Nobody rests in peace, not even the dead.
The struggles of the dead echo long after they have gone.
I don’t think I can wait beyond this point. Atleast, Adarsh should have shown up by now. He’s never kept me waiting, not once in the ten years we have spent together. In fact, he’s paranoid about being on time. Punctuality is a virtue that displays consideration, he said. God knows what that meant. I’m going home to find out if he is okay.
Rukhsa’s car is parked outside. Stanley and Clinton are here too. I could spot their weird bikes from almost anywhere. Terrible colour, abysmal structure. It reminds me about my never-ending arguments with them of how Hero Honda was the BEST BIKE EVER.
I’m scared to face them. Even a trace of sadness on their faces felt like the end of the world. Their tears would devastate me. Friendships are tough. You want to do everything in your power to shield them from the battles of the world, to ensure that your favourite laughter in the world never fades away, to reduce the suffering with one terrible joke, one day at a time. And yet, when things fall apart, there is only so much you can do. Show up, like they did.
I peeped through the window. The clock stood still, just like it did three days ago. He still hasn’t fixed it. How many more times should I tell him? Stanley stood near the door. I think he’s smoking the second packet; the bastard should have died first. Clinton is on the floor, he’s angry, his sobs sound like a dog. Rukhsa has always cried in silence, her spectacles are fogging, she can’t see a thing but I know she’s been staring at my wedding photo for the last 10 minutes. Adarsh is seated on the dining table. His silence is terrifying. He hasn’t shed a drop. He’s lost in thought. I mourned, I wept, with them.
A word has not been uttered in the last 20 minutes. Clinton suddenly screams, “This is unfair, how cruel is this world? His family does not want his body and we can’t have his body because this marriage is not legal? That’s bull shit.”
I wasn’t surprised. I now know fully that nobody rests in peace. Not even the dead. The struggles of the dead echo long after they have gone.
Adarsh stood up and said, “I’m going to the court.”
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