Rajeev stirred awake, the early morning light filtering through his bedroom window. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, realizing his grandmother was not in the room. Confused and still groggy from sleep, he got out of bed and called out, "Grandma?"
His small voice echoed through the quiet mansion as he made his way downstairs. As he descended, he saw his grandparents sitting in the hall. Jai Shankar's face was lined with sorrow, and Vedhika's eyes were red and swollen from crying. Yet, they sat close together, drawing strength from each other.
A smile spread across Rajeev's face, thinking his parents had returned and everyone was just waiting to surprise him. He ran to his grandparents, his heart light with hope. "Grandma! Grandpa! Where are Mom and Dad?"
Vedhika looked at Rajeev, her heart breaking all over again. She opened her arms, and Rajeev rushed into her embrace. She held him tightly, tears streaming down her face as she clung to him.
"Grandma, why are you crying?" Rajeev asked, his voice muffled against her shoulder. He pulled back slightly, searching her tear-streaked face with wide, innocent eyes.
Vedhika struggled to find the words, her voice choked with emotion. "Rajeev, my dear boy, your parents... they... they won't be coming back today."
Rajeev's face fell, confusion and fear replacing his earlier joy. "But... but they promised. Where are they?"
Jai Shankar placed a gentle hand on Rajeev's shoulder, his voice trembling with grief. "Rajeev, your parents loved you very much. They were very brave, and they tried so hard to come back to you."
Tears welled up in Rajeev's eyes as he looked between his grandparents. "What happened to them, Grandpa? Where are Mom and Dad?"
Vedhika sobbed quietly, unable to hold back her tears. "Oh, Rajeev," she whispered, pulling him close again. "They... they had an accident, my dear. They were very brave, but they're not with us anymore."
Rajeev's small body shook with sobs as the reality of her words began to sink in. "No, it can't be," he cried, clinging to his grandmother. "I want Mom and Dad!"
Jai Shankar wrapped his arms around both of them, his own tears falling freely. "I know, Rajeev. I know. We all want them back."
In that moment, the three of them held each other, their grief shared and their pain palpable. The mansion, once filled with hope and laughter, now echoed with their collective sorrow. Yet, within their embrace, there was also a flicker of strength—an unspoken promise to carry on and protect each other, to find a way through the darkness together.