Entry #23

A Tale Of Two Cities
by Abhinav Maurya


It is dusk in this city Imtiyaz calls his own. He looks unblinkingly at the rouge horizon as if searching for something, a lost jewel perhaps.

‘Brother, brother… Say something.’

‘Nafasat, Bombay is as much my city as Venice is abbu’s. Why does abbu not come here once in a while? Or maybe for the rest of his days? This is after all the city of his childhood.’

‘You know he won’t leave Venice. Besides do you not have any affection for the place that you grew up in?’

‘Listen Nafa, I have stayed here too long to think of moving anyplace else.’

‘I understand. But think about abbu. He is dying, Imtiyaz.’

Startled, Imtiyaz turns around to face his sister. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He is ailing. He did not want me to tell you this, but I have to. Come away Imtiyaz. Don’t hold such a long grudge against your own father. He has not been able to live in peace. Let him die in peace by forgiving him.’

‘If this is what you want, I will come.’

‘I’ll call abbu and tell him this. He will be very happy.’ Nafasat walks inside, leaving Imtiyaz alone.

Imtiyaz fails to comprehend the measure of his despondency. He just watches the bleak autumn sunset for a long time. That is all he can do right now.

Perched above him, the piqued brainfever bird looks down upon him with haughty smugness and flies to another bough, another abode, and another story.