• The Way Back Home •

2

Ram was in a similar haze. He tried to hold onto something, and make sense of where he was. But everything was too dark. He moved a little taking precarious steps.

"Hello?" Ram called out. "Is anyone there?"

Ram looked around. He could see a faint light flickering at a distance. He strained his eyes and moved ahead. A few more steps and Ram could make out that it was a building. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued to walk towards it.

Before he knew it, the dark alley ended and a small, humble building stood before him. Quietly, Ram observed it for a few seconds. That's when his heart picked up pace all of a sudden. It was familiar. He had been there. When? He couldn't figure. But he knew that place.

Shaking his head to remember, Ram walked in. The stairway was small, cluttered and poorly lit. It was a common thing in Mumbai's middle-class apartments. Ram was not sure but something about the place told him that he needed to climb up the stairs.

When he reached the second floor, Ram stood. He felt his hands and legs go still with shock. Over half a flight of stairs, stood Shivina. She was wearing a pale, salmon-coloured top that brought out her flawless complexion. She had donned her signature boyfriend jeans and boots. Her silky, black hair was flowing in the wind. With a smile painting her lips, she looked beautiful.

Ram's body sagged. Whether it was out of surprise or relief, he didn't know. His eyes smarted and his lips quivered.

"Shivi..."

And then the adrenaline coursed through his veins. Taking two steps at a time, Ram bounced towards her. He picked her up like he had been doing since she was a little baby and twirled her around as tears of happiness and joy leaked out of his eyes.

"Bache, bache, bache..." Ram chanted as he held her head close to his chest. "Oh, my sweet Shivi!!!"

Hearing her squeals and laughter, Ram stopped spinning her and stood still. They held each other for a long time. Maybe it was for hours. Ram couldn't tell. But the relief of finally having Shivina back in his arms was something that he couldn't describe at all.

Peppering kisses in her hair, Ram cooed. "I missed you too much. Gosh, it feels like years have gone back since I last saw you."

Shivina pulled herself back to look at Ram with teary eyes. Shaking her head, she gently wiped Ram's tears.

Ram held her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I love you."

A sudden urge to hug Shivina again came over him and he gathered her in his arms once more. He then kissed her forehead and repeated, "I truly love you too much. You are my entire life."

Shivina's teary eyes doe eyes stared at him with a small, knowing smile. But there was something very sad about her features. Something that Ram noticed only now.

Pushing her hair back, Ram cupped her face. Concerned, he asked, "What happened, bache? Why aren't you speaking?"

Shivina continued to stare at him. Before his eyes, Shivina's lips lost colour. Then her skin turned cold. Horrified, Ram grabbed her face and shook her in panic, "Shivina? Shivi! What is happening to you? Are you sick? Tell me! Speak to me!"

She didn't answer. Instead, Ram felt something sticky and wet trickle on his fingers. Ram stiffened. He slowly removed his right hand from Shivina's hair and stared at it in complete dread. His fingers were covered in crimson-coloured blood. His hand started to shiver. His legs gave up and he staggered backwards. Taking shallow breaths, both of them fell into a heap on the floor.