Chapter 2:- The Last Normal Day
A true story of survival, loss, recovery, and finding purpose after a single moment changed everything.
There are some days that we remember forever.
A few days ago, one of my friends called to tell me that she was getting married in April. Around the same time, my best friend and I were planning a seven-day road trip. My office colleagues were also excited about the Holi celebration planned for the evening of 2nd March, just before we logged off from work.
Life felt full of plans, celebrations, and people to meet.
And then there are days we never realize we’re living until they are gone.
This was one of those days.
2nd March - The Office Celebration
On the evening of 2nd March, we celebrated Holi in the office before leaving for home.
We hugged each other, clicked countless photographs, made a few reels, and laughed over the same old jokes that had become part of our daily office life. We shared funny memories, teased one another, and enjoyed every moment without realizing how precious those moments would soon become.
After dinner, we shook hands, wished each other a happy Holi, and left for our respective homes, carrying with us nothing but smiles and beautiful memories.
At that moment, it felt like just another office celebration.
Looking back today, it became much more than that.
3rd March - Holika Dahan
The morning of 3rd March began like any other.
It was the day of Holika Dahan. At home, everyone was busy preparing for the celebrations. Workers were carrying out repair and decoration work around the house. My parents worked together, making sure everything looked perfect for the festival.
Meanwhile, I stayed in my room, cleaning and arranging my belongings.
At around 4:00 PM, I had lunch. After that, we gathered all the items needed for the evening’s puja. But what everyone was truly looking forward to was the next day.
4th March - The Festival of Colours - Holi
After months of being away because of our jobs, many of us were finally back in our hometown. One of my friends and I had recently started working, while three more friends had returned home for the holidays.
We decided that 4th March would be our day.
A day with family.
A day with friends.
A day filled with colours, laughter, and memories.
We wanted to relive the moments we had shared in previous years and compare how much life had changed since the last time we had all met.
None of us knew that those ordinary moments would later become priceless memories.
The Festival of Colours
If someone had told me that this would be the last normal day of my life, I would have smiled and carried on. Because that’s the strange thing about life. It never announces the moment that changes everything.
8:00 AM
I woke up just like any other day.
The house was full of happiness.
My mother was busy cooking in the kitchen.
My father was sitting with his newspaper.
Everything felt peaceful. When I checked my phone, I saw four or five missed calls from my sister.
There were also more than a hundred unread messages in our WhatsApp group called “Friends Forever”. There were five of us in that group, and one rule had never changed-pulling one friend’s leg was mandatory, while the other four enjoyed every second of it.
I smiled, ignored the flood of messages for the moment, and called my sister instead. We discussed the plan for the day.
We would celebrate Holi at her house, enjoy the food she had prepared, spend time with her friends, and simply have a good day together.
10:00 AM
By ten in the morning, we were at my sister’s house.
We played Holi, covered each other in colours, ate chicken and meat, drank cold drinks, and laughed until our faces looked completely red.
I was introduced to my sister’s friends, and before long, everyone was joking about my sister’s cooking skills.
The house was filled with laughter.
That was the last memory I carried with me as I left her house at around 4:00 PM.
4:30 PM
Soon after, all five of my closest friends finally met.
We talked.
We laughed.
We remembered old stories.
Some conversations are impossible to write down because they only make sense to the people who lived them.
If you’ve ever reunited with your closest friends after months apart, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.
The teasing began again.
Old nicknames returned.
Everyone became the target of jokes.
For those few hours, nothing else in the world mattered.
7:00 PM
At around seven in the evening, we all headed back to our respective homes.
I spent some more time roaming around the neighbourhood, wishing everyone a Happy Holi and making video calls to those who couldn’t come home but were still a part of our celebration.
It had been one of the happiest Holi celebrations I had experienced in years.
That Night
Later that night, I ironed my clothes for work.
I packed my office bag with everything I would need for the coming week.
It was a routine I had followed countless times before.
Nothing felt unusual.
Nothing felt different.
Before going to bed, I stepped outside and closed the main door.
For a moment, I stood there thinking about the day.
My heart felt strangely full.
Not with sadness, but with gratitude.
I had spent the day with my family.
I had laughed with my friends.
For a few hours, work, responsibilities, and everyday worries had disappeared.
I remember wondering to myself…
When will we all get a day like this again?
A day when life slows down.
A day when you forget your responsibilities, laugh at the silliest jokes, and simply enjoy being with the people who matter.
I went to bed carrying those thoughts with me.
Completely unaware…that the next morning, everything would change.
Next Chapter: The Day the Boy Should Have Died