DIFFERENT SHADES OF HIM (BOOK-ONE)

07- Two days afterwards.

07— Two days afterwards.

“Sometimes we feel so little yet say so much.”

—Saumya Tripathi 

“Life is an unexpected rollercoaster ride,” the thought invaded my mind as I stared into nothingness. Sometimes in life, we anticipate those things which are not in our hands; perhaps it is human nature that always moves but gets less. However, life is so uncanny: strange and difficult to understand or to even explain that no one could be sure of anything regardless of what they say. If one were to explain life they would have never been able to. Befuddled perhaps but things can never be predicted about what could happen next, likely in the very next movement. The truth is— the things we anticipate the most never seem to come true and the things we would have never imagined even in our own dreams— happen in reality.

Such as myself; I could have never expected such a ferocious day when my parents might die in such an unpredictable car accident. It was a moment of uncertainty that struck us hard in our hearts. Ah! Even who would have reckoned that our once happy family could not remain happy always? But, more or less I suffered— this endurable pain inside of me that surged through my veins like a curse. It was a curse to live without parents, someone who you looked forward to becoming, someone who you adored with all the pieces of your breathing heart, someone who made you feel safe and protected all your life. Even for a few seconds, I could have never thought of my life without Papa-Maa, but here I was left alone in this whole cosmos with a small baby brother who didn't even know how to walk by himself. How was I going to take care of him?

Had it not been for my brother I'd have died a long time ago.

Fate could be very cruel at times. Two days— it had been two whole days and it passed in a daze since I had been brought up here. 

Two days in this unfamiliar house with my baby brother: alone and lost and confused. Had it not been for my little brother with me, I would have gone insane. Totally. My subconscious confirmed my assumptions. No one had come in here except for Sabba who came daily and timely, thrice a day with nutrients and milk for which I was grateful. Somewhat, I was glad we were not being starved, speaking of which I couldn't come to fathom why we had been kept here in the first place. It was a sane question. Any person in my place would have been confused at the suddenness of it. Whatsoever, I was grateful they were providing us food— my baby needed his milk and nutrients timely for his growing self otherwise he would fuss around and eventually would end with a fatal fever which I couldn't take. I couldn't afford it. 

My appetite had been lost— long ago. I desired not to eat food. I barely ate anything or slept in the two days since I gained consciousness. It wasn't easy to stay somewhere you never belonged. Similarly, I was facing a hard time and was under the influence of sleep deprivation. 

"Bo-bo!" came a vociferous voice of my little brother cutting me from my internal thoughts and pain that I had made myself indulge in.

"What is it, Shaur?" Blinking away the fogginess of thoughts from my mind I asked him softly while placing him on my lap.

"Bo-bo!" He called out yet again with a small pout full-on display.