Death

Death. It comes slowly and then all at once. The hard part is to wake up the next day afraid to look on the empty bed side. Smelling the odour in their closet brings back million memories but not them. You dial their number every night wishing to hear their voice for the last time. It’s funny how life makes a mockery of love by taking away the only thing that makes your life worth living.

I ran down four flights of stairs, crossing the extravagant garden and pushing through the gates that set me apart. Into the crowd I fought through to see him crying my name out. I furiously pulled the police officer and stood with my arms wrapped around him shouting.

“Madam, this drug addict was tress passing your mansion.”

Our eyes met. He pulled me closer and I didn’t want to let go off him. He murmured in my ears, “I should leave. You don’t belong with me.”

Suddenly the high fashion movie celebrity in me died. I looked at him, held his hand and walked straight. “Who called the police without even asking me? Huh?” 

“Madam, we couldn’t let some stranger come inside,” said the security guard.

“That’s my best friend!”

“Madam, all your other friends come in big cars, we thought he must be a stalker trying to get in.”

He smirked with his bearded face and held me from behind. “Right! Luxury cars are essential for friendships.” That is the thing about him, he can make me laugh in the darkest hour.

“I see you still have your sarcasm.” And he just nodded with the world’s most charming smile.

Every time I close my eyes, I see us running hand in hand after we threw water balloons on our physics teacher. He always asked me to play his wife in the game and I always thought I will be his wife someday. But life had other plans. I got an acting job in the big city and he sold his first painting to send me. We parted ways. I found myself struggling to cope up with the flawless actresses and he found himself a drug to keep his mind off me. When I went back to attend his first art exhibition he introduced me to his new girlfriend. After which I didn’t look back.

As we sat across the table ten years later, I realized nothing had changed. We were still two best friends in love.

“I should go now.” 

“Why? “ I asked.

“You have a druggy in the house. It’s going to make the headlines tomorrow!”

“I love you.”

“I look like shit! What’s wrong with you?

“I love you damn it! I never stopped loving you. DO YOU EVEN CARE?”

He interrupted my great speech by kissing me midway. And it felt great. The next few days were a fairytale. I didn’t have to come back from work to an empty house. I had someone who welcomed me with the warmest hug and a plate full of chicken.

The next day, I went to my rehearsals, picked up the dry-cleaning for the big event coming up, bought his favourite walnut tart and entered to see him on floor, choking. I called the ambulance and hurried him to the hospital. But it was too late to turn this into a happy ending.