The Lady Behind The Frame

“The cursor is continuously blinking on the white page, waiting for me to write something, waiting for me to speak something but I am empty. I am sitting like a pale body same as that quiet page in front of me, not knowing what my future brings, unknown to what the world is saying. Is it so impossible to get something without letting your loved ones go? Trust me, I don’t know and maybe I should not have written this but scars…..scars showing the worst memories in every second, every minute of my life. With every blink of the cursor, moments of life are flashing on the same empty, blank, white page and still, I don’t…….”, the man stopped typing and pressing the keys of his laptop which became wet by some tears. 

The man, wearing a simple green t-shirt and pants with a photo-frame in his hand filled with a smiling picture and his head hung down with tears rolling down his eyes.

A few months ago, on the crowded roads of a new market, a man was constantly checking his watch and trying to find someone in the crowd of smiling people buying gifts for the coming Christmas Eve.

“She is late again. I had told her many times to take trains than taking these slow taxis but she does not pay any heed”, the man speaking to himself when his eyes fell on a lady, walking towards him like a princess, wearing that same smile on her face and the pink dress that he had gifted her last year.

“Sorry Akash, actually the taxi driver mistakenly went into a one-way lane and so I got late. Very sorry dear.” Apologizing to the man and melting his heart with her cuteness at the same time.

Akash just looked at her for some time, maybe he fell for her again, and more deeply than clearing his throat he said, “So miss mao can we head to a restaurant or else I will eat the stones and rocks of the road?”

“Will you never stop calling me with that nickname? Yeah let’s go, I am too starving”, She replied while setting up her hair. They started walking through the lanes of Esplanade and the new market, holding each other’s hands. While crossing roads, Akash told her to not cross but she ignored him. She dashed while pulling Akash to be at the same pace as her when Akash shouted,” watch out!!!”

Soon after Akash yelled, a high-speed bus slammed into her. She was thrown to the side of the road and Akash fell down as a result of the impact. He was stunned when he opened his eyes to see that moment.  

Both of them were taken to hospital where she was announced dead while Akash got some stitches and the nurse said to him, “ She saved you, if you would be some second early then you could have died but unfortunately she became the victim”

Maybe it is true that people may leave physically but a part of them still lives in our hearts. After that accident, Akash had locked himself in his room for about two weeks when something or rather, someone made up his mind that he must focus on himself. 

On New year’s Eve, when the world was celebrating the arrival of the new year with friends and family in their homes and every place was lit up with candles, lights, and happiness, there stood a room on the second floor different from the outer world, surrounded by grief, pain, and regret but who could guess what the night would bring for the lonely soul in that room.

The clock struck 12 and there was a loud bang of fire-cracker lighting up the whole sky. A wind blew the curtains and in the faint light, he could see her standing there, in that same pink dress but with a pale and emotionless face. Akash looked at her for some time and said, “Are you really back or am I just dreaming?”

He stood up and tried to hold her but just when he touched her, it was just the curtains.

Regrets can either build you up or destroy you forever, maybe Akash chose destruction. Her lost touch, her that cute smile, everything for him became closed in a permanent room in his heart locked forever and never to be opened by anyone. He just wanted to live the rest of his life with those golden, un-ending memories created with her. 

After a few months, when that road became as common as any other without any signs of that incident but still could speak and narrate about them to her ignorant passer-by. Akash came home a bit late that night with a cake in his hand and a slight smile on his face. He took the photo frame, kissed it, and said, “ Happy Birthday my love. I know you are a bit far that’s why I am speaking so loud so my voice can reach you. You remember I used to give a clown-like smile whenever others used to sing that ‘Happy Birthday song and you used to roll over the floor laughing. Hey, can’t we ever meet again like we used to? What would have happened if I had held you close to me that time? Anyways I don’t want to make this day a sad one, let’s cut this delicious cake and celebrate your 29th birthday.”

Suddenly the lights started to flicker and after some time he could see her behind the same curtains, standing in that same blood-stained pink dress with tears rolling down her cheeks then a faint voice with that same sweetness said, “It was never in our hands. The ones who are meant to go will go, you cannot stop them. I am always here with you in your heart and your poems. Whenever you miss me, just keep your hand on your heart and call my name. I may have gone but I still love you.”

 With that same innocence and stupidity, he cut the cake and then sat on the balcony while gazing at those stars. He kept that same picture close to his and gossiped with those innumerable stars of the sky like he was one of them.

The biggest talent of a writer is that he can put down his emotions on paper but have you ever thought of the person for whom he starts writing, goes away? Life becomes a choking place for him He can neither live nor can smile. Akash was a published author known by many prolific and famous people as the “writer who dwells in fantasy” but no one knows that the reason why he started writing was her. 

The next morning Akash sat in front of his laptop to write something but with every blink of the cursor the view of her lying on the road came in front of his eyes but he remained silent. Tears were rolling down his eyes when he saw the picture in that photo frame. Every day he receives the daily newspaper and as usual today also, he received it but on the front page, it was written with bold letters-

“Due to un-ending grief of his lost love, a man named Akash took his life by drinking poison on the night of his love’s birthday.”