The Bizarre

                      

Ours was a wonderful happy life. Though we had lived together for at least twenty-five years, we still felt as if we were on our honey-moon. I could not do without Cecil for a day, and could not imagine a life without him. Every morning before he left for work, he would tell me how intensely he loved me. He would then add with a mischievous smile that as we were so attached to each other, we should die together too. I used to cling on to him till he had to break free to reach his office on time. After he left, I prepared all the food items he liked, and called him up again to find out whether he had reached safely.

But jealous fate did not let us indulge in our closeness and love for long. The pandemic was raging and Corona with spiteful vengeance struck Cecil. He panicked, and gasping for breath, held on to my hand, appealing with pathetically helpless eyes, not to send him to the Hospital where they treated Corona Virus. If he were admitted to one of such hospitals, he believed he would never come back.

I had to do what the situation and his condition required. In no time the ambulance reached howling to our door step, and the business- like attendants carried Cecil out of the safe refuge of our flat. I will never forget the parting looks he gave me. I knew he felt that I had betrayed him, and in a way I had!

There was no chance to visit him after that. I rang up the hospital and they repeatedly informed me that he was critical. Then one rainy night, I was informed that he had expired. but there was no need to go to the hospital, as it was out of bounds for me. They would do the needful. It was the system to wrap up those who had died because of Corona Virus in plastic sheets, and bury them in a special ground on Eastern by-pass reserved specifically for that purpose.

Days and nights came and went. I went about like a wound-up carcass. I was not aware of what was happening around me, I neither ate nor slept. Cecil’s parting looks haunted me. I knew he had not forgiven me for sending him to the hospital where he finally died.

We lived in a multi-storied building on Eastern By-pass, over-looking the crematorium, designated specially for those who had died of the virus. As our flat was on the twenty-seventh floor, any time there was a thunder storm, it became a frightening experience. As it was the month of August everybody expected that such events would take place every now and then All of a sudden there was a loud moaning sound. With that the window panes started rattling. Then came the knocking sound as if somebody was trying to break open the window. After that I heard a muffled voice. It almost sounded like Cecil saying something. Then I heard distinctly the words “Julia, we had decided to die together. Come my Love, jump from the twenty-seventh floor. We will be able to be together after death.” His voice was soft and inviting. A cold shiver went down my spine. I knew I had to be with Cecil even in death. I pulled myself up with difficulty onto the window ledge and I was on the verge of jumping out, when somebody pulled me hard from the back. It was my mother-in- law.

Next I was put into bed and tied fast to the steel frame. She said I had gone mad. She had seen or heard nothing out of the way. Immediately the Psychologist was called to give me counselling. I am still under the watchful eye of my mother-in-law, but I know Cecil will find a way -out again!