Eight Months Later

Madhukar Nayak's Home, Early Morning

Madhukar Nayak was in a trance. He had been trying to sleep unsuccessfully for the past few hours, but all he had been able to manage was weave in and out of consciousness. For varying reasons. 

He was disturbed once again. This time, it was his phone ringing. His body rebelled - he was after all, too old and too tired, too jaded; though his mind was still like quicksilver. He pushed himself up to a seating position, mindful now that he had drunk himself to unconsciousness, as he spied on the empty bottle of whiskey beside him.

"Hello ..." his voice was gruff, weary and fatigues, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He kind of recognized the number but it was not saved on his cell phone. Why? he wondered. 

"Dad ..." the voice from the other end drove away all weariness, all fatigue that had crept up over him, like a deadly vine seeking nourishment from his heart and soul. For all these days, these months.

He could do nothing but helplessly listen to the heartbreak from the other end, as tears cascaded down his face.

He realised that this horror would never end. 

...

Mid Morning, Somewhere in the Hills

Rohini sat on the wooden steps leading up to the thick mahogany doors, and further to the interiors of the two-storeyed bungalow. The slanted sun rays, now heating up the place where she sat, failed to warm her up though. The chill in the air intensified as the rays moved away, continuing their journey across the realm. Rohini tried to capture the warmth in her palm. But they flitted away.

Just like love, she thought.

Kumud came out carrying a thick, woollen shawl. She draped it around Rohini's shouders and knelt down beside her.

"It's November end. You will catch a bad cold. You are not used to the weather here ..."

Rohini nodded, her gaze now fixed somewhere at the distance. The sun rays sliding along the mountains in front whispered to her that they would be back tomorrow; back again with hope, love and warmth.

Kumud returned inside.

She shivered uncontrollably. Kumud's words rang in her ears. True, she was unused to the mountains, just as they were of her.

But now, these mountains were all she had. Her destiny.

She liked the quietness of the mountains though. Sometimes it was like death - and she liked it. A lot actually. And she yearned for it - the death that is.

...

Roshan and Poorvi's Apartment, Bengaluru, Late Afternoon

Roshan sat on the couch flipping through his phone contacts. Poorvi placed a cup of tea in front of him and sat down

"What is going to happen now?" she asked. Roshan looked at her irritated - "Why are you asking me? How would I know?"

Poorvi kept her temper in check - "Why don't you speak to him? You haven't for all these months ..."

Roshan got up and stormed out of the apartment.

.....

Sadashiv Shastri's Study, Bengaluru, Late Evening

The old man stared at the chess board resting on the coffee table in his Study. And sighed.

He wondered how everything had fallen apart so suddenly, and all at once. After so many years, he grieved for his long dead wife - for her love, her wisdom, her compassion. Why was it that love and happiness always eluded his family? he thought, a bit distraught now.

He shut his eyes and let his fevered body rest against the cushion. In his mind, he could still hear the laughter in the background ...

The laughter,  the love, the glitter in the eyes, the fairy lights ... they had all faded away. Like some sorcery had been at work.

He suddenly knew what he wanted. He yearned for death ...

....

Nikhil's Penthouse, Bengaluru, Midnight

He stood on the deck, looking up at the night sky.

It was dark and desolate all around.

There were no stars visible ...

Or is it my eyes playing tricks? he sneered at himself.

He shivered slightly as he sank down on the cold tiles. His body hurt all over, but he hardly registered anything.

He yearned for death at that moment, as all his other moments, though he knew staying alive was his punishment.

And deservedly so.

He picked up the whiskey bottle that he had carried up to the deck, and drank straight from it. The golden brown liquid burned his throat as it carved a fiery path for itself. 

End of Part 40