The Night Walk

Chapter - 4

We - me and my mother, sat on the table for breakfast.
After a long time we were having breakfast together.
Mom use to work the whole complete day, And I used to be busy with my classes and the rest time with friends, thus we rarely had enough time together.
I had already told my mom that today I won't be going out due to my bad health.
She made my favorite food, and we were having it.
We didn't talked much.
There was perfect silence on the table.
"Nikhil...." my mom called.
"Yes" I said looking away from my plate towards my mom.
"Where are you lost??? Is there anything wrong??" Mom asked.
"No" I said in one word.
"Then pick up your phone it's vibrating" she said pointing towards my phone kept on the table.
I checked it was my college friend Riya's call.
I received the call.
She was eager to know why wasn't I in the college, as today was the last day for the submission for physics practical.
Giving her the explanation about my bad health, I disconnected the phone.
She said she will be visiting me in the evening.
After disconnecting the call there was silence again for 5 minutes, untill I broke it up with my queries.
"Mom, I wanna ask something" I said in a slow tone.
Finally something came out of my vocal cords.
There was still silence.
Maybe mom hadn't heard what I had said.
"Mom" I called again, this time it was much louder than the previous one.
Still there was no reply.
Mom took the last bite of the food and said "It just not fair to call me out when and only when you're in need"
The words spoken were harsh and too bitter but they were true.
"Sorry mom" I said in a low voice, and focused on eating.
"Speak up what's the matter"
"What was the complete address were we used to live earlier?" I asked, and mom replied exactly what I needed to know nothing more than that.
"And do you know someone called Riya, someone to be called my friend"
I said and looked towards mom, she was looking straight towards me.
"Ya" again in exact words she spoke.
"Would it matter you, share something, a little about her" I asked next.
"Why are you so interested to that place, and specially towards that girl" was the question mom asked after a long break.
It took me few seconds to think and reply.
I said "it's just, that I dreamed, I was a kid, and thus simultaneously I recalled my childhood days."
"There is nothing interesting to talk about that place " said mom in low voice, took a pause and continue, while I was listening curiously "Riya used to be nice girl, she was nice to every one and was too well behaved. Villagers says she wasn't a good girl, though I didn't found any thing abnormal. That's all I can say about her. She was hated by the villages, and you being her friend, they started behaving strange towards you and us, thus we left the village. "
There was silence again.
Mom didn't said anything more about her, though it seemed she knew something more.