Roohdaariyan - Abhira OS and short stories

The weight of us

A/N: one shot based during the 6 years leap, Abhi is visiting Kasauli for the first time for a medical conference.

Abhimanyu was standing on the side of a road. He couldn't believe this was happening, his taxi had broken down and the driver had left sometime back promising to bring a tow truck but it had been more than 30 minutes with no sign of the driver and now here he was, stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Just then he heard the rumble of a car and saw that another taxi was headed his way. Abhimanyu quickly ran to the centre of the road and started waving his hands up and down in hopes of getting a lift to his hotel.

The car slowly came to a stop, and the window's rolled down and Abhimanyu came face to face with a pleasant, smiling face. The man behind the wheel was roughly his age, with warm eyes and a jovial smile.

"Hello Sir, is everything all right ?"
"Actually, I was hoping you could give me a lift to my hotel, you see my taxi broke down and I have been stranded here for the better part an hour."

The man tuned hesitant, rubbing the back of his head, "Woh actually Sir, I'm heading to somewhere important, it's just a short visit but I'm afraid most of the hotel's in Kasauli are situated in the opposite direction to where I'm going."

Abhimanyu swore under his breath, it was already getting late and there was a chill in the air, if this taxi left - he wasn't sure when he was going to get another one.

"That's okay, I don't mind the wait - can you drop me after your done with your visit?"

"Yes, Sir of course" The man quickly got out of the car and helped Abhimanyu load his bags.

Once they were seated, the man towards his with a smile and said "Waise Sir, my name is Mr.Abhinav Sharma and let me be the first to welcome you to our Kasauli."

"Thank you Mr.Sharma, My name is Dr.Abhimanyu Birla and I must say whatever I have seen so far of your Kasauli is breathtaking."

"Sir if you don't mind me asking, what bring's you here."

"I'm a cardiac surgeon and there's an annual medical conference I always attend and this time they have decided to conduct it here."

The two men continued chatting as the roads of Kasauli whipped past them. Before Abhimanyu knew it, Mr.Sharma brought the car to a stop. He looked outside the window and instantly felt a lump in his throat. It was a cemetery, there was a quaint little church near by and he could see that the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. It was perhaps a morbid thought but he couldn't help but appreciate the beauty, it was a peaceful place for the dead to rest.

He turned to Mr.Sharma with an apology at the tip of his tongue, remorse etched on his face, perhaps he shouldn't have insisted on coming along. Mr.Sharma was visiting his loved ones and he had encroached into his time of grieving.

"Mr.Sharma I'm so sorry-"
"Arrey No sir, I know what you are thinking and please do not apologise, I do not mind."

Mr.Sharma got out of the car and opened the backseat only to carry out two bouquets of white lilies- a bigger and a smaller one.

He nodded once towards Abhimanyu before heading to the cemetery. Abhimanyu felt the familiar ache in his chest, who could better understand Mr.Sharma's grief than him. He who had lost everyone he held dear in just the span of a day. His brother, his children, his Akshu.

His thoughts wondered to Akshu as it often did and he allowed himself to think about her for a few minutes before locking everything up inside again. No one had heard from her in these past 6 years, after the few calls she had made to him, it had been radio silence. No one knew where she was, no one knew whether she was alive or dead.