Up the hill...

My first attempt to write a narrative story. 

It was 5am. Amar woke up in sweat. The dream was not a pleasant one. But at least he had got an hour of sleep after 3 sleepless nights. The whole night he was thinking of his father who was in Coma since 2 months now. He got up to brush his teeth. He knew he wasn’t going to get sleep now. Besides, he didn’t want to sleep. Idle mind would bring all sorts of bad thoughts which he wanted to avoid. He had to go to the hospital to relieve his uncle who was sleeping at the hospital for that night. There were so many things going on Amar’s mind. He had to find a job. Pay his dad’s hospital bills. How long was his dad’s pension going to support the family?  His mother couldn’t bear the shock of his father’s illness. She was out of sorts the whole time. The chai was simmering over the vessel in the kitchen. Sitting at the breakfast table, Amar couldn’t read his mother’s mind. She never really talked these days. She kept herself busy all the time. When she wasn’t doing anything, she went to the prayer room, and silently chanted stotras for her husband’s recovery. Amar wasn’t a religious person, but something changed him in the last few days. Probably in the hope that his dad recovers quickly, he too said a prayer every morning. 

      Today was an important day for him. He couldn’t afford to lose track of his mind. He had to be determined. His uncle had fixed an interview with the General Manager of Thomas Cook. This was his time to set things straight. There were a lot of expectations from his parents. After all he was the only earning member of his family. He didn’t want to think about what will happen after his Dad’s death. He was still optimistic that his father will come out of Coma. The doctors said the chances were bleak but one can always hope. The water was set hot for a quick bath. Amar, in his mind was running through all the likely questions he would be asked in the interview. There was no margin for error. He had to be perfect. He came out of the shower and was getting ready to go for the interview. The interview was scheduled at 10am. He didn’t want to be late. He had to reach the hospital directly after the interview to relieve his uncle. His mother was calling out to him to at least have a cup of tea before leaving. But he wasn’t hungry. He gathered all the important documents needed for the interview. He had to print his resume. He got his pendrive from his drawer and kept it in his bag. His mother was again shouting in the background calling out to Amar for breakfast. The phone rang. His mother’s scream pierced through his ears.  Suddenly the world around Amar just collapsed in a second.  He went running to the living room only to find his mother in shatters, crying inconsolably. He picked up the telephone with trembling hands. His worst fears had come true. It was his uncle’s call from the hospital. His dad had breathed his last at 5am.