Zehra very cautiously used to place the love letters in the Louis Vuitton bag given to her by her husband Asad when they were dating five years ago and left the bedroom. On official trips these same letters brought the joys she missed in a corporate environment. Being away from Asad was no big deal as she loved working on her terms but his care and sense of humor were an addiction. Asad, a man with a stubble, was a writer by profession and re-reading his letters were mood changers. He was doing research for his second book and that required hours of sitting in the library situated opposite her office in New Delhi, the capital of India. Some days the couple ended up having lunch together and the romance elevated to dizzy heights. Love in the 1980’s had its own beauty. 

Asad loved color and his wife loved to dress up for him. This habit took a hit when Zehra gave birth to a handsome son Sajid after five years of matrimony. Being a working mom was not easy but Asad made it look all simple by helping her with the domestic chores. Still a child needs a lot of time, effort, attention and care but Asad never complained. When he missed color in his daily routine he colored his characters with personalities that spoke for themselves. End of the month Zehra enjoyed reading the drafts and often gave suggestions which he took positively. Zehra was his worst critic and he wanted this aspect of hers never to change. His parents on the contrary hated it when he made changes according to Zehra’s opinions.They both loved her dearly but Asad was Asad and his creativity was flawless in their eyes.

Sajid couldn’t relish his grandparents’ love and care as when he was 5 years old chicken pox took their lives in 1990. Zehra was an orphan and she missed them badly along with Asad. The presence of grandparents in the growing up years they believed is a beautiful experience but God had other plans. Asad time and again narrated incidents of their love and care to Sajid and this acquainted him about their larger than life personalities. Sajid was an introvert and observed more. He spoke less and never opinionated about anything. He was turning into a recluse and this disturbed his parents. If only Asad’s parents were alive then things would have been different, he felt. Watching his father at home most of the time didn’t create an exceptional bond.

Time was moving fast and the love birds were growing old. Major changes were happening technology wise. Hand written scented letters were getting redundant, love was becoming more physical, emotional bonds were turning into selfish needs and marriages were seeing more divorces. Multinational companies were making inroads, political scenarios were transforming into corruption zones, the poor were becoming poorer, lavish weddings were carroding young minds and educational facilities were getting a facelift. Amidst all this Zehra and Asad Rizvi’s romance was still blooming. They were going on dates whenever Sajid was to come back home late from work. A retired life from managerial responsibilities was bringing back the grace that Zehra thought would never come ever thanks to her busy schedules earlier.

‘Zehru, let’s plan a trip to Dubai once Sajid opens his clinic and starts practising as a dentist. It’s long overdue, don’t you think?’ asked Asad.

‘Why plan a trip when he would want us to be home more than ever? Have you lost your mind Asaddu?’ Zehra inquired with anger.

‘He would never feel the need to be with someone if we happen to be here. Don’t you see that he is so absorbed into his own world even when we are around. This generation wants to explore on all pretexts and I guess he is no kid, having us around may push him to visit hotels. We are liberal, let him have his share of fun. It’s not our era anymore that everything has to happen only after marriage Zehru.’ cleared Asad. 

Zehra marvelled at his thought within but never showed through any expression and added, ‘Interesting I must say old man.’

‘Thank you Zehru, for our peace we can place a secret webcam unknown to him to check for his wellbeing once in a while during our trip, what say? excitingly shared Asad. 

‘That’s a great idea Asaddu, but only once in a while then it’s just fine.’ concluded Zehra. 

Sajid Rizvi found it relaxing to be on his own. After work, he used to sit with weird expressions. Sometimes gaping, sometimes smiling, sometimes analysing, sometimes whistling and sometimes totally a deadpan look. All of 24 years of age, he was unreadable for many. He was taken as someone with good looks with no communication at all. Occasional nodding of head was a style observed by many once anyone asked if he was good. With his parents too there was not much of talking but just this. Where did he get it from often his parents used to think. His grandparents were social people. Zehra and Asad were the life of most parties but Sajid was nowhere near these attributes. His parents doted on him in spite of it all. 

The trip was turning out to be a lovey dovey affair for the older Rizvi’s. Long walks, late mornings, lazy sightseeing and being alone together filled them with life in their sixties. Afterall, marrying late was paying rich dividends. Health was satisfactory with the help of medicines. They loved each other a shade more each passing year. Sajid was not a disappointment but they did miss his involvement with their lives. Kids are loved no matter what and his being in their world was the reason for unsurmountable bliss. Sajid completed the circle they wanted to have from life. Zehra’s world revolved around Asad. Asad was doing good as a writer and research kept him sane. His books were getting good responses. Enough money was keeping life simple, happy and fulfilling. 

Before starting to leave for their journey back home, just after Zehra slept, Asad logged into the webcam at home. Sajid was in his shorts and had a saw in his hands. The table where all used to sit and enjoy their alone time in the drawing room was smeared with blood. A corpse was on the sofa where Asad used to spread his legs while lying and reading books. He saw Sajid laughing hysterically to himself and playing with the teeth like white tiny objects. Asad saw Sajid in a trance eating those white tiny objects that looked like eyes. He just couldn’t believe his eyes and looked away several times. He was in a cold sweat, totally speechless and numb. He was literally shaking in disbelief. Zehra was sound asleep but Asad was living a nightmare which was true but could never see it coming but here it was. The jolt was too much to handle and he collapsed.