked the door thrice and an old man opened it in 5 minutes.
Age was written on his face. Eye glasses were now permanent. Walk had become slow. Luckily there was no stick in hand yet. His hand shook a little when he tapped his guest's shoulder. He pulled him in an embrace and cried.

"Abhi", muttered the old man.

" Sir! " , Abhi reciprocated by holding him tightly.