03-09-2025, 11:47 AM
Scene: The Phone Call
The phone buzzed suddenly, startling him. His heart leapt, her? Maybe she had softened? Maybe she would let him explain?
But when he looked down, the name flashing on the screen wasn’t hers.
The name on the screen froze him.
It was Amit.
For a second, Ravi hesitated. His thumb hovered over the green icon, his pulse thudding in his ears. Then he answered.
“Ravi…” Amit’s voice was low, tired, unsteady. “Papa is no more.”
The words fell heavy, like stones sinking into a lake.
Ravi’s lips parted, but nothing came out at first. His throat closed up.
Finally he managed: “I, I’m so sorry, Amit.” His voice was hoarse, thick with shock.
“We’ll be staying here for the last rites and come back after that. Don’t worry about anything for now.”
Ravi swallowed hard. His hand clenched around the phone. “I’ll take care of things here. You… you take care of Didi.”
There was a pause on the other end, heavy with unspoken grief, before Amit disconnected.
Ravi set the phone down carefully, as if it were something fragile that might break in his hands. His head dropped back against the chair.
His chest tightened, not only from Amit’s loss, but from the knowledge that this wasn’t the time to reach out to Priya Didi.
Whatever storm had passed between them today would have to wait. Her world had collapsed in another way entirely.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor until it blurred. Guilt gnawed at him from one side, grief from the other. He wanted to be there for her, to say something, to offer comfort. But what comfort could come from him now, when he had already wounded her?
The room felt darker, emptier than ever. Outside, the city lights blinked indifferent. Inside, Ravi sat alone, caught between silence, regret, and a grief that wasn’t his, but felt just as heavy.
The minutes passed, then the hours.
He didn’t turn on the light.
The only glow came from the phone screen when it flickered awake, casting pale blue shadows on his face.
He scrolled through old texts with Priya, simple exchanges, about groceries, about whether Amit would be home for dinner, about nothing at all.
Yet tonight they felt sacred, like fragments from a lost world.
The phone buzzed suddenly, startling him. His heart leapt, her? Maybe she had softened? Maybe she would let him explain?
But when he looked down, the name flashing on the screen wasn’t hers.
The name on the screen froze him.
It was Amit.
For a second, Ravi hesitated. His thumb hovered over the green icon, his pulse thudding in his ears. Then he answered.
“Ravi…” Amit’s voice was low, tired, unsteady. “Papa is no more.”
The words fell heavy, like stones sinking into a lake.
Ravi’s lips parted, but nothing came out at first. His throat closed up.
Finally he managed: “I, I’m so sorry, Amit.” His voice was hoarse, thick with shock.
“We’ll be staying here for the last rites and come back after that. Don’t worry about anything for now.”
Ravi swallowed hard. His hand clenched around the phone. “I’ll take care of things here. You… you take care of Didi.”
There was a pause on the other end, heavy with unspoken grief, before Amit disconnected.
Ravi set the phone down carefully, as if it were something fragile that might break in his hands. His head dropped back against the chair.
His chest tightened, not only from Amit’s loss, but from the knowledge that this wasn’t the time to reach out to Priya Didi.
Whatever storm had passed between them today would have to wait. Her world had collapsed in another way entirely.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor until it blurred. Guilt gnawed at him from one side, grief from the other. He wanted to be there for her, to say something, to offer comfort. But what comfort could come from him now, when he had already wounded her?
The room felt darker, emptier than ever. Outside, the city lights blinked indifferent. Inside, Ravi sat alone, caught between silence, regret, and a grief that wasn’t his, but felt just as heavy.
The minutes passed, then the hours.
He didn’t turn on the light.
The only glow came from the phone screen when it flickered awake, casting pale blue shadows on his face.
He scrolled through old texts with Priya, simple exchanges, about groceries, about whether Amit would be home for dinner, about nothing at all.
Yet tonight they felt sacred, like fragments from a lost world.
.
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