Chapter 1
24 Daysbefore
Whatdoes it feel like to be sitting in your room and doing nothing ? Well, technically the answer is to feel bored but to be honest Idon't feel bored. Bored is what you would say when you want to dosomething but you just don't know what to do.
Idon't think it's the same in my case though. I don't have anything todo and I don't want to do anything either.
Ihave been staring out the window for well over 20 minutes now and Ican say that I am not bored. The night is warm. Too warm perhapsbecause I had to increase my fan speed so I don't suffocate to death.
Thereisn't much to look out though. It's basically just an empty land thathas been sitting here from the day I was born. There isn't much tolisten to either apart from the neighbor's television playing someserial.
Iam not complaining though ; the silence is comforting and peaceful.
Itry to listen harder to what my neighbor's are playing. I don't seemto recognize it. Huh. That's funny. And I thought all housewiveswatched the same thing. I can already hear Anupama playing downstairs.
Afteranother ten minutes of staring into the distant land belonging to thesilent and lonely night, I realize that maybe I do want to dosomething. But I have nothing to do. Okay! NOW, I am feeling bored.
Idecide to call my friend Vijesh. Vijesh said he would be going toMysore and I mean - well - He DID go but - I just thought thatmaybe he might not go and would hang out with me and the gang -Sunil, Sujitha, Sonali and Shreya.
Idial his number and hear it ring. He doesn't pick up. Okay now it'sstarting to get annoying. It's bad as it is that I have over twomonths before college starts but it's even worse when you have noidea how to pass the time. I have binged like over a hundred anime's.I might as well break the record for the fastest anime watcher andthe most number of anime's watched in a month.
Iam about to start my third season of My Hero Academia whenI hear my name being called.
"KRIYAAANK!!!"
It'smom. I then hear footsteps approach my room.
"Kriyank-"I see my room door open and my mom steps in. She looks around a bitas if expecting to see me doing or hiding something that I shouldn't.
Itake out my ear pods from my ear. " What happened ?" I ask.
"Whatare you doing?" she asks, still thinking that perhaps I might bewatching porn or something. Yup. Suspicion level 100.
"Nothing,just watching a show" I say. "What happened ?"
"Ihave some bad news for you."
Uh-oh.
Mycollege application is canceled ? I know that's not right but that'sthe only important thing ahead that I am kind of worried about. It'salways the important stuff that go wrong every time. Isn't it ?
"Okay? What is it?"
"Yourfriend Evelyn's mother called. She is not in good health."
Evelyn? Whoa. Where did that come from ?
"Whathappened ?" I ask.
"She'sgot cancer. Stage IV."
* * *
Ithink it's been over 10 minutes since I have been staring at myphone. My eyes lingering over Sunil's name in the contact list.Should I call him or one of the girls first ? Or maybe should I justtry calling Evelyn ?
Nowait. What ?
Whatthe hell am I thinking ? I don't think my brain has been thisconfused in a long time. It's like a box has been opened in my brain,A box filled with emotions and memories. A box that I would haverather preferred to keep shut.
Evelynhas got cancer ? Well, definitely didn't see that coming. And thattoo stage IV ? Since when did she have it then ? When did it allstart ?
It'slike someone just threw a brick at my head and I am just waking upnow. How did it all come to this ? Three years led to this ?
Ihear the line ring and I see Sunil's name on the screen. Guess mybrain might not have noticed my hand tapping his number. Yup ;Definitely hit on the head.
Ihear the line ring for sometime. I am about to hang up when I hearhim pick up.
"Hello?"I hear him say.
"H-Hello?"
"Yeahbro tell, what's up ?"
Iwonder if I should just tell him directly or ask something elsefirst.
"Broyou know, Evelyn's mom called just now."
"What?"I hear him laugh. " Whoa, what happened ? She called you ?"
"No"I say. " She called my mom. She wanted to tell something aboutEvelyn."
"Um-mm....Okay,what ?"
"Shehas got cancer."
Ihear him laugh "She has got cancer-ah?"
"Yeah"I say " Stage IV"
"Huh?"
"Yeah."
There'sa pause. " Hey, stop lying, dumbass" he says. I hear him scoff.
"Hermother said that it's terminal." There's an even longer pause.
"Areyou being serious right now? " he asks. "She has really gotcancer ?? I mean this is not like some kind of prank right ?"
Idon't say anything. I can still hear Anupama playingdownstairs. How loud does mom have to keep the volume ?
"Shitbro. Now what ?"
"Idon't know" I say "I don't know."
