“One Last Hug” – a short-story by Neer

“Our love is beyond the world
                          It is immortal , cannot be separated by Death.
                             Death cannot kill what never dies i.e LOVE”.                

It was a cold chilly winter evening of November. A magical golden hue spread across the streets outside by the setting sun. It will be dark soon, won’t he  be coming ? A sense of hopelessness stared to engulf her. Anwesha was longing to hear his footfalls . Her ears were yearning to his familiar voice. Though her eyelashes became too heavy to be lifted up, her eyes were glowing in great anticipation. All that sudden excitement and nervousness creeping inside her, was just because her dream came true. She found her true love, her prince charming. She found the bliss and tranquility she truly deserve, in him. Before the day she met Neer, she had only half heartedly believed in fate and destiny. She was now utterly convinced about the Mills n Boons theory of  “Destined to meet your soul mate”.  Neer, an apostle of love, an idol of royalty in an abode of  innocence, a dream, a desire, and a destiny of her.

She almost lost into her wandering thoughts, into her world of fantasy, soon. She was like flying in the heaven of verve. Indeed, she started dreaming about the day when her Prince charming Neer would come wearing a Royal Rajputana suit riding a milky colored horse with wide open flittering wings. The bluish sky matching with his mesmerising blue eyes. His eyes would be glimmering with incorrigible Love as vast as blue-green sea.  Her dreams were never ending as she continued to imagine that when Neer would surely going to blush while he would see me in a rosy-red bridal Saree , my hair would be curl in a  sweeping up do shining like the polished wood, Veil covering my beautiful face, keeping my eyes down to ground, splashing the most gracious smile from the corner of my lips, walking forward slowly n gently , surrounded by a group of beautifully dressed up ladies to offer him the Garland of my Love.

All of the Sudden, petals of red roses and snow enmeshed lilies turned dry and moist. They were not soft n tender rose petals, any more. In fact, they now turned into uneven pieces of windshield glass , sharp edges of iron sheets , pinching her  hardly , piercing her body several times with no mercy what so ever. Each and every bone of her body was twisting in immense pain. Anwesha’s face was so badly pierced by tiny iron & glass pieces. She shrieked loudly but it was of no use.  she became unconscious soon, as it was the most awful accident.

Neer was trying his level best to rescue the Damsel, like a Prince used to rescue her princess in all those fairy tales which Anwesha’s dadi told her in childhood. Though Anwesha was lying cold in his lap, still she could feel the million dollar warmth of his love as he held her tightly in his arms. He tried to gave her mouth to mouth respiration. There were calmness of absolute loneliness. Empty roads were all surrounded by infinite deep darkness. She could easily feel the intense glory of a royal man who was bravely up to rescue his love. It eventually made her soul melt to his warm radiating breathes.

“Come on Shonaa ! open your eyes. Nothing will happen to you. I won’t let you die. You will be all fine. Shonaa please suno meri taraf dekho na …please :)“, Neer busted into tears while murmuring those words.

“I don’t want to leave you alone baby. My life is worthless without your love. But this is destiny. I can’t be a part of your life, anymore”, Anwesha said, in a feeble attempt tried to confine Neer’s heart.

She was lying cold and almost lifeless on a hospital bed, soon. She could barely move her body, tubes n chords were pinning her to the bed. Her body jumped up few inches above from the white sheet bed, as a desperate team of qualified doctors from AIIMS were constantly applying electric shocks to her body. She felt the immense pain in her nerves, in her joints.  The ache in her heart was death like.

“Good news Doc ! Pulses are coming back”, a feminine voice broke the silence in operation theater. She was the nurse in charge.

“Common keep giving her electric shocks. Try one more time”. One of the senior doctor instructed promptly.

One more sudden shock made her body bounced in the air. The absolute coldness of her body tactically accepted defeat temporarily. That shock made her body to revel in vitality. Meanwhile, her temporary unconsciousness send her back to impasse those beautiful memories of her Love.

It was the most surprising day, in fact the best day of her life. She was standing on Rajeev Chowk Metro Station waiting to go home. There she saw him. Neer approached her having a Red rose in his hand.

“How cute he was looking in formal dress”, she whispered to herself, blushed. I was struck by his innocence and gentle behaviour. How beautiful was that moment when He knelt down for me with such an ease, even in presence of hustling-bustling crowd. How sweet was his proposal,

Dear Anwesha ,

I don’t know how to express my emotions, my feelings for you.

Last 3 months since I saw you for the first time at this same place, has been the most wonderful time of my life, as I passed all these days dreaming about you, only. Although, I never appeared as beautiful as you are, but my love for you is infinite. I wish that someday I will get a chance to show you my immortal love for you.

For now, the time has come when I go down on my knees to ask you on sweet question, “Will you be mine, Forever ?”.

The serene calmness & coldness tried to conquer her body, again. Death almost embraced herself, breaking the suckles to set her free from earthly emotions such as Love.  Soul wasn’t resisting death’s call anymore, it tried to leave her physically broken Heart. But heart still protested again.

Huhf ! Huhf ! Huhf !!!

Anwesha’s heart screamed for an instance. It cried again in intense pain generated by pressure of hands giving her cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Poor heart tried again to control the insurgency by recalling those awaiting eyes of him.

The engagement ceremony of Anwesha’s cousin sister was going on. Meanwhile, Neer came to her n whispered to her in reveling tone.

“Shonaa ! I have got keys of my Dad’s Audi car. Lets go for a long drive”.

“Baby ! paagal ho kya ? Didi ki engagement ho rahi hai. Aur fir mumma ko pata chal gaya na toh she will scold me”, She pretended to resist his proposal, but actually she couldn’t. in fact she was longing to spend some romantic moments with her Love.

Soon, she was sitting very close to him in his Audi Car, hugging his left hand tightly and keeping her head on his shoulder.

“Shonaa! We will get marry as soon as we will finish our engineering”, Neer told, while having a silent gaze at her mesmerising eyes.

“Baby! you are mad. Aur thode stupid bhi. 🙂 :):) Mumma ko kaun manayega, kahin unhone mana kar diya to ?”, she chuckled.

“Don’t worry about my parents. Infact Mumma loves you a lot”, he replied happily. 🙂   “I already have a plan for our honeymoon too. We will go to your favourite hill station”, Neer promptly said, blinking his eye.

She paused for a fraction of second. “Okay Baby ! But I told you earlier I would have a cute daughter as our first baby”, she said, n blushed giving an adorable smile from corner oh her lips, while putting the strand of her hair back to its normal place from her temple. 🙂

“Shonaa ! I love you. Love you Forever <3 <3 <3”, Neer joyfully replied, kissed her on cheek, hugged her tightly.

Bang ! Bang ! Bang !!!

All those beautiful dreams of young couple Shattered , vanished in boisterous sound of an dreadful collision.  Audi was turned turtle by sudden collision with an overloaded vehicle passing by wrong side, indeed. The car was completely smashed from front left side, leading to the fatal injuries to Anwesha, while Neer has gotten some serious scratches. Her face was badly crashed with windshield glass. Before, Pain could engross her body, a soothing sweetness of unconsciousness saved her from unbearable disaster. Before, her eyes could close for ever, she saw Neer having bloody rivulates at his face, trying hard to get her come out of the car. To see his love being tortured by life’s callousness was a torture for him too. There was an enormous hope in his eyes, that he would save me.

“Hello ! who is Neer here ?? The patient is constantly whispering his name. he sholud meet her soon, she is having his last breathes”, one of the doctor indulge in surgery informed, as he came out of the Operation theatre.

Neer hurriedly rushed towards the operation theatre, to hold his love in arms for one last time.

“Baby ! Its time for me to leave this immortal world. I wouldn’t be there with you, in your life , anymore. Please fulfill my last wish.
Please baby…Let me kiss you one last time. Let me hug you tightly. Let me die in your arms”, she said, somehow finding words for her longing ness.

There was a silence spread all across that white room, fro an instance of time. Quickly, Neer clinged to her benumbed body. He could easily see that immortal love glimmering in her eyes. He held her tightly in his arms for that last time. She whispered into his ears,

“ Can miles truly separate us, of course not.
          Promise me, you will never forget me, our love is immortal.
                         Ours is love as love was meant to be,
                      those who first made love, made love “.

Neer bursted into tears, he screamed loudly. Eventually, he looked at monitor .There was no pulse anymore.

Anwesha’s heart rested in peace, forever, forever, forever. ? ? ?

“ Perhaps in another lifetime, we will find each other.
                              But today there will be a Moment ,
           When I will be with you, you shall feel my presence around you,
                                A blessing in music for you “.

About the Author:

Neer Singh Rajput is presently studying Engineering from IIT Bombay. He is a passionate , young , cool minded person with a magical hand in writing. He has been practicing freelancing since a year and has written articles for various online magazines and forums. He is currently working on his Debut Novel.

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About Sprightly Spirit

“I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares more is none”. And all, may be. It may be the vigor. Or the spirit. Or the courage to avoid being “politically correct” or bent. And, ban all averse with immaculate overture of graciously fathomable words firm in views. Subtle. Justifying the undying conscience. Values. Knowledge. And, dares to stay true. True to own. True to the world. And, to the words. With a dream in eyes it exists. In you. In me. In all. The sprite that never shies away. The spirit that never dies!