LLC02: Love story in a library

As we depart from this acquisitive world, we leave behind things that never belonged to us. We say bye to our money, home, friends and our close ones. But what live even after the extinction of our bodies is the best of memories that had once made a little home in our hearts……

The story that I share today may sound exaggerating but not most of the deepest facts make sense to the world and still uttered now and then…

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Seventeen years ago…..

She sat peacefully on the right most corner of the huge library table that was placed at the center of the floor which was recently renovated with beautiful tiles. A book, not much thick, yet ‘interest -demanding’ lay in front of her. She had now spent around an hour flipping through the pages of the book. Well, she was not much of a reader yet she found this one book stimulating and hence she thought of giving it a try. There was no one in the room except her as the librarian had gone for his usual evening break.

Suddenly the door bunged behind her. She turned back and before she could be acquainted with the figure that entered, a massive man was over her with his hands reaching for her body. She went anesthetized and hence she could not even act in her defense. After twenty minutes, the man left the room and her on the floor with clothes tattered into pieces.

A group of people entered the room and voices whispered all around,’ someone raped her.’ Another whisper came from near the door ‘well you can’t disagree with it was her fault too. What she thinks she was doing all alone in the library?’

She lay inert but still she could hear the whisper. Finally, a teardrop fell and she was taken to the hospital. A week passed by and people at school were still chatting. She had made her final resolution and all she wanted to do now was to face her fear for one last time. She went to the same library and sat down as people would do in church. She slipped a piece of paper in a book and placed it on the third shelf of the fifth cupboard.  She did not see the next day’s sunrise.

…………

In Mumbai….

It had been two months since my family had shifted from one bhk apartment in Delhi to a swish bungalow in Mumbai. My mother, herself an interior designer had put in a lot of efforts to make the place feel as home. I was yet to face my twelfth board exams, my biggest nightmares. I had taken the subject of my choice, English literature.  I have been a booklover all my life.

It was the inauguration of September when I had joined Bluebells school in Mumbai. My new school was yet the best-looking edifice I had seen in my life. It was dyed in ocean blue and the shining panes made it look even hotter in the hot sun. In few days, I found the place where I wanted to be the most, the school’s library, which felt like home. I would spend most of my time there when my friends would go for this movie, that movie. Yes, I was not so good for outside fun. I would sit there for long hours so much so that a new student could oversight me for a librarian.

It was the beginning of bitter December when chills and thrills entered my life without any heads up. I was a die-hard fan of Dan Brown and his novels were the latest fever I had. So to finish them well in time, I used to sit in library for around two hours a day. This way I could get over with my list of books before the swords of exams fell on me. My visits to library had become so customary that I could not think of going back home if I had not spent complete two hours reading my books. Mr. Javed, the librarian would have thought of me as pain in back as he could not ask me to leave the place before six. So, he would give me the keys and leave for his small gathering in staffroom with all luminous brains there.

A week later, I got into the library around four and after greeting Mr. Javed; I walked in the direction of my place where I sat everyday, right most corner of the huge library table. It felt blissful there as the sunshine came directly where I placed my book on the table. The warmth of the evening sun increased my curiosity to read. But that day, someone else sat there. A girl of all the people. What is she doing here? Never saw her here before. Who is she, huh? I thought all that and moved towards her. I sat right in front of her and asked her name. Roshini, she had told. We did not talk much after that.  After an hour or so, Mr. Javed got a call. Soon, he came over to me and handed the keys, warning me for gazillions times now that I must return it before leaving. I slipped it in my pocket and settled to read my novel. We both left around six; well I left ten minutes after her. I had run to staffroom to find Mr. Javed and gave him his precious keys back. While I was leaving, he stopped me and said something out- of –his mind.

“Is everything alright with you boy? Give some breaks in your reading. You have been acting weird today in library. See you in good health soon.”

I left without uttering a single word.  What was that? I kept on thinking the whole night about Roshini. Her eyes were just as beautiful as I have always dreamt and I was dreaming once again with my eyes open.

Next evening I found her sitting at the same place. Well, I did not mind it anymore. The rays of sun were making her look even more beautiful ;just when I was too deep in my book, she called from above her book, ‘ could you search a book from me? I had searched it two days back but I could not find it. If you can, it would be great because the one that I’m reading now is getting a little boring towards the end. Oh the book which I wanted is Oliver twist. Can you?’ She spoke so much in a go, lengthiest conversation yet.

‘Sure, why not. Where did you last see it?’

“Fifth cupboard, third shelf.”

‘Okay, I will go search.’

‘Is anything wrong Abhinav? What do you want?’ asked Mr. Javed from his desk.

‘Sir, I actually needed to search Oliver twist, where can I find it?’

‘Okay, you may check in the store box behind the last cupboard, that has books as old as thirty years from now. Have a good luck with that.’

This man is certainly crazy or he just likes poking his nose in other’s business. But he is of some use anyways. I thought in my head and searched the book. It was sited below a stack of Sherlock homes, Jane Austin, Arundhati Roy and many others. I would have been heart broken if I had found Dan brown lying there.

I brought Oliver twist on the table, dusted it of. Before I could think of my next stride, Roshini spoke up, ‘would you mind checking the book properly once before giving it to me, please?’ I could not have denied those rosy lips of hers. I opened the book and for once I found what I was destined to find, a letter. Without any other thought in my head, I just started reading it and that beginning became the end of everything…

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The letter….

Hey Abhinav,

Bluebells school

19^th dec 2009

I did not know how to start this letter. It is an informal letter so I do not know if I am supposed to mention the place or not. You know the right way of it. I am writing this letter to inform you that I am going to end my life tomorrow. You may want to know the reason but you are smart, you would know it. My parents, I am doing this for them. The aunts near my house were talking the other day.

After a long tittle-tattle about what humiliation I had brought to my parents, one of them mentioned that I must die if my parents were to be ever feeling normal again. Well, that is one reason I am writing you this letter.

Other reason is something I have been thinking to tell you for long. I never found time to tell you but at least I can say it through this letter, I love you Abhinav. I love the way you talk, the way you teach me poems, the way you make me cross the road after school. The first thing I will do after meeting god is ask him why he did this to me.

That wreck snatched my soul from my body.  I do not feel myself anymore. And second I will ask him to make this letter reach you. I know you will go to library in the evening tomorrow and read this book.  You should know that you were the best friend I ever had. I hope you have my friendship band with you still or god will punish you, you know that right? I don’t know what else to write, I am leaving anyways.  Don’t miss me when I am gone and after reading this letter, please say “I love you” once. I will hear it from up there. Hope to see you in good health.

Thanking you

Yours best friend

Roshini

V111th b

………………

In Mumbai again…

I love you, I said as I finished the letter and looked at the person sitting in front of me.

“That’s it, you come here boy. What did you just say? And first of all whom are you talking to, huh?” shouted Mr. Javed. “Sir, if you can leave me alone for sometime here, I will never show up in the library again. Please sir I promise.”

“As you say and if you ever did, I will drag you to a doctor myself. Get it?” he left the room in a glimpse after that. I focused at the person in front of me again.

‘You never got the chance to miss me or read this letter. That night while returning back from hospital, your car met with an accident as it hit the post when Mr. Saxena lost his balance. You died too. You did not even make efforts to live, you fool. But that does not matter anymore. I waited for this one day and here it is. I finally can tell you how much I loved you.”

“You did not. Otherwise you would have lived and so would have I. But you had your reasons, I can’t disrespect it.”

“Don’t use big words now, you know I hate them.”

“Yes I know. I can remember everything. You are still as beautiful as you were seventeen years ago. It’s like we never died.”

“Well, I did and I need to go now. By the way, I was wrong. No soul can be snatched. It remains as pure as it was when brought on earth for the first time. My soul has no remembrance of the devil’s touch, but aroma of your love.”

I was in another world, a whole new dimension of time. I stepped ahead and hugged her; she felt the most real thing I ever felt against my skin. I reached for her lips but before they could meet, she stepped back.

“You know right I am still not eighteen plus I am not even real. I am a soul now, no use of this.’

“You are. Do not go again.”

“I can’t stay here for any longer. But before I leave, promise me, you will not let any other girl die like me.”

‘ I promise, don’t go.”

“I had started this journey with this book, and today it ends with it. Hope to see you in good health.”

“Why that line always?’ So stupid of me to ask now

“That’s how you write an informal letter. I hope you pass in English.’

She smiled at last and just as angels get lifted, she started vanishing from my eyes, entering a void unknown to me. I saw her parting again. And that’s when I whispered with the strongest emotion I had ever known, “I love you”. My words vanished too…

I locked the door and was now few steps away from the library when a voice called over my shoulder. I turned and saw a girl standing behind me. “Excuse me; can I get a book from library?’

“Sure. Come along. Enter the books name along with yours in the register. I will inform sir on my way back. Which book, by the way?’

“Oliver twist.”

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