Chocolate Cake

The aroma of the Chocolate Cake was swayed by the blood stink of Prabhavati Aunty. I was trembling in the Wardrobe with a dozen of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees which are her pride to adorn in any ceremony. This should have been one of those days where we would witness those lavish jewellery sets on her, but the Iron rod took up the place.

Sukumar Uncle and Prabhavati Aunty were kind enough to find a residence beside their bungalow for us while we were moving from Bengaluru to Tamil Nadu. Since my parents Dev and Sulekha already had many video conferences with them about the business they planned to start together shortly, this made them Family Friends for a longer time. So, in a very short period, we became one of the beautiful families to gather in the colony ceremonies. Their only child Nandhan was the most notorious guy I’ve ever met. Despite being the same age, I never felt exhausted to stay with him. From sharing the last slice of pizza to everything we both were best friends in the colony. There was no day we were apart from each other or a day without quarrelling. Mom would prepare his favourite Chocolate Cake on his birthday every year since then and he would start his day nibbling it. But little did I know that there would be a day when everything shall collapse.

April 19, 2002, Friday.

Every summer we would plan for a trip away to celebrate Nandan’s Birthday which was on 1st May. This time while planning the trip, Prabhavati Aunty and Sukumar uncle had a heated discussion regarding his expenditures. But after some time, they got settled. It was decided that we would fly to Manipur. That evening, when we were packing our bags, Dad sent me to call Sukumar Uncle home to book the hotels and other tickets for the departure.

I knocked on the door several times. There was no answer. Nandu and I once made a secret walkthrough to the storeroom of the house for Uncle so that he could go in when Aunty abandons him for being late. So now I got the turn to leap in through it. As I reached the door and opened it slowly, it was dead dark. The clock showed 7:43 already, usually the house would be lit enough but today even my hands vanished into the darkness. The colony never faced power cuts in general. Wondering what happened, I moved gradually toward the living room. I went up the stairs and into Prabhavati Aunty’s room. I was stunned to see Sukumar Uncle’s gore on the floor, Aunty lay unconscious and Nandu had an iron rod with dripping blood.

May 1st, 2016 Sunday.

It’s been 14 years since Nandu went to prison. I never went to meet him. Nothing in me wanted to see him in that possie. Also, I wanted to see if he felt the same towards me. But all these years, my longing for him grew stronger. Today it was the time for him to join us forever- breaking the bars and barks of everything and everyone. Mom started the cake preparations. I started decorating the house. Prabhavati Aunty was flaunting her sarees on the carpet to see what she was going to drape today. All our friends and business partners also gathered for the welcoming ceremony. Dad went to receive Nandu before we all woke up so that no one fought to join his drive with his beloved.

It was 9:20 and there was no trace of them yet. Even we were so involved in our appointed work that we failed to notice Dad in the living room alone. I ran all around the house and the garden too to find him anywhere. I came in and asked Dad where he was hiding from me? Dad said he had to come alone as Nandu already left the Prison before Dad reached. There was pin-drop silence in the house. We were back senses when the driver came in with the food we ordered for the eve. I couldn’t hold back my tears; Mom noticed them and held me tightly against her. Prabhavati Aunty went back home. Mom served the guests their dinner while Dad went to his room and slept. Mom called me and gave me the Cake and a parcel to pass it to Prabhavati Aunty.

As I came to the main door, it was open. I went into the kitchen and placed the parcel on the table. With the cake box in my hand, I called for Aunty. I got no response. I went upstairs and looked for her. But I couldn’t see her anywhere. I heard someone call me and I peeped down. In an instant, I saw Aunty drenched with blood and behind her, there was a person with an Iron rod. Before he could see me, I ran into Aunty’s bedroom and hid inside the wardrobe. The aroma of the Chocolate Cake was swayed by the blood stink of Prabhavati Aunty. I was trembling in the Wardrobe with a dozen of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees which was her pride to adorn in any ceremony. This should have been one of those days where we would witness those lavish jewellery sets on her, but the Iron rod took up the place.

I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I tried to stop breathing but it was too late. The Wardrobe was wide open, and I was pulled out and pushed onto the bed. The person did a last check completely inside and took the cake box as he sat beside me. I was so terrified now looking at the person, what happened next frightened me even more. Turning towards me the person took off the mask, and in the dim light of the room, I could recognize him. He was Sukumar Uncle. I was appalled by the impossibility that I witnessed. 14 years ago, that evening, it was him I saw dead at the hands of Nandu! I couldn’t utter a word. I just stared at him aghast Sukumar Uncle smiled & brought me a glass of water. As I gulp in, he starts to speak.

“Yes, I’m alive! What you saw 14 years ago was a mirage. “

There was a deafening silence that only Sukumar Uncle could have broken.

“Prabhavati always fought with me regarding money and my expenses. She always wanted to dominate me and even ridiculed my decisions. She even had the thought of taking over our business secretly and conspiring against me. I never agreed and our fights never ceased.

On the day we planned the holiday in your house, we quarrelled. Dev knows everything and that’s why he could stop it, but once we came home, the debate became violent. Nandu heard everything. He was mature enough to understand our conflicts. In a rage, I grasped the Iron rod of the bed light stand and lunged toward her which accidentally hit Nandu. I threw the rod away seeing him fall unconscious, in a split second I was hit by her. She heard someone knocking on the door and ran down. She smashed the main power board for the house and called the police. As she came in running, she placed the rod in Nandu’s hands and fell beside me pretending unconscious. I was taken to the hospital and after recovery, I took a job in an orphanage near the prison. I was in touch with Nandu. We thought of accomplishing this task long back. The love your family showed was a blessing for which Nandu accepted the punishment of his future deeds honestly. “

Someone tapped on my shoulder, in a hurry I turned back, it was Nandu. A fully grown man, with broad shoulders, a beard, silky hair like he had in his young age, and the same innocent smile. Beside him my dad and mom, their eyes filled with tears and joy. I hugged Nandu like never before. I had dreamt of this moment so many times. I gave him a bite of the Chocolate Cake mom prepared for him and he nibbled it happily.

“Sometimes we take the punishment before an act and sometimes after an act, but whenever or whatever it could be we need to accept and live likewise because no one is perfect in such a conflicted world.”

~Sadhika

~Harini~

Harini is a Doctor. She scribbles the thoughts that bleed in her head every now and then. It's one thing she is proud of more than being a doctor! She hopes you'll like a few of them because eventually every human has a connection with each other.