Strangers Meet Fate

Chapter : 1

Losing someone dear is painful, that's why we seek solace from the false consolation that they've gone to a better place.

1 | The Day Sky Cried |

                It rained hard that day in Goa. The usually crowded beaches were mostly empty. A few streets away from the popular beach, there was a cemetery, almost three hundred years old. Continuous downpour washed away the dust from the leaves bending over the centuries old memorials, making them glow in a lively green.

A girl stood in the rain while holding a large black umbrella over her and another woman's head. Her wrist shook, making the shade unsteady as she rested her head on the other woman's shoulder and sobbed.

Both of them wore black. The older woman wore a full sleeve conservative dress, whereas the girl put on a knee length shirt dress. Both of them had their eyes red and puffy from crying hard. Their tears renewed pouring when a coffin was  being laid down in the grave.

After the burial, one by one, people left. The crying pair now took a few branches of white orchids and put them before the memorial tablet of Jenny Fernandez.

" Mom... ", the older woman sobbed, unwilling to move even inch away.

The girl stood behind her, holding the umbrella over her head. She too didn't wish to move away if granted the power, but they had other things to do back at home. She bent her knees and tapped on the older woman's shoulder somewhat helplessly,

" Mummy — We have to go home now. There are a lot of things needed to be done. Once we're done, we'll come back here, okay? "

" But I — ", the mother stopped herself, wiped her tears and stood up, " Yes. We have to do a lot of things. Let's go back. "

Both of them reluctantly took a last look at the tablet, Here lies a loving mother, a genial wife and a woman splendidly successful in all walks of life, Jenny Fernandez.

" Goodbye Mom. "

" Goodbye Granny. "

Exiting from the cemetery, they arrived at a small two storey house, surrounded by large trees. The street by which the house stood had many other similar houses with old European structure.

In their living room, sat a few elderly people and four boys and girls of the similar age. Upon seeing that the mother and daughter had arrived, the boys and girls stood up together, " Misha! Ramya aunty! "

Misha folded her umbrella and kept it by the door. Sullenly, she walked towards them, " James, Rehan, Ruchika, Sammy — it's already late. You guys should go home now. I'll see if there was anything prepared in the restaurant's kitchen. Have lunch before you go. "

" Don't worry about that. Uncle Gomez had dropped by a few minutes ago. He wanted to let you know that, the restaurant is closed for today and the residents are served according to the orders. He took a head count here and said that lunch will be sent within 40 minutes at most. Oh by the way, he also asked if uncle Shekhar was coming by noon. He'll send his lunch too then. ", the boy named James said.

" That's a relief. Where's mummy? Oh, she must've gone to check upon Grandma and Aunt upstairs. Hey James, did you see big brother Sudhir? "

" Big brother Sudhir also left for upstairs. He was entertaining the guests here with us. "

" Ah, he must've been tired ", Misha's Grandma, aunt and big brother Sudhir had taken the earliest flight to Goa from Delhi in the morning, and then prepared for the funeral along with Misha and her mother. It was normal for them to be tired. She turned at the elderly people gathered on the sofas, who were preparing to leave. They were the friends Granny had an intimate relationship with. They used to go for morning walks, trips, arrange parties together. Now, losing an important part of their lives, she felt them. If any of the members of their gang were to be gone like that, she would've felt devastated too. It goes just the same for them as well.

For elderly people, it's even harder for them to see one of their mates to be gone, while they were left behind to wait for the ultimate call. The feeling of utter despair is not something very desirable.

Misha sat with them, engaging them in light talks. Her friends too joined, and one could feel the atmosphere was improving slowly.

After lunch, Misha and her friends took the responsibility to drop the elderly visitors at their home safely. Coming back, she saw it was almost afternoon. The flight her father had taken from Delhi was going to land soon. She woke up her sleeping brother, and urged him to take the car to the airport.

Misha had learnt driving too. She opted to apply for her driving licence once she turned eighteen. But her ultimate passion was bikes. Since the age of fifteen, she often rode out borrowing her neighbor's bike. Her friends too had planned that once all of them become eighteen, they'll go for a road trip to Ladakh to celebrate their adulthood.

As they rushed towards airport, Misha leaned her chin on her knuckles and tilted her head, staring outside. But her mind had run off to somewhere else.

               Misha didn't have much closeness with her father. He spent most of his time abroad after she turned eight. Once in every year, he came back to visit them and took them to Delhi to visit her uncle's family and Grandma. The routine didn't change for almost ten years. She knew he dearly loved both her and her mother, but he failed to find a stable place to settle down, a place that perfectly fit his choices.

He earned good. Every time he came, he brought along with him tons of stories from the countries he visited. He knitted a web of dream over her eyes as she layed on his lap every night and listened about the lands, culture, people she had no idea about. It was no less fantastic than a fairytale for her. He also urged her to go camping, hiking, excursions during summer vacations with her friends. Her mother wanted her to grow up in the ambience of the country she belonged to, so she didn't follow her husband. Her Granny, her maternal grandmother, Jenny Fernandez was struggling with the management of their family hotel and restaurant in Goa. Her paternal grandmother then urged them move to Goa to help her out while she, along with Misha's uncle stayed back at their old house in Delhi.

Since then, Goa had become equivalent to home for Misha. Her early years in Delhi were nothing more than blurry memories. Granny, Mummy, working in the Fernandez's hotel and restaurant, James, Rehan, Ruchika, Sammy, had become her world. Now, Granny herself was gone. Currently, she knew her father had joined a company in US since last year. At that time, he had said that he wished to settle in Minnesota. Who knows if he was serious about it.

While thinking randomly, they already had arrived at the airport. They waited for a few minutes only before her father came out pushing a trolley for luggage. Sudhir loaded the bags in the car and Misha's father pushed him at the backseat, " Sudhir, child you're still tired, I know. Go take a rest in the backseat. "

" Misha, you drive. I'm here. "

Misha was a bit nervous because it was barely a few months since she had learned driving. But she was excited too. The longest time she had driven was ten minutes, to drop her granny at the restaurant from home, and practise her skills along with it. She put the car into ignition, and drove out.

The sky had darkened by the time they reached home. The ladies, as in Misha's mother, aunt and grandmother were gathered at living room, quietly peeling and cutting vegetables, kneading the wheat dough, all quiet.

If it was some other time, they would be seen chattering happily like small energetic birds, like what they did every time they went to Delhi. But who could blame them, after all, they too lost a member of their girl gang. Misha's father too arrived energetically, every time he visited, but now he too, quietly put aside the bags and silently approached the three ladies.

Grandma was the first to notice him. She stopped peeling the carrot and mumbled out, " Shekhar — you're here. "

Shekhar, Misha's father bent first to take her blessings and then sat beside her hugging her shoulders. After getting a rub on his thinned but tousled hair from his mother, he acknowledged his sister-in-law and then walked to his wife's side, who started sobbing again, clutching him with her wheat stained fingers. He patted her in return, muttering comforting words. Seeing her cry, the two other ladies felt their eyes moistening again. In the end they hurriedly finished dinner and went to sleep.

The next day, from the restaurant and hotel, Kelvin Gomez arrived. His status in the hotel was not very clear. He was an orphan who started off under Jenny Fernandez's tutelage as an errand runner. Later on, he took up the responsibilities on his own to share the owner's burden. Ramya Fernandez Sehgal, Misha's mother was nominally the manager, but the work handled by Kelvin Gomez was no less than hers. He was a person the Fernandezs believed on the most outside the family.

He entered with a bunch of official documents. Misha brought him tea and stood by her parents' side to watch.

" Sister Ramya, I have already brought everything from the lawyer. He wants you to be present while signing over. "

" Alright. Did you book an appointment at a later time? "

" I wanted to ask you first. Now that you want to, I will just call the lawyer now. "

After a few exchanges of words with the supposed lawyer, he said that an appointment in the evening was arranged. After that, Ramya and Kelvin left together to the restaurant, while Shekhar relaxed on the sofa and patted a spot beside him, indicating Misha to sit beside him.

" Pa — "

" Hmm, let me see, you've gotten skinnier than the last time I saw you. Are you being picky about veggies again? ".

" I haven't gotten skinny. And I eat my greens just the right amount needed. With mummy here, do you really think she'll let me off? "

" That's true. Maybe it's only me being paranoid. So, tell me, what good deeds did you do this year? "

That brought an excited smile on Misha's face, " This year we went to Ooty. Alone! Just the five of us! And it was so much fun! Let me tell you a secret pa, we did a little bit of rowing and went to an adventure camp at the hills, don't tell mummy please. Otherwise, she won't let me go out next time! "

" Hahaha, very good! Very good! Alright, I won't tell her. But, I think you won't be able to go out next year anyway. "

" Why? "

" Well ", he awkwardly coughed, " We're moving out. As in you guys will settle in Minnesota with me. So — "

" Wait pa. We're moving out for real? As in forever? "

" Ah, yes. "

" But pa — ", to say Misha was angry was an understatement. If possible, for that very moment she hated her dear pa.

" Misha, my dear, I knew you will be upset. This is why I took up this task of telling you. Your mom has already talked to the principal about your transfer. We are sorry Mimi, but it's high time I stop neglecting you. All these years, floating around recklessly— I have let down you two. Although it's very late, at least let me attempt in spending a bit of time together as a family. It's been almost ten years I have properly lived with you, given you time and attention. Let me fulfill my turn of responsibilities too, please. Although I sound selfish, it actually hurts that I had so little influence upon your life — "

" Pa, enough. I understand your point, but, I — I have a life here. These ten years I have made a world for myself, bit by bit. Now I an suddenly told to move out leaving everything behind, I'm not prepared. I, just let me make up my mind — when are we leaving? "

" Within next three days I'll leave. You and your mother will fly out next month. "

" So soon! "

" Yes. Sorry Mimi dear. "

" No, it's fine I guess. It's just, I don't know how how to spill this to my friends. Imagining how they'll react upon hearing this, is giving me goosebumps, hehe. "

" No worries. When we get a vacation, we will visit them together. Your mummy also has to come back to make an annual visit to the restaurant and hotel. I've told Kelvin, he will take care of house. When we come here, we will call your uncle from Delhi here, and we will have fun together, okay? "

" Okay pa. "

" Don't worry, the place we are moving to is a small town by the hills, there are also lakes nearby. So I'm sure you'll come to like place. "

" I hope so pa ", Misha smiled thinly. Hills were good for hiking only. Living there on a daily basis might turn her crazy. But she had no other option too.

Leaving behind her father, she trotted up to her room and flopped onto her bed. Tears fell again from her eyes, but this time in anticipation of the parting that was drawing near.