The Accident
It was late night, 12.40 am. My eyes were tired after prolonged work on laptop. The brain also wanted to shut down as I could not stick to my wobbly chair.
Putting aside my tiny writing table on the floor, I got up to switch off all electrical appliances including lights. For the past two-three days it has been very cold.
My husband had already slept off while reading on his phone. I climbed on to the bed and slipped into the warm envelope of the blanket. Soon I was transferred to the world of sleep.
It was 7 a.m in the morning when my husband jumped off the bed while reading the message on the whatsapp. I hurriedly made tea, while he got ready for office.
After he left, I took the shopping bag with me to buy grocery. On my way, I looked up and found the flat was covered with soot. There were a lot of curious residents flocking on the road. The police and the fire brigade men were talking.
It was a small story about a small family. Everything burnt to ashes leaving all their neighbours dumbfounded.
After two days, the report came: The heater was on and the family had slept off in the well-insulated room. The heater caught fire and the toxic fumes emitted by the fire asphyxiated the members who died in their sleep before the fire spread. The cozy room had dreamy ambience. Long silky curtains danced, burnt bright and curled in the fire started by the new heater. At the end, the dream vanished, leaving partially burnt padding materials, damaged mattress and some remains of the bodies.
Six fire brigade trucks had arrived at the wee hours of the chilly morning. The neighbours woke up to the bright fire and breaking of window glasses which prompted them to alert the fire brigade. The fire fighters sprayed water from the opposite flat.
It was a family of three – a tall handsome husband, a fair slim wife and a pretty daughter. Nothing left of them in that south facing spacious flat. The wife’s sister had no words, the man’s father had no words. They left the city with questions in their hearts just as we keep staring without words.
A Neighbour muttered: His room was fit for air conditioning in summer but he forgot the same insulation doesn’t work for a heater.
Jagoran 