“So, how far is it?’, asked Jeevan, with his eyebrows raised quizzingly. The boatman replied with only a smile. The wooden oar appeared to be unusually long. Maybe his hands are tiny, thought Jeevan. “How long have you been doing this?”. “Long enough!” “Well, that was quick!”, Jeevan murmured to himself. “Why is that you do what you are doing?, Jeevan probed further. “You do have a lot of questions, don’t you? Worry not! The path to heaven is paved with answers to all your questions.” “I thought we were going to hell!”, remarked Jeevan with a cheesy smile, pleased with his glib retort.

Suddenly, a siren went off and the serene waters turned violent. The boatman seemed genuinely puzzled but turned the boat nevertheless. “It seems your time is not yet up!” Jeevan slowly opened his eyes. In the corner, he could see his mother, still lost in prayers.