Illusory Family | Self-Written Short Fiction Story

In a cold shivering foggy day, his phone rang but he didn't answer it, he was like stuck in the time cycle of past & present. One day, his family members were warming themselves in front of the fire. It was neither really morning not noon but still, the sound of squirrels and birds seemed like they would fight for food. Amish put Millet grain on boundary walls of the terrace so that in shivering winter this fighting birds and squirrels had proper grain. Amrit and Amish were brothers, Amish approached towards him and hugged him from the back and said to be happy. He didn't shred tears, but looked at him with big watery eyes and started pretending that he was listening to a sad song.

Amrit wants to come out of the time cycle so he does the same what his elder brother did spending time feeding grains to birds and squirrels just to make himself happy. He knew if he will be like this all day then mother would ask about him what happened, he knew mother's love has no language but it reads all of her children's life. He went to her and asked about his father when he came home and asked her to make his favorite dish, his mother cooks mouth-watering food. 

Amrit was as sad as happy from outside. It was an icy cold night, his father watches the news on television during dinner and shouting at government "This government is unable to handle country several people died in this winter season." His father was busy for 3 weeks as his office workloads and came yesterday late night after 4 days. Such workload and still he asked his son in a calm and peaceful way about the job interview which was yesterday. Amrit seeking a job from one year so he gave interviews in several companies but didn't get selected but this time he said to his father "My application got rejected" 

After listening to this his father didn't shout at him just said "You are my bright son, opportunity is in time's hand you just have to seek towards it, when you get only time knows but you could tell the time when." 

The interview was yesterday, his father came yesterday late at night. Amrit told Amish " I  didn't give an interview I was with my friend." Several months before they met at one MNCs registration desk she helped him filling a form and said "This must be your first registration form you didn't know some points." At interview day Amrit's eye was in search of that unknown girl which he wanted to thank. After an hour those searching eyes suddenly paused at one of his classmates Vishakha. They met after 5 years and they remember each other and called her with his waving hands. They both talked about their past, college, and education. After the interview was over unfortunately Amrit was not selected and Vishakha got a confirmation letter of appointment. After listening to this he said, "Luckily you selected let's celebrate this with two of us." And Vishakha agreed and they both went to the cafe and enjoyed their time. They exchanged their numbers and get in touch at social sites. 

Amish asked Amrit "Was she still in that company?" He sharply exhales in shaking his head Yes. Amish told him if the father asks about the interview tell him the application gets rejected and he did.

It was an icy cold morning and Amrit got a message from Vishakha that she wanted to meet him at a cafe near her company on 5 evenings. That evening was full of surprises for Vishakha. Amrit bought some chocolates for her later said let me introduce to my brother but Vishakha didn't see him he said he was in the washroom must be here in a few minutes. After several minutes he didn't come so Amrit started searching for him. 

Vishakha said "call him," 

Amrit said, "he forgets his phone at home". 

He was with him when she entered he went for the washroom. Both of them started searching Amish but no one saw him Amrit asked the waiter about the person who came with him and the waiter replied "Sir, you came alone there was no one with you I saw only you ma'am" seeing towards Vishakha. She said to Amrit " You must be kidding, there was no one with you" he said "No he was with me we together came with the bike all the way he was with me and yes at that petrol station also let's go I will show you I am not kidding" then they both left, at that petrol station petrol filler can't remember he came here or not. 

Vishakha thinks that something was wrong to Amrit, he is different today. Seeing Amrit stressful she said let's go home I will meet there he must be there and so I will meet with your mother too. He agreed and left that station. 

It was full of surprises for Amrit when he arrived home it was dark from outside, plants covered the outside house wall and roof, there was no one in the house it was full of dirt, spiders web, and roaming rats makes Amrit more confused. He can't believe what's going on with him, all the stuff was in their place when he left and his father was at office and mother in the kitchen. Vishakha said "According to you this is someone else's house, not yours" he shouted at her and said, "this is my house". All the rooms were full of dirt and web and leave like no one lives here except one room which was Amrit's room. It was the idea of Vishakha to ask neighbors about this family in which Amrit agreed and asking neighborhood she said: "You were all alone for a year the was no one with you then who could be you this morning." He was stunned and froze, stepped backward, and runs towards his room and asked Vishakha, "leave me, I am sick and lied to you all the time." 

What happened to his family or to him? He started searching this question at every drawer, cupboards, and files. He was confused and searched for everything to find something related to his question. Afterward, he found a police file from his brother's room there was written that 5 dead bodies found at Mumbai-Goa highway. He saw his family's photo lied on roads and two crashed cars his father, mother and brother were dead in that accident. 

After reading this he became unconscious and fell on the floor. In his unconscious mind, Amish said, "Amrit my brother, we all love you very much, we didn't want to leave you alone all your life, after that accident you will be all alone thinking this we decided to live after death with you and for you." 

He told Amrit that he was all alone all the time whether I was with you or mother was with you or what you talked with father, you were just talking to yourself in your mind and we make it real for you to see you happy. It was difficult for any family to leave one member all alone who they loved from their heart father said. Amrit said if he didn't go for an interview that day then with you I would also dead then this time you all would not play with me like this. Amish said to him, "At accident day you knew all the thing but you lost your memory of few days when you were in shock so we hide this file from you and started living our dead life with you because we are family and you also started living with our life and your life." 

"Family is the only thing that makes for himself and by himself, they are not bond of blood and real-life but bond of ups and downs of time of Amrit and bond of his real life."

It was continue ringing of Amrit's phone his mother wakes him her sound was echoing in his mind and continuously saying "answer the call answer the call answer the call". When he became conscious he saw this was Vishakha. She kept calling him several times shows 8 missed calls and 22 messages. When he answered he said, "Wrong Number".

Amrit was depressed and all alone his phone rang and didn't answer he was like stuck in his past and present.

He did so because his family wants to take him with them they know he can't live here alone on his own. His family had controlled Amrit's mind and he does the same thing as his family order. They force him to come with them. They took Amrit's soul forcefully leaving his body lying on the floor.

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