Moving out wasn’t easy. Leaving your divorcee father alone in Chandigarh and moving away for a job in Montreal wasn’t simple.

It felt like you grew up too fast to be moving away. I swear I was 16 yesterday but now I’m 30 working in a stressful IIT company.

I was working fine in Chandigarh, earning a minimum wage every citizen of India gets. However, my promotion had happened. I was planning on declining it, but my father insisted I go.

When I read the letter carefully, I would work in Canada and not anywhere in India. I was scared, scared because my father would be all alone with no one to take care of him.

Maa had left him when I graduated high school and no relatives were ready to take him. The patriarchal mindset of divorce was against Indian communities and families. But my father said, “Phikara na karo Hera beti, maim thika ho javangi,” meaning “Don’t worry Hera, I will be alright.”

But what if he’s not?

When I reached Montreal, I booked a rental 2BHK villa. Most of the furniture had arrived by the time I reached the flat.

The villa was satisfactory with all the emergency help required. A metal board on the door with emergency helpline numbers like the local police, ambulance, civil defence and even a women's helpline number. I felt safe here.

Back in India, there isn’t even a board with such numbers like these. No wonder so many cases happen every minute.

I arranged the furniture and cleaned the whole house. I had organised a small puja for my new home. Praying all the negativity and any evil nazar (eye) should never step into my new home.

I had already made stuffed aloo paratha before coming to Montreal. I removed them from my handbag, heated them in the microwave and sat on the couch to have my dinner.

My internet box was already set up on the TV table. The bedrooms compared to the hall were small. The hall was a modern set-up with the essence of a vintage era. Next to my TV, I had put a photo frame of me and Dad being together.

Canada's weather wasn’t hot or steamy, rather it was cold and chill. I kept the window open for the wind to pass through my home, making it cosy. I grabbed my large blanket to cover my body and ate my food, binge-watching my all-time favourite series F.R.I.E.N.D.S. It was my comfort show growing up and all the fun moments in the show were highly sarcastic.

I was done eating my food by 10.27pm and decided I should arrange my closet so that tomorrow I wouldn’t be late for my job interview.

It was in the policies, that if you move to another country due to a promotion, you always need to give a second interview to see if you fit in the same position or they might switch you to a new position. I had my outfit planned for tomorrow: black blazer, white tank top and black jeans.

It was 11 pm by the time I arranged my closet. I tend to sleep by midnight or even later, hence I read at night. I grabbed my novel and sat on the couch reading with my tea.

The wind blew through the house with a powerful passion, scattering my old documents kept on the table. I got up from my couch to keep it inside my drawer. When I kept the files in the drawer, I saw a human figure standing outside. Approximately 10 km away, but I could see its figure under the flickering street lights. I was confused, why would a man come out at such an odd time? The clock had already struck midnight and this man was out roaming? Strange.

I scoffed and was about to turn away when I saw from the corner of my right eye, he came closer. Too close. My villa was on the ground, and anyone could snuck in without any difficulties. I was frozen in my spot, unable to move an inch. The atmosphere becoming more and more tight. An intense change of time.

In moments, I feel a hand over my mouth smothering me, making me unable to breathe. My scream not being heard by anyone, but the person’s hand pressing on my mouth made it hard for me to speak. My eyes felt an intense burn, and my throat was dry.

He finally let go of me, and I was on the ground crawling to get a knife from the kitchen. My legs had gotten weak and I could barely breathe. Tears scattered all over my face. I crawled to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I kept it ready in my hand and hid behind the huge kitchen island. I couldn’t crawl or walk anymore and rested my head on the microwave under the gas stove.

Thud.

My eyes wide open when I heard this sound.

Thud.

It sounded like a man’s footsteps getting closer and closer.

Thud.

I slowly peeked over the kitchen island, as the man’s footsteps got closer to the kitchen.

Except there was no man…

A mannequin. Without a head.

I screamed until my throat was hoarse, the sound piercing the silence of the night.

I ran to my bedroom and my hands trembling to lock the door. “Please please God, lock the door!” I muttered to myself.

When the door was finally locked, the lump in my throat was gone. I slid down facing the door and sat on the floor.

I couldn’t take this anymore. I took a few clothes out of my closet, put them in a bag and locked the suitcase. I decided to get out of the house by the windows. I opened the windows and threw the bag down on the ground. I then got down and took my bag.

The Headless Mannequin was standing in front of me.

I was unable to move, talk or even tilt my pupils to the right or left. I was paralyzed.

The night was cold but now it became intense.

For a second, I felt he was going to me stab so I flinched back, but he brought out something which was even more disturbing than a knife or a gun.

My Dad’s cut-off head.

He dropped it on the floor like it was a piece of cardboard. I picked up my Dad’s head and sat on the ground. He’s dead eyes shooting right back at me. I looked back at the mannequin and stared at him with my tired eyes. It’s not like he could stare back at me, but his back bent down and he was standing straight again.

For now, my destiny circled back to the two headless people, first, my father’s, and second, my father’s tailor shop’s mannequin.