One Cold Rainy Night:
When I woke up that morning, it dawned to me immediately that it was the end of one chapter of my young life. From tomorrow I would embark into a new one. However, at that time I did not have any clues whatsoever how later events of that day would totally change my life forever.
I was 19 and was indeed very lucky to get admission in the famous IT college in southern India, many considered this to be as good as any well known western IT college, if not better. I was leaving home for the first time in my life and my flight was tomorrow.
Not that I was going out of the country but it was still about 500 kilometer from our city. My mother actually did all the necessary shopping and packing for me. I knew it would be very hard on her to let me go, but she was sporting a brave demeanor, at least from outside.
"Honey, your grandma wants to see you again before you leave." My mother told me at the breakfast table.
"I saw her only two weeks ago." I protested, "I've so many things to do, before I leave."
My father chimed in. "Son, you are her only grandson and if you don't see her she would get ill. And you know how that would look."
I instantly recognized his point.
I loved my maternal grandma, my only living grandparents, very much but sometimes she could be overbearing. However, I realized I had no other choice but to visit her again. My grandma lived in a small town about two hours drive from our city on a good day.
After breakfast father left for his business as usual.
Mother and I decided we'd finish up our chores in the morning and leave for grandma's house around three that afternoon. Our plan was to be back by ten that night.
Someone up in the sky probably laughed at our plan.
It was month of January, supposedly the coldest month of the year. But it had been unusually warm winter so far. Newspapers and TV shows were writing and talking about global warming and changes in weather patterns everyday.
Temperature was so mild, I was comfortable doing all my chores wearing only tee shirt and jeans.
We took off in our car around three O'clock. However, in our busy hectic day, either one of us forgot to check the weather forecast.
I was still in my tee shirt and jeans, she had very light cardigan over her saree. "You should have worn a jacket or sweater." She told me.
"We'll be in and out, Ma." I assured her.
The road turned narrower after fifty miles out of the town and traffic became sparse. I traveled on this road so many times, I knew every curves and bends along the way. There was hardly any localities along side this not so traveled road.
Our trip towards grandma's house was very uneventful. We both remained very quiet most part during the trip, thinking of our impending separation.
Mother and I had been very close, almost like friends. The third member of our family, my father was always busy with his business. He had become even more aloof and distant after his surgery last year. But he was a very good provider.
I was sure my mother was dreading our separation, more than she led me to believe.
Grandma, as usual was ecstatic to see us. She hugged and kissed us affectionately. She had arranged a feast for us and forced me to eat more than I should have. Somehow, she thought I would not have good foods where I was going and her delicious foods would stay with me forever.
As it always happened, we were late leaving grandma's house. Once on the road we realized the whether had changed for the worse. Dark clouds had gathered over us and lightning were flashing from one end of sky to another. The wind had shifted to north was howling across our windows. A cold front had finally appeared from the Himalayas. The temperature had dropped at least by 30 degrees.
She looked at me with concern. "Do you think we should go back?"
"No," I replied with my youthful vigor, which often synonym for stupidity, "it's only two hours drive. We'd be home before the storm arrives."
"Okay, if you say so, but please drive carefully, son." She warned me.
There was practically no traffic on the road and I was making good time. But I had to slow down once the rain started pouring down. Rain in winter was very unusual in this part of the world.
"Watch out!" My mother screamed.
I saw it too. There were two dark yellow lights glowing right in the middle of the road. It was probably a runaway domestic cow or a wild deer. I was able to slow down and veered the steering to avoid a direct collision with the animal. But could not stop the car as it slid off the road along the slope of the highway. Lucky for us it hit a pool of mud and water softening the crash. Then it came to a complete stop.
"Are you alright, Ma?" I leaned over and asked her.
"Yes, I think so. You?" She was understandably shaken up quite a bit.
"I am fine." By saying that I tried to restart the car but it would not respond.
Water began to sip into the front passenger cabin from the bottom. Realizing that front part of the car was sinking I urgently told her. "We've to get out of here now."
It had started raining heavily now. It was cold and soggy. We were caught between a rock and a hard place. However, there was no other option but to leave the car.
I took her hand and climbed up on the road in the cold pouring rain. In the flashing light of lightening, I could detect a very shabby shack few feet away. It looked like a five star hotel to me at that time. We took shelter there. It was a temporary shack, built very poorly with bamboo sticks and some corrugated tin sheets. Looking around inside I saw a very rickety bench and an equally rickety table. It probably served as tea stall for the workers when this road was being constructed. It gave us protection from the rain, but not much from the howling wind.
We both were shivering and our teeth were clattering in the cold.
"Call your father on your cell phone." She told me.
I fumbled for the phone in my pocket. "Oh, shit, Ma, it's in the car."
She did not get upset. "Okay, okay don't panic. We'll think of something." Mother was as usual more comforting and forgiving than I deserved to be for my stupidity.
