(1)
The train arrived. I gave a glance at all the people getting down & found people of different
shapes and hues except for the one I was looking for. Suddenly, someone tapped me on my
shoulder from behind. I turned back almost in reflex.
“You almost scared me,” I said with my heart-beat still increased and yet
relieved on finding Niketan. I asked him just to complete formality, “How was the journey?”.
“Fine,” he replied. 'Fine' is a boring reply. I tauntingly said, ”Le aaye Ma
Vaishno Devi ka aashirwad.” He tried to smile but failed miserably.
Today was the judgment day. Today, the result of IIT JEE Advance was to come out.
A few days back, his father thought that if he takes the blessings of Ma Vaishno Devi, his
success will be sealed. Thus, he went. Since in return journey, there was no train which
could directly take him to his home station. He had to stop by this station.
I was his classmate till class 10 & until he chose science and I chose arts. So, I know
him pretty well. He was very, very shy and reserve and almost always stuck with books. The
reason was his family’s financial condition and the desire to escape it. His father took great
pain in educating him, and he was fully aware of it. His father (with all his sincerity, was a
funny man) was an average Indian father whose ambition in life was to see his son getting
successful, earning money, creating headlines, etc.
“Would you like to take tea?”, I asked knowing full well the answer will be 'yes'.
“No,” he said, “let’s go to the Internet cafe.”
We went to a nearby internet cafe and sadly, it was filled with candidates like him
whose head was reeling in anticipation. We stood there for full one hour in hopeless
desperation but nobody came out of the cafe. Perhaps, the site got crashed due to so many
people trying to get result at the same time. At the same time, at another place his father was
trying to get the result.
The train was about to come. So, we return to the station. The announcement
of arrival was heard. After a few minutes, we heard the whistling of the train. The mobile of
Niketan suddenly rang. The screen of the mobile showed 'Dad'. He moved a bit away from me &
took the call. I was looking at him trying to read from his face, his result. The tension over his face
The train arrived. I gave a glance at all the people getting down & found people of different
shapes and hues except for the one I was looking for. Suddenly, someone tapped me on my
shoulder from behind. I turned back almost in reflex.
“You almost scared me,” I said with my heart-beat still increased and yet
relieved on finding Niketan. I asked him just to complete formality, “How was the journey?”.
“Fine,” he replied. 'Fine' is a boring reply. I tauntingly said, ”Le aaye Ma
Vaishno Devi ka aashirwad.” He tried to smile but failed miserably.
Today was the judgment day. Today, the result of IIT JEE Advance was to come out.
A few days back, his father thought that if he takes the blessings of Ma Vaishno Devi, his
success will be sealed. Thus, he went. Since in return journey, there was no train which
could directly take him to his home station. He had to stop by this station.
I was his classmate till class 10 & until he chose science and I chose arts. So, I know
him pretty well. He was very, very shy and reserve and almost always stuck with books. The
reason was his family’s financial condition and the desire to escape it. His father took great
pain in educating him, and he was fully aware of it. His father (with all his sincerity, was a
funny man) was an average Indian father whose ambition in life was to see his son getting
successful, earning money, creating headlines, etc.
“Would you like to take tea?”, I asked knowing full well the answer will be 'yes'.
“No,” he said, “let’s go to the Internet cafe.”
We went to a nearby internet cafe and sadly, it was filled with candidates like him
whose head was reeling in anticipation. We stood there for full one hour in hopeless
desperation but nobody came out of the cafe. Perhaps, the site got crashed due to so many
people trying to get result at the same time. At the same time, at another place his father was
trying to get the result.
The train was about to come. So, we return to the station. The announcement
of arrival was heard. After a few minutes, we heard the whistling of the train. The mobile of
Niketan suddenly rang. The screen of the mobile showed 'Dad'. He moved a bit away from me &
took the call. I was looking at him trying to read from his face, his result. The tension over his face
was growing with each passing moment & with each passing moment, he moved further
away from me. He cut the call and looked at me. His expression stopped my heart for a moment.
Something crossed my head like a thunderbolt. I ran towards him shouting, ”Niketan, NOoooooo...”
The next thing he did, created headlines for tomorrow.
(2)
Splashes of water reverted me back to consciousness. When I tried to open my eyes, I saw two constables looking at me. I muttered, with all my strength, "Niketan?" They both looked at each other and one of them said, "He is no more." No more! No more! He was there with me moments ago and now, he is no more. What am I going to say to Uncle? How will he bear the pain, when he will see his son in pieces?
I called my dad. My Mom and Dad came and talked to the police. My Dad talked to Niketan's father. After three hours, Uncle arrived. He came weeping, almost in frenzy, but the moment, his eyes fell on Niketan, he became cold, as cold as his dead son. My dad tried to get him out of his shock, but he remained completely expressionless. It was impossible to look at him doing the paperwork with such silence. But hardly had anybody the heart to stop him, even interrupt him.
The ambulance had already arrived. They (nurses) put whatever remains of Niketan together and wrapped him in a cloth that soon turned blood-red. We left the station in the ambulance. The atmosphere inside the ambulance was totally unbearable. Uncle hadn't shown any sign of pain after he saw Niketan. He wasn't even looking at the body. He was sitting beside the dead body of his son with complete detachment. Unable to bear it, I started looking outside the window. The atmosphere outside had also started turning grey. The cloud covered the sky & soon the sky started weeping. There was an electric shut down and the whole area was engulfed in darkness.
We, at last, reached his home. His younger brother, Abhi, and a few other people came out of his house. Abhi came weeping and embraced his dad. After few moments, my dad and others separated them. My dad told me to take Abhi inside. Through the numerous people waiting to see Niketan, I took him inside and made him sit on a chair. His mother was weeping in another room filled with other women, who were trying to console her.
I knew how superfluous my word of sympathy would be. So, I couldn't muster the courage to go to her or say anything. I was just there standing by Abhi's side hearing him weep.
The room was dimly lit by a candle. I was looking at his mother's room when suddenly something caught my attention, something very strange, something very odd. I saw that his house was a bit decorated, newly decorated. Shocked, I asked an uncle standing nearby, "Uncle, why is this house decorated?'
He looked at me in a very remorseful way, left a sigh of regret before answering, "Niketan, actually, passed the exam. His dad thought of joking with him so that when he comes home, we can give him a surprise."
I couldn't believe my ears. For a moment, I felt consciousness slipping by. A boy studied for two years & cracked IIT JEE. His father thought of joking and so, he got a one-way ticket to heaven. WHAT THE FUCK!! In which world things like that happen? where is the logic in it? Truly, truth is stranger than fiction.
"Son, bring the candle," I was shaken from my shock by these words of the same uncle. The body was being brought inside. I brought the candle. The dead was put on a mattress. His mother came running from the room and hugged him. I couldn't bear to look at her. I looked in the direction of the door. A sudden gust of wind came and extinguished the candle, but before it went dark, my eyes fell on a sticker above the door. Over it, was written 'CONGRATULATIONS'.
THE END
Writer's note: This was my first story. I started writing this story when I was in class eight, and it took 2 years for this story to take its present form. I rewrote it for my blog. Please, read it. It was worth my time and it will be worth your time.😊
pics:-unsplash(Ankush minda)
flickr(rosalie6606)
away from me. He cut the call and looked at me. His expression stopped my heart for a moment.
Something crossed my head like a thunderbolt. I ran towards him shouting, ”Niketan, NOoooooo...”
The next thing he did, created headlines for tomorrow.
(2)
Splashes of water reverted me back to consciousness. When I tried to open my eyes, I saw two constables looking at me. I muttered, with all my strength, "Niketan?" They both looked at each other and one of them said, "He is no more." No more! No more! He was there with me moments ago and now, he is no more. What am I going to say to Uncle? How will he bear the pain, when he will see his son in pieces?
I called my dad. My Mom and Dad came and talked to the police. My Dad talked to Niketan's father. After three hours, Uncle arrived. He came weeping, almost in frenzy, but the moment, his eyes fell on Niketan, he became cold, as cold as his dead son. My dad tried to get him out of his shock, but he remained completely expressionless. It was impossible to look at him doing the paperwork with such silence. But hardly had anybody the heart to stop him, even interrupt him.
The ambulance had already arrived. They (nurses) put whatever remains of Niketan together and wrapped him in a cloth that soon turned blood-red. We left the station in the ambulance. The atmosphere inside the ambulance was totally unbearable. Uncle hadn't shown any sign of pain after he saw Niketan. He wasn't even looking at the body. He was sitting beside the dead body of his son with complete detachment. Unable to bear it, I started looking outside the window. The atmosphere outside had also started turning grey. The cloud covered the sky & soon the sky started weeping. There was an electric shut down and the whole area was engulfed in darkness.
We, at last, reached his home. His younger brother, Abhi, and a few other people came out of his house. Abhi came weeping and embraced his dad. After few moments, my dad and others separated them. My dad told me to take Abhi inside. Through the numerous people waiting to see Niketan, I took him inside and made him sit on a chair. His mother was weeping in another room filled with other women, who were trying to console her.
I knew how superfluous my word of sympathy would be. So, I couldn't muster the courage to go to her or say anything. I was just there standing by Abhi's side hearing him weep.
The room was dimly lit by a candle. I was looking at his mother's room when suddenly something caught my attention, something very strange, something very odd. I saw that his house was a bit decorated, newly decorated. Shocked, I asked an uncle standing nearby, "Uncle, why is this house decorated?'
He looked at me in a very remorseful way, left a sigh of regret before answering, "Niketan, actually, passed the exam. His dad thought of joking with him so that when he comes home, we can give him a surprise."
I couldn't believe my ears. For a moment, I felt consciousness slipping by. A boy studied for two years & cracked IIT JEE. His father thought of joking and so, he got a one-way ticket to heaven. WHAT THE FUCK!! In which world things like that happen? where is the logic in it? Truly, truth is stranger than fiction.
"Son, bring the candle," I was shaken from my shock by these words of the same uncle. The body was being brought inside. I brought the candle. The dead was put on a mattress. His mother came running from the room and hugged him. I couldn't bear to look at her. I looked in the direction of the door. A sudden gust of wind came and extinguished the candle, but before it went dark, my eyes fell on a sticker above the door. Over it, was written 'CONGRATULATIONS'.
THE END
Writer's note: This was my first story. I started writing this story when I was in class eight, and it took 2 years for this story to take its present form. I rewrote it for my blog. Please, read it. It was worth my time and it will be worth your time.😊
pics:-unsplash(Ankush minda)
flickr(rosalie6606)
nice story, well written, i shivered more than once.keep it up.
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