"Man... I haven't had such a delicious lunch in a long time," Kabir murmured, lying down on his bed. He glanced at the mirror. "Is he still sleeping?" He walked towards the window. "Man, the view from here is something else. Who's that?" He looked outside, seeing an old man sitting alone in a chair, facing the hill. "Mirror's still sleeping, and I don't have anything to do. Let's go for a walk, shall we?"
Kabir left his room and headed for the veranda. "Kabir, where are you going?" Mr. Sharma asked, picking up dishes from the table. "Just going out on the veranda. May I help you?" "Ahh, don't worry about it. These old bones still have fire in them," Mr. Sharma chuckled. Kabir laughed. "Oh, okay then."
He walked out, seeing the same old man sitting there. "Hmm?" "Kabir," someone called from behind. "Oh, Miss Hita. Do you need my help?" "No, my boy," she scoffed. "What are you doing here?" "Just breathing the fresh air, enjoying the view, that's all." Kabir took a deep breath. "That's good. It's much better here than the city." "You're right about that. I have a question." "Yes, go ahead." "Who is that over there?" Kabir pointed at the old man. "I didn't see him in the dining hall."
Hita looked where Kabir was pointing. "Oh, him." Her tone turned sad. Kabir noticed the change. "He is Vijay. He was brought here by his son. Vijay was a very wealthy man... was?" Kabir asked, confused. "When his son took over the company, he transferred all the assets to his own name." Kabir was shocked. "He also has Alzheimer's. He only remembers his wife and his son. Everything else, he's forgetting. Sometimes, he doesn't even remember to take his medicine. He'll sit there on that seat all day, forgetting to come inside." "Where is his wife now?" "She died a few years back." Kabir was stunned. "His son told him that his wife had gone on a trip with his wife and that she would be coming here in two days. Those two days have become... two years now. He still waits for his wife every day, sitting there waiting. Poor man. Well, enjoy your time," Hita said, walking away.
Kabir walked towards Vijay and stood beside him, looking over the hill. "It's a wonderful view, right?" Vijay looked at him. "Yes, it is. Who are you?" Kabir offered his hand. "Kabir, and you?" "Vijay," Vijay said, shaking his hand. "May I?" "Oh, yes." Vijay moved towards the corner of the seat. "I've never seen you here." "Yes, I was on a trip with my class but got lost. So, I camped in the woods for the night and came here this morning." "Oh, didn't your class notice that you were missing?" "I... didn't have any friends, so they wouldn't have noticed that I wasn't there with them." Vijay hummed. "Hmm."
Hita looked out the window, seeing Vijay and Kabir chatting, and smiled. "Looks like you found someone to talk to, Vijay." Vijay and Kabir talked for hours, laughing and enjoying the moment. The other people in the cottage were shocked to see Vijay opening up to someone, even the nurses were surprised to see him like this. "Oh man, it's already 8 PM. I have to go," Kabir said, standing up and starting to walk away. "Wait for me," Vijay said, standing and walking towards Kabir. "Let's go together. Okay?"
They walked inside the cottage. "There you both are. Food is ready. Come and eat." "I have to go, Hita. My class would be worried about me." "Have you gone mad? Look at the time. How would you go, and where would you go? I don't know." "Then...!" "She's right, Kabir," Mr. Sharma said. "There would be wild animals roaming in the jungle, and the nearest village is 15 kilometers away." "Fine, I'll stay." "That's better. Now, go get changed." "Yes, ma'am," Kabir said, and Hita giggled. "That boy... What about you, Vijay? Should I bring your food to your room?" "No, I'll have my dinner here." "Oh, okay."
Ten minutes later, Kabir sat down at the dining table, seeing everyone eating their food. Mr. Sharma and Mr. Desai began asking Miss Hita if they could have a glass of whiskey. Vijay sat across from him, eating his dinner quietly. Kabir laughed, seeing the discussion between Hita and Mr. Sharma and Desai. In the end, Hita gave in, and they both drank. "Ahh, nothing beats this, isn't that right, Sharma?" Mr. Desai said, taking a sip. "You're right, Desai," Mr. Sharma said, taking a sip as well. "You two better finish up, do you understand that?" "Yes, ma'am," they both laughed. "These people will be the death of me," Hita muttered as she walked away. Kabir also walked towards his room. "Is this serious? He's still sleeping... Is he dead?" Kabir rushed towards Mirror and placed his hands on his stomach. "Thank God," he sighed deeply. "How much can one person sleep?" Kabir lay down and drifted into sleep.
The next day, "What time is it?" Kabir opened his sleepy eyes, seeing the time. "It's already 7 AM, time to head out." Kabir stood up and got refreshed. "You've got to be kidding me," he said, looking over and seeing Mirror still sleeping. He walked towards him and nudged him. "Yo, buddy, we've got to move. Wake up." Mirror was still sleeping. "I'll eat your biscuits." As soon as Mirror heard him, he woke up, yawning and stretching. "Are you serious? You woke up just because I was going to eat your biscuits? You've got to be kidding me."
Kabir walked downstairs with Mirror and his bag. "Oh, you're leaving?" Mr. Sharma asked. "Yes, I'm leaving. Why don't you stay for another day?" "I can't, my class would be worried about me. But I am thankful for your generosity in taking me in for two days. Thank you." "Here, take this," Hita said, handing him a tiffin. "This is for you. Take care of yourself." "Oh, you didn't have to do this." "Shush, you're like my grandson, so take this." Kabir took the tiffin from Hita. "Thank you, Miss Hita."
Kabir thanked everyone and moved out of the cottage, looking back and waving goodbye. Seeing Vijay waving from the window made a warm feeling spread through Kabir, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, I will miss him. We all will, Hita."
"So, Mirror, where should we go now?" Mirror barked. "You know, I always wanted to go to Kashmir. All those mountains, the snow, the people, I've always loved that." Mirror barked again. "So, that settles our next destination. Kashmir!" Kabir screamed on the empty road, his voice echoing through the woods. "But how would we reach there?" Mirror looked at him. "I think we should go to the city." Kabir looked at the map. "The nearest city is 15 kilometers away. Oh boy, we've messed up. Should have thought of this sooner, Kabir. What, you expected to hitchhike a car?" "Looks like we have to walk, buddy." Mirror whimpered. "Come on, don't be a baby. Fine, I'll carry you." Mirror stopped whimpering. "You... motherfucker." Kabir picked up Mirror and started to walk towards the city.
Three hours later, "Oh, the newspaper came," Hita said, walking over and picking up the newspaper. Opening it, she saw a heading that made her eyes widen. She screamed, and everyone present in the cottage rushed to see what happened. "What happened, Hita? Why did you scream?" Mr. Sharma and Desai asked, worried. Vijay came down from his room. "What happened?" Martha came from outside, hearing the scream. "What happened?" "Here, take a look at this," Hita said, handing the newspaper to Martha. "What does it say?" Mr. Desai asked. "A boy from Mumbai city, 17 years old, has been missing for four days now. His name is Kabir Singh, and he was last seen running away from his home. If anyone has seen him, contact us on this number." "Wait, you mean Kabir ran away? Call the number, Martha," Hita said hurriedly. "Yes," Martha said, dialing the number. "Yes... this is Martha... yes, we have found Kabir... yes... yes, ma'am, he was with us for two days at Hilltop Old Age Home. He just left for the city... yes,
please come here quickly." Martha hung up the call. "Hita, you're coming with me." "Okay." They got into the car and left to search for Kabir. "Why would he lie to us? And why would he run away from his home?" "I don't know, Martha, but he must have his reasons." Martha looked at Hita.
Back at the cottage, Sharma and Desai sat together with Vijay, taking sips of whiskey and looking at him. "Did he tell you anything when you both talked?" "No," Vijay paused. "I don't remember." Sharma sighed. "Let's hope the kid returns safely."
Meanwhile, Kabir trudged along the dusty road, Mirror nestled comfortably in his arms. The sun beat down relentlessly, and sweat trickled down his forehead. "Are we there yet?" Mirror whined, his small paws fidgeting against Kabir's chest. "Almost, buddy, almost. Just a little further," Kabir replied, his voice strained. The city skyline shimmered in the distance, a promise of respite.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the outskirts of the city. The noise was overwhelming—the honking of cars, the chatter of vendors, the general cacophony of urban life. Kabir found a shaded spot under a large tree, gently placing Mirror on the ground. "We made it, buddy," he said, wiping his brow. "Now, we need to figure out how to get to Kashmir."
He pulled out the crumpled map from his pocket, tracing the route with his finger. "We need to find a bus or a train station," he muttered to himself. "But first, we need to find some food and water."
As Kabir started to walk down the street, he noticed a small tea stall. The aroma of spiced tea and freshly fried snacks was irresistible. "Let's get something to eat," he said to Mirror, who wagged his tail enthusiastically.
At the tea stall, Kabir ordered two cups of tea and some samosas. As he sat sipping his tea, he overheard a conversation between two men sitting nearby. "Did you hear about the missing boy from Mumbai?" one of them asked. "Yeah, they say he ran away from home," the other replied. "His parents must be worried sick."
Kabir's heart sank. He knew what would happen to him if his parents find out about him the trauma was enough for him to tremble
After finishing their snacks, Kabir and Mirror continued their journey. They found a bus station and inquired about buses to the nearest city on the way to Kashmir. "The next bus leaves in an 2 hour, but you would have change the bus to reach Kashmir " the ticket vendor said. "That's fine," Kabir thought. He purchased two tickets and settled down to wait.
2 hours later, they boarded the bus, finding seats near the back. As the bus pulled away from the station, Kabir looked out the window, watching the city disappear behind them. He felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. He was one step closer to Kashmir, but he knew he couldn't run forever.
As the bus traveled onward, Kabir thought of Hita, Vijay, and Mr. Sharma. He missed their kindness. He wondered if they were worried about him. He also wondered if his parents had found him. He closed his eyes, hoping that he would be able to reach Kashmir and that he would find peace there.
The bus rumbled on through the night, carrying Kabir and Mirror towards their unknown destination.