The world was moving at its own pace . A laid back Sunday was on the cards. Woke up to the chirping of birds and wandered off to grab some nice Biriyani for lunch.

What followed was a casual shopping for footwears and just as we were getting started , I received a call .

Not a regular catch-up, as the timing was off. It was my dad. Now for those who know less, my dad runs by the clock. So anything off the charts actually makes me wonder why?

After the usual questions about my whereabouts, I received the news about my aunt, the only one I caught up with weekly and stayed with when we visited Trivandrum. Thoughts flooded my mind like a dam bursting. But she was only 51 years old; it couldn’t be that serious, I reassured myself.

Dad’s voice, “she met with a minor accident.” He sounded light, not that his voice was shallow or showed any remorse. I can’t really blame him as he was only exposed to what was said to him. We took a pause, slowly thinking it might have been a bike.

As the call end button was pushed, I looked up at my spouse and said, “That road is dangerous.”
She – “Should we call your cousins?”
Me – “They will be in a state of panic. Should we disturb them now?”

My mind completely blind. The connection between my brain and reason felt… severed.

She – “No .. But … “
Me – “Let’s pause and then take a call”

We headed to Lalbhag garden, and just as we paid for the car parking and the entrance, there came a second call.

I took the phone, saw who actually called me, and then I froze for a few seconds. I told my wife, “Not good,” and slowly pushed the options on the screen to attend the call.

Dad – ” She has left us behind”

She was carrying lunch to her loved ones on the safest side of the road , from the front a WagonR came hurtling in, out of control. It hit a pipe , hit her , and then crashed into a wall. She did not bleed , but head injuries don’t ask for permission.

This was the fourth person close to me to leave in the last three years. We sat there, empty, thinking about her family, about to be swallowed by chaos.

What was meant to be another Sunday, ended as something else entirely.