The End Of The World

I remember the first time I heard about the "End of the World". It was my friend, Rehan, and I who were staring at the television, buying what the media was trying to sell to our innocent minds. There were multiple theories. Meteor strike, earthquake, tsunami, etc. Like any normal ten-year-old child, I was scared. 

I was scared because it had been just ten years since I came out of my Mother's womb and cried for the first time, so dying so early wasn't my plan for the future. Ten-year-old kids don't care if they're dying alone or not, they just don't want to.

But Rehan's mood was not quite the same. He was shocked, but it wasn't the fright that shook him. It was a kind of glee.

So I asked him,

"What are you so happy about? Aren't you afraid to die?"

He said, "Why should I be?"

He tied his mud-ridden shoelaces quickly and ran down the stairs while shouting:

"I'll explain later, I have to tell her the good news! See you later."

I couldn't understand anything. Maybe he was acting crazy as he used to most of the time. 

Or maybe he was just trying to ditch me. But there was something about that glee, something which I hadn't seen inside him for a long time.

A week later, 30th December 2011 came. I was scared. But more than that I was bewildered. All the people, just doing what they normally did at 4 in the evening. Someone's taking a walk, someone's feeding their dog, someone's doing their normal chores like picking up ration from the market. Someone's with her husband, having a cup of coffee while sitting at the balcony.

I could hear the crunch of the biscuits in their mouth, and having normal chats about common things like the government and it's problems, etc.

Nobody seemed to care about the so-called 'apocalypse'. It's like no one knew about it.

And then I saw Rehan, quickly cycling his way towards me. He had the same broad smile on his face when we heard about the chilling news for the first time.

I was expecting an explanation this time. 

He stopped his bicycle and said, 

"Let's go."

"You still haven't explained anything. And where have you been for the past week?"

"Oh that. It was my sister."

"Aisha Di? How is she?"

"She just went critical. The doctor said she doesn't have long."

I was mum for the next minute. I didn't know what to say. My face dropped and all I could see were flashbacks of Aisha di, Rehan and I playing together. A teardrop made it's way past my cheek, to my neck, and finally made the Earth moist with my grief.

Rehan put his hand on my shoulder and said,

"But it's all going to be okay."

I didn't understand. I looked at him with my big, wet eyes, with tears drops filled with lament.

He said,

"The one thing Di kept on chanting, was that I'll never be alone. I always thought that she was lying, trying to console me.

I know, that once she's gone, she'll end up in an unknown place. With unknown people. With unknown houses, streets, buildings. It is her who'll be alone. Not me.

 But..."

He suddenly had the same smile all over again.

"But everything that's happening right now is for the best."

"What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow. Everything will end. It's not just her. It will be everyone. Me, Abbu, Ammi. At least none of us will be alone. Maybe that's what Allah wants. This apocalypse isn't a curse, but His blessing."

Everything was making sense to my innocent soul. The people. The neighbors. The entire world was carefree because they knew that they were all going to end up in the same place. A place with no limits. 

"Did you tell Aisha di?"

"Told her the day when we received the news itself."

"She must have been pretty happy."

"She was. She kept her cold, white hands on my cheek...and had a very, very, very broad smile on her face.

But I didn't get to hear her say anything because that's when the Doctor came in. Abbu took me out of the room, while Ammi and Di, were having a discussion with the doc. Ammi was crying, even after hearing my news. It was... confusing."

"Could have been tears of joy."

A day later, ten minutes to midnight, I was all ready to visit this "Unknown place."

While my parents were watching television, I could do nothing but imagine Aisha Di, being able to stand up on her feet, like she used to, before the man in the white coat took her to the hospital one day. 

My parents were talking in the other room and I could hear words like, "disaster" and "fake news" and "hoax". But I couldn't make out the meaning of it all, because I was too busy with my thoughts.

A couple of minutes were left. All I could think of was the transition from my home to this "Unknown" place. Was it going to be abrupt or gradual, painful or not..."

Until I suddenly heard the twelve o clock alarm I had put. It rang, and I got goosebumps, chills, and could literally feel my veins pumping.

One minute passed, two minutes, ten minutes passed. Nothing happened. 

I checked my alarm thrice. Asked Mom about the time twice. But nothing happened.

Went outside to see if there were any changes. But nothing had happened. Everything was the same.

The next day, I had to meet Rehan. I went to his house, and I noticed some changes. 

The smile on his face had disappeared and I could him covered in tears.

It was expected. Rehan's innocence had killed him from the inside. In his mind, Aisha was always going to be alone, in the "Unknown".

When I went inside, I saw his father, just sitting and rocking back and forth. I was horrified.

His mother was crying so loudly, even the outsiders could hear her crystal clear. Maybe innocence had killed them too. They wanted the world to end, but God played a bad card against them.

But I remember seeing Aisha Di lying on her bed, sleeping, hands as white as snow. There were monitors all around her. One had a straight green line, and also gave off some kind of "beep" sound. I never knew what that meant.

That was the last day I saw Rehan. He moved out two days later and settled in Mumbai. We've never been able to talk since.

It took me a long time to realize.

On the 1st of January, 2012, the world did end.

Only it was Rehan's, that did.