Abhaya Bhairavi #Wattys2020

Chapter Eight

Only after she took a shower and completed the evening puja did Bhairavi enter her room. Summer was lying fast asleep and she wondered if the cat did anything but sleep throughout the day, all alone in an empty house. Feeling bad for her, she fussed and scratched her for a while.

Then, having run out of reasons to tarry, she turned her mind reluctantly towards remembering the accident. All she remembered from that night was being in the car with them and then...nothing...till she woke up in the hospital with minor injuries. There was no body found to burn for either of them, which was the worst part.

For a long time she had been in denial, refusing to believe they were dead, but then the nightmares started. She was sure of their demise after that. Not knowing where to start, she decided to look for the photos of the trip. The trip to the town of Aritar in Sikkim, which had claimed their lives.

Though her own phone and those of her parents were destroyed in the accident, their DSLR camera had survived in the luggage and Namma had kept the photos in an album for her to look through after her grief had lessened. Had it, though? Not even a bit.

But, she was learning to bear it better, to carry its burden with grace. Bhairavi finally understood that grief was constant, it is only our capacity which alters to accommodate it. Taking out the album from its box, she flipped through the pages, and smiled at the pictures while tears stung her eyes.

She missed them so much. Here was a picture of Baba at Keokhola Waterfalls clicked by Maa. And there was the picture she took of the Kanchenjunga at dawn, full of blushing colors, while in the foreground Maa and Baba stood frozen in time and laughter, for she had clicked the photo when they were playfully arguing over who loved her the most.

As Bhairavi flipped the pages, full of painful nostalgia, she stopped at the picture of the three of them in Aritar Monastery where they had requested a man to take a family photo.

Her fingers touched the picture longingly, desperate to go back to that moment and delay their fateful departure for Bagdogra that evening. Her vision blurred with tears, she resolved to find out the truth of that evening, no matter what.

Keeping the album aside, Bhairavi sat upright, closing her eyes and willing her mind to go deep inside her memories, deeper and deeper into a swirling whirlpool of memories of that evening in Aritar,

** After an entire day of sightseeing, Bhairavi returned to the hotel, tired and satisfied, with Maa and Baba in tow. Suddenly, a man, the one who had clicked their picture in the monastery came up to them. "Excuse me, there is a call for you, sir."

Confused, her father took the call. But whatever he heard must not have been pleasant for he grimaced, saw her looking, and moved away to talk in private. After a while he came back but his demeanor had changed. He looked restless, angry...helpless even, and on edge.

Maa asked him what was wrong, but he shook his head, nodding towards Bhairavi. Taking the hint, she scowled before going back to their room. When they had not returned for some time, she called them but they did not pick up. Feeling uneasy, she went searching for them.

She found them arguing in the restaurant with a small group of people, who looked rather shady from the side. The person in the middle, who seemed to be in charge, had his back to her. Her parents seemed to be livid and after some more angry gesturing they started moving in her direction.

The group turned to look at them leave, with a calculating gaze she did not like. Her parents did not see her till they were in close proximity. On seeing her, their expression turned to one of horror before they held her and started running towards their car, their luggage forgotten and forsaken.