My mother's voice came through the phone, anxious and trembling."Son, are you okay? Are you feeling fine now?"
"Yes, Mom," I said, trying to sound normal. "I'm not feeling low anymore. I've caught the train. I'll reach home before nightfall. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
The call ended.
I leaned back against the cold metal seat and watched the trees rush past the window, melting into green streaks. I liked watching things move when I felt stuck. It made me feel less alone in my stillness.
I had taken a short break from advocacy—the worst field, the biggest mistake of my life. I don't know how it works in other countries, but in India it feels broken. You can't even earn five thousand rupees a month. Effort means nothing when the system itself is rotten.
I had no money to make more money. No space in my mind to even think about love. Everything felt tight, suffocating, as if life had wrapped its hands around my chest and refused to let go.
I was twenty-six.
No future. No direction. No one waiting for me.
Even my younger brother was doing better than I ever had.
A failure.
The word sat heavy in my mind. I wanted adventure. I wanted freedom. I wanted a life like Luffy's—running toward the horizon without fear. I wanted the drums of liberation to beat inside my heart and tell me I was alive.
Instead, there was only silence.
And anger.
Rich Dad Poor Dad, I thought bitterly. None of it worked here. The structures, the advice, the promises—none of them fit this country. The ladder was broken, and people like me were expected to climb it anyway.
I hated my life.
But one thought refused to disappear.
At least I have my parents.
For that, I was grateful to God.
The train slowed slightly. I opened my eyes and looked outside.
Next station?
Thakurganj.
Still a long way to go.
My body felt heavy, exhausted in a way sleep sometimes fixed. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
Just a short nap.
For a brief moment—barely a second—I felt something strange. A vibration under my feet. A low, distant sound, like a warning echo carried through metal and earth.
Then—
CRASH.
The world shattered.
I was thrown forward violently as metal screamed against metal. Pain ripped through my body. The compartment shook, lights flickered, and everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes, time had lost its meaning.
People were screaming. Children were crying. Blood stained the floor. The train lay twisted across the land, compartments torn open like wounds.
By some cruel luck, my compartment had survived.
The train wasn't crowded today. Fate, perhaps, had been selective.
I pushed myself up slowly. Every muscle burned. My ears rang as if my skull had cracked. I dragged myself to the door, climbed out, and collapsed onto the field beside the tracks.
The sky spun.
I fell to my knees, blood pouring from my mouth as I gasped for air. My vision darkened, closing in from the edges.
Not yet.
I forced myself to focus.
The wreckage stood behind me—silent in places where screams should have been. I stood again, shaking, and began searching for anyone who needed help.
Most people were already climbing out on their own.
Then I heard it.
"Help… please help…"
A child's voice.
I turned and followed the sound. Inside one of the crushed compartments, beneath a collapsed seat, lay a little girl.
Impaled.
Barely breathing.
The sight broke something inside me.
I collapsed beside her and held her hand, small and cold in mine.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Tears blurred my vision. Even now, I was useless. Even now, I couldn't save anyone.
"I'm here," I said softly. "I'm here with you."
She spoke weakly."Brother… it hurts. Will you stay with me? Are you there? I can't see you. It's getting dark…"
"I'm here," I said, my voice cracking. "It's okay. You'll be fine."
I knew it was a lie.
Her grip loosened.
Her body went still.
And slowly, so did mine.
I looked down and saw the blood soaking my clothes. My breaths became shallow, uneven.
"So this is the end," I laughed weakly. "This is how a loser dies."
Blood filled my mouth as I coughed.
"I'm sorry, Mom… Dad," I whispered. "For being such a useless son."
As my eyes closed, that strange sensation returned—the same one I had felt before everything broke.
A low, distant sound.
Like drums.
Beating.
Somewhere beyond the darkness.