Shadows Of The Stumps

The Lost Sister - 2

Rahul's Residence, Mumbai

10:15 PM

The backyard was alive with laughter. Rahul found himself pinned to the ground by a small army of kids—Virat and Rohit's children. Their squeals of joy filled the cool night air, while Anushka, Ritika, and Athiya looked on, enjoying the spectacle.

Athiya's laughter was the loudest. "You're supposed to be a professional athlete, Rahul! What's going on here?"

Rahul, breathless and smiling, tried to muster a defense. "It's... strategy!" He gasped, waving his hand dramatically. "Let them think they've won."

Virat shook his head, smirking from the sidelines. "You're done for, Rahuliya."

Rohit added with a grin, "This is the real match. Forget ipl"

Just as Rahul was about to make a comeback, his phone buzzed in his pocket. At first, he ignored it, but when it buzzed again, Athiya raised an eyebrow. "Your fans can't even give you a break here?" she teased.

With a playful groan, Rahul rolled out from under the pile of children and pulled out his phone. An unknown number flashed on the screen. He frowned slightly, brushing the dirt off his pants. "I'll just take this," he muttered, stepping away from the group.

"Rahul here. Who's this?" he asked, his tone casual, but his attention already starting to shift.

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a hesitant voice. "Mr. KL Rahul?"

"Yeah. Speaking."

The voice paused again, as if weighing each word carefully. "I'm calling from Care Hospital, Mumbai. It's... important."

A strange chill washed over Rahul. His breath hitched, the lightheartedness draining from the evening around him. He looked at his wife and brothers who were busy laughing. Everything wqs fine and now this call. His fingers tightened around the phone as he moved farther from the group, his heart thumping in his chest. "Care Hospital?" he repeated slowly. "Is everything... alright? Who is this about?"

The voice on the other end hesitated, as if struggling with how much to reveal. "There's someone here. She—" the voice caught, it was almost like she's choking. She hesitated before clearly choosing the next words with care. "She needs you to come. It's urgent."

Rahul's brow furrowed, a sinking feeling beginning to grip his stomach. He glanced back at the patio where the others were still laughing, blissfully unaware of the sudden darkness that was clouding over him. He turned away again, his voice tense. "Who is this about? What happened?"

"I can't explain everything on the phone," the voice said carefully. "But you should come. Now."

The ambiguity of the situation only heightened Rahul's anxiety. His mind raced, but nothing made sense. A hospital call this late at night, this tone, the urgency—his thoughts jumped from one possibility to another, none of them comforting.

"I'll be there," Rahul said, his voice steely, before hanging up.

He stood frozen for a moment, letting the weight of the call sink in, before turning back toward the patio. But everything—the laughter, the banter—felt distant now, almost unreal. Something had shifted, and nothing would be the same.

Rahul turned back toward the patio, his heart pounding louder than the laughter echoing behind him.

Athiya noticed his pale face and immediately walked over. "Rah, What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"That was Care Hospital," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They said... they said it's about Meera."

The mention of his sister's name cast a heavy silence over the group. Virat and Rohit exchanged worried glances, and the laughter faded into a tense stillness. "Your sister? The one who..." Virat trailed off, concern etched on his face.

"Disappeared," Rahul finished, swallowing hard. "She's in critical condition. I have to go."

Athiya stepped closer, her hand resting on his arm. "What do you mean critical? What happened?"

"I don't know," Rahul replied, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "They didn't say. Just that I need to come now."

Virat took a step forward, his expression serious. "I'll drive you. We're coming with you," he said firmly. Rohit nodded in agreement. "You shouldn't go alone."

Rahul opened his mouth to argue but then saw the determination in their eyes. They weren't going to take no for an answer. "Okay," he conceded, his voice heavy. "But let's go now."

The group quickly gathered their things. Athiya offered a brief hug, whispering reassurances in his ear, while Rohit and Virat moved toward the car.

The night air was suddenly cold as they stepped outside, the warmth of camaraderie replaced with a heavy sense of urgency.

As they climbed into Virat's SUV, the atmosphere shifted. The air was thick with unspoken fears and concern. Rahul leaned back against the seat, rubbing his fingers over his forehead, trying to piece together the last decade of silence with the sudden re-emergence of his sister's name. Memories of their childhood flickered through his mind: laughter, fights, the bond they had once shared before everything changed.

Rohit broke the silence as they pulled out onto the road. "Do you remember anything about her since she disappeared? I mean, what she was involved in?"

Rahul shook his head, the memories hazy. "Not really. She was always secretive about her life. After she disappeared I thought she was just living her life, away from us. But now..." His voice trailed off as they turned onto a busy street.

Virat kept his eyes on the road but glanced at Rahul in the rearview mirror. "You've always wanted to find her, right? This could be a chance for closure, or maybe even more. You owe it to her."

The thought weighed heavily on Rahul. Closure? What would that even look like after all these years? He'd spent so much time imagining a reunion, yet he never thought it would be like this—under these circumstances.

"Let's just focus on getting to the hospital," he said, his voice steadying. The urgency of the situation was sinking in; time was slipping away, and he needed to be there for Meera. Whatever had happened, he knew he couldn't let her face it alone.

As they sped through the city streets, the bright lights of Mumbai blurred by, but Rahul felt only darkness. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for whatever awaited him on the other side of those hospital doors.