Another Chance

"Let me speak!" He resisted and took off the ventilation mask from his mouth, His eyes filled with tears, His hands were shaking but he desperately wanted to convey the feelings which were in his heart for a long time, He couldn't able to speak aloud. But He was crying when he sensed his pulse going down.

He was going away from her, He didn't want to leave her, He didn't want to leave her alone, He knew, Other than him, She didn't have anyone, Not even a friend, She threw everyone and everything only for him, She was ready to accompany him when he lost every tie in his life, He thought she came to his life feeling it as a charity but he never speaks it aloud. Somewhere In his heart, He needs charity. But it wasn't charity, but love, He understood it lately.

"No, Please" She cried, holding his hand tightly, Tears in her eyes didn't take the name to stop as she felt her own life lying in the death bed looking at her with helpless eyes. She couldn't do anything to relieve him from the pain. Over her whole, She only loved him, Initially unknowingly, but now, With all her heart. His tears, even more, make her weak, She held his hands tightly.

"Now Or Never, Rithu. Let me speak, Please" He cried again looking at her eyes, She cried badly hearing those terrifying words from him, Her sobs weren't loud, but it tore his heart for not noticing this beautiful soul in his life when he thought he was the king, She was just another woman for him, then. But when she comes to know about his condition, she was the only one to run to him and took care of him. Everyone expected something from him, but the only thing she excepts was for him to have a normal life like others. People live with aids for years, depending on one's immune system and He has a very weak immune system from birth, Which leads to this condition in his 33rd year.

"Don't say like that, I can't take it, Rohan. Please" Rithu cried while keeping her head on his palms which held palms tightly. She couldn't able to see his face but can hear him, She knew he was nearing the time, And she didn't want to see him like that for any cause.

"I know, I have never been a good husband, Not even a good human being, I know I deserve this end, But I don't want to die... You know the reason? " He said to her in his lowest tone which again gave her immense pain than she could imagine.

"It has been 4 years since we are together, But I never told this thing to you, Even Now, I don't want to say it, Because saying that at my last minutes will give you pain than happiness, You never could able to cherish the moments... But you will cry every time you think about this moment... For the first time, I have no idea what to do... Please help me..." Rohan said while holding her palms tightly, She wiped off her eyes in an instant and raised her head and face him.

"Whatever you say, say with your killing smile, It won't make me cry every time, I remember, But make me blush, Do you want to see my pinky cheeks whenever I recall your smile?" She asked, He was stuck for a while hearing her words, The intensity of the love, she has for him, will be immortal. The tears from his eyes stopped, Seeing him looking at her intensely, She stopped crying and looked into his eyes.

Even though he had no energy to say anything, He tried to be normal for the person, He loves more than the universe, He smiled, His whitish teeth were visible along with a smile which trapped most of the girl's heart once. But now that smile, that heart only belongs to her, None else. She became numb seeing him. She was stuck.

"Don't know whether life gives me a second chance or another life with you, If it does, I will carry you in my heart and gives you the whole world of happiness, Because now, not only you, Me, Rohan Singh Rathore gave my heart to you, I know you will never break it, but I promise, If fate gives me a second chance, I will cherish you for life Because." He stopped when he felt severe pain in his stomach but he didn't show it in his face. She stayed stuck, But that moment tattooing to her soul.

"Because I love you and this love stays with you forever, Even I don't exist..." Those were his last words before closing his eyes and accepted the defeat in the battle of life, He was dead, But Souls are immortal.

She didn't cry but became stuck, She didn't leave the place even when the nurse asked her to fill the form to take his body back to their house for the last rituals. Her eyelids continuously gaze from his palms to his face, which was smiling, he wasn't smiling, His lips were in the stretched state.

Last rituals happened with the help of his old friends who did for a cause of sympathy. His parents visited her, but her family didn't visit, She didn't shed a drop of tear after that, throughout his final journey.

"I think you have to go back to your family, After all, they are your parents." His mom, Dolly said to Rithika before she left, but she least responded. All these incidents were witnessed, Throughout the whole journey, he was right next to her, Holding her palms, But nobody could see him, Neither his wife, Rithika. After burying him in the coffin, She straightly went to her house, Her room. Her instinct asked to search for him in the whole house failing to believe that he's no more.

"Rohan... Rohan..." She called him and searched for him in every nook and corner.

"I am here, Rithu... But... You can't see me..." Rohan cried following her to every room.

"Rohan. Are you there inside?" She called him.

"Rithu... Calm down... Please..." He cried following her.

Her knees gave up, Her breathing started to choke in tiredness. But she didn't shed a drop of tear, She passed out in the floor looking at his smiling portrait of him hanging in the wall. He sat next to her looking at her with teary eyes.

"CRY OUT, Rithu... Please, For me..." Rohan asked her but nothing went inside her ears. Neither she could hear him or see him. But he could see her every suffering. She stayed in the same position for hours looking at his portrait without any emotions. She stayed with her, Sometimes stayed while hugging her, But she just couldn't feel him. After a few hours, Her friend, Kalpana came inside as the house was in the wide-open state. Rohan stepped back.

Kalpana couldn't hold back her tears when she saw her friend in that state, Hopelessly. She didn't find any tickets to Delhi so she couldn't able to attend his last rituals. She was one of her friend who was against her decision when she decided to marry him. But when she heard about his demise, She couldn't stop herself from reaching her friend.

"Rithu... Oh my god, Oh my god" She exclaimed and took her to the washroom and cleaned herself. But Rithika didn't respond to anything. Kalpana didn't loose her hope, Tried everything to cheer her up. Rohan was there in her every moment. Rohan thought time will change her but he was shocked when she slid her hand after 4 months when everyone including Rohan thought she became fine. Rohan was in the hospital next to her, and hoping she should be fine, Over then, The door opened, It was not a doctor but someone else in a black blazer.

"Hey, Rohan... You're still here?" He asked him. Rohan understood who was.

"Who are you?" Rohan asked while holding her Unconscious hand tightly.

"Don't worry, I came for her, Not for you..." He said and proceeded his way towards Rithika.

"No. Please." Rohan stopped him and hugged Rithika.

"It was her own will. We respect the decision of the pure soul." That man said.

"No. I want her to live, Please go. Please." Rohan pleaded with him while hugging Rithika.

"But she decided." That man said.

"No. She will live. I want a life for her, please don't end it." Rohan cried.

"But to live her life, She needs you...Which is not possible, We both know that..." He said logically.

"But, Please go. The pain will get subside, I will make her understand, She will live her life happily. Please. Go." Rohan cried while hugging her. That man exhaled a deep breath.

"How will you do that? You are nothing but a soul." He asked.

"But My Rithika will not die. She has to live, She has to win..." Rohan cried.

"Okay, tell me. What you want?" He asked.

"Please Leave," Rohan asked.

"I asked what do you want?" He repeated.

"A life for her," Rohan replied after a long pause.

"I repeat the question. What do you want?" He asked again. He gathered up the meaning behind his words.

"I want her to forget me, I want a perfect life for her, A good husband, A beautiful family, I want her to achieve all her dreams, I want a happily ever after for her. That's it. Please" He said while looking into her eyes. That man smiled.

"You won the game even though you lost it." That man snapped his fingers and a bright light hit his eyes.

......FLASH......

When he opened his eyes, He was completely into a new world, And the fan in his old room was stopped rotating and he was lying in the old bed of his old room. He stood up, He was shocked to feel himself and another shocker, The date was 10th Feb 2007 went behind 14 years When he was just 17.

......