It’s a beautiful Stygian night sky with the stars shining bright. The crickets chirping is the only sound audible, which peaks and fades at regular intervals. The sudden barking of the free-ranging street dogs wakes her up.

She searches for her phone in a half sleepy state and finds it below her pillow. She checks the time with her eyes half closed.

It showed 12:12 a.m.

She is on the bed, sitting crisscrossed between her parents, each one on her side. She turns her head left and right, sees them and feels happy to sleep between them after a long time. 

She has come to her parents’ place after 4 years, for a vacation from abroad.

She then slowly crawls out of the bed, gets down, makes her hair into a bun and walks out of the room in silence.

She walks to the fridge, takes a sip of cold water from a blue bottle. She puts the bottle back and ambles to the next room like a zombie.

She turns the doorknob slowly and opens the door. She could feel the chilliness from the AC hitting her face. The room is dimly lit and in the large bed, her man sleeping cosily covered in a blanket. She stands by the door, leaning on the door frame and admires him.

He sleeps on the bed, without any worries, just like a baby. She admires him and mumbles, “How he can be like this? A simple and no-nonsense guy, even after marrying me. Just weird!”

The happy moments of their 3-year marriage flash in bits before her. She laughs to herself and slowly sneaks into his blanket and then into his hands. She rests her head on his arm and settles comfortably with her back rubbing his chest.

She slowly takes his left hand and wraps it around her and she hears a voice, “You wanted to sleep with your parents and now you are here. Seems like I am irresistible.”

“I missed you and yes, you are irresistible,” she chuckles.

“You left our room’s door open,” saying that, he hugs her from behind.

“Your parents will search for you when they wake up, treating you like a 10-year-old missing,” he hugs her more tightly.

“Yes, I know. I want to make a statement that I am happy with you, and I made the right choice in my life. So, just stop talking and hug me, that’s all I want now.” She closes her eyes calmly, clutching his arms.

He kisses her on the back of her neck and says, “I love you! You are my everything!”

“Just shut up and sleep na!”

She moves back a bit, adjusts herself, filling the thin gap between them and brings her legs close to her stomach, hunches comfortably in his warmth. He spoons with her and covers them in his blanket.

As she is sleeping, a teardrop rolls down from her eyes and reaches his arms. He gently wipes her tears and hugs her as tightly as possible.

They sleep together peacefully and the day breaks.

It’s 5:30 in the morning and the first blush of the sun wakes up her parents. As he mentioned, they panic as if their 10-year-old is missing and come out of their room in search of her.

They see the other bedroom door open and slowly peep into the room with hesitation. 

They see her sleeping in the big bed, ALL ALONE, wrapped in a blanket. Her father sobs uncontrollably and says, “Why did this happen to our baby girl?”

Her mother hugs him and consoles him, saying in a sad feeble tone, “We are here for her and she will be fine soon.” 

He wipes off his tears and with a deep sigh, closes the door silently without waking her up.

They both move to the living room and he searches, finds a matchbox and lights a lamp which is placed before his son-in-law’s photo. Her father sees his smiling face in the photo, tears roll down from his eyes and he decides to stay strong for his daughter.

This story was taken from the book Sunshine On My Mind.