Finnale.. (Last Part)

(This is the last part of the short story series. Hope you guys like it. As usual do leave your feedback and comments. They definitely inspire me :) )

Please read the 1st, 2nd part, 3rd part, 4th part and 5th Part also.
Part 1 - Back to Home

Part 2 - US Syndrome

Part 3 - Get up..Grandpa..

Part 4 - Married Life

Part 5 - Lost Forever
______________________________________________

Meera placed her hand gently on Arul’s shoulder. He wanted to comfort him. She knew that he would break down and that’s why she had left him in the first place.
Arul wiped off his tears and looked into those beautiful brown eyes. “Can’t we do something about it?”

Meera just nodded her head in dejection. “I have been getting treatment for last 6 years. Perhaps I may not live long”

“Six years. Shit.. This bloody cancer.. Why does it have to be you?” Arul's voice nearly choked.

“Arul, I have asked this question to myself for many years now. It’s just better to accept the reality now. Dad lost his life thinking about my problems. Mom is nearly half dead. I don’t want to hurt anyone more”

“Your dad is dead.. Why didn’t you tell me?” Arul demanded. He damned himself for being away from his sweetheart for all these years.

“Arul, just forget the past. I met the doc today. I have about a month to live and I want to live happily. I just want to spend a week with you for whatever we have missed.”

Arul looked mesmerized by her words. He would have been overjoyed, had Meera told him that six years ago. But now he had his own problems to handle. His first priority was to get back his wife.

“Tell me one thing first. Why did you leave me in the first place?” demanded Arul.

“I didn’t leave you. You left me” came the reply.

Arul heaved a huge sigh. I guess that's the absolute truth. He had left her in the middle of their relationship.

But he was not ready to accept that it was his fault alone. “You.. You went out with Ajay to Pizza corner and held his hands”

Meera was a little stunned by the accusation, but she soon recovered “God.. Arul, he was my friend. That was the day when I got diagnosed and I was in such bad shape that I wanted to share it with someone. So I and Ajay spoke and during the conversation I just held his hands for support and comfort”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your problems then? I could have helped you”

“I didn't say because of this" Meera pointed towards his tears. "I knew you would break down like this. I didn't wanted to hurt you. I would have never told you this now also. But I just wanted to spend my last breath of my life with the person whom I loved more than my life”

Arul’s eyes became moist again. He tried to control his tears, but he was doing a terribly bad job and soon was sobbing again.

“Listen Arul. I want happiness.” Meera demanded. “I have not come again into your life to see you cry. I want to go on a drive to Mayajaal like before. I want to watch as many movies as before, have all flavors of ice-cream, go to dance classes, sit along with you watching the first rays of sun on the Marina beach and definitely go to as many temples as possible”

“That’s a long list” Arul laughed as he wiped off the last tear drops off his face.

“That’s my guy” Meera hugged his hand. Arul hugged her tightly. I wish I could spend all my life with her.

Arul knew that everyone there was watching them. He gently let go off Meera and promised her that he will meet her at 9 am at her place.

For all things that happened that evening, Arul completely forgot to meet his wife. He took his seat in the PTC bus back home and decided to meet his wife two days later. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Meera though.

As Arul purchased the tickets from the bus conductor, he saw a couple sitting in front of him. The boy in front offered the girl a beautiful red rose.

The red rose reminded him of his beautiful relationship with Meera. She had been a real tough nut to crack. She just refused to accept his love as she always thought of him as a good friend. But Arul knew that the winds of fortune would change directions soon.

It was precisely that day that everything changed forever - February 7th… Arul leaned on the window and drifted into his past as the breeze whiffed past his face.

It was a beautiful morning and the terrace was quite lit up. Arul had been waiting hours for Meera and was so happy when she came up. She had been avoiding him for a long time now. At last he could hope to convince her.

“Arul, please don’t make me say this” Meera paused hoping that Arul got her message. “You are my best friend. Please don’t bring love into this”

“Meera, I love you. Please understand”. Meera puffed, crossed her hands. Arul realized that this line of strategy was not going to work. “Meera, tell me what is love?”

Meera was taken aback by the question “Well, it’s a.. feeling for your close relationships with people”

“Care and affection” Arul added in as Meera nodded her head in affirmation.

“But love with guys is different…” Meera spoke as Arul lifted his eyebrows questioning her. “I have to marry a person whom I like and live the rest of my life with him”

“Hmm.. Don’t I have care and affection for you?”

“Yes Arul.. but love.. is..”

“It’s is not different Meera. Love is just another word for affection”. Meera was not convinced at all.

“Meera, just come out with me for a month. If you don’t like me, I will never trouble you again” pleaded Arul.

Meera looked surprised. How could anybody fall in love in one month, she thought. But unknowingly, she fell in love when she had just accepted his proposal to head out and their relationship continued albeit past many small fights. Arul gave her a beautiful red rose on 7th of every month.

As Arul's mind breezed through the past events, he could not help but wonder that the next day was a 7th. He sighed and shifted back on his seat on what strategy to use to bring back his wife.
---------------------------------------------

I bet Anjali will like this. Arul held the big bunch of roses close to his heart. They smelt 'fresh and pure' like his love for his wife. He had a great day with Meera yesterday and he was happy to spend some good time with the departing soul.

He jumped up the steps in the hostel building. He really had a very tough time getting past the watchman and the management to meet his wife.

He knocked on the door twice. A small girl opened the door and then called out for Anjali. Arul could see Anjali knotting her hair and walking towards the door. He smiled at her but instead he got a hard glance from her as she stood near the corner of her room with her back to the wall.

He walked into her hostel room and could see various women accessories strewn all over the place. Arul started feeling very uncomfortable, but still he sat down on a couch and handed her the bouquet. He was shocked to see that she threw it casually on the couch.

Arul was pissed off and tried to control his anger. “Still angry with me?”. Anjali looked away.

“What do I have to do, Anjali? Please... Let us stop the fight and get back together”

“Together like what?” shot back Anjali. Arul just spread his hands as he didn’t know what to say to cool down Anjali.

Arul got up and went near Anjali. “Together like this..” Arul tried to hug Anjali.

“You hug a woman on the beach in front of thousand people and now you want to hug me. What kind of person are you?” screamed Anjali. Arul looked shocked!

I have dug my own grave. Arul thought that this relationship is done and over and stomped out of the room.

Anjali shouted at him as he left the room. She stood near the window of her home and saw him walk angrily out the building.

Suddenly out nowhere, Anjali could see Mridula run upto Arul and hug him. She spoke something to him and they both got onto his motorbike and left the place.

Anjali was so damn angry. Arul was not just having a relationship with another woman but also with his sister. Damn it!!
-----------------------------------------------

“So do they know me?” shouted Arul.

Mridula could hardly hear Arul’s voice in the sounds of horns. She just nodded her head.

Arul stopped his bike at a nearby lane, asked Mridula to get down and parked his bike.

“What is happening here?” Arul demanded an explanation.

“It’s a long story” sighed Mridula.

“I have all the time in this world” scorned Arul.

Meera started her long story “You know Mari right?” Arul nodded his headed. "He proposed to me in my college" Arul nodded and asked her to move on as he knew that. "Though I didn’t like him at first, I later accepted his proposal just before your marriage. Mari’s father is a big time MLA and wants to get his son married to another MLA’s daughter. And so you can guess why he wants to eliminate me”

“Eliminate you. Oh god!!” sighed Arul. "One more problem..."

“Why? What happened?”

Arul told her the whole story about Meera and how Anjali was angry with him and that he felt the relationship all but over. He however skipped the hug on the beach part.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you take care of my problems and I take of yours” suggested Mridula.

“I certainly guess that mine is definitely the tougher one. I really don’t know how I am going convince a person who has sent men to eliminate you”

“Well, that’s the trade-off if you want to live with my dear sis” smiled Mridula.

--------------------------------------------

“So have you solved Mridula’s problems?” asked Meera.

“Yep. Just one call to Mari and all problems are solved now” replied Arul. “That’s the power of love” Arul made sure that he stressed a lot on the last word. Arul looked around to find just a few people taking their afternoon nap in the Natesan Park.

“I am sad that today is going to be my last day” spoke Meera.

“Last day? No buddy. I will come and meet you in Bangalore”

Meera looked at him affectionately. He gently moved her hands to his cheek and rubbed it. “Arul, my last wish has always been to peacefully die in your arms”

“Oh Meera! Please stop this talk or I am going to cry again” Arul tried to cheer her up. His heart was beating faster. A strange of fear gripped him. Perhaps the end was near.

“No Arul. The time to tell some more truth has come. The doc had given me a week’s time. I wanted to desperately meet you. Perhaps today is my last day”.

Arul moved his hands to her lips to stop her from talking more. He gazed into her beautiful eyes. She gently closed her eyes and never opened it again. Meeraaa....
--------------------------------------------------

“Mridula.. Hello..” shouted Arul as he could hardly hear the voice at the other end.

“Hey Arul, Mari just now spoke to me. He ..”

Arul interrupted her “Mridula, Meera is dead…” His voice choked. He had no strength to speak any more.

“Can you come to Apollo hospital?” spoke Arul.

“I will be there in half an hour” came the reply.
----------------------------------------------------

“Come fast guys” Mridula pushed them to walk fast.

“Meera.. age 26.. admitted now” Mridula questioned the receptionist as she paused to take a deep breath.

As soon as she got the room number, the three of them climbed up the stairs to the 3rd floor. Mridula eyes searched for Arul. Finally she saw him standing at the corner of a corridor looking out of the window.

On hearing the footsteps, Arul turned around to see Mridula, Mari and Anjali. The next second, he looked away from all of them and stared into the crowded road.

Mridula placed her hand on his shoulder “Arul, are you alright?”

“I have lost everything Mridula… everything” spoke Arul without turning back.

“Arul, I am sorry. I didn’t know what problems you had. Let us forget everything. Let us be together forever” spoke Anjali.

Arul looked at Anjali “I am sorry for all the problems also. Please forgive me”. He hugged Anjali and both of them started crying. Mari and Mridula hugged them.
------------------------------------------

“Hello Meera.. Where are you?” whispered Arul.

“I am here” Meera ran and hugged him.

He lifted Meera, threw her up and caught her. “I love you, my darling”

Just then the doorbell rang and Mridula and Mari came in and smiled at Meera.

Anjali came from the kitchen to see them “Welcome home sis”

“The father and the daughter are the best couple together” spoke Anjali to Mridula.

“They surely are..” spoke Mridula as she winked at Arul.
-------------------------------------------

Hope you liked the story. Do leave your comments