Tahila looked outside the window. The darkness has completely overtake the long warm day and the black clouds covered sky as if they were too scheming the night become darker than ever. Tahila turned her head to see her husband, Tamas driving. He looked irritated. The way was not clear and the weather was against them. It looked like there will be storm coming and weather forecast reported that there will be heavy rain wall on highway 13 by which they were going home. The day has been exhausting and Tamas and Tahila had not gotten any rest from past few days. They were coming from a funeral. Apparently Tamas's step-brother died in an accident. The incident was sudden and totally unexpected. It shook the family from the core.
Tahila remembered the time when he received the news. Tamas was busy in a meeting and hence he did not pick up his fathers' calls. So Tahila was called to give the gruesome news. Tahila was out on shopping in supermarket so she avoided the few calls until she arrived home. She was unlocking the front door when she heard her cell phone ring. Her cell phone was in her bag with other too many stuff above it. She knew it has been vibrating and ringing from quite few minutes but she avoided it because she could not reach to it at first and then she thought it must be telemarketing. She is not use to get too many calls so it was obvious if she think the call was not very important. She could not imagine Tamas calling her because she knew he never does actually, atleast not at that time when he is usually busy with his clients and meetings.
Tahila rushed to drop the things on either floor or on the sofa. She knew she could take care of it later. She struggled to find her cellphone. She dropped few things on the floor while searching it but soon found the cell phone. As soon as she saw the caller's name id, she furrowed her eyebrows in wonder as her father-in-law's name appeared on screen. She picked up the call, confused and bewildered. Tahila has known her father-in-law (Gautam) to be a strict and bold man but he seemed upset and down (his voice did). Tahila greeted her father-in-law and their conversation begins.
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Tahila : Greetings father. How are you?
Gautam (Gautam said in anger and with rudeness) : I have been calling you and your husband. Are you intentionally avoiding my calls?
Tahila (with nervous voice) : No father! I was in the market and Tamas must be bus…
Gautam : no need to make excuses. I haven't called you for that. I am bearing some bad news.
Tahila : (said with concern) what is wrong?
Gautam : Nishanth (Gautam's voice breaks)… there was an accident. Come here soon
Tahila : Oh dear lord! How is…. (The call disconnects)
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Tahila looked at her cell phone in shock. She intended to ask more, know more about Nishanth situation but Gautam disconnected before anything else could be said. It has been one year since Tahila and Tamas met Nishanth and Gautam. Tahila knew Gautam will never call if Nishanth was not serious or if situation was not very serious. Tahila called Tamas quickly but as usual he did not pick up. Tahila used her emergency number of contact, Aditya, Tamas's coworker and his best friend who picked up Tahila's call on second bell.
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Tahila: Hey Aditya! Can I talk to Tamas? It is very important.
Aditya : Are you sure you want to talk to him right now? He is in the meetings with the clients. I don't think you should disturb him like that.
Tahila : Tell him, his father called. He will know.
Aditya : Okay. I will tell him.
Tahila : Tell him now. I am waiting.
Adiya : Okay. As you say.
Aditya signed Tamas and then gave him Tahila's message. Tamas grabbed his phone while putting Aditya's phone on ears.
Tamas (exhaling sharply) : I am here.
Tahila : your father celled. He said Nishanth was in an accident. He told us to come.
Tamas : He did? Well yes, I just checked my phone. There are calls from him and others. There are few messages too. Did he say something else?
Tahila remembered how rudely Gautam as talking to her and how he accused her and Tamas for intentionally avoiding his calls.
Tahila (Tahila gets tensed) : Like what?
Tamas : he is dead
Tahila : what? Oh my god! That is why Gautam was so upset?
Tamas : he was upset? Did he say that?
Tahila : not in words. We need to leave soon.
Tamas : I will be back after finishing my work. You start packing.
Tahila : okay.
**********
Tamas loudly honked the car on empty road in frustration.
"What are you doing? There is no one. Stop causing noise" Tahila said loudly when she saw Tamas behaving irrationally.
"If there is no one so how does it matter if I make noise or not." Tamas shouted in frustration. He looked at the vast sky covered with clouds and the rain started to pour which made it more difficult to drive.
"Stop behaving like that" Tahila scolded Tamas much to his dislike. Tamas did not like to be scolded and he had no patience that day. He just could not take anything more go against him even if it is weather or even his wife.
"I have to reach back as soon as possible. I am done with being stuck at the places I don't belong. I have very important meeting to attend tomorrow. I can't miss it for the world" Tamas said in his rude voice.
"I understand" Tahila said mockingly. Tahila was also tired and she too wished to egt home soon but Tamas was behaving that it was only him that was in the trouble alone. "But you shouting and screaming won't help so calm down. I told you earlier that it is not a good idea to drive on this way at night but you were being adamant as always and rain has already started to pour. How do you think it will go down if you keep driving in this weather? We might get in some accident. Do you even know where you are going? As much I can see the road is not clearly visible so how are you taking turns. Are you driving aimlessly" Tahila questions Tamas.
Tamas did not want to admit that he has actually no idea where they were going, not when Tahila had already accused him like that. "I don't want to go back. I am not going back" Tamas said gritting his teeth and taking his frustration by honking the car loudly once again.
Tahila exhaled looking at Tamas. She knew Tamas's frustration was not because of weather or work but because of what happened between him and his father back there. He was coping with his anger by taking out frustration but Tahila was now more worried if they should keep driving like this with the danger of getting into an accident. "That's alright. But we can stop at any hotel or guest house atleast until this rain stops. It is only wise. And we can get some rest too" Tahila suggested.
Tamas knew Tahila was right so he decided to look for the place to stay. "But there is nothing around here" Tamas said looking at the long road surrounded by only deep woods.
"I think we should get some gas first. The car is running out of fuel. We can't even drive like this" Tahila said looking at fuel engine indicator. It was low and very soon, they will get out of the gas too.
"There is nothing around here. No one is around here" Tamas said looking outside from the car window.
Tamas stopped the car near a shed. The rain was pouring heavily and the sight was being compromised. Tamas get out of the car when he thought he has seen someone wearing a blanket at a distance running away from the direction Tamas was standing. Tamas shouted to call the man but the man did not stop. He kept running away from the rain. Tamas thought that maybe that man could help him arranging some fuel for the car or some shelter for him and Tahila. Tamas went back to his car when the man was running far away.
"What's wrong?" Tahila asked Tamas.
"I saw a man at some distance. I tried to call him but maybe he did not hear me. He must have gone to his home, maybe some village. We might get some shelter there for time being and maybe some fuel could be arranged" Tamas suggested. Tahila nodded in response. She looked outside at the heavily pouring rain and then said, "Right. So you plan to follow him?"
"Yes. That is the only way" Tamas said while starting the engine. The car did not start and Tamas kept on rotating the key and praying silently for the car to start. The weather was bit chilly because of the rain and Tamas thought maybe due to the chilly weather engine was responding in that way or Tamas fear for something more serious. It was even possible that car needed repair as it had not been to servicing from quite few months. Tamas had been very busy and hence he could not leave the car for servicing. It was the ignorance, he intentionally went with and now he was paying for that. He sighed with relief when after few attempts, car engine made sounds of declaring that it was running. Tamas tried to follow the man who was out of sight now but Tamas tried to follow his track.
He soon found himself in a village with small huts and houses but there was no sign of the man he had seen earlier. He was baffled to look at the sky. The sky was clear and the land looked parched. And at a distance, there was storm and heavy rainfall. It was quite weird for Tamas. Tamas went out of the car and he felt no sign of storm in the sky. The air was rather warm and gloomy. The surroundings were silent. Upon looking at the place, it did not feel like the place had inhabited anyone from a long period of time. Tamas was now not sure how he could get help there but he knew there was no point of getting out of that place in the storm.
'What kind of place is this?' Tamas thought. The land looked like there has been no rain from many years. Tamas bend down to see the land. He touched it to feel some moisture but there was none. The land seemed barren maybe that is why no one was living their but what about the man with blanket, Tamas saw earlier. He looked around once gain to spot someone, something before going back to the car. Tamas opened the car door and as he was about to take his seat, he saw that the seat beside him was empty. There was no one in the car. No sign of Tahila. Tamas looked around but Tahila was nowhere to be seen. Tamas called for Tahila but he got no response. Tamas started shouting Tahila's name in a panic and soon panic turned into fright. Tamas was standing on unknown grounds, with no one around, surrounded by a storm and now his wife is missing. Tamas started running around the area to get some clue or anything. He cried Tahila's name once more in frustration. He collapsed and sat on his knees, taking his face in the palms, trying to calm his nerves down, to think straight, practical. Tamas felt a pair of eyes watching him. It was an unusual feeling. Tamas looked ahead at a distance from where a boy was peeking at Tamas from behind a tree. His small eyes startled as Tamas and the little boy's eyes meet.