Kishan

It was 12 a.m; I couldn’t pretend to sleep anymore. I got up from my bed and had a refreshing bath, did a small prayer and it was just 12.30. It looked like I’ve been doing things really quick today, “Quite unusual” I told myself. Yes for today is my birthday- my 18th birthday. The day dad promised to give me a gift, a surprise gift, an unexpected one, the best one!!!

I peeped to see whether anyone is awake- mum and dad seemed to be deep asleep. I expected them to wake me up in the morning with their surprise gifts, might be this is too early to expect a gift from them, I should have slept for some more time and should have waited for them, I regretted. Walked to my bed and was holding the window pane wishing to get a glimpse of the morning sun so that I can jump out of my bed and wake mum and dad and ask for my presents.

I felt a warm but wet kiss on my cheek and the sweet voice of my mum saying “Happy Birthday Kishan”…I had slept holding the window pane and the time was 8 a.m. I said “Thanks Mummy” and kissed her back… with my eyes wandering to spot any gift box in her hand. She bent down and picked the box “Is this what you are looking for?” Mum always knew what I wanted….I smiled showing all my teeth to her. “Is dad awake?” I asked, “Ya, he is brushing”

Dad promised me a gift I’d love to have on my 18th birthday…what will the gift be? I had so many things in my mind that I’d love to have, didn’t know which one dad would have picked….I got their blessings and dad gave me that box. It was too big and heavy for a bike key, I was already disappointed.

Hiding my disappointment I opened the box…...I had to pinch myself to confirm that I wasn't dreaming…..It was a mobile phone, not just an ordinary one- the one I have seen those wealthy ones having in their hand, the one I was craving to have, boast to my friends one day, the one I thought I could only use in my dreams!!!! I knew it was pretty expensive. How did dad manage to get that??
“Do you like it?” Dad asked,
“Of course dad, this is the best gift I’ve ever got”
“Hope I kept my promise”
“Yes dad” I smiled again showing all my teeth to him.
The first thing I did is to store my dad’s number as ‘Appa’. Dad did the same too, he stored my number as ‘Son’.
I was the happiest kid on earth.

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I was sleeping beside my wife, when I heard someone knocking the door. She was snoring and this slow and feeble knock didn’t disturb her. I turned the lights on to see the time. It was 12 a.m sharp. I walked down to the door and opened to find no one there. It was pitch dark; I could see nothing. I locked the door and hiding my fear I rushed back to my room. “Heavy blow of winter winds would have created that knocking sound”-I told myself. On my way back I checked Kishan’s room, it was closed.

I slowly entered into my room, making sure not to make any noise at this odd hour and disturb my wife. She was still snoring. “Thank God, I didn’t disturb her” …I bent down to switch off the light when that loud shrieking noise threw me up. For a second I thought my heart stopped beating. Shit!! It was my mobile phone, I was getting a call. It was too late, coz I saw my wife awake with her face as bewildered as mine.

“What’s the time? Who’s calling you at this hour? Why don’t you pick up that phone?” she was questioning without giving me a chance to answer, as she usually does. She passed me the phone, half asleep, with her eyes tightly closed against the light disturbing her. “It could be my boss” I said in a tone that she could have hardly heard, to ensure that I answered her and at the same time didn't disturb her.

It would have been more than a few seconds I’ve been holding the phone in my hand. My wife would have got irritated to find the ringing tone still going and got up to shout at me. I knew how I looked, I should have scared her....I was sweating in the cold winter night, staring at the phone. She came near me “Are you ok? Why are you sweating? Anything wrong?” Again questions…Thank God she didn’t notice me quivering.

I turned the phone towards her and it blinked – ‘Son calling’

Our heads simultaneously turned towards the table where we had left Kishan’s phone, it was still there on the table, and our heads turned again back to my phone. We did that a couple of times, like spectators watching a tennis tournament, heads swinging either side....

I picked Kishan’s phone and checked in the morning….I looked at the ‘dialed numbers’ ....it had 'Appa'. We were sitting still with our mind blank and my wife was weeping slowly.

Yes, we lost our Kishan in a road accident few months ago……