Love Forever

He felt a soft hand on his forehead. He opened his eyes and there she was holding a cup of coffee and sitting close to him on bed.

"Good morning! Did you have a good sleep dear?", she asked with a smile. 

"Yes darling, I slept happily and also had a beautiful dream. Good morning!", he sat up on the bed, put his arms around her and held her close to him.

"Have this coffee", she said, holding the coffee cup to his lips. He took a sip and smiled. She too had a sip from it and then asked him, "Tell me about your dream, was I there in your dream?".

He chuckled and said, "How can my dream be beautiful if you are not there in it!". She smiled and said, holding the cup again to his lips, "Tell me the dream, I am so eager to hear it".

"Alright, listen.", he took a sip from the cup and continued, "One day God summoned all married couples on earth to a place unknown. You were with me holding my hand. I also saw many familiar faces.".

He had another sip from the cup she held to his lips. "And then?", she asked, taking a sip from the cup.

He continued, "God then announced that He was going to grant some wishes to all the couples but they would have to pay a price for it. For each wish, God said, people would be having two choices and they would get one minute to choose.".

"And then?", she asked him with keen interest, but did not forget to hold the coffee to his lips. She too had a sip and cuddled more close to him.

"God then presented His first gift to people.", he continued, "Many beautiful girls appeared behind all the couples. God said to men that they could either hold their wife's hand and move forward or they could go back and choose one of the girls and live with her rest of the life.". 

"You would not have even looked back.", she said, smiling. He too smiled and took the empty cup from her hand and put it on the table. "Yes. But I was both amazed and sad that many people went back and some even stood there thinking whether to move forward or back.".

She too shared his concern for those wives and leaned on him gently. She put her arms around him and asked, "And then what happened?".

He continued, "God presented the second gift to the people who moved forward with their wives. God said to men, that all men who would choose to move forward again would become blind by doing so but their wives would get immunity for all earthly diseases and those men who choose to go back would lose their wives.".

 She sat upright and looked into his face and said, "I know what you would have chosen, but I cant bear it, if anything happen to you. Why did you not choose to leave me?", she almost broke into tears. He placed his palm gently on her cheek and said, "Even if I go blind, I know, you will take care of me like the apple in your eye, but if I lose you, wont it be more painful for you and me? It is about losing my eye or losing me as a whole. And don't worry, it is just a dream", he smiled. She did not like the idea of him going blind, but she did not say anything but simply hugged him and lied with her head on his lap.

Lying on his lap, she looked at him and said smiling, "Tell me the rest of the dream.".

He continued, "Many couples separated there, some men did not want to be blind. Also some girls left their blind husbands, I felt pity for those men. There were only about hundred couples remaining.".

"World has so less lovable and loving people.", she said sadly.

He nodded and continued, "All remaining men were blind, including me. God presented his third gift. God told all the women to hold their blind husband's hand and guide them to the harbor which was about 100 meters away, and if they reach the harbor in one minute, their husbands would get their eyes back. He also told everyone to take with them anything they find on their way to harbor."

Lying on his lap she looked up into his face and said smiling, "Let me guess, there were diamond rings, gold chains, necklaces and everything on which a woman's eye would stop. Am I right?". He nodded. She kissed him on his hand and said, "You are my greatest treasure, I do not want anything else.".

He smiled and continued, "Many women left their husbands and went to pick up handful of ornaments. Some even dragged their husbands and picked up, with the other hand, anything they could find. But, you were holding my hand and running to the harbor and reached there before anyone else. "

"After one minute had passed, harbor disappeared along with the few lucky people who reached harbor on time. I got my eyes back and was so happy to see you again. You were more happy, kissing me all over my face", he said smiling. 

She was now really happy and curious. She sat up on bed and asked, "Then what happened?".

He said, "Only nine couples were remaining. Then God came to harbor with the ship to heaven. He said that He would take only one person from a couple to heaven and the other would be staying behind for one year on earth. God gave everyone one minute to think.".

She took his hand and held it tight. He continued, "Five husbands chose to send their wives and three wives chose to send their husbands. But, you and me, both of us did not want to send the other away, even if it was to heaven. One minute passed and God asked the ship to be sailed. The ship set sail to heaven with eight people. God then sent their eight partners back to earth to wait for one year before they were taken to heaven.", he paused. 

He looked into her eyes, held her close to him, smiled and said, "God then looked at both of us and said, 'Nothing can ever separate you, let both of you live happily on earth or heaven wherever you wish, as long as you wish, as Angels of Love.".

He then kissed her and she smiled.

How I Died

"Sir, You have a post." I was about to take a nap when i heard the waiter's voice. I saw the envelope lying on the floor. My name and address were printed on it.

Allan Sandroff, 

Room No: 113,

Hotel Bew Avenue,

New York.

I checked for the sender's address, but there was not even a name. I opened the envelope and found a piece of cloth. It looked like a handkerchief. The handkerchief was a weird one. It was black in color with seven white crosses stitched at the top.

It was getting late. So i kept the handkerchief in my drawer and set out to my office. On my way back from the office i met Aleena, a good friend of mine who helped me always in times of difficulties. After a little chat i said goodbye and began walking towards my hotel. Suddenly, the clouds turned black and it began to rain. I was sure that i would catch a cold. I ran the rest of the way to my hotel.

I went to my room. I was not feeling well. I took out the handkerchief from the drawer and sneezed "Achoo... achoo..." I stopped sneezing when i saw something weird on the handkerchief. Letters were appearing on the handkerchief, as if they were being written by an invisible pen. I stared at it. It was the address of an old schoolmate of mine.

Ralio Fujis,

House No: 23,

Straight Walk Street,

San Francisco.

I stared at it blankly. Then it clicked to me, "Ah! I should have guessed. Ralio must have sent this gift. He was always a witty guy who plays pranks, and he has written..." I stopped suddenly because Ralio's name disappeared and another name began to form.

Aleena Strokes,

House No: 44,

Liberty Street,

New York.

I didn't understand anything. "What has Aleena got to do with Ralio? They don't even know each other." I decided to ask Aleena. But, then something caught my attention.

Aleena's name disappeared and the seven crosses began to glow. The crosses were becoming brighter and were moving towards the center. As they neared the center, the crosses merged one over the other and became brighter and brighter. At last, all the crosses became one, which glowed brilliantly. Then suddenly the cross disappeared and appeared as seven crosses in their old positions.

"Knock, knock." There was someone at the door. It was 7 p.m. and the room-boy had come to clean the room. I put the handkerchief safely back inside the drawer and went to the restaurant for dinner. It was 7:30 when i returned to my room. I decided to call Ralio. All mysteries must come to an end, i thought. It was Ralio's P.A. who picked up the call. He said, "Sorry Sir, Mr. Ralio Fujis died in a plane crash half an hour ago." I hung up the phone. It was a sad news. Good old days with Ralio were coming over to my mind, but suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, "Aleena!!!, her name also appeared on that evil thing, "Oh No..." The telephone bell began to ring, i picked it up. The voice said, "Sir, this is from St. Albert's hospital. Miss Aleena Strokes met with an accident. We did our best to save her but she died." I froze there holding the phone.

I went to hospital to have a last look at her. This was more than i could bear. "All this happened because of that evil piece of cloth." i was furious and rushed back to my hotel room. It was raining heavily but i didn't care. I reached the hotel and rushed to my room. I took the handkerchief from the drawer and threw it into the fireplace, but it simply got repelled back. I was furious and threw it out of the window. But i realized my blunder and cursed myself. "Oh! I'm such an idiot, now the cloth will get wet in the rain. God knows whose all names are going to appear on it." I rushed out of the hotel and found the handkerchief in the mud. A name was just disappearing when i took it. I ran back to the hotel with the handkerchief. But, then i saw another name appearing on the handkerchief. I froze as my name and address formed on the handkerchief.

Suddenly, the crosses began to glow. I got back to my room, closed all windows and doors, lit the fireplace and sat on the couch facing the clock and with the handkerchief in my hand. "I am safe now, no one can kill me in here", i thought. But, the crosses in the handkerchief continued to come closer, and my heart began to beat faster. Suddenly, i found it hard to breathe. "Oh no! I closed all sources of air and lit the fireplace." I began to suffocate. I couldn't get up from the couch. I dragged myself to the closed window, and tried to reach and open it. Out of the corner of my eye, i saw the crosses merged together. I stretched my hand to open the window. Suddenly, there was a bright glow and i was dead.