Prologue
"I am sorry Mr. Rathore but we tried our level best to revive them. Due to excessive blood loss and major brain hemorrhage we couldn't save Mr. and Mrs. Singhania. Moreover, the accident was so severe that even their initial chances of survival were negligible." The doctor informed the shattered family with downcast eyes, guilt and pity evident in them. "I'm sorry my son but we couldn't save her either," he said eying the dumbfounded 12 year old boy standing at a corner. "No! Th-This can't be! Where is my Yukta?? Answer me!!" A traumatized Aditya bawled hysterically. "She can't leave me alone. She had promised me...Sh-She...Yukta!!"
"Yukta!!!" Aditya shrieked and woke up with a sudden jolt as that horrendous memory assaulted him, yet again. Ever since an excruciating incident which had occurred 11 years ago, this nightmare had plagued him, resulting in many sleepless nights. Pupils dilated and brows furrowed his chocolate orbs wandered frantically searching for her, when the cruel reality jostled him fiercely. Wiping the sheen sheet of perspiration covering his forehead and calming his erratically pounding heart, he glanced at the wall clock.
5:00 a.m.
Sighing, he tossed the quilt aside and stripped off his T-shirt. The bitter wintry breeze of December assaulted his naked torso as he made his way to his customized gym to calm down his agitated nerves.
Why? Why was he always left alone? What was his mistake that she left him alone?
The Treadmill and Elliptical shivered in fear while the Dumbbells lay lifeless; an aftermath of facing the wrath of their master. Sweat dripped from his finely chiseled abs as his calloused hands battered the punching bag mercilessly.
This had become a part and parcel of his tedious life. He would spend hours in his gym, a periphrastic means to vent out his frustration and channelize his ire. A potent punch from him knocked out the punching bag shredding it into halves. This was the fourth punching bag that had been subjected to such a fate.
Bloody punching bag, can't even handle a slight punch!
Scratching an impalpable itch at the bridge of his nose, he sighed at his handiwork. He would have to ask his chauffer, Ramesh kaka, to refurbish the damage. Glancing at his companion, the punching bag, for the last time he marched off to get ready for his office. He had four meetings lined up successively, each of which would earn his company a profit of about 80 million dollars and an unmitigated sum of 320 million dollars. His company would be the first of its kind to raise such heavy funds in a single day, an accomplishment to be engraved in history.
Grabbing an apple and a knife while passing the threshold of the dining room, he was busy recollecting the list of events for the day when the fluttering of calendar folio caught his attention.
A fleeting look at the calendar froze the blood in his veins. Time ceased and the entire world came to a sudden standstill. His grip tightened around the knife and the sharp blade pierced the delicate flesh of his palm, yet unflinchingly he stood rooted to the spot. Aditya had lost all perception to external stimuli. Drops of crimson liquid from the wound stained the white tiles beneath him.
It was 13 August 2021
Today was... The Day
Picking up his phone he dialed a familiar number. "Postpone all the meetings scheduled for today or cancel them."
"Yukta!!!" Aditya shrieked and woke up with a sudden jolt as that horrendous memory assaulted him, yet again. Ever since an excruciating incident which had occurred 11 years ago, this nightmare had plagued him, resulting in many sleepless nights. Pupils dilated and brows furrowed his chocolate orbs wandered frantically searching for her, when the cruel reality jostled him fiercely. Wiping the sheen sheet of perspiration covering his forehead and calming his erratically pounding heart, he glanced at the wall clock.
5:00 a.m.
Sighing, he tossed the quilt aside and stripped off his T-shirt. The bitter wintry breeze of December assaulted his naked torso as he made his way to his customized gym to calm down his agitated nerves.
Why? Why was he always left alone? What was his mistake that she left him alone?
The Treadmill and Elliptical shivered in fear while the Dumbbells lay lifeless; an aftermath of facing the wrath of their master. Sweat dripped from his finely chiseled abs as his calloused hands battered the punching bag mercilessly.
This had become a part and parcel of his tedious life. He would spend hours in his gym, a periphrastic means to vent out his frustration and channelize his ire. A potent punch from him knocked out the punching bag shredding it into halves. This was the fourth punching bag that had been subjected to such a fate.
Bloody punching bag, can't even handle a slight punch!
Scratching an impalpable itch at the bridge of his nose, he sighed at his handiwork. He would have to ask his chauffer, Ramesh kaka, to refurbish the damage. Glancing at his companion, the punching bag, for the last time he marched off to get ready for his office. He had four meetings lined up successively, each of which would earn his company a profit of about 80 million dollars and an unmitigated sum of 320 million dollars. His company would be the first of its kind to raise such heavy funds in a single day, an accomplishment to be engraved in history.
Grabbing an apple and a knife while passing the threshold of the dining room, he was busy recollecting the list of events for the day when the fluttering of calendar folio caught his attention.
A fleeting look at the calendar froze the blood in his veins. Time ceased and the entire world came to a sudden standstill. His grip tightened around the knife and the sharp blade pierced the delicate flesh of his palm, yet unflinchingly he stood rooted to the spot. Aditya had lost all perception to external stimuli. Drops of crimson liquid from the wound stained the white tiles beneath him.
It was 13 August 2021
Today was... The Day
Picking up his phone he dialed a familiar number. "Postpone all the meetings scheduled for today or cancel them."
