The Greatest Villain of All Time

Chapter 9: Onkar

"Do you think this is all real? I want this to be a nightmare." Kartik says with a dull face.

I take in the fresh air of the lush fields we walk through. Instead of answering him, I run a hand through the tall crops. I take Kartik's hand and give it a squeeze.

A week.

A week had gone by since...

I don't want to even think about it. I don't want my heart to be clenched miserably again and again.

I spot Kartik's mother in the fields and wave at her. She notices us in seconds. Her shift is over so we had come to get her.

"Ay, my boys, what y'all doing here?" Her supposedly 'merry' tone sounds like a parrot trying to mimic a human. She is more enthusiastic than she has ever been. Using her saree pallu, she wipes her forehead sweat and tucks the pallu near her hip.

"Appa asked us to get you. Said we would eat together." Kartik tells.

"Oh, so Onkar is also eating with us? Then we should hurry home so that I can cook something special for Onkar." She starts to walk, and that too very fast. I guess the whole family is accustomed to fast walking.

I've no energy to walk but try to catch up, only to deny myself any special treatment. "There's no need, Aunty."

"What no need? You've come after so long!"

I don't say anything more. I'm in no mood to.

Luckily, Kartik manages to convince his mother. "No need, Amma. We've already heated yesterday's leftovers. And we're not hungry either."

Kartik's mother does go on rambling on why we need to eat. But words just go above my head as we walk to Kartik's home, my mind anywhere but here.

Kartik's home is more or less a hut made out of mud and grass. Both Kartik's parents are wage earners whose income can only bring them food to their plate. At first, Kartik's education was neglected, and it was decided that he wouldn't go to school. He was destined to help his father and mother in the fields. But Appa convinced Kartik's father to send him to school and told him that Appa would pay Kartik's school fees. It was hard to persuade them–Appa had told me–and they always feel that they have debt they owe to Appa.

But it isn't like Appa has to pay for three children's education. He just has to pay for Kartik's. Mine and Deepti are on scholarship.

Don't ask me how and which scholarship– Appa's words, not mine.

I'd expected to see Appa at Kartik's house, chatting with Kartik's father. Because they can't pay the so-called debt through money, they try to repay it by calling us for dinners and lunches whenever they can.

To begin with, Kartik's family never owed us any debt. What Appa did was a mere act of friendship.

"Oh, finally they came. Let's sit for lunch then?" Kartik's father strains a grin that only comes off as phony.

Kartik's parents are more serious types–stoic stone faces and monotonous voices. Their smiling so much makes the whole situation weird. They don't have to fake happiness just to cheer us up.

We all sit down together and have some rice and fish curry–which doesn't feel leftover at all. The creamy curry of the fish is fragrant with curry leaves and coconut oil as it perks up your taste buds with its mild spice. My stomach grunts to have more as I had an empty stomach from morning.

"It's really tasty, Aunty." I couldn't resist saying it out loud.

"It is? It's good that it didn't get spoiled. If you would've told me earlier that you're coming then I would've–"