I Love you too

One of the well-wishers often provoked me to say something about my love affair, and I said I had no such story, but he might not believe that.

Anyway, one day, to cool down his excitement, I said," I can remember one such story which is not mine, but, to some extent, I had an involvement with one of my friends' stories who loved a girl named Bishnuprya, one day, he discovered her coming out of a theatre with her parents, and it might be his love at first sight to the girl.'' 

Later, he knew her father was a famous businessman in the city, a wealthy man in comparison to Barun. We were both in a government office but in different departments and had earned more than enough. 

My friend Barun had no idea how to approach her, even, he did not know where they lived. I never imagined a man like Barun could have a love affair. He got so scared whenever he met a girl that his limbs started shivering. 

Finding her address in a city like Kolkata was like searching for a needle in the sand. 

One afternoon, when I was hurriedly preparing to leave the office with plans to do, I saw him, through the sliding-door glass, standing outside with mysteriously playful gestures on his face. 

I murmured, "Bullshit."

He was excited with fully charged, and his gesticulating hands and arms were making me so scared that I had to signal him to cool down because office gossip never took much time to spread.

He whispered. "I have done, Madhav. I managed to find her address."

I stopped him at once, almost dragged him outside the building and said, "Don't forget, it is an office, has decorum to follow." 

He started again, "It's Creek Row where she lives." I kept staring at his face with an open mouth for a moment, and then I asked, "How did you get all these?"

"That was history, Madhav, but I have done it, all I will tell you later."

"What now?"

"She is a medical student in her first year in the great Calcutta Medical College, and only daughter of a buisnessman." He uttered the last few words in such a manner as if it was a triumph after a battle. 

"Is she a medical student and is her father a wealthier person than us? No way. Forget her."

"Why are you disappointing me?"

"I am not disappointing you but telling you about the reality because you are not compatible with each other as far as marriage is concerned, it is a lifelong relationship, a long passage of time, a wrong done would destroy your life, and you cannot get easy relief from it." 

A few minutes later, he looked at me discontentedly as if I cursed him. I was scared of the craziness of mismatched behaviour of uncontrollable bewilderment at his age.

Before I said anything, he perplexed the matter by saying, "I take the challenge, must show you what I can do, don't underestimate my capability." The words transfixed me for some moments to speak a few words.

"As a friend, I must warn you, but you misunderstood me. Okay, thanks for showing your concern about our friendship. Do whatever you want. You just screwed up everything." 

I left him there with a commitment to myself not to keep further relations in future. 

Two years later, one fine morning, my cell phone rang.

"Madhav, please don't cut the line." Barun's voice surprised me for a second, but I quickly managed to myself and said, "How are you Barun?" 

"I am not well, Bishnupriya is in a coma." 

"Bishnupriya, who is she?" 

He lowered his voice and said, "My wife.

Do you remember that girl? 

After a year of relationship, we got married two months early. Before we start married life in a real sense, our life lost its way." 

I was about to ask him why he remembered me two years later when he forgot to invite me to his wedding ceremony, but an emotional bond of the long-time friendship prevented me, and I calmly asked, "Tell me in detail what had happened."

"Yesterday, she was going to Purulia with a medical team by road, and their car collided with a truck face-to-face near Arambag, one of them was found dead, and the rest are seriously wounded. She is one of them and now in Belleview Nursing."

"What are you expecting from me?"

"Nothing, only your company." I could visualise his eyes getting wet. 

A few hours later, when I was there, I kept my hand on his shoulder and said, "I am always with you, don't worry." 

I realised my assurance comforted him so much that he hugged me with great force. 

I asked him, "What is the doctor's opinion right now?"

He answered worriedly, "The doctor will visit in a moment. You can talk to him."

"Okay. What about her parents?"

"Naturally, they are shocked but trying to manage themselves now."

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, and I asked, "Barun if you don't mind, can I ask you a question?"

"Madhav, don't be formal, please..."

"This is not the time to ask such a question, but we should discuss on this issue as it would be beyond affordability."

"Her parents and the medical Authority will also share it."

A few minutes later, the doctor came and stated that most people in a vegetative state die within six months of the original brain damage. Most of the others live about 2 to 5 years. The cause of death is often a respiratory or urinary tract infection or severe malfunction (failure) of several organs. Suddenly I felt as if we were sitting on a boat in the middle of the ocean, and as far as the eye could see no sign of the horizon line. 

The man starts believing miracles since then when nothing is left in life to resolve the issue when all hope is left away, an unpredictable game between life and death occupies the entire space of life, and all calculation is full of error. But Barun is exceptional. He had trusted his dedication more than miracles. 

Had I not been in keeping the relationship with him, I would not have experienced such dedication to love what Barun had done.

When everybody gave up all hope of her recovery, even her parents, he took her to his residence with full medical support. 

He had to fight with his family members, relatives, friends, and even himself as if he challenged destiny.

 I have no hesitation confessing now that I was wrong that day when I told him he did not deserve her. 

He loved her in a true sense. 

A love beyond all limits of patience had an indistinctive agreement of getting shape but without any expectations. Staying beside him, I extended my hand with utmost help. 

What about the climax of the story? I say the story does not end here. 

I should confess again I lost the match. Barun had proved his dedication to a love-an unprecedented show of patience. 

She had been in a coma for four years, and Barun had offered himself to love. He worshipped God for her recovery and looked after her as a nurse. He dedicated his life like an incense stick which burns itself to finish to spread fragrance to others. During this struggling journey, he had a hymn for existence that he often murmured to himself, 'Wait and see'. 

One evening, on the way back home, my cell phone rang. It was Barun.

"Could you come right now?"

"Okay, I am coming."

A few minutes later, I stepped at his door, but an unrecognised fright stopped me for a moment to knock on it. Then I thought nothing was there to happen more than the worst of it. I desperately knocked, and he opened the door with that familiar facial expression of unbounded, irresistible pleasure that exactly I had seen that day when he came to me after finding her address. 

He was too overwhelmed to speak. I asked, "Tell me what had happened?"

He hugged me, kept his face on my shoulder, started crying and said, "Today, I saw her respond."

"What, did you inform the doctor?"

"No, I will..., but you come with me."

As we entered the room, we saw her lying on the bed, keeping open her timid eyes with many questions. 

I couldn't understand that day, whether it was a miracle or not, but it was unbelievable. The reason for this thought coming to mind was, perhaps, we were losing expectation of her recovery day by day. 

"How do you feel?"

She nodded that she was feeling better.

"Bishnu, you don't know him. He is Madhav, my childhood friend. I have told you several times about him."

"Hello, Madhav." Her voice almost whispered.

"Hello." I replied.

Then she asked about her parents. They both left us forever a few years early. I saw Barun fumble to inform her about their demise. I managed myself and said, "Bishnu, you had been in a coma for about four years. During this time, a lot of changes occurred. Your parents are no more." She turned away her eyes from me and kept staring at the ceiling with an empty vision. Some tears rolled down on her pillow silently. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Barun raised and ran to the door.

"Perhaps, the doctor came." 

When the doctor entered the room, she started crying, "Sir, I am finished. I have lost everything. I have lost the precise four years of my life. I wanted to be a doctor. My dream has lost its way." The doctor was listening to her, standing almost at the doorstep since he entered the room, and he looked as if he was transfixed there, watching her talking after a four-year vegetative state. Then, he managed to sit on a chair and said with fatherly affection, "Bishnu, my child, you are a brave girl. Be consistent as you are to begin a new life with Barun. His love set an example in history. You are lucky to have him as a friend.

She turned her face to Barun and whispered, 

"Barun, thanks for all this. I love you too."

A reminiscence occupied my mind like a rushing air into the room. Thought of a hungry man who had been eagerly waiting for a long time to listen to the phrase of words from her, 'Barun, I love too.' 

I remorsefully confess I failed to measure his intense power of patience towards love.       

                                                               END