A week later

27 Feb, 2022

The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the chirping of the sparrows crowded in the trees filled the air with some life. The closed windows were being knocked by the air to open so it can flow to its tune. It was not a new house so the sound of the surroundings could not be silenced by the windows.

Her glance on the wall next to the television remained unfazed. Michael Jackson was dancing to his song Thriller on a low volume, like the ones in the hospital. Her hands were holding each other resting on her lap and her thoughts were stuck in a time loop going from her mom and sisters applying Turmeric on her cheeks to them lighting Agarbathis next to his body.

It had been a week since he passed away. For reasons unknown, she couldn’t cry the whole time. Her mom thought she was being very strong initially, then slowly had her doubts and judgment on their love. Yet she never uttered a word as she knows her daughter is very stubborn about what she feels. The doctor told her that her husband passed away twice to ensure she heard it right as she had a blank face the whole time. The world sometimes wants you to show emotion in a certain way so it can understand and move on.

Her mom and sisters left after the last rites were performed. She barely listened to her mom’s advice on how to go about life after. It almost seemed like everyone knew what to talk about and how to behave when someone passed away. It felt like mere words.

Once she was alone at home after all that happened, she felt a big relief. She got herself back into her routine from the next day filling it with work, gym, and Netflix. She also tried her new dildo that he had gifted for their 1st anniversary the day before he passed away. It made her feel real.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller finished and followed by the Geico advertisement. She flinched and turned her gaze towards the television and said, “every time this stupid Geico ad comes, your joke comes to my head.” looking for the coffee that she asked him a few mins back.

A sudden shock went through her body and her eyes twitched. The tears rolled and a scream in pain followed.