Chapter 1
Being alone is not a good thing and is one of the worst things for me.
I have lived with my family — my father, my mother, and my sisters — so I have never been alone. Even when I was sent to another city to study in a coaching, I came back because I cannot live away from my parents. I love them more than anything.
It was the month of August. I was just lying around. My mother kept telling me again and again to study, but I wasn't. The reason? I was lazy 🐷 — yep, like a pig (I don't know if pigs are actually lazy 🦥).
Just like any other day, I wasted this day too.
Before dinner, my sister told me that I have to start being a responsible person. My father works day and night so that we can eat (I don't want to bore you with all these things).
Overall, my family is below middle class, but we are not poor. My father earns 400–500 dollars a month, and we are 6 members including him. So yes, I'm a pig 🐷 who does nothing but eat (again, no idea if pigs are lazy).
Before sleeping, I had an idea: what if time stopped and no one was moving? Then maybe I could study and do this and that, etc. I thought if time stopped, I could become rich. Like an idiot, I prayed before sleeping — "Please God, please stop the time."
I had no idea God even listens to me. Who am I? A lazy person who doesn't even pray regularly. Forget praying — I don't even go to the temple for months. Anyway…
I slept that night. It was a good sleep 😊.
The next day, when I woke up at 9 in the morning, I felt something unusual. My mother usually does something like brooming the house or working in the kitchen. But today… today there was pin-drop silence.
I could not hear anything except my own groans (because I just woke up — don't get the wrong idea). I stood up and went to the kitchen. We live on rent, so the house is not big. You can see every room and corner of the house from the hall — except the bathroom, of course.
There was no one.
I went outside (we live on the 3rd floor). Still no one. Usually, we have two pigeons living outside our gate, but I couldn't see them. No birds, not a single noise.
I called for my mother and sister.
"Mami!" (shouting)
"Mamiiii!" (long shout)
No reply. I went downstairs — not a single person. Not even the other people who live on rent. I went to the ground floor. No one was there either.
My heartbeat rose. I was sweating. I was getting scared. I didn't know what was going on. I went outside to the street.
I saw no one — not a single living thing. My eyes became watery. I was going to cry. There was not a single vehicle, not even my father's two-wheeler. Did they go somewhere leaving me behind? Why? Why would they do that? Or… is there really no one?
What should I do? What's going to happen to me? Oh God, what should I do? Where will I find my mother?
I cried.
I shouted, "Mamiii!"
I had no idea what was going to happen. Why was this happening?
Is this the end of the world?