Love

Sameer was so happy, all free and ready to explore the new world, new things that life had to offer him. His 5-year course in Architectural engineering was finally over and he had got a decent job offer. Decent would be a very trivial term for the fantabulous offer that he had got. He and his friends decided to go to Goa for a 10 days trip and enjoy the beach. They were all so excited about the entire thing. After reaching Mumbai they decide to go to Goa by road. They hired a car and set out. All way they were singing and yelling and cracking jokes at one another. Completely unaware of what the future had in store for them.

On reaching Goa, Manisha, a very close friend of Sameer had to leave because she got a call from her home and there was some urgent personal problem that she had to attend to. Rajveer also left with her. Sameer and two of his friends were already totally bored. Their plans were shattered. But still high on enthusiasm they decided to enjoy the trip as much as they could.

One night while returning from the beach they met with an accident. Sameer had absolutely no idea what happened to him and what exactly went wrong. The next day when Sameer opened his eyes he was at the hospital. Drunk like anything he had hit a speeding car. The two friends of his had died on the spot and he had somehow survived. The man had brought him to the hospital in time, was the doctor himself. The treatment was on. He was feeling so guilty and had never bothered to talk to anyone, never bothered to say a word. This went on for days. A young girl would get juice and some food for him everyday. He never cared to look at her but yes the only thing that had locked his eyes on her were the beautiful eyes she had. Deep, innocent, mesmerizing and lovely. Sameer was taken to the doctor’s place after some days. He would simply not tell anyone who he is, where he is from. And because of the accident, he was so badly hurt, the doctor insisted that absolutely no mental pressure be put on him.

The girl looked after him, after all his small needs and demands. Shaina who had completed her graduation at Mumbai and had come to Goa to spend the vacation with her father. A very simple girl, beautiful but she hardly spoke. Like a keen observer she would simply watch her father and Sameer talk and would never care to say a word herself. There was something in her that had impressed Sameer a lot but he would hesitate and ignore these thoughts. Sameer loved painting and once when he found a paper and pencil he started doing some sketches… and he was doing it subconsciously. He was shocked himself when he saw that what he had sketched were those beautiful eyes of Shaina. Instead of tearing the paper and throwing it away (which he was initially tempted to) he folded it and kept it in his trouser pockets.

One evening he was very depressed and sad. He had shut his eyes and was thinking about the accident. He didn’t know that tears had started making their way out of his eyes. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw Shaina was standing in front of him with a glass of juice in her hand. She kept it near him and looked at him for sometime. Sameer desperately wanted her to leave. He wasn’t feeling quite normal at that time. He wanted to be left alone, completely alone. He was too depressed to tolerate company. But Shaina wouldn’t move. She told him after a long silence, “It wasn’t your mistake, an accident is an accident. Not your fault at all. It was but destined to happen and we cant fight with destiny” Those words sounded so sweet. Sameer smiled and said thanks. Shaina was about to leave when Sameer asked her, “Its strange, you have been so good to me, done so much for me, but I don’t even know your name”, and she replied, “I don’t know yours”. “I am Sameer”. “Shaina”…and suddenly Sameer said, “Angel” Shaina turned back and stared at him. He told her, “You are an angel, If you don’t mind that’s what I would like to call you” Sameer and Shaina became very good friends. When she got to know that Sameer loved painting n sketching, she got some sheets for him, some crayons, pencils etc. Sameer would paint something and show it to her and they would discuss his paintings for a long time. Sameer would be low then she would tell him lovely inspiring things.

One evening Sameer decided to go out. He called his dad and told him he is still at Goa and would be coming back in a few days. The depression once more got over him and he went to the beach and sat there gazing at the sea. Shaina joined him, she was quite aware that he would be there. The quietest beach area. And for the first time Sameer told her about himself, small and minute details about himself. Shaina mostly kept quiet. After a long silence he asked her why she was usually so quiet, any specific reason? Shaina didn’t reply and just kept quiet.

In the last 10 days they had come close. Shaina could see that she had started feeling for him and she hated this. She started avoiding him as much as she probably could. Now she stopped accompanying Sameer to the beaches in the evening. She would send his meals etc through someone else. These things didn’t help, didn’t help at all. Sameer gave her the space she needed completely. Things were getting more and more difficult for her. Once when she too was terribly bored she decided to join Sameer in his evening walks. He stopped to make a call. Shaina waited outside. She just casually asked him whom he had called. He replied, “Nisha, my fiancée” and she was completely shocked. She felt so pathetic at that moment when she knew she shouldn’t feel so, at least not she. Sameer added, ”We were supposed to get married soon, we will actually after I join my Job, not a long time left for the same. She is the girl I have been madly in love with for the last 4 years. She was in my college.“ Sameer didn’t quite mark the silence, as it is Shaina used to keep quiet. He turned and looked at her and said, “Angel thanks for everything.” Shaina blurted out, “Dare not say thanks Sameer. You better not. So you are leaving? “ He said, “Ya, how did you know? I was about to say that. I am leaving in a day or two, most probably tomorrow evening. “ And for the first time he saw Shaina smiled but something made Sameer feel that it was such a faked one. But she had already started walking ahead and Sameer joined her. They walked back completely quiet. None of them spoke a word. The next day Sameer packed his bags (his luggage was checked out from the hotel, where he was staying with his friends, long back). He hugged Shaina, gave her his address and contact information and left. Shaina stood there waving goodbye to him, wishing him luck and smiling.

Sameer reached Bangalore and was so relieved. He was happy to see his family, his friends…..Nisha. He got to know that Nisha had to leave for a few months because of the work she had at Delhi. They would get married after 8 months. He was so completely engrossed in his life that he didn’t get the time to think about Goa, think about Shaina. He had forgotten to unpack even. The bag was tugged in some corner and he never cared to open it. One day he needed some document, which he thought might be there in that bag and thus took everything out. He saw the sketch he had made, with “Angel’s eyes” written on it. He thought about Shaina and all that she had done for him, thought about her eyes, those long curls, those sweet words. It was 4 months already and he had not cared to call her even. And all these days, every morning Shaina would get up wishing and praying that Sameer would call her up.

He called her up. The familiar voice on the other side made him feel so good. They talked for a long time. He told her how hectic his life had become, about his job, about his wedding. He asked about her, her father. He suddenly asked, “Angel why didn’t you join any college?” Or did you join any at Goa which I feel you didn’t, wont you read anymore????” Shaina didn’t reply, she just giggled it away. And the topic was changed. They started talking more regularly. Every alternate day he would call her up and they would talk for a long time. Then he had to go to Kolkata for some meeting and couldn’t get the time to call her up for almost 15 days. He was missing her all through but didn’t want to call her up just for a minute and hung up and didn’t have the time to talk for a long time. He decided to call her once he would reach Bangalore. After returning to Bangalore, when he called her up there was no reply. No body picked up the phone. He got worried. He kept trying the number for 3 days at a stretch. Whenever he would get the time he would try her number. No reply. He started missing her like anything and was so terribly worried. The next day he got a letter in a beautiful baby pink colored envelope and written “from your angel” clearly on it. He was so excited but worried at the same time. He opened it in a hurry. In beautiful little letters was written:

“Love is like sunshine,
strong and true,
Love is all that
I feel so deeply for you”

The thought that you will remember me, as a friend, as someone you knew would make me feel grateful to God and feel life wasn’t that bad.

Bye
Love
Angel

Sameer was completely shocked. He tried her number again, but no reply. He immediately left for Goa. Angel’s home was locked. He asked the neighbors about her. An old lady came out and said, “Don’t you know? The poor little girl passed away 10 days back. May God bless her soul. A brave little girl she was. She fought with the disease, with death so bravely. But as she always said, we cant fight with our destiny. And her poor father left this place. I heard he went to Delhi to stay with his sister. “ Sameer was shocked and he immediately left that place. He went to the same beach they used to go to. Sat there and cried and cried for hours still holding the sketch of her eyes. And he felt as if she was there with him, sitting near him, encouraging him, and trying her best to make him feel better. He could feel her in the silence………….all his life.