Hug of Death
Hug of Death
Editor’s Choice: Hug of Death – Love Short Story
I believe that if I should die,
and you were to walk near my grave,
from the very depths of the earth
I would hear your footsteps
(Benito Perez Galdos)
Yes. I was waiting to hear his footsteps. My eyes were too heavy to be opened but had great anticipation too. It was just two more days when I would be his wife. My dream was coming true. My prince charming would be coming, wearing an ivory suit, riding on a milky horse with wide white wings. The crimson sky, matching with his dark red bow-tie, covering beneath it vast bluish green sea, would reflect its blush when I would, covered with rosy and green bridal dress, keeping my eyes down, smiling from the corner of my lips, step little forward, coming out of group of my well dressed and giggling friends, to offer him the garland of my love.
Petals of garland turned hard. They were not any more soft and tender rose petals but pieces of windscreen glass, broken in many pieces, showering at us with lightning speed, piercing my face with great velocity, forcing my eyes to shut for ever. Every part of my body twisted in immense pain.
I shrieked loudly but it was soundless. He came to rescue the damsel in stress, like in any fairytale. I felt his presence first time in my life but he appeared no stranger. There was calmness of absolute emptiness. Red sky immersed deep in the vast aqua water. The turquoise reservoir turned in blackness of death. Pain subsided. A flashing light shaped him out of infinite deep darkness. My closed eyes could feel the intensity of his glory. My soul melted to the vibration radiating from him,
“Come, it is time to leave the painful mortal world.”
“I can’t.” My heart in a feeble attempt tried to confine my soul.
“This is destiny. Your mortal body is no more capable to support your existence. You accomplished your purpose. Now it is time for you to complete yourself by fusing with the infinite.”
“My existence and purpose are no more mine. I can’t leave him alone; immortality is meaningless without his love.” I refused to the almighty.
My body jumped few inches above from the bed. Intense electric shock was applied by desperate team of doctors. Piercing pain was felt at my ribs, neck, pelvis and knees.
“Yes, pulses are coming back. Try one more time”
Another shock made my body bounce again. The absolute calmness tactically accepted defeat temporarily.
“What a surprise! Rib bone has ruptured the heart, skull is wide open, but there is still vitality”
Pain engrossed my temporary consciousness, sending me back to impasse between the salvation and the love.
It was the most surprising morning. I opened my door to collect newspaper and milk and there it was a brown packet with few red roses. I tore the packet to find a beautifully embroidered bluish-green lehenga with rosy choli and chunni. Inside, there was a pink letter too.
Dear Anu
There would be nothing new, if my even this gesture would make you upset again. But you know that I do not know how to express my feeling. Last five years since you have entered in my life has been most wonderful years for me. Although my expressions never appeared even close to your selfless devotion for me, my love for you is nothing less. Reason why I kept saying no to our marriage is not that I love you any little but that somehow I failed to convince myself that the destiny of love is to tie ourselves socially as well by sealing our relationship with so called marriage. I still feel that my love for you does not need such mortal proof. I wish that I get a chance to show my immortal love for you, and I am sure one day I will. But for now, for you, and only for you, I am convinced to the fact that time has come when I sit at my knees and hold your hands to ask only one question, “Will you marry me?”
Only yours, forever
Jai
The calmness tried again to infuse my soul in it,
“Salvation is extreme and ultimate form of pleasure, way beyond feeling of earthly emotions such as love. Death is the truth. Embrace yourself, the real of you.”
Once again my soul tried to leave my physically broken heart. But aghast feeling protested again,
“Moment ago when the fraction of vitality shaken me with absolute pain, it made me realize I do not own myself anymore. I have already lost my soul to him. Just as a droplet loses its existence by fusing with other, same too our souls are now no more existing in plurality.”
Huff! Huff!! Huff!!!
My heart cried again in immense pain by pressure of hands giving me cardiopulmonary resuscitation. My body was no longer able to hold my imposed feelings. Poor heart tried again to control insurgency by recalling those awaiting eyes of him.
After Sangeet, Jai came near to me and whispered,
“Through back gate, join me for a long drive”
Very soon I was sitting very close to him in his SUV, hugging tightly his left hand and keeping my head on his shoulder.
“Anu..”
“…”
“We shall not go to any hill station or beach for our honeymoon”
“…”
“I have a different plan”
“…”
Fragrance of Eau de Cologne mixed with his sweating due to one hour of dance intoxicated me unable to answer.
“We shall go to our village and stay for whole one month. You with lehenga and chunni will come to green fields running like a free bird then I shall hug you tightly and…”
BANG…
My body swung out of the SUV and hit the divider at the road. SUV was turned turtle by sudden thrust of speedy truck that hit it from perpendicular direction. Before pain took over any part or pore of my body, a sweetness of unconsciousness spread across to save me from unbearable disaster. Before my eyes shut for ever I saw him, trying to come out from the driving seat, having bloody rivulets at his face, stretching his hand as much as possible towards me to hold me for the last time. There was enormous hope in his dying eyes.
“Hello, Yes.. he is busy.. giving CPR… WHAT, oh no.. ”
Someone was talking on phone but my ears disallowed to hear anything. Mutiny was getting serious. My heart pleaded again in its last attempt,
“Oh Almighty, now this soul is yours but allow me, just once, only once to fulfil his last wish. Let me hold him only one more time.”
“Doctor, call from OT 3. We lost him.”
There was pause for a fraction of second but quickly duty took over the emotion.
Huff! … Huff!! Huff!!! Huff!!!!
“Control doctor, control yourself… look at the monitor.. no pulse.. she is no more”
I now adjusted to the light of his glory. The light diffused to overcome darkness surrounded. Slowly his shape appeared as a man in ivory suit stretching his arm to hold mine. He was Jai. I stepped little forward to hold his hand. My heart was rested in peace. Forever.
They that love beyond the world
cannot be separated by it.
Death cannot kill what never dies.
