I WISH

After a long drive through the abandoned city which was wiped out due to reasons unknown, the car came to a halt.After parking the car at the end of the city where the plant vines have overgrown,walking through the area towards the forest was the only way to reach the destination.

Ashwini opens the door to get out,but before she sets her foot,her dog Bell  jumps out sniffing through the ground and running all around the area and vanishes through the bushes barking at something..calling bell she gets down looking around the overgrown area of plants which was taller than humans.she looks around and calls again for bell.suddenly she gets stung by an insect.she slaps off the insect and scratches the bitten place.

A voice from the car says to her ,”Don't scratch it off it may be lead to death.ashwini looks at the way the voice comes An old man gets down and stretches himself after a long travel.he had wrinkles all over his face and his hand which was like a waves in the sea.each wrinkles had their one story to tell,the amount the wrinkles shows how old he is may be even older than time self.He whistles and bell barks and jumps from the bush and comes near him and sits in silence.She looks at him but didn't says anything.she didn't know that bell could behave so well.old man says that there will more insects on their way and she shouldn't just scratch the off their bite and just let its be.she hates insects,she thought she had entomophobia but she then found out she was just allergic to it.she then takes an injection and injects onto her like she always did since her childhood,when a single insect bite made her to visit the gates of hell until a boys breathe saved her brought her back to reality.

They start to walk through the overgrown area through the road which had cracks like it was formed from earthquake.through the cracks there were insects and roots of the plants have grown from it.she looks at it in close it .it looks like a geometric pattern.but for her who lived a long life in the city,when she sees the concrete floor has been overtaken by roots of plants it feels like an invasion of nature.along the travel she keeps waving her hands towards insects that was coming at her like a metal attracted to magnet.

After a long walk they stop at the edge of the city and she looks at a dense forest in front of her..He tells her they had to rest before starting their journey.he asked her to prepare the tent and collect some woods for the fire and he will come back with some food to eat,also he warns her not to go inside the forest without him.even if she hears his voice calling from inside the forest she shouldn't go until she sees him in person with her eyes,.even our own eyes can deceive us.she did not understand his warning.she didn't understand what he was telling.she didn't understand anything that's happening to her,what has this happened to her,what went wrong,there were so many questions that still linger at her heart,the life she had and the life she is now travelling with a wanted man by the government..he whistle and dog joins him and they both vanishes in the bush.

She opens up the bag, unpacks everything and sets up the tent.she looks towards the forest,where she hears nothing just silence.it felt weird to her to feel nothing but she was feeling it,a nothing,non existent..she then walks around collecting sticks for fire,picks them up from the ground and starts to pile it up in her hand.As she was collecting the sticks she hears a slight breaking of a twig from the forest.she didn't care,but thought from nothing now she hears something,she thinks this how it would be at the beginning,from nothing to big bang and then life,a beautiful life with all the happiness she can get.another sound she thinks it may be a deer or a rabbit..she waves all the insects that has been playing with her,making her irritated.now every bite feels like a sting.she scratches it and waves at them.there were no insects at the city at her home...their home.their beautiful home..how they built it from brick by brick with so much love.In there she felt safe.her only safest place on the whole damn earth.she then hears the breaking of twigs again. 

This time she looks at the way where the sound was coming.it was so dark,she rubbed her eyes to see but still it was dark.she starters at the darkness.she then hears a voice calling her.the voice at first seems like an animal growling but then it came clear it is his voice,she knows it,how could she forget it,the voice that made her sleep ,voice that fought with her,voice that sang song for her ,voice that showed love compassion and everything,how could she forget it.The voice is embedded in her brain and like a music being recorded on the cassette or a disc. it has been imprinted on her.voice stops.then she feels a wind on her like a breathe.breathe of something or someone..whose breath saved her when she was at the gates of hell..now she could feels the same breath,the same breath when their bodies were one during their love,breath that gives comfort at sleep..now even the wind is gone..the breath is gone..like his last breath on his deathbed..the breathe…the voice..everything stops…just silence again..

Now she has to respond to it,like playing the song from the cassette in player or tape recorder.she wants to play it,.wants to hear his voice.she wanted to press the play button.she puts all the sticks down and starts to walks toward the forest,now she starts to sing the favourite song that he likes which also made her a famous singer and a composer. where everything started with just him.when he hears her voice for the first time he cries..tears flowing in his eyes..he says her voice is so divine and it is nothing he ever heard like a cosmic voice speaking through a girl,a beautiful girl and they both hugs and kisses each other so deeply that now two beautiful musical notes became one in an harmony.

And he promised her he will make her the best in the world and he will be with her no matter what.he do kept his promise.the first one.he made her famous.he sold his everything to the last penny to make her voice heard to the world.but the second promise he didn't make it up..

Now the other voice joins her in the song when she was about to the enter towards the darkness a hand pulled her out and she fell down and the dog started barking towards the forest unstoppable and when the darkness vanished the barking stops.she breathes hard and runs towards the forest,begs him to leave her so that she could join with him. The old man holds her tight,she cries harder and harder and then faints down,hearing his voice calling her “AMMU” the nickname that he had for her..now it was all total darkness and voice echoed in far and now again to nothing…

She slowly wakes up from her slumber.her head felt hard.she looks around she is covered in blankets in front of the camp fire.old man and the dog are opposite to her eating the rabbit that was roasting in the fire.old man walks towards her and hands her a cup of coffee and he also hands her a green paste and tells her it is for her hand.looking puzzled she looks at her hands seeing it was all red stripped and swelled up from the insect bite.

There was silence.she just kept looking at the fire and didn't even taste the food yet.old man takes a flute kind of instrument and starts to play it. then starts to sing a song.the song feels old.may be a song from a folklore she thought.but it was soothing.his voice echoed through the forest like a voice calling for help.the song felt so painful.after the song ended she wipes her tears and the old man looks at her and says,this is the song of his people who was massacred,and now he is the lone survivor of his clan,after he is gone the trace of his people who once walked and lived on this land will be lost in time.this song is the only thing that he has of them like a memory about them but after he is gone so will the song..he then looks at the sky..he also says,but the universe will remember us..even our song..so he then tells her that people may forgot about other people but the universe always remembers..

Old man and the dog now lays in near the burnt firewood snoring.ashwini looks at the stars in the sky.remembering him..the memory of them stargazed at a mountain peak.they both looked at the sky and he holds her hand tight and says do you know that we are also star,,she laughs..he then says we humans are made from star dust..that is why in stories or people who lost their loved ones looks at the sky and sees the stars as their loved ones..he then says ammu..if i die earlier than you..she hits him hard..she smiles and hugs her tight and asks her to look at the stars..you close your eyes at night just look up..i will be there among all other stars..she asks how will i find you..he says i will be brightest of the all..now she looks up at the sky,he now sees the brightest star in the sky and her drop of tears roll down her eyes and fell onto the ground.. 

She wakes up from the licking of the dog..she laughs and gets up..she looks at the old man packing everything up and he asks her to wash over in the stream down and her coffee and food will be ready before she comes back and then they will be ready to go..we have come near he says..she now gets up walks towards the stream,jumps into the water,the flow of water over her body reminds of his touch over her body..she enjoys his touch..this moment..she cries happily that today this moment and all those moments lost are gonna come back to her..he is gonna come back to her..she enjoys every touch of the water..jumps in..out..goes in the water..comes out..then she now lays down in the water looking at the sky..the brightest star which is nowhere to be seen now..she then says looking at the sky its time for you to come home..

 

The old man with a stick and knife clearing out the way, and the dog in front sniffing showing him a safer way and ashwini she feels tired…they travels towards a mountain across a swamp now rests up feeling exhausted,but she is happy to meet her loved one..to bring him back from the gates of hell like he did for her..but she feels pain not in heart but in hand..an insect bite...her hand swollen,she opens her bag to find her medicine is over..she starts to scratch the bitten place..it keeps itching..it reddens..the old man walks towards her applies the green paste over the swollen place and asks her not to scratch it or she will make it worse.she needs her strength up there he says..she looks tired now..they stops at a stream where they freshener up from a tea and again walks over a cliff and then down again..the sun now at their top drains their strength..old man keeps walking,ashwini tries to cope up with him..after a long tedious walks,the sun slowly goes to his rest..birds returns to their nest.slowly the darkness starts to spread like a ink drop on a paper..coldness starts to touch her skin with a breeze..the old man says we are here..

Now they are the edge of a forest where at the entrance many stones idols are there with a faces etched out by time leaving a void.and threads and artifacts of rituals keeping there..the dog now sits quiet..she breathes hard..the old man says you just got one chance..do wish carefully..think before you say anything..as they walks across the stone arch towards the forest.she looks around she hears voices..monstrous..human like..the old man says these are the voices of lost souls..who lost in forest..their bodies left unfound..now they are part of the forest..part of her now,,her slaves..she keeps waving at her hand at insects flying around her..she still scratches the bitten place..they now reaches a area where there statues are there..at the center there is a pool of water..he says these are the gods of time..the past..the present..the future..now you must sacrifice three things to three of them.

she keeps her bag down..she walks towards him.she sits near the pool still scratching at her hand..now skin starts to peel of and the insects swarms at the wound..she waves them away and picks a knife from her bag and cuts her palm and drips the blood on the pool and says i give all my memories of my love to the god of the past..blood drips and it ripples..old man nods his head..she drops her blood again..i give my half life to god of the present..blood drips..water ripples..she now squeezes her hand when insects swarm her again..she waves them away..she drips her blood saying i will give my first born child to the god of future.blood drips..it ripples…now the old man asks her get up..she closes her eyes..he asks her to remember the wish and say it loud..she thinks..breathes a heavy sigh..rethinks all the memory about him..a buzz…in her ear..a insects buzzes a song..which irritates her memory..stop her..she scratches her hand..insects flying at her wound..she scratches hard not feeling concentrated..irritated..the buzzing…intense..more buzzing…a pain strikes her..an insects bite..she opens her eyes and waves them out feelings angry and says,i wish all the insects just vanishes off the earth…the water ripples keeps rippling..she looks at the old man,he says what have you done buzzing stops..insects flying over her would starts to fall down..now silence around the forest..lifeless..empty..she looks back at the statue,crying,begging at them…no.no..no…no..i didn't mean it..i wish for him to come back to me..i wish that…please let him come back to me..now another ripples..she stays silent in a sna.her memory wiped out..the old man takes her,walks her out of the temple..out of the forest..towards the car…she is now in a state of trance…she faints…

When she opens her eyes she just sees she is alone in the car with a book near her..her diary..she opened it..it was her handwriting..but she didn't know when she wrote that..she drove to her home..she looked around felt empty..she couldn't know why…she lays on the sofa and slept the day off..

Next day she woke up and gets coffee..sits on the sofa and switches on the tv..news reader says something..she reads the rolling title APOCALYPSE OF THE INSECTS..she changes the channel..it read “insects vanished from earth..could it be alien invasion?”She switches off..she remembers her biology class in school..the food chain..at the bottom pit there were insects..but she then thinks if the bottom is gone slowly the upper will crumple down..collapse of the food chain she thinks..she gets up removing all the toughs from her mind.. thinking the leaders..the elected ones..will think of something..a cure..or will find a way..she gets ready for work..on her travel in car to the work every news..podcast…fm..same news..she switches it off… 

She then parks at her office..walks in..looks around..she still feels the emptiness..she doesn't know why..she sits on her piano and moves her fingers over the keys..she feels something but couldn't remember what..she then starts to play a piece..her co workers starts to come in..days passes..

Days went by..she started her work writing new songs..composing music..months went by.she sits at her backyard listen to nature..now all she found was dead birds all over..people collecting the dead body of birds some left alone which does not decompose yet stinks..people starts to wear masks not to get infected..

One day, a man,good looking with glasses walked towards her and proposed to her. who works in the production of the music department,after many days of consideration,she accepts his proposal and now they are together..in the same house..whenever she kisses him..she feels like someone else is kissing through him..his touch..his breathe..even when they are in bed..she still feels the same..he even asks if she is ok..he tells her that she is often not present..her mind is somewhere else..she laughs at him and kisses him..buts she knows it's true..she is somewhere else..she looks at the window at the brightest start and sleeps of like it is singing her lullaby.

when they are in the supermarket,she finds all the food starts to get over..no new ones arrived..people start to buy everything..stacking food..even they started to store food..canned food..food more than required for two persons..

driving,she asks him to look at the sky and what he thinks of that glowing star..he says it's just a star..she says..i think it more than that..

As they cooked dinner and watched tv..it says.food companies being shut down..animals..farm animals being dead as there is no food for them..at night she looks out of her window at the brightest star.

When they were in love he used to bring him flowers everyday..but now there are no plants..no flowers..again biology class..insects help plants for pollination..she walks out to her garden seeing all the dead plants..she looks up..bright star..

They are married now..at their marriage only vegetarian foods are served with only limited people with masks on..she then thinks of all the people she knows starts to die..movies shut down..people starts to go back in time..prehistoric..

She is pregnant..dinner..news..it says.., the government launches robotic bees for pollination..tablets for food..an alternative..government really took good care of pregnant women as humanity needed to be alive..

She gets pain..bleeds.. the baby dies..premature..she didn't cry..she didn't know why..she lays in the backyard and looks at the sky..one start that glows brighter..she just looks at it..he tries to take care of her..but he lost it..he loses his patience..he left her..

dinner..alone..news..it says..an organisation formed by the government to hunt people who eat human flesh..further it says many underground communities kidnap people and start to eat them..they became cannibals..

She starts to lose weight than usual..her knees start to hurt..her flesh depleted..years she tries to walk but cant..the only thing that kept her alive is tablets given by the government to each citizen..as she was walking she stumbles on a box..a diary fell..she remembers,,the mysterious diary wrote by her..she didn't read it..as she had no time..but now she had all the time in the world..tomorrow is her birthday..

She walks to the backyard..sits in the chair..starts to read the diary..she starts to remember..the void starts to fill in..her memories starts to flow back in...she keeps the diary down..lays on the ground..looks up...her breath starts to get slow..

A memory of an old man asking her to write all the memories down in the diary..she writes it all on her way to the mountain..

Her last tear..her last breath..she sees the brightest star and remembers.

One thing she doesn't remember is her one wish that made the world crumble..