I
Quaint little droplets of the August rain splattered on the ground, rattling a million different memories that till then only lay dormant in their cages.
I latched on to one memory to look back on. It was one of those memories that you thought you never had but were suddenly reminded of, like how when lightning strikes for the first time and you are reminded of fear.
II
It happened almost four or five years ago, I was flying from Delhi to Bangalore, but with a layover in Mumbai. The layover was supposed to be for just one hour, yet it got stretched and stretched due to rain until I was informed I would have to wait for four more hours.
Knowing that four hours was too long of a wait in front of the boarding gates, I headed over to the lounge.
I don’t remember much. I don’t know what I ate or drank there or how empty or crowded the area was. My mind is sometimes convinced that I only drank coffee and the lounge was mostly empty, but I can never be sure. What I do remember clearly, and it’s as clear as if it happened yesterday, was the woman sitting across from me on one of the barcaloungers.
She was in her mid-twenties, or late twenties. She was dressed like any other twenty year old but it was pretty evident that she was newly married. She wore the traditional fat bangles and had a pretty wide line of sindoor streaking her forehead, but everything indicated that she was not one to believe in these and had hastily put them on, probably to impress some elder in the family.
Except for those ten seconds, I didn’t pay much heed to her and went on scrolling through my phone, finding episodes that I could watch.
After spending a long time finding content in a content-filled world, I locked in on a video to watch, but was promptly disturbed by none other than this lady.
“Excuse me, have you seen my husband?” She asked me, sounding shaky.
Like a student who has not been paying attention in class but is pointed out by the teacher to answer something, I was taken aback.
“Umm…aah…actually really sorry, but I don’t know you or your husband.” Was all that I managed to say.
“He left the lounge just a little while ago. He’s wearing this big red hoodie, and I am sure he’s the only man in the airport wearing such a distinctively red hoodie.”
I managed to hold back a smirk, “Umm, haven’t seen anyone in a red hoodie, sorry.”
And I thought that would be the end of it and was about to play my episode when,
“Can you find him?”
It was odd to ask someone for help in this way and on top of that, I wasn’t really in a helpful mood that day.
“He’ll be somewhere around here only, don’t worry. He’ll be back in no time.”
And I once again thought that would be the end of it.
“I am really scared. It’s my first time in an airport and I am alone, I am really scared. Please find him.”
There was an urgency in her voice that made me get up immediately. Something must be seriously troubling this woman. So I asked her to look after my bags and went out to find her husband.
I scanned the area just outside the lounge first, but found no one in a red or even any other coloured hoodie.
Next, I went downstairs and scanned the shopping area. Maybe this man had gone to buy some gifts for his wife. So I first went to the nearest bag store, upon finding it empty, I headed to the clothing store next. And lo and behold, there was this big and tall guy in a bright red hoodie that didn’t suit him at all. He was standing and looking at some dresses.
“Hey, are you the husband of the lady sitting in the lounge? She’s looking for you and is really worried.” I said.
The man looked back and sounded absolutely sincere when he said, “Oh really sorry that she distrubed you, I’ll be back in the lounge in no time.”
“Oh, cool.” I said, gave him a smile and left.
On the way back, I felt the urge to have a smoke, so I headed over to the smoking area, before eventually making my way back to the lounge in fifteen-twenty minutes.
The lady, nor her man, neither was anywhere to be seen.
Happy in the realisation that I had helped someone, I relaxed on the barcalounger and finally started with the episode.
Some hours and many episodes later, I made my way to the flight gate and waited in line for the bus. It was right then that an eerie silence descended everywhere. It was like the moment when someone switches off the speaker at a party and the raised voices of the gatherers transitions into first hushed whispers and then into silence.
I looked at the gate to my right, and saw the people there take a step back, and suddenly two huge crates started rolling down towards the gate.
Now I don’t know who I asked or who eventually gave me the answer, but my memory says that it was the guy right behind me in the queue. Although I don’t know how even he would have the answer.
“What’s that?” I asked.
This nondescript man from my memory had said, “I heard that a newly married couple crashed their car right outside the airport. They died on the spot. That’s their bodies being transported home.”
III
I come out of my memory and into the rain soaked present.
Honestly, I don’t know what happened or what I saw, but my mind for some reason wants to make me forget that memory.
But even if I tried, I cannot forget, because every once in a while there comes a day, when I am walking down a road, and I see two huge crates rolling towards me. And there is always a red piece of cloth coming out from one of them.