It's been two years… since the night the sky bled and the moon turned scarlet. Two years since the world I knew was devoured by chaos. The smell of the rain, the sound of the chaos around, the feel of the bike's cold handlebars under my hands, all are still fresh in my memory. I remember that April 2019 vividly. I was seventeen, a typical college-bound student, dragging myself out of bed for those early morning JEE prep classes at the ungodly hour of 6 AM.
The journey to school was nothing but a sea of cars. Traffic jams as far as the eye could see… I spent my day buried in books, grinding away from dawn till dusk. The stress of the upcoming exams was a constant companion, gnawing at the back of my mind.
That evening, as I finally emerged from college, the traffic was still a nightmare. But then, something strange happened. The world had transformed. The sky was ablaze with crimson hues, and the moon—oh, that moon—glowed like a warning sign. The streets were abandoned, cars left idle as people flocked to capture this phenomenon and post on Anstagram and NapChat.
While everyone else was busy being amazed by the crimson sky, I had no time for celestial wonders, I was stressing out, my JEE night tuition awaited, and I was already late. The fear of missing my class, of falling behind in my studies, overshadowed the awe-inspiring spectacle unfolding before my eyes.
As time ticked by, the clouds rolled in, and the rain started to fall. Just drops at first, then pours down like there was no tomorrow. They said it was the beginning of the end. The rain painted the world red, and the people… they changed. Well, let's just say they developed a newfound taste for flesh. And my fellow Indians, known for their vegetarian ways and caring nature, converted to non-vegetarian zombies faster than you can say "butter chicken.", out of all the possible flesh options, they chose human flesh, for GOD SAKE!!
Though, I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had to get home, and when I spotted an abandoned bike, I didn't think twice. The guy had left it behind to become a non-vegetarian, right? I figured he wouldn't mind me borrowing it temporarily. The cold metal of the handlebars under my hands, the roar of the engine in my ears, the wind whipping past my face, all served as a stark reminder of the reality I was now a part of.
Riding home, I noticed strange pillars of light around my house vicinity. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived home… only to find my home empty, my family gone. The emptiness of the house echoed in my heart, a chilling reminder of the loved ones I had lost.
And so began my crazy journey. With no one left, nowhere to go, and barely enough petrol to get me anywhere, I made my way to the closest military zone. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of the future, the pain of loss, all fueled my determination to survive, to find my loved ones.
Determined to find my loved ones, I somehow made it to a military zone. Soldiers were scrambling to protect civilians and usher them to safety. The sight of the soldiers, their faces grim and determined, their bodies clad in armor, gave me a glimmer of hope.
But life in the military wasn't a cakewalk. The world had turned into a battleground, and I was just a nerdy kid thrust into the chaos, not one of the chosen who emerged from the rain as superhumans. I was just Ash, the kid who saved his books from the rain instead of taking selfies. The irony of it all was not lost on me. Here I was, a bookworm, thrust into a world where survival skills mattered more than academic knowledge.
Superhumans… were the lucky ones who got hit by the rain and maintained consciousness, gaining superhuman strength or superpowers. Not me, though. I was too busy hiding in an auto to keep my precious books from getting wet. No social life meant no need for selfies. The realization that I had been spared the fate of becoming a superhuman, that I was still just an ordinary human in a world gone mad, was both a relief and a curse.
Training, fighting, searching – it was all I knew for those two grueling years. And then I stumbled upon a revelation: the flash of light that day, it was the key. It had something to do with my family's disappearance and countless others like it. The knowledge that my family's disappearance was not a random act of fate, but part of a larger, more sinister plot, filled me with a sense of dread and determination.
But knowing that didn't bring them back. I was ready to give up until fate intervened. As they say in India, "If you love something with all your heart, then the whole universe conspires to bring it to you." The words rang true as fate intervened in the form of another pillar of light. With reckless abandon, I raced towards it, desperate for answers, heedless of the danger lurking in my path.
But fate is fickle, and I was brought crashing back to reality by the unlikeliest of adversaries—a military supply truck, barreling towards me with deadly force. The impact of the truck, the pain that shot through my body, the fear of death, all brought me crashing back to reality.
As I lay sprawled on the ground, battered but alive, I couldn't help but wonder: was this just another twist in the cruel tapestry of fate, or the beginning of a new chapter in my tumultuous journey? The question lingered in my mind, a haunting reminder of the uncertainty of my future.
So, here I am, Ash—not Ashwin, just Ash—still fighting, still searching, still hoping as my relentless journey to find my family continues.