Some Short Tales

Beyond Eternity

Dhruv stared blankly at the urn in his hand. A few days prior, he did not even know even a tiny bit of all those rituals which he had performed. Yet, here he was today standing in the living room of his now empty home staring at the even empty urn of ashes. He had just returned after immersing them, bidding the final farewell to his beloved, his dearest Anisha.

He wished to go back in time and prevent himself from immersing those. Because then, he would at least have a last bit of his Anisha left to himself which he would have cherished all his life. But then again, if he would possess such an ability, he would have simply gone back in time and prevented Anisha from stepping out of their home that fateful day when destiny had planned their cruel separation.

Madly in love, Anisha and Dhruv had married each other just a year prior. Others would never believe, but these two had never had their first big fight ever. Even minor disputes seemed more of a playful banter than an actual argument. Such was their chemistry. And yet, destiny had lain such a wicked end of their beautiful co-existence when Anisha was killed in a road accident 13 days prior. It was the classic case of 'drink and drive'. The driver survived and the innocent pedestrian Anisha lost her life. Or as it could be put, her life was brutally snatched away from her.

Silent tears of heart-wrenching agony streamed down Dhruv's face as he remembered Anisha's distorted last remains. He had cried tears of grief, of anger, of frustration and of love for his precious Anisha that day. And since then, he just kept weeping. Every little thing in their home reminded him of Anisha. The library where they would spend hours and hours debating over books, the kitchen where he would prepare for Anisha her favourite dishes, the balcony where she would massage his head, every tiny detail. He would have fleeting glances of his moments with Anisha in every single nook and corner of that house. Yes, he had always cherished Anisha, but he now wished to have had those moments bottled up somewhere to relive them all his life.

Life.

He scoffed mentally at that word. A life without his Anisha barely even seemed a life anymore.

Meanwhile, a momentary sparkle in the mirror behind him caught his attention. It was absurd, he decided for, the sky was lit with dark indigo shades of the twilight and there were no sunrays to reflect on the mirror.

"Mi amor, Dhruv, look here, it's your Anisha.", came a low and melodic whisper from behind Dhruv.

Dhruv was startled hearing his Anisha's sweet voice again and turned back urgently. Perhaps, he would see much more than a fleeting glance, a mirage, a mere hallucination this time, he thought.

There she was, Anisha, or perhaps, what could be more appropriately described as a frail image of Anisha right behind him. She had worn his favourite white dress in which she looked more like an angel that she was.

"Anisha, baby you! How? You....I.....the accident......baby........you........you are dead......How?", Dhruv stuttered. He could not bring himself to complete the statement, rather he found himself incapable of even organizing his words.

He stared wide eyed at Anisha and started bringing his arm ahead to touch her. Anisha was quicker than him. She put her palm on his right cheek and started stroking his newly grown stubble gently. Dhruv felt something akin to cold air touching his cheek and yet, he leaned more into that touch. It spread a familiar warmth in his heart.

"Yes, sweetheart, it's me. Your Anisha.", she whispered gently.

Dhruv let out a chocked sob and took Anisha within his arms. At least he thought so. It was like trying to take into your arms a whole lot of cold breezes, even frozen it might seem. But to Dhruv, this embrace felt like home, his home.

"How could you baby? Why? How could you leave me behind, all alone in this world without you? Hadn't you promised me forever with you? How can you break your promise?", Dhruv rambled in a broken voice. The dam of his emotions had burst and he just wanted answers from his Anisha.

"Baby, look at me. Dhruv, amor, look at me now.", Anisha demanded in a calm voice urging Dhruv to look at her.

"It was destined Dhruv, all of it. Nothing was in my power. Perhaps, that's how it had to be. You and I. But don't you think our love ends here. Its farther beyond this physical world. Remember my promise? Till eternity and beyond.", Anisha explained looking at a bitterly sobbing Dhruv now.

"No Anisha, not in this world without you. I need you by my side, today, tomorrow, forever. Please don't leave me baby. I just cannot survive without you.", Dhruv pleaded.

"You want to come with me? Really, you want to leave everything behind?", Anisha asked with a cryptic glint in her eyes.

"Yes baby. Anywhere you go, I would follow. But please don't leave me behind.", Dhruv pleaded with her yet again, taking her hand within his.

"Sweetheart, are you really sure?", Anisha questioned yet again.

Dhruv was growing frustrated with Anisha's repetitive questions.

"Anisha, don't play these games. I have already given you my answer love. Just take me with you.", Dhruv shouted exasperatedly.

Anisha smiled. This time, it was a smile of promise and of determination.

"Close you eyes amor."

Dhruv did as he was told. The next moment, he felt an odd kind of suffocation in his body, waves of suffocation travelling through his entire body, as though, some sort of a force trying to get rid of his soul from his body.

He started waving his arms frantically unable to understand a single thing.

"Relax amor. It's just me.", came Anisha's relaxing voice.

Dhruv relaxed. He indeed did. For he knew whatever was happening was only taking him closer to his Anisha.

"Come with me sweetheart. Let's go.

A frail figure of Dhruv, now similar to that of Anisha now smiled at her gently, took her hand and they left. Arms in arms, they left the mortal world, just like the last shades of today's twilight leaving the skies.

They both were right - Dhruv and Anisha. Their love extended much beyond the mortal realms, and it would persist even beyond the eternity.

In the room was now lain, Dhruv's corpse with the most serene expressions on his face.

Happy ending?

Tragic ending?

That's left to individual perception here -

For Dhruv and his Anisha.

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