Silent Downfall

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Aanvik's sat numbly in the front seat with his mind wandering wildly, allowing the driver to drag him through the relatively quieter route of the ever-bustling city. There was an odd, or perhaps not so odd, sense of familiarity in it all. He let out a sigh before turning to his right.

Hesitating for a little while, he finally let the words out. "I am sorry, Nayif."

The opener chuckled from the driver's seat. "So, we are back in the real world, I suppose?"

"Sorry about that too. With so much going on, I—"

"I know, I know. What was the first apology for?"

"For making you do this."

"Oh, well. You got some explaining to do there."

Aanvik nodded. "I will, Nayif. But where are you taking me?"

"To my place. You'll have plenty of privacy in there. Dad won't be back until tomorrow, and you can trust him anyway."

"Good. Will it take long?"

"We are almost there."

Aanvik fidgeted in his seat as a thought slashed his mind. He did not know if it would be wise to bring the matter up, at least at that precise moment. The discomfort was nevertheless drowned out by the insatiable curiosity that was surfing inside his throat. The impulse was too mighty to be repelled. "Umm, Nayif, mind if I ask you something meanwhile?"

"Ask."

"Why did you come back to Bangladesh?"

"What? You hate it already?"

Aanvik shook his head. "Quite the contrary. We'll get there eventually. But I am serious, boy. Why did you leave Australia?"

"I am assuming you know what I have told Shranav. Well, I have spent a few years here as a kid as well as a teen because of my dad's job. And after that, I just wanted to be here, I guess." The sentence was punctuated with a shrug.

"Did you ever see your mom after that?"

"Yes. I was seventeen or so back then. My dad has always been my biggest supporter, but I never got over the incident with Mom. I missed her, but more than anything, I was furious. I found out where she lived, and one day when we were in Dhaka, I set off for her residence, determined to confront her."

"Then?"

"I went there knowing I would be yelling at her. I had to take it off my chest."

"Did you?"

"Yes, but not in the way I expected to."

"Was she there?"

"She was the one who opened the door. Recognized me at first glance. It was a long, long moment. And then..." Nayif stopped briefly. "She pulled me into her arms, as if I simply returned home at the end of a semester, and nothing ever went wrong."

"All my rage dissolved into tears at once, at least for that day," he added. "But I still think about her departure sometimes, and not too fondly, I must say."

"Did you forgive her?"

"I guess so."

"So, things went back to normal after that?"

"Sort of. I continued to live with Dad, of course. But I was on good terms with her until she passed away. Dad was happy for me."

"Are you happy with your life now?"

"Very."

"Do you miss your mom?"

Nayif nodded. "There's no point in denying that. And I am still here, in her city, for whatever reason. I am sure I am not looking for her ghost."

A fragile smile spread across Aanvik's lips. "What are you looking for, then?"

Dead silence was all that existed between the two souls for the next few moments. The smile on the captain's face grew both sadder and wider as he threw his gaze out of the window to his left.

"Don't worry, Nayif," he said in a tender tone. "Maybe we'll find a word for it someday."

**********

As Waseef breathed in the mollifying hymn of rain, the willing suspension of his soul in the heart of divine darkness brought in a sensation that did not quite belong to the mundane realm. His eyes were firmly shut; at the moment, the mere thought of exposing them back to the light of the wretched world seemed to be despicable beyond measure. He did not know for how long he stood on the balcony. All he knew was that, following a precious period of time, he walked back into his room, into the life he had been detesting so passionately. Although he was far away from being drenched, the sweet caress of raindrops was still evident on his face. He grabbed a towel and wiped off the lingering blessing before approaching the bed. For a whole minute, he observed the calm face of his cousin under the faint light. Letting out a quick sigh, he bent down and kissed his forehead. The child slept soundly, unaware of the shower of affection assigned to his service.

Waseef was heading out of his room when the intercom rang. He ran downstairs, a little surprised to hear the ring at such an odd hour.

"Hello?"

"Slamalaikum, sir," the security guard said from the other side.

"Wa alaikumus salam. Didn't I ask you not to call me 'sir'?"

"Sorry, s—Waseef Bhai. You have a guest."

"Guest?" 

"He says he is your friend. "

"Haven't you seen him before? What's his name?"

"I have never seen him. What's your name, sir? "

"Um, Tanvir," he added a moment later.

The marks on the captain's forehead grew deep. The only Tanvir he knew was the last person in the world he was expecting to show up. "Give him the phone."

"Okay, Bhai. Waseef Bhai wants to talk to you."

"Hi, Waseef. If your guard says a dog has come to see you, don't be surprised if a gorilla walks in instead."

Waseef gasped. "Aanvik, is that you?"

"Tanvir isn't a bad name either."

"Hold on. I am coming."

Waseef did not wait for a response. He put the receiver down and flew out of the main door. Hardly a minute later, Aanvik found himself wrapped in the mildly quivering arms of his friend.

"Whoa, boy. I had no idea!" Waseef led him to the elevator with his shoulder under his grip. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Aanvik shrugged. "Even I didn't know that I was going to come."

"What?"

"Yup."

"So?"

Aanvik maintained silence until they reached his floor and walked in through the main door. He volunteered to lock it before turning back to Waseef. "Is anyone around?"

"No one except Fayzan. But why? What's going on, Aanvik?"

"You are shocked. I mean, why not?" Aanvik chortled. "I show up out of nowhere when my best friend is recovering from what could be his end, and now I am asking if you are alone here. What if I am planning to kill you?"

Waseef narrowed his eyes. "Aim for my skull."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future. I have no intention of murdering you tonight."

"Um, okay?"

"I am here to tell you a story."

"A story! You came all the way to Dhaka to tell me a story?"

Aanvik nodded with a mysterious smile clutching his lips. "A very special story."