He walked out of his house this morning, after wishing goodbye to his grandmother. His grandmother interrupted his best wishes and reminded him of her teachings. She had taught him to never leave the house without saying, “I’ll be back”. Mrinal was very close to her and she was very close to being in her late 80s. They shared a special bond, offered morning and night prayers together every day. He used to often take her for walks and drives when she could walk, and she always cooked his favorite Gajjar ka Halwa on his birthdays. Her blessings strengthened him to work harder each day and he would never leave the house without kissing her forehead. Unfortunately, that particular Monday morning had its own unpleasant plans; when a few hours later of Mrinal’s leaving for work, his grandmother left for her heavenly abode in her sleep. His father called him back home urgently, he couldn’t gather to break the news over the telephone. He was sweating when he returned home. His body shivered as he entered his grandmother’s room; the same room in which she had asked him to never say Goodbye. He froze as he stood next to her cold and lifeless body. He was numb and speechless. He couldn’t believe his eyes; what he saw was probably the scariest sight of his life. Tears gradually rolled down his cheeks as he hurriedly ran out of the bedroom. It felt more like walking out of a nightmare to him. -By Pooja Ahuja