The Last Good Bye

The rainy afternoon was creeping steadily on towards night, the sun from behind thinning clouds was glinting down on chimney pots I was in my kitchen preparing next meal and the aroma of taste buds stimulating food was freshening my breath I was no musician but knew very well the tune I was in search of -The whistle of my cooker. I was thinking rapidly with an extraordinary medley of feeling as if it was not one me but many versions of me completing the chores. At last my longed for hour came – the hour for which my soul pined throughout each workday

Finally, I rested myself on my fav spot my balcony filled with lots of greens, with a divine cup of tea. This me time was my luxury which kept me buoyant the rest of the day. Suddenly with a loud thunder I felt the urge to see outside, there was some commotion and I saw a bus opposite my house.

But there is a vacant plot with a “trespassers will be prosecuted” notice hanging on the gate how this bus got there these thoughts made me scratch my head. A man peeped out of that omnibus and asked me to board it, I gave one look to my piping hot tea and the other to him, his call was so compelling that soon I found myself heading towards the bus, I entered it.

A blast of wind slammed its doors, it was pitch dark inside but still I could feel there were more people inside I felt cold and musty as I put hands in my pocket I realised I was not carrying my wallet I shouted “Stop”, a man came with a torch in his hand, I recognised him, he was the physician of our town, I felt relieved to find one acquaintance, and said, ”Oh! so you are also in the same bus”, He replied,”Yeah, as a healer of bodies I had scant success and several of my patients preceded me, but as a healer of spirit I have succeeded beyond my hopes”, I couldn’t grasp what he said but in return I answered, ”See I boarded the bus in a hurry and I don’t have any money for the ticket, can you take my watch for tickets”, he gave me a strange look and vanished.

I felt terribly alone I wished I should not have come, my family would never approve of this, the thought of warm food and bed made me feel faint.

But the bus was moving at a stately speed it was quite dark inside and outside with no sense of time.

Slowly the outside blackness started thinning as if it was past midnight, I could dimly feel and see the things around me. There were name plates hanging above the seats and people were sitting there in a still position, my eyes stopped at a face it was quite distorted with eyes bulging out but she was sitting under my name plate, with sinking feeling I realised that this person was none other but my childhood friend Riya.

Riya and I were friends since school time and so were our fathers, and they worked for the same organisation, so Riya’s family was my extended family.

After Riya’s father passed away my father took all the responsibilities of her family from groceries to good education. He even got us two married to very decent families. After transfer of Riya’s husband to Ahmedabad, I arranged her a flat in my locality, so this way Riya became my neighbour. She always felt indebted to me and would show this by her words or deeds. That day too we were on phone when she again expressed her gratitude, I snubbed her and said “see if you don’t have anything in hand, do me a favour go to the market and get my suit from the tailor, as I don’t want to get drenched in rain”, Riya happily agreed.

That was our last talk.

The lightening struck again the clouds quivered as if they were alive, the bus stopped just as a ball of fire burst in front of it and with a thud I fell down.

I regained my senses and got up only to find my husband shaking me and screaming at me. I was sweating profusely

I could not make it out where am I where’s that bus where’s doctor where’s Riya, how’s my husband here?

My husband explained- “I pressed the door bell so many times, you didn’t open then I entered in using my keys and saw you lying here in balcony in the chair you were deep sleep, but get up now”, he said with grim face, “we have to rush as Riya has met with an accident”.

I could not hear anything else, and sank again in that chair, there was again a thunder and lightning and now it had stuck me.

Riya had paid her debts she took my death she left me indebted for lives to come.

She came in my dream to say a last good bye.