VAIBHAVI Soulmate, Twin Flame and Karmic Love - Chapter 2 : The Inevitable

When Kesar was hardly nineteen years old and was planning for his future, his father suddenly passed away with a single stroke of a heart attack. His father was then traveling to the markets for trade that day when he suddenly got dizzy and fainted on the muddy roads. People gathered around but mistook it to be a case of a drunk alcoholic. And, nobody understood that he was suffering from a massive heart attack and was struggling to live. After a few minutes, Kesar’s father breathed his last and passed away in the middle of a busy street. His dead body remained on the roads, ignored by passers-by until late in the evening. As it started getting dark after the sunset, a local shopkeeper noticed him still lying on the dirty street. He called a servant and asked him to check on the man lying on the road since morning. The servant went to check the unknown man on the street. Assuming he was a drunkard, he pushed his shoulders and yelled,” Get up, you drunkard.” But there was no response from him, and the servant felt the body was unusually cold as ice. He panicked and looked closer. He could vaguely remember him as the man who walked to his work every day in the morning when the servant sweeped the shop veranda. When he realized that this man lying here is not a drunkard, he immediately ran inside his shop and informed the shopkeeper about the dead man. The owner understood the situation and gathered other shopkeepers around the dead man’s body. They summoned the Daroga to take care of the dead man on the street.

Kesar had just returned from his measly job as a cartwheel mechanic and was about to sit for dinner with his sister and brother. They stayed in a thatched roof house that was not grand but was comfortable enough for the family of five. Their mother was serving the children dinner when the Daroga arrived at their door and knocked. Kesar was having fun with his elder sister and laughed at the jokes just as they heard the knock. 

Kesar’s mother opened the door and was frightened to see a Daroga at their doorstep at this hour. She kept the door half open and asked with eyes about Daroga’s intention of coming home now. ”What is it, Daroga Ji?” She asked meekly with a missed heartbeat. Daroga looked beyond her frail figure and saw a family of children having a hearty laugh having the simple meal probably prepared by this woman standing at the door. Daroga didn't dare to break the news to this woman whose hands were still wet with the water that she had just served her children. He asked her,” Can you please call your elder son here please?” He choked while he said this. The mother got more suspicious and worried now. She slowly looked at her happy children and thought that something would change their entire life, and the world would come crashing down on them. ”Kesar,” she called her son, weakly. At first, Kesar didn't hear her.

”Kesar comes here, please.” she called out a little loudly now. ”Yes, Ma. What is it?” Kesar went to the door, still having a rice ball in his hand. He, too, was surprised to see the Darogaji at this hour at their doorstep. He sensed that something was wrong, and he asked his Ma to go inside. His mother was unwilling to go inside, so he gently pushed her and asked his sister to look after Ma. Now, there was pin-drop silence in the room. The laughter that was prevailing a few minutes back vanished after this incident. Everybody was now looking at the door with a sad-faced Daroga facing them and Kesar’s back to them. 

”What's the matter, Daroga Ji?” Kesar asked him. Daroga cleared his throat and gave the sad news to the family. ”Your father passed away on the market street today afternoon. He had a massive heart attack.” That's all that he could say. He looked at the shocked faces of the family and didn't know how to console them. Kesar gathered his composure and asked him,” Daroga Ji, are you sure he is our father?” Daroga nodded in negative and said,” We are not sure. You will have to come with me to the identification of the body.” This information relieved Kesar. At least, the Daroga had not confirmed that it was their father. He quickly washed his hands and got into his shirt and slipped into his slippers. He told his sisters to care for his mother and wait for him to come back before concluding. 

When Kesar reached Daroga’s office, it was past midnight, and the office was dark. The Daroga took him inside the chambers and brought him to an area with a body lying on the floor covered with a white sheet. He gestured to Kesar to look at the body and identify it. Kesar had a deep knot in his stomach and a strong urge to throw up. But, he composed himself and bent down. He sat on his knees and prayed hard that it was not his father. He slowly lifted the cloth from his face and howled at what he saw. ”Father,” he cried. It was indeed the cold dead body of his father. He was grief-stricken and lost himself for a few minutes. The Daroga let him be inside with his father. Finally, Kesar got up and came out to meet Daroga. He closed his hands and thanked him with a namaste and went out to make arrangements to bring his dead father home. Most importantly, to prepare himself to tell the shocking news to his mother and his siblings.

As he knocked on the door, his sister opened it hurriedly. She had a question in her eyes, and from the look on Kesar’s face, she understood what must have happened. She gestured with her eyes, and he also replied with a nod. Hell broke loose; his sister grabbed him tightly and started weeping. His mother, who was sitting on the jute bed, looked at them with sad eyes. ” How is this possible? He had a hearty breakfast in the morning and then went out cheerfully. Your father promised to bring Rabdi from the halwai in the evening. This news can't be real. Let me come with you and see him right now. How can he leave us all and go away like this?” his mother was mumbling. She was shaking like a dry leaf trying to take a grip on the situation. But, was incapable to do so. He went up to her and took her hands in his shaky hands. ”Mother, it's true. It's the father's body in the office. He couldn't survive the heart attack,” saying, so he hugged her tightly and wept silently. The news brought the whole house into unknown heavy darkness that had its effect for years to come.