The Trail to Spring

Chapter 7

As planned, I pretended to my parents that I was still gonna go to Puri, which was immediately greeted with disapproving looks from them. Honestly, I felt kind of embarrassed when I thought what they felt was a blatant betrayal of mine at a time when Grandpa needed us the most.

But there is no other way.

I had already packed my clothes for Puri in my backpack so in that respect there wasn't any problem, even though Mom had advised me repeatedly to take a suitcase for the occasion. But I found a backpack more comfortable for travelling so I had joyfully ignored her.

Hence, the next day, clad in my favourite blue jeans and black sweater and trying my best to turn a blind eye to my parents' glaring stares, I finally made my way to Grandpa's house for a brief stop before I commenced my expedition.

On reaching his place, I located the jug that Grandpa kept beside the tap in his little garden, filled it up with water and watered the flowers in the back of his house. Anyone who came here could easily deduce that the lilacs had a special place in Grandpa's heart for they had a part of the flower bed all reserved to themselves. I didn't know much about flowers but I could see that the lilacs had grown pretty big buds and it was only a matter of time before they fully bloomed.

I finished watering the flowers and kept back the jug in its designated place beside the tap. Tomorrow onwards, Mother had to come and water them.

As I walked out of his garden and stood before his front door, I wondered whether I should enter the house. But after a bit of hesitation, I turned away. I had so many happy memories with Grandpa in this place and I simply couldn't bear to enter it and be greeted by an empty chair. For the second consecutive day, I felt I had lost a part of myself.

I opened my wallet and took out my brother's photograph. I had searched all night for it in the attic. It was taken during his eighth birthday party. It wouldn't be of much help in my search as I was sure my brother would have changed a lot since then. But still, I could hardly imagine him other than the smiling eight year old looking at me through the photograph. I put the photo back in my wallet and made for our neighbourhood park where I had the rendezvous with Atifa.

It was past noon when I found her standing under the shade of a tree in the park and intermittently tapping her left foot.

"Hi, Atifa," I greeted her precociously.

"Don't you 'hi' me," she bawled out, "I had asked you to meet me here at eleven!"

"I am so sorry. It's just that I had some work to do first," I said and told her about the lilacs. Listening to me somewhat smoothened her coarse anger but she remained moody still.

"We are embarking on a mission that has a ninety- nine percent chance of failure. I don't think it's really worth even trying," she said gloomily. As usual, she had already forgotten that it was her who was so sure of being able to find my brother yesterday.

"Look, Atifa, you told me yesterday that we are like paper and glue and we should always stick together, right? And no matter what the chances of success are, I am going to at least try and locate him," I said. She remained silent.

"I know how much this Puri trip meant for you and Rahul. I really do. I am sorry you have to miss it for me. But there is still enough time for you to go back and join them. I would understand."

Atifa shook her head and smiled.

"Geez, can't you let me be angry with you for even one second?," she said, slinking her arm around my shoulders, "You are such a drama queen."

I had chalked out a few plans of how to conduct my search the previous night and most of them started with the police- station. True that they hadn't found my brother but I badly hoped that they could at least have some leads that we could follow.