Rohan sat beside a desk, appearing melancholic, his deep dark eyes looked dull, and anxious, his cheeks tears streaked... still fresh, hot, tears were rolling down his face, his hairs awry, his mind sinking, somersaulting in a myriad of emotions...
He closed his eyes and gasped.
And then began scribbling in the diary pages... He stopped for a while, looked towards the window, his eyes distant, staring ahead, memories rushed to his mind...
*Flashback*
"Papa look I cleared the Entrance exam for IIT" - Rohan exclaimed with joy, clenching a printed page of result.
"Bravo! That's my Son..." Tears of joy leaked from the corners of Rohan's father's eyes... He embraced his son and placing both hands on his shoulders, spoke, swelling with a certain pride, " My son will become a successful engineer. " " Promise me, you'll fulfill your Papa's dream."
"Yes Papa, I promise" and Rohan hugged his father affectionately...
The diary pages began fluttering by the slow breeze...
Rohan retraced back to the present... He wiped the tears from cheeks with his palms, and continued writing...
"Sorry Papa... I'm really sorry"
His stomach felt sick, the ugly, haunting memories, suddenly clenched their grip, clouded above him... The vague, dreadful, blurry images played trick on his mind....
"Ahhh.... " He screamed in anguish, placing his palms over his ears, covering them from the hissing, hateful noises and whispers...
He picked up the family photograph which was kept upon his desk, hugged it for a long while and sobbed...
His dad, squarer build, a quiet always content, yet hardworking person,smiling at him through the photograph, his mother a petite, pretty looking woman standing beside his father and Rohan, only fifteen then, lanky, wrapping his arms around father and smiling broadly...
He stared at the photograph silently... Embraced it longer, one last time, and placed it back on the wooden desk.
The room felt unusually quiet... His room seemed so silent and empty, yet the presence inside felt strangely heavier.
Out of the window, a flock of birds, flapped their wings swiftly and flew from the roof... As if fleeing something terrifying to come...
Rohan slowly stood up... something fell from the desk, he hardly noticed he dropped the pen. He was no longer conscious of anything...
He gasped.
Hanging from the hook in the ceiling... A rope with a noose all ready. And a chair to stand upon-- a chair that could be kicked away...
Rohan moved forward... His eyes staring ahead blankly like a sleepwalker's...
He climbed upon the chair, his hands were cold and shaky... He adjusted the noose round his neck.
Tears rolled down his face, as he shut his eyes... He sighed briefly... And then kicked away the chair.
"I Quit..." The diary pages still kept fluttering...
He sat curled up, gripping his knees to his chest tightly. Frozen and numb... Staring absently ahead... Tears rolling down his face.
His wife sat beside her Son's lifeless body, and wept continually... She cried loud and bitterly with hiccups...
Someone placed a consoling arm around Rohan's father and picked him up. They walked outside and stood in a quiet corner. "We are sorry about what happened." He took a deep, long breath then continued, "No names were mentioned in the note. We can press charges for harassment and continue further investigation... If you will."
Rohan's father stood silent, his eyes still wet... He looked at the policeman, then stared the diary for a while. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
He simply nodded, in silence.
"Sorry Papa... I'm really sorry" He ran his fingers across the diary page, feeling the letterings...
"Rohan..." He cried, holding the diary closer to his chest...
"I Quit..." He kept staring the two words, and tears remained streaming down, falling on the pages...
"I Quit..."
*Disclaimer:
It is a work of fiction, inspired by real life issues. The Characters, events or incidences are the imagination of the writer. Any resemblance to any character, event or incidence is purely coincidental.
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