Part I – The Missing Corpse
Thursday 5th April
“Hurry up Ahana, our mother wouldn’t be too happy if you
missed this flight.”
My sister, Aarti, was arranging my luggage in the car’s backseat while I was getting ready. I was leaving for San Francisco for 4 days for a music video shoot.
“I’m ready Di, coming in 5.”
I climbed down the stairs and joined my mother and sister in the driveway. My mother had taken the front seat, with her panic mode on. We were running much behind time. Aarti took the driver’s seat while I sat behind her in the window.
The airport is a 50 mins drive from where I stay. The lanes are full of dense banyan trees, which turn scary at night, and duplex houses old enough to date back to early 1980’s. The sun had just set and the sky was turning darker with each passing lane.
“Aarti beta, are you sure you packed Ahana’s red scarf?”
“Yes I did…”
“…and you know she can’t handle that much cold. Oh, and did you put those warm jackets that I had brought 2 days ago?”
“Of course, I did mom.”
“I had almost forgotten about it.” My mom’s panic mode had kick-started again.
“MOM! RELAX!”
Aarti shouted and I burst out laughing.
“I’ll miss you both.” I sighed.
My sister, Aarti, was arranging my luggage in the car’s backseat while I was getting ready. I was leaving for San Francisco for 4 days for a music video shoot.
“I’m ready Di, coming in 5.”
I climbed down the stairs and joined my mother and sister in the driveway. My mother had taken the front seat, with her panic mode on. We were running much behind time. Aarti took the driver’s seat while I sat behind her in the window.
The airport is a 50 mins drive from where I stay. The lanes are full of dense banyan trees, which turn scary at night, and duplex houses old enough to date back to early 1980’s. The sun had just set and the sky was turning darker with each passing lane.
“Aarti beta, are you sure you packed Ahana’s red scarf?”
“Yes I did…”
“…and you know she can’t handle that much cold. Oh, and did you put those warm jackets that I had brought 2 days ago?”
“Of course, I did mom.”
“I had almost forgotten about it.” My mom’s panic mode had kick-started again.
“MOM! RELAX!”
Aarti shouted and I burst out laughing.
“I’ll miss you both.” I sighed.
Saturday 7th April
It took me exact 12 mins to gather my stuff, pack my bags,
book a ticket for the next flight back home and call a cab for the airport. My
life had been completely normal 20 mins ago. A phone call from dad had changed
everything. I failed to make sense of what I had just heard. Your mother is no more with us. My dad’s
words echoed in my head. A million
questions began popping up and my head felt heavy. How did this happen? What
will happen next? How will we all cope with this loss?
The flight took off and I allowed myself some sleep before all the madness began.
The flight took off and I allowed myself some sleep before all the madness began.
Sunday 8th April
I would never have returned from San Francisco if I had the
slightest hint of what would happen in the next 2 days. I would never have
returned from San Francisco if I had the slightest hint that I would be losing
everything I had in the next 2 days. I would never have returned from San
Francisco if I had the slightest hint that my life would be turned upside down
in the next 2 days.
As soon as the flight landed, I took a cab home. It came to me as a shock when
I found the house empty when I had expected it to be filled with people giving their condolences to my family.
“Dad? Aarti di?”
No answer.
I called up dad.
“Hello dad, where are you?”
“Ahana beta, we are in the police station looking for your mother’s missing body.”
As soon as the flight landed, I took a cab home. It came to me as a shock when
I found the house empty when I had expected it to be filled with people giving their condolences to my family.
“Dad? Aarti di?”
No answer.
I called up dad.
“Hello dad, where are you?”
“Ahana beta, we are in the police station looking for your mother’s missing body.”
To be continued…
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