Poor Shashwat! He was hardly eighteen! He was five or six years older than Anand. How suddenly he departed!
With what hope Vashishthji had named him Shashwat (timeless, ageless, and eternal).

Avasthiji looked at the condolence message and said, “It was really bad!”

Aditi said, “Thirteen days have passed.”

“Yes, we did not get the message in time. Even if we had received it in time, it would not have been possible to go there. Vashishthji has performed all the religious rites at his native place. I will give him a call today. When Vashishthji returns, we will visit him,” said Avasthiji.

“I think, he may have returned. You please phone him,” said Aditi.

“All right,” said Avasthiji and pulled the stool towards him. The telephone was kept on that stool. He dialed the number. Vashishthji received the call. They talked briefly. There was nothing much to say to each other. Avasthiji put the receiver down and said to Aditi, “Vashishthji is back home. We will visit him in the afternoon. I will complete my work in the office in first two hours. We will reach back home by evening.”

“This suits me. We must go. Shashwat was the only son after their three daughters. I don’t know how Nirupa is!” said Aditi.

“She is the mother. She must be extremely afflicted, beyond words!”

“What to say?”

It took them a little more time while leaving home. Avasthiji having reached the court, his clients don’t leave him easily. In winters the sun goes down at about five o’clock in the evening. When Aditi and Avasthiji reached the outskirts of the town, Aditi on the driving seat, it was almost dark. Generally, Avasthiji would let Aditi drive his car when they took long routes. In this way she got a bit more practice. Avasthiji was quite tired because of the overload of work in his office. A lawyer’s life is not an easy life.

“Keep on driving slowly. There is no hurry,” said Avasthiji to Aditi.

“Don’t teach me. Now I can drive quite expertly. I will take you on a drive even in the city,” said Aditi boastfully.

“Please save me from that pleasure. You are not perfect to drive through the crowded roads. Watch out, there is a ditch!” shouted Avasthiji suddenly.

The thought of accident, once again, made Aditi sad because Shashwat had died in a road accident. In the joy of driving she had completely forgotten that they were going to Kripalgunj to meet a bereaved family.

Avashiji told her to concentrate on her driving.

They were silent. Both were thinking about Shashwat. Suddenly, Aditi’s mind raced to Anand. A part of a person’s heart is always worried about dear ones. Man is definitely selfish. Had she not been selfish, she would not have thought about her own Anand. She could not stop thinking. After all, Anand was her only son.

She remembered how Anand would say, “Mother, when I become somebody, I will lay all the luxuries at your feet.”

Aditi would reply, “I need my son and I don’t want anything else. My life is complete with you, my son. Children are the most beautiful aspect of Mother Nature.”

“So you must be indebted to me,” laughed Anand.

“Naughty!”

Her reverie was shattered when she found herself at a blind turn. It was so dark outside that she felt nervous. Avasthiji was nodding. Aditi was not aware of the rule that she should blow car horn at such turns. The motorbike, with its blinding headlight, had appeared so suddenly that she lost control. There was a loud sound of crash. Her head struck the wheel and the car stopped at a short distance. She did not remember whether she had pressed the brake pedal.

“What are you doing?” this was the first sentence that Avasthiji spoke. He tried to peer into the darkness outside but he did not see anything.

They did not know where the biker was.

Avasthiji opened the door and came out. He was afraid lest some one had seen that incident. He took control of the car. Aditi did not say a word.
“Get in soon.”

Aditi followed the command. Avasthiji did not want to stay there any longer. He tried to start the car. Aditi was sitting next to him. She said, “Go out and see what has happened to the biker!”

“You go out and then face the police. You don’t even have a driving licence. It is a crime,” said Avasthiji, well knowing the consequences had she gone out to look for the biker.

“Who was he? Where did he fall down?” Aditi was repeating over and again.

“Have you gone mad, Aditi?” his voice was strong this time.

“We should have helped him.”
“So that he could recognize you and later inform the police. You will be implicated in the case of an attempted murder. Do you understand?” now the lawyer in Avasthiji was taking control of the conversation.

Actually, Avasthiji wanted to frighten Aditi so that she would not request to help the biker.

“Murder? Oh, my God!” Aditi looked helpless, “Listen, I don’t want to go anywhere. I am not feeling well. I want to go back home. We will visit Vashisthaji tomorrow.”

“Will you keep quiet, Aditi? I am disturbed too and you are adding to my troubles. Let me think. If we return by the same road, we would be nabbed. It is possible that some farmers from the nearby fields had witnessed the accident. They will definitely recognize our car. It is also possible that the biker is not hurt at all and he has already left the place. We are unnecessarily worried here. Wipe your face! You are perspiring all over. You look guilty!” said Avasthiji in a very thoughtful manner.

Avasthiji was analyzing the situation from an expert lawyer’s angle. He was trying to calm Aditi but she looked more frightened every passing moment.

Aditi remembered and incident. Avasthiji was driving when a school boy riding his bicycle appeared from nowhere. He hit the car and fell down. At that time, instead of helping the poor boy, Avasthiji had slapped him twice and scolded him loudly. She remembered his words, “Do you want to die? Ride your bicycle carefully. You will create problems for car drivers!”

Aditi had not liked that attitude. She wanted to help the boy.

“Why did you slap him?” Aditi had said.

“If I had not slapped him, crowd would have made me culprit. I saved myself by slapping him, thus proving that the boy was wrong!” Avasthiji had said with the arrogance of the lawyer he was, as if he had done a very wise act.

Aditi kept on thinking how someone could be so insensitive! Today, once again, he is acting in the similar way. Aditi is disturbed. That day the boy was not injured but they don’t know what may have happened to the motorcyclist. She took a deep breath and wiped her face with her handkerchief.

Avasthiji was trying his best but suspicions were rising in his mind. He thought of inspecting the car from outside because any dent on the body of the car would make it an object of suspicion. He did not want to take any chances. He looked at the milestone. Their destination was only ten kilometers away. He began to drive slowly. He stopped the car at one place and got out to check whether there was any sign of accident on the body of the car. One side light was damaged but that was all. He took a full circle around the car and then came back behind the wheel.

“Nothing is damaged; it means the collision was not strong. I am sure that the biker is safe,” said he, looking towards Aditi.

When they, finally, reached Vashishtaji’s house in Kripalpur, he parked his car under a tree, away from the streetlight. He wanted to avoid the car from the stares of the people. His lawyer’s brain was working in top gear.

“Aditi, please compose yourself,” said he to Aditi, while they were crossing the gate of Vashishthji’s house. The house was disturbingly quiet. Death brings drastic changes in the ambiance. The light in the porch was also not on. Perhaps, no one had thought of switching on that light.

Aditi had tears in her eyes. One obvious reason was Shashwat’s death and the other was the accident on the way. She wanted to cry loudly and now it was impossible to control herself. She remembered how young Shashwat would touch her feet in respect when she visited them, and she would bless him.

He would say, “Only blessings won’t do. Something else is needed.”

“What else?”
“I need the highest percentage in the engineering exams and then a good job, with a lot of money. After that a classic car and a wonderful girl will do the rest,” he would laugh.

“You are really naught, Shashwat!”

“I need a better half just like you, auntie,” he would laugh.

His mother, Nirupa, said, “When he goes back to Bombay, his laughter stays with me.”

No one had come out of the house to greet them. Where was the laughter? Aditi and Avasthiji entered the hall and they found Nirupa and Vashishthaji there.

There was a garlanded picture of Shashwat on a stool in the centre of the room. Incense sticks were burning. There was smile on the face in the picture but the sound of laughter was missing.

Aditi recalled the motorcyclist. Had he changed into a photograph too? Where would be her son, Anand at this time? Was he safe? Why were bad thoughts rising in her mind? Shashwat-the motorcyclist-Anand! Three images were dancing before her.

Aradhana was also present there and she broke the ice, “Shashwat’s marriage was fixed for April. He had chosen that girl but now everything is finished!”

“God had other plans,” said Aditi in a sad tone.

“I don’t believe in God anymore. I used to worship regularly and I visited temples everyday but this is what I got!” said Nirupa with a stifled cry.
Now Adit realized how tough it was to lose a young son. Shashwat was Nirupa’s son, someone’s friend, future of a girl…

“Did they arrest the driver of the vehicle?” said Aditi to Aradhana.

“We don’t know. The people in that car were strange. Shashwat was on his bike. He fell down and fainted. They took him to a very good hospital and paid for the treatment. He had suffered a severe head injury and even the best of the medical aid could not save him!” said Aradhana.

Aditi’s mind began to ring. Her breathing was heavy. She was very depressed. She turned her eyes towards Avasthiji and found that he was looking in her direction. How much Aditi wanted to shout at him to remind him that they could have helped that biker on the way! Their son liked drinving his bike very fast.

While they were returning from Vashishthaji’s house, Avasthiji chose a longer way. He did not want to take any risk. He was contented that he was a lawyer. He knew all the technicalities of the litigation. It was possible that the biker was still lying there. The police might suspect them if they took the same route.

They reached home at midnight. It was quite cold.

“Was there any phone call for me?” said Avasthiji, as was his habit after his entry into his house.

The servant said, “Anand had called. He said that his friend Pitambar was in town and he wanted you to send some money through Pitambar.”

“Is he all right?” said Avasthiji.
“Yes, and he has sent a tie for you.”

“He is a strange boy!” said Avasthiji, trying to bring a smile over his face.

Pitambar was Ananda’s room partner in Bombay. They were studying together to be Computer Engineers. Pitambar’s family had their house at the distance of about fifteen kilometer from Avasthiji’s house. Pitambar was the son of a big businessman.

Aditi decided to call Pitamber in the morning. Avasthiji was trying to look all right but he was very much disturbed. He turned towards Aditi, on their bed, and said, “The youngsters, nowadays, don’t listen to their elders. They love driving fast and risk their lives. When they pass away, their parents are left behind to weep and mourn.”

“Talk about something else! Why are you talking about depressing things?” said Aditi.

“About what?” said Avasthiji.

“Anand…I am worried,” said Aditi.

Next morning, Aditi dialed Pitamber’s number. “Hello…” reached up to her ears, with people’s crying in the background. That made Aditi very restless. There was something wrong in that house. People were crying.

“Hello…”

It was Pitamber’s uncle, “I am Pitamber’s uncle. Yesterday evening he was going to your house. He was driving his bike. He had an accident and he died on the spot. Had he received medical aid in time, perhaps, he could have been saved. We have not received the postmortem report yet. His dead body is in the hospital…”

Aditi was stunned and her legs refused to support her. She could not listen more. The biker was Pitamber! She began to shiver. Somehow, she reached up to the lawn where Avasthiji was reading his morning newspaper.

“What happened? You look very disturbed!” said Avasthiji, putting his newspaper on the tea table before him

“That…that…biker was Pitamber. He was on his way to meet us…No more!”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Hun…”

“Now keep quiet. We don’t know anything about last evening,” Avasthiji almost whispered.

“Why did it happen?”

“Quiet!”

“We could have helped him…”

“You keep quiet!”

Aditi began to weep and tears began to shower down. Avasthiji was also not untouched.

Meanwhile, a client of Avasthiji reached there and said, “Sir is everything all right?”

“Yes…but Anand’s friend Pitamber had an accident yesterday. He is no more,” Avasthiji said in a gloomy voice.

“Oh my god…”

The client did not stay there for long. Avasthiji closed the main door after his departure; he wanted to be with Adit to console her.

Aditi was in the courtyard, collapsed on a mattress. She felt as if the odour of death was entering her nostrils and it was difficult to breathe. Perhaps, that odour of death would keep her soul poisoned for the rest of her life.

Avasthiji sat down near Aditi. He knew that Adit could create troubles for him. He tried to make her understand, “Aditi, listen to me. Compose yourself. I am sad too, and, in fact, I am repenting. We should have helped him. I don’t know why I was so insensitive at that time! Now, you must forget everything. Anand will be reaching home and you are in this state of mind. If Anand comes to know about our mistake, he will never forgive us. He is our only son. Control yourself, Aditi. It was destiny. Don’t even mention your accident when Anand is here. Are you listening?”

Adit was listening but she was unable to speak. Her cries were highly afflicting. Avasthiji could not stand that and he got up.

Next day, Pitamber’s funeral was to take place. People were whispering, “The postmortem report declares that the cause of death was excessive bleeding.”

“He died at about 11:00 pm. If the car driver had stopped and carried him to hospital, he would have survived.”

“How cruel and selfish people are!”

“My god…”

Aditi was unable to tolerate their whisperings. They could have saved Pitamber. At least they could have tried. There would have been a great satisfaction in saving his life. Why she had not insisted on helping him! She remembered that Avasthiji was not ready to listen to her. She was helpless. The same could have happened to their Anand! She stopped thinking. It was making her mad.

She recalled Anand’s phone call.

“Mother, I had called you last night but you were away,” said Anand.

She could not utter more than a brief ‘hello…’

“Has Pitamber reached there? Did Papa like the tie? Send some money, mother,” said Anand in his usual tone of voice.

For a few moments she did not say anything. Anand spoke again, “Ma…is everything all right? Why aren’t you speaking?”

She did not understand what to say to him. She was in a dilemma whether to inform him. Finally, she rallied her remaining courage and said, “Anand, last night, Pitamber in road accident…”

“What happened to him, mother?” Anand was worried.

“He is no more, my son!” she was on the verge of crying loudly.

“Please…mother…don’t say that!” Anand was begging.

“Yes, he died on the spot…”

“Mother, what should I do now?” shouted Anand.

“We can’t change destiny. We had visited Pitamber’s house and attended his funeral,” said Aditi.

“Mother… please go there again tomorrow and stay with Pitamber’s mother. She needs your moral support. I am starting tonight,” said Anand.

“Will you get train reservation?”

“Should I wait for a reserved seat?”

Now Aditi was in deep uncertainty. She would have to face Anand. That night she could not sleep at all. Next morning, she found the report of Pitamber’s death on the front page of the newspaper. There was a picture of the accident spot: Pitamber’s dead body layon one side and his damaged motorcycle on one side.

Avasthiji snatched the newspaper and began to read. Suddenly, his face began to beam and he jumped with joy, “Aditi! Listen to this. Pitamber was hit near Ramanpur, about sixty kilometers away from here. It has been reported that a truck had hit him and did not stop…”

Aditi felt as if an injection of life had been injected into her feeble existence. She snatched back the newspaper and began to read.

“We have been saved, Aditi, we have been saved! You did not hit Pitamber! It was a truck,” Avasthiji was ecstatic.

Aditi kept the newspaper down but she was sad again. How suddenly the odour of death had disappeared! Now she was ready to face Anand now.

In her room, sitting alone, she was thinking about Avasthiji. Perhaps, like the Nora of A Doll’s House she had not known her husband. How easily he had forgotten that Anand’s best friend had died! He was happy that his prestige and his wife were safe.

Next morning, in her kitchen, she was preparing the dishes which Anand liked. She had forgotten that her son was coming there because his best friend had passed away. In her selfishness, she had not visited Pitamber’s house, as advised by her son. Since there was no odour of death in her surroundings, she was free to breathe.