In your Memory, like an experience…

That was a cold and dark night; he was walking towards his apartment. Those days used to be hectic for him as he just had joined as a trainee and got a lot of work to do in office that would often make him to be late to home.

That night was cooler than others. He was walking fast and in much faster pace his mind was processing several thoughts, all related to work. In past few years his life had showed him its worst and being pissed off what had happened to him, he had become a workaholic.

After 15 minutes of walk, he reached to his apartment. His flat was on 9^th floor so he rushed to lift and moving inside quickly pressed 9. A sly smile came on his face thinking of what he had just done…there was no need to be so quick and panic as no one would block the lift at 11 o’clock in the night. Normal people would prefer to sleep at that time rather going up and down . He reached at his floor and to his surprise there was a huge crowd on his floor. People were gathered at the flat No.909 which was just opposite in the corridor to his flat.

He headed towards there baffled, trying to figure out what could have happened. Reaching there he found some women sobbing, and murmuring something to each other. These kinds of situations would make him irritated when he could figure out nothing except that all faces were sad. Finally he asked a lady who was standing at doorstep,

“Excuse me! Can u tell me what had happened? why such a big crowd here???”

The lady gave him a very strange look and then she said in a low volume, “His daughter Nupur had just passed away “she pointed to the old man sitting in front of dead body . He looked in the direction of her finger, there laying the dead body of her.

For a moment he couldn’t believe on what he had heard. He was numb, not able to react. His multiprocessor mind had stopped working.

“What! “A whisper escaped from his mouth.

“How…?” his throat was chocked to say anymore.

The lady looked at him in dis-belief as though what kind of neighbor he was and then said with teary eyes,

“She was suffering from brain tumor from past 6 months. she was in very critical condition. Doctors had rested off…she was bound to die…such a sweet girl…she never forget to greet me whenever we met…full of life…never having any complaints to anyone…but no one can fight against one’s destiny …” the lady was murmuring.

“How can she die???” His mind and heart both did not believe.

 

He came to his room thinking of that strange girl…’Strange’…yes it was the perfect word for her…she was strange otherwise who can smile and live so freely in so much of misery ?who can be so full of energy, full of life, full of happiness knowing that this would not last for long time?

At least he couldn’t …for him life was always been a burden which he was carrying just because he didn’t have courage to end it up!

“You will understand the worth of life when you have a fear of losing it” were her words which came first in his mind.

“You don’t know the pleasure of living…you don’t know the pleasure in making someone happy, you don’t know how it feels when u bring smile on someone’s face…” She said and he being pissed off passed a glare.

He was thinking about that day when the Girl Nupur , his neighbor knocked his door.

“Yes?”asked He …trying to recognize her. Generally he did not like people to come to him ,neither he maintained any relation with anyone nor did anyone tried. From past 3 years after that cruel incident he had cut himself off from the world.

“Hello I am Nupur , your neighbor…” said she smiling.

He almost scanned her from head to toe and then confused he asked,”so?”

“Actually I have just came back from a friend’s birthday and no one is at home and I forgot to take keys before leaving …usually I keep one set of keys with me…so can I wait for them to come back…if u don’t mind…”said nupur and smiled.

“come in…”said he unwillingly. He could have denied but he just like that let her to come in.

Nupur came in examining his room…there were some old paintings on walls,a chair,table,some books and an music system with a thick layer of dust, seems like no one ever cared to clean it.

Then she raised all curtains of closed windows and felt the fresh air.

“Why does you keep them close?”she asked.

He shrugged his shoulder showing no interest in her question.

“And why your room is so dusty? Why don’t you clean it?”she asked again.

This time also , he said nothing.

Then she inspected the music system and CDs beside it.

“Hmmm…Nice collection…but I think you have not listened to any of them from a long time…see the dust…” She wiped her finger over there and showed him as though he knew nothing about the ill-health of his room.

This time his patience surrendered…”I like them as they are…dirty and unclean…if you like cleanliness so much then take a broom and roam around the society and clean up everything!!!” he screamed out of irritation.

That made her laugh out loudly,”You have a good sense of humor”

That made him even more irritated.

She was examining each and every thing in the room and continuously, his anger did not stop her.She was giving him suggestions to make them better or to organize his totally unorganized room and his unorganised life too. Suddenly her sight fell on the ashtray on table with lots of ash.

“Do u smoke?”

“yes”

“why?”

“This is none of your business…can you just sit at one place and wait calmly for your parents to come back!”replied he annoyingly

“You know cigarette is injurious to health…to life…”

“Yes I know…I have studied in class fourth or fifth!!” he mocked like a kid and then glared at her,

”Listen don’t start lecture okay…and about life…huh…!!!my life is worth of nothing for me or for anyone…”shouted He.

“listen I am sorry…I don’t want to give you any lecture but I just want to say that you’ll realize the worth of life when u have fear of losing it!”she said calmly.

“Worth of life…huh…I don’t want to live “he said with a wry.

“See I don’t know what had happened with you…I don’t know anything about your past but you know nothing is larger than life. You know I could have gone to anyone for waiting…I know many people here…but I purposely came to you because I wanted to know why have u packed yourself in your shell?”

That made him to feel good. Someone is there who have noticed him.

“I think you don’t know anyone here?”she asked.

“I don’t want to know anyone. I have seen changing relationships and only I know how it feels when your close one leaves you alone.” The agony was reflecting on his face.

“And because of that you have locked all doors of your heart…try and open them may be one day someone would enter and change it” she said and smiled.

Her words and smile had some magic which made him smile too. It had sent a positive wave to his heart which soothed it a bit. Now he wanted to talk to her.

He looked at her, this time with a different vision. Her eyes were shining, her lips were broad with smile and for a moment he lost in her eyes.

Suddenly her cell phone vibrated. Her parents had arrived.

“okay…I need to go now…have a good day. Sorry to disturb you” she said.

“Will you come again?” He asked.

“Yes!” she took a deep breath and smiled.

“How? Like fresh air coming inside from open window?”asked He and surprisingly he smiled.

“No… like an experience in your life..fresh air touches for a moment and then blows away but experience stays with life “she said and disappeared.

“She rightly said an experience stays with life…forever…as you are the best experience of my life and you will always be alive in my heart…forever..Ms.Nupur death cannot separate you from my life” thought he and smiled.

__END__