Not just another love story

‘Wait. If you thought this is just another love story. Then you are wrong. You cannot expect anything so ordinary from me. This is… ‘

‘Yeah, yeah. I know. It is special. It is magical. It is like walking 2 feet above ground level. It is like listening to songs in the background. Right?’, Rohit asked.

‘Yes. But, it is much more than that’, I said. I lost the interest to continue due to Rohit’s abrupt end to my sentence.

‘Cool. Then why did she not come?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe she got busy. Maybe she got stuck in some impossible situation.’

‘All the best’, Rohit said as he walked away.

Rohit’s sarcasm was like a slap on my love. He had no idea how much I loved her. He didn’t know anything about her either. He didn’t have the faintest idea of how she talked or behaved when she was with me. But, then again, he was right. Why didn’t she come? We were to meet for lunch that day. She didn’t turn up. That night, I decided to drown my sorrow with an accepted quantity of alcohol. But, I don’t know what my mind thought was acceptable after the first glass. I woke up the next morning with a complete hangover. I had a splitting headache. I was in no shape to go to office. I called up my manager and called in sick. I got ready and headed for the coffee shop. A strong coffee should straighten me up, I thought. My eyes were still struggling to keep themselves open. With great difficulty, I was trying to tear the sugar packet and empty its contents to my cup of coffee.

‘Sorry’, said a voice.

With great difficulty, I opened my eyes and focussed to find the source of the apology. It was her.

‘For what?’, I asked, as if I didn’t know what she was talking about.

‘We planned to meet for lunch yesterday. Remember? Don’t tell me you forgot.’ she said.

‘No. I remembered. I came here and waited for an hour; then I left’, I said, indicating that I kept my share of the promise. The intentional pause was to send her the message that I didn’t want to talk about that any more.

‘I am really sorry. I really couldn’t make it. Yesterday was just mind blowing. I have been dying to tell you about it.’

‘Go on. I am free now’, I said.

‘Sorry again, cos I am not free now. I got to go now’, she said, with a cute and sympathetic face.

Strike two! I should have just asked her if she wanted to talk about it, or just given the pause here. It looked as if I didn’t have a job to do, than to listen to her stories; even though that was the truth.

‘Can we meet again tomorrow for lunch?’, she asked.

‘Sure. Only if you are planning to turn up’

‘Hundred percent. If I don’t make it tomorrow; you can consider me dead’

That evening, I was waiting in my room, for Rohit. I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t stood up, and that the lunch meet was due the next day. But, where are friends when we want to snub them or prove a point. After a good one hour of waiting, which seemed like six hours, Rohit arrived. He looked rather uncomfortable.

He came straight up to me and asked, ‘Shall we go for drinks today?’

‘No way! I have got a big day tomorrow. Not going to screw it up by drinking today. I almost jeopardised that chance today with my hangover.’

‘What do you mean?’, Rohit asked.

‘I met her today. She told me she was sorry she couldn’t make it yesterday. And, the best part is, we are meeting for lunch tomorrow’, I said, taking care to observe Rohit’s expression.

Rohit looked at me in bewilderment. ‘Met yesterday or today?’, he asked, still continuing to stare at me.

‘Today. At the coffee house in the morning around 10’

‘The girl you love? The girl you have been talking about all this while? You met her today?’, he asked

‘Yes. The same person. Why?’, I asked, curious to know what he was getting at.

‘Phew.. my goodness’, he said, as he pulled over the chair nearby and sat on it. He grabbed the water bottle I had and gulped down half of it. He put that bottle down, stared at me and started smiling. The smiling developed into laughter like a nuclear reaction. He started exploding with his laughter sending ripples across the room.

‘What happened?’, I asked, puzzled by his sudden relief and happiness.

‘You know what? I was thinking you were in love with someone else. I was literally depressed to the core thinking about your situation. I didn’t know how you would take it’

‘Whom did you think I loved?’

Still not breaking from the laughter, he managed to get a few words amidst those laughs ‘Rita. I thought you loved Rita’

Now it was my turn to stare at him in bewilderment. He kept laughing so much that he would have fallen from the chair any moment.

‘It is Rita’, I said.

He paused his laughter, and smiling, he said ‘I was referring to Rita of 8^th floor in our building’

‘I am also referring to the same person. In fact, I think there is only one Rita in our whole building’

Rohit stopped his smiling too; his face expression changed completely. In a very serious tone, he shouted, ‘You said you met her today!!!’

‘Yes. I met her today morning. What is wrong with you?’

Rohit’s face turned as expressionless as a brick wall. He pulled his chair very close to mine and said, ‘Listen to me. I know you are really taken by shock here. But, control yourself as I tell you this. Rita had an accident 2 days back. She was hit by a train. It is not certain yet, if it was an accident or if it was a suicide. But, this happened day before yesterday. That is why she couldn’t come to the restaurant yesterday’

‘I saw her today morning Rohit. What are you talking about’, still wondering what he was telling.

‘I really don’t know what to say. They already sent a mail in our office telling she had passed away. You wouldn’t have seen it. I was so depressed from the minute I heard the news, and I didn’t know how to console you. I didn’t want to call you. I thought you will call me when you got the news’

‘I bunked office today. No one told me anything. How is it possible that I saw her?’

The silence and the stare suggested that each doubted that the other was pulling each one’s leg. Rohit could fake the news of her death, and I could act as if I saw her that morning, but who was going to gain by this? This wasn’t a joke or anything funny, and if even one of us found that we tried to make a joke out of this, then it will end our friendship, forever. Both of us were aware of the seriousness of the situation.

‘I know I spoke to her today morning, so I can only believe that your news is wrong’

‘Well. I went to the hospital and saw her body. Her parents were there too. The news is already out in office. Everyone is expressing their condolences. So I can only believe that ..’. He gave a long pause.

‘What are you trying to tell?’, I asked him.

‘Either it must have been a hangover. But, knowing you, I know you don’t imagine things in a hangover. And I know you really went too deep in this love with her. So, I can only guess that you are seeing her ghost’

Even amidst such tragic news, I could only find something like that extremely comical. ‘Rohit. I am not stupid enough to believe something like that’

‘Not joking, man. I am very serious. Ghosts do exist. It is something like a memory. Memory has no shape or physical presence. Still, it feels as close to reality, right? Memories tend to control our lives a lot. Why do you think it pains so much after a break up or a death? It is not because, we no longer see them physically; it is because, we are able to still feel them and live with them through their memories. Memory has no physical definition, but still, you end up dreaming things with them. No one dies the minute we close our eyes. A person really dies only when people stop thinking about them. You agree with this right?’

‘Yeah, I do. But how can it be the same as ghosts?’

‘It is almost the same. Ghosts are just like memories. They have no physical definition or presence. They thrive and feed on the memories of the life they have lived. Some memories never fade away. Similarly, some memories remain yet to be fulfilled. These un-fulfilled memories try to get shape and get some answer. Not all can see a memory of someone. Similarly, not all can see what could have been unfulfilled by someone. You must have really gone too deep in this love. You must have really loved her to a great extent, that you are able to interact with her memories at an extremely impossible level’

‘She looked so real’, I said

‘Do you remember what she was like or what she spoke?’

‘I don’t remember her face or dress. My eyes were struggling to see the light, from the hangover. But, she did mention things like “dying to tell you”, “consider me dead”, things like that’

‘Maybe she was hinting to you something. Or maybe she didn’t know she is dead. Maybe she feels she exists through your memories.’

‘Is it even possible?

‘Of course, I have read so many books on it. You guys had a love that was never disclosed or concluded. It is almost like an unfinished business. Unless she or you give closure to that, she will be trapped in this world till she finds the answer’

‘You really believe all that’

‘I might seem quite modern or so, but there are some things I really believe in. And I have no doubt in it. Not everyone can see a dead person’

‘So, does it mean she loved me?’, I asked

‘Of course, it means she loves you. But, it works both ways. Both of you must really love each other an awful lot. For a live person to see a dead person; that person must have really loved the other so much that even death is not able to make sense. For a dead person to be seen by someone; that person must have really loved so much as to leave room for unfinished business. By either means, it is not just another love story’

I couldn’t sleep that night. Started getting thoughts about the coffee day and what Rohit had told. I called up office to double check on what he said, just to make sure Rohit was not playing a prank on me. He was right. They confirmed that she passed away in a tragic train crossing mishap. My life seemed to close in on me. I was torn between a lost love and a ghost love. I have heard of love continuing beyond death, but this was ridiculous. I was sure it must have been the hangover. I tried to force myself to sleep, hoping to get up and realize that it was just a nightmare. Even though I did find out that she loved me, I didn’t want it at the cost of her death. The only way to confirm that was to make it to the lunch meeting the next day. No drinks for the night. I vowed never to drink again. My head was spinning enough already.

Next day, I went to the lunch place and took a seat close to the window, where I can see outside. The day was bright and sunny. I reached there exactly on time. Time went by slowly. Usually, when it gets late, the first response would be for the boy friend to get angry. But, in this case, every minute’s delay was only causing more relief for me. I was being torn by thoughts. My feelings were like two equal objects weighing on a balance. My happiness that there was no evidence of ghost, was being saddened by the fact that the person I really loved so much, has passed away. The mixed feeling was triggering an odd combination of emotional reactions in my mind. As I looked out, a cloud suddenly blocked the sun, and the whole restaurant looked very dim. It looked like it was post sunset. The brightness in the sky was replaced by a blanket of gloominess and darkness. It was getting chilly inside. I looked at my watch. It was an hour since I had come. I was about to grab my phone and make a move. The hangover must have made me imagine things. I didn’t want to wait any longer, fearing she might turn up.

‘Booo’, screamed a voice near my ear from behind me.

I jumped up startled and turned back to see who it was. There was no one. It freaked me out. I turned back
to my table and there she was. Rita!!!

‘Hellooooooo..’, she said in a singing tone.

There was something really odd about her. She was pale; as white as milk. She had dark black lips. She was dressed in white. She always had her hair tied back in a pony tail. Now, it was left free. Some of the hair was falling in front and covered a bit of her face. Her eyes had a longing look with her eyebrows raised towards the centre. The whole appearance gave an eerie feel. I could feel a constant chill going up and down my spine. I was wondering how everything about her was wrong. She was totally out of place. I just realized then, that she blended perfectly well with the gloom climate that was created just minutes back before her entry. The sun was still hidden behind the clouds.

‘Hh…. Hhh… ‘, I cleared my throat. ‘Hi’, I said, the voice seemed as low as it would come from a well.

She smiled in the most devilish way possible. She raised one eye brow and smiled by extending just one edge of her lips. On any other day, I might have thought, how cute!. But, that day, it was just giving me the creeps.

‘You really scared me’, I said.

‘Really? I just love scaring people to death. I do that often’

‘When did you come?’

‘I sneaked up behind you some time back. I was just waiting for you to notice. But, you didn’t. Then, you looked at your watch and was about to leave, so you left me with no choice, than to make my appearance.’

‘You were standing behind me? I didn’t know. I did feel a little chillness. I thought it was because the sun went down’

‘I didn’t notice that. Sun went down is it? Maybe it couldn’t stand my presence. I don’t like the light that much anyway. I prefer the darkness more. Don’t we all like a little darkness in our lives?‘

‘Not me’, I answered as quickly as possible. I wanted her to get that point clear. ‘Not me at all. I just love the brightness’

She smiled, ‘Too bad. We can’t always have the light. We get only a mix of darkness and light’

What was she hinting? What was she trying to imply?

‘Night and day, I mean’, she said, with the same devilish smile. Why does anything evil have to smile? I never understood the concept. All they do is cause sadness, then why smile and not cry?

‘Can we order something? I am starving to death’, she said

‘Sure. What will you have?’, I asked. There was an emphasis on the word death, but I chose to ignore that.

‘Anything is fine.’ As she said, she was staring at someone across the room. I turned in that direction trying to find out where she was looking. There was a man sitting a few tables from us.

‘Any problem?’, I asked.

‘That guy there.’

‘What about him?’

‘Not about him. It is his neck. It is so tempting. I can’t resist myself. I need to have self control’

‘Ok. What do you want to drink?’, I asked, slowly pulling up the collar of my t-shirt to hide my neck.

‘Bloody-Mary. I just love that drink’

‘Why am I not surprised!’, I said.

I called the waiter and made the order. I ordered very less, as I had no interest to eat. Hard to eat when you are sitting next to a dead person. As I was eating with my trembling hands, I dropped my spoon on the floor. I got down on my knees to take it. I got down and took it too. I don’t know why I did it, but, some instinct inside me asked me to do it, and I checked her feet. I wasn’t surprised, as I didn’t find any. Her white frock was just hanging about. No legs. I just searched if I could find her feet somewhere.

‘Found it?’, she asked

Her words took me by surprise, I was startled. I jumped up and hit my head on the table. I got up from there and rubbing my head, I sat on the chair. ‘What did you ask?’

‘I asked if you found it?’, she asked again.

‘Found what?’

‘Found what you were searching for?’

‘No. Didn’t find it’

‘You have the spoon in your hand.’

‘Oh. You meant the spoon?’

‘What else were you searching?’

‘Nothing.’, and I continued to eat.

She kept talking. I couldn’t pay attention. All that my mind was thinking was why it had to be this way. I loved her so much. How can this relationship ever work out? I couldn’t bring myself to break the news to her. I couldn’t enjoy the food. She ate like she didn’t eat for days.

When I looked up, she was licking her palm. ‘What are you doing?’, I asked.

‘I cut myself with the knife, so was just sucking off the blood’, she told and smiled, continuing what she was doing. I just chose to look out of the window to see something less gruesome.

‘Hmmmm … This food is sooo good. My taste buds were dead till now’

‘Just your taste buds?’, I asked

‘What?’

Change the topic I thought. ‘Nothing. How is office?’

‘I don’t know. I am getting bored with it. Working in the cubicle in office is like sitting inside a coffin’

Coffin? Why not say cage or box?. ‘So what do you do to get yourself out of that?’

‘Meet you. Makes me forget about hell and makes everything feel like heaven when am around you’

It must have been the most romantic dialogue someone has told me. But, it didn’t feel that way, because of the strings attached. And these strings led straight to an impossible scenario of living a life with a dead person. I couldn’t take it any longer, neither could I bring myself to tell her that she is a ghost. I thought I should just call it off.

‘Listen, I have to go. I need to be at another place in a few minutes’, slowly getting ready to walk away.

She put her hand on my hand. It was icy cold. She looked at me with those longing eyes. Yes, she was pale as anything, black lips and hair covering most of her face and dressed completely in white. But, I can’t explain how beautiful that moment was. For a second, I wished to die too. ‘Listen, there is something I must tell you. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but couldn’t bring myself about to tell it’

‘Me too Rita. I want to tell you something too. But, not today Rita. Not today. I am really sorry. I can’t do it today. I don’t have the strength’

‘Shall we meet tomorrow then?’, she asked.

‘Yes. Will you be around?’

‘Of course. I will always be around you’, she said giving that devilish smile again.

As I walked out of the restaurant, the hiding sun came back from behind the clouds.

‘Are you sure?’, Rohit asked.

‘Hundred and ten percent sure. I just had lunch with a ghost. It freaks me out’

‘Are you sure, its not someone who looks like her?’

‘No. It is a ghost. Or rather, the devil itself. When she walked in, the sun hid behind the clouds. She was pale as the purest white can be. She was having black lips. Her hair was let loose, and covering most of her face.
Her eyes were so penetrating. She was wearing a white dress. She mentions death, hell, heaven and coffins in her sentences. She was looking at a guy’s neck for a very long time, and said it was tempting. I don’t know if she is a vampire or a ghost. And she loves bloody-mary drink’

‘Dude. Bloody-mary does not have blood in it. It is just a name. And where does it say, ghosts should be wearing only white dress?’

‘Rohit. I know all this seems like a coincidence. But, she had no feet. And when she touched me, it was icy cold! Really icy cold!. I could feel death rubbing on me’

‘What’s your plan?’, he asked.

‘Break up with her. I can’t do this anymore. What do I tell her?’

‘Just tell her it’s over. Either you accept it or just drop dead’

It wasn’t funny, but he smiled at his own joke. He didn’t understand how much freaked out I was.

‘Tell her, if she wants to suicide by jumping on a track, ask her to do something else, cos she already did it and it doesn’t work’

He just went on and on with his sick jokes. ‘If she tells you, that she would give her life for you. Tell her, she already did that. And hey, I have always had this doubt. What will happen if a vampire drinks blood from a wrong blood group? Don’t they have blood groups to stick to?’

I just walked away as he was talking.

He stopped me midway. ‘Sorry. I just got carried away. I shouldn’t have told all that. Do break up with her, but tell it to her in the gentlest manner. Remember, that you are able to see her only because you really love her and that she really loves you that much too. You should be grateful for that. And you will stop seeing her the minute she realizes that’

Saying this, he walked away. I just checked if he had feet.

Next day, I got up, and got all set to meet her. The thoughts have been driving me crazy. I couldn’t take it any longer. It was splitting my head into two. I couldn’t find the right words to use. I just preferred to talk what came to my mind. I was trying to find answers as to why she came into my life. I couldn’t find any answer. What could be the purpose of getting this acquaintance with a ghost. What was the purpose of falling in love, and then finding out that she was dead. I was walking down the street, with all these thoughts tearing me apart. I was crossing the road, when I heard a sudden screech. I immediately turned to my left, and a school bus was coming to me in full speed. The bus braked right in front of me, and the driver got out to scold me. I almost lost my balance, but then I just managed to get back on my feet and I ran from that place, fearing getting scolding from the public for not looking when crossing the road. But, as I ran, I realized something. I felt alive. I felt alive to breathe and run. I was living that moment. That’s it! That was her purpose. To teach me to live my life every moment. To teach me of life’s worth and to appreciate life when we had it.

I reached the restaurant. She had already arrived. I could see from the entrance itself that she had no legs, same paleness, black lips, and this time, she took a seat away from the window, as there was sunlight near the window we sat yesterday.

I went straight up to her, sat in front of her and started talking, before she could acknowledge my presence. ‘Listen. There is something I got to tell you’

She was perplexed by my sudden intrusion. But, I didn’t bother, if I just let her talk, then I will continue to dwell in my feelings for her, which I didn’t want. I wanted to get over with it.

‘We have to break up’, I said.

‘Break up?’

‘Yes’

‘We were never in a relationship’

‘I know. But, we can’t is what I am telling you.’

‘What’s wrong with you? Why are you talking like this?’

‘You love me, don’t you?’, I asked her.

She smiled. ‘Yes. I do. I actually love you very much. But, this was not the way I expected to tell you’

‘I already know that. That’s why I wanted to have lunch with you yesterday in the first place’

‘Do you love me?’, she asked.

‘It doesn’t matter. Because it won’t work out.’

‘Why?’

‘We are not the same type.’

‘Oh. That’s great. What’s your type?’, she asked in a rage.

I didn’t know how else to put it. ‘Being alive’, I said.

‘I can be fun too. I can be alive too. I can change. You have to give me a chance to prove that’

‘No that’s not what I mean.’

‘Don’t beat around. Just tell me what is on your mind.’

‘Ok fine. I’ll tell you. Do you know why you are able to see me? It is because you love me. You had an
accident two days back. You met with a train accident and you died. I know you don’t realize all that, because, we all see only the things we want to see. Take your time and think about it. Everything around you is real, you are not. You don’t realize what has happened to you. You are a ghost; or vampire maybe. I don’t know. I don’t blame you. But, I really don’t know how to help you. We can’t be together Rita. It won’t work this way. I am really sorry. I really loved you. But, it has to work’

Rita just stared at me. I saw the most expressionless face. Then she burst out laughing. ‘This is the most funniest thing I have ever heard’. She couldn’t control her laughter. She was laughing till tears came from her eyes.

‘What is so funny about this?’

‘Two days back, when I was in office, my friend called me and asked me to come to her house for an emergency. I left office, caught the train and was on my way, when someone stole my handbag in a train. I didn’t notice it at all. I went directly to her house and stayed there for the night. The next day, I was very tired, and got up around evening, so put leave to office. I thought I will inform office later. The next day, when I called up office they told they assumed that I was involved in the accident because of my id card, phone, hand bag, and same physical appearances as the deceased, and they already published the news in office and informed my parents. I called my parents and informed everyone too. You didn’t go to office yesterday or today? It seems they sent a mailer out explaining the mess-up. I thought you knew. I wanted to tell you about this adventure. That’s what I meant yesterday, when I said, I wanted to tell you something. In fact, yesterday, since you were not in office, I even met your friend Rohit and told him everything. He told me he will convey the message to you and smiled too. He said he was going to love breaking that news to you. I don’t know if he told you’

As angry as I was on Rohit, for knowing that all along and playing a prank on me, I was still not convinced.
There were just so many facts.

‘What about the pale look?’, I asked.

‘My cousin is learning cosmetics. She was trying something. I didn’t want to discourage her, so agreed to whatever she was doing.’

‘Loose hair?’

‘Took head bath. Didn’t have time to dry it’

‘Bloody-mary?’

‘I love that drink. That does not have blood in that. You know that right? It is vodka and tomato juice’

‘That guy’s neck’

‘That guy had a beautiful dragon tattoo on his neck. I love tattoos, but I am banned from trying that. That’s why I said, I can resist myself’, she said. She started smiling. She was enjoying this.

‘You said, you were starving to death’

‘I really was. I am now too. We are meeting for lunch. Why would I not be starving?’

‘You were sucking blood from you palm’

‘When you hit the table, I spilled ketchup on my palm. So was just licking it off. I was just kidding that it was blood. Seriously, didn’t know you took it that way’, starting to laugh.

‘Ah.. your legs. You didn’t have legs. I saw beneath the table’

‘You mean these legs?’, as she showed them at the side of the table. ‘I felt more comfortable folding my legs and sitting on this chair, so did. Didn’t think anyone will notice at all’

‘Your hand was icy cold. How do you explain that?’

‘The table you picked was right below the A/C. It was freezing out there. That’s why I selected a different table today.’

‘I thought you wanted to avoid the light’

She just smiled.

‘And finally, when you came in, the sun hid behind the clouds and stayed that way till we left’

‘That was God messing with you. Not me’

I just sat there, with the most embarrassed feeling in my life. It was just too embarrassing for words. Though I felt like a complete idiot, I was as angry as I could be at Rohit, was playing his prank on me and making me continue to believe that I was talking to a ghost. I realized how stupid I had been to have thought, I was interacting with a ghost. I didn’t have the courage to look up at her and talk.

‘I guess no one would have ever proposed to a girl this way’, she said, still smiling. I felt too stupid to bring out my observation about her devilish smile. I thought it was best to remain silent.

‘So, you love me?’, she asked.

‘This was not the way I planned to tell it’

‘Well, good that you thought I was a ghost. At least now you told me you loved me. I am happy for it.’, she replied

‘You know. This restaurant is really not lucky. Can we just skip lunch and go for a walk? I don’t want to be here. I am just too embarrassed for words’

‘Sure’, she said, ‘And I will be sure to bring my feet along’

These jokes are going to come for life I thought. Felt really happy for two things. That she was not dead. And for the fact that I finally opened up to her that I loved her. Good things do happen even in the worst of tragedies. We came out of the restaurant. She held my hand. It was no longer icy cold. It wasn’t cold at all. We just walked a few metres, when she said ‘I forgot my new purse. I will go back and get it. Just wait here.’ And she ran off.

I just continued taking small steps, thinking about the strange turn of events. What I thought was going to be a big day in my life, turned out to be the biggest day of my life. I turned back to see her walk fast to the restaurant. I was worried something might happen to her. I really loved her a lot. A worry that something might happen to her, started to creep inside me. Now that I knew she was full of life, I didn’t want to waste another moment. I felt so bad that I had to break up with her. If only, I had told her that even though she was a ghost, I would love to live with her, it would have been just too beautiful. At least the thought that it was possible to have love beyond death too.

As I walked down the street with these thousand thoughts peeping in my head, I noticed the school bus at the same place where I left it. I wondered if it blew a tire or engine stalled or something. I just went a little closer, but not too close enough for the driver to notice me, fearing he would start a fight with me. There, in front of the bus, I lay in a pool of blood on the street. My face and shirt was covered in blood. The crowd was looking at me with pity, as they placed me on a stretcher and took me away to the ambulance waiting there.

I took a few steps back, and my head whirled with the realization of what I was now. I was everything I imagined her to be. No one else was able to see me, except Rita. It could only mean that she really loved me a lot.

Rita came back and asked, ‘Yes got it. I should get used to this new purse. Shall we go?’

I just looked at her. I didn’t know what to say. I was wondering if I should tell her that she was actually talking to a ghost now. ‘Yes, we can go’

As we walked, she giggled from time to time, and she said, ‘And to think that you actually thought it was possible to see someone even after they died if that person really loved you. That’s the most absurd and funniest thing I can ever think off’, she said.

I couldn’t help but smile at her.

‘Hmm. Is there anything else you want to tell me? Other than the fact that you thought I was dead’

‘Well there is one other thing that I observed very recently. But, I guess it can wait. My very existence might depend on it.’

‘Tell me about it’

‘No. I think I should wait. I don’t want to miss this phase.’

‘Ok. If that’s what you want, I am ok with it. It is becoming chilly, isn’t it?’. We continued walking down the street. The clouds covered the sun slowly.

‘You told me that you loved me. Don’t you I think I deserve a chance to tell you how much I love you?’, she asked.

‘You don’t have to. I know how much you love me’

Rohit’s words resonated in my mind.

‘Of course, it means she loves you. But, it works both ways. Both of you must really love each other an awful lot. For a live person to see a dead person; that person must have really loved the other so much that even death is not able to make sense. For a dead person to be seen by someone; that person must have really loved so much as to leave room for unfinished business. By either means, it is not just another love story’