I hate it when you cry!

She was lying on her bed as if feeling lifeless. This was
the first time she couldn’t bear this distance between him and her. As
she hugged her pillow and wept to herself, she remembered the time they
spent together a week back.


He
invited her to his place where they spent three days together. They
walked on beaches at night, shared intimate moments and ended up making
love at the late hours. Something connected them and she loved it so
much that she ached to be with him.



“Here
is your ticket and call me as soon as you reach.” He instructed as she
looked at him with teary eyes. They were standing at the bus station.
As tears slipped from her eyes, he reached to wipe them. “I hate it
when you cry…I love you sweetheart.”


His
words echoed in her heart which made her cry harder as she tried to
hold her painful voice inside. She was lying in her hostel room and
three of her roommates were sleeping calmly. She did not want to
disturb them with her sobs.



“You
want me to make you smile?” He asked her as she nodded in response. He
searched for something in his pocket and slipped it on her finger.
“Will you marry me?”



A
smile reached her face unable to hold the sudden surge of happiness
that ran in her heart but nodded in refusal. He was confused as he
frowned.



“How long will you love me?” I said giving him a naughty smile. “How long? Year or two…How long?”



“I will love you till my last breathe.” He said with a serious look. “I promise.”



There
was something in his words and in his eyes as if he meant to keep that
promise and it scared her. A sudden blast of horn made her turn as her
bus was ready to leave so she embraced him with heavy heart.



“I love you.” She said as if her voice revealed how much she meant those words.



Last
night he called her at three in the morning and it startled her. She
was happy to hear his voice in her sleep as he kept talking to her for
three hours and by that time she was wide awake. She tried to hang up
and go back to sleep but he wouldn’t agree.



“Tell
me you love me.” He had said that for the tenth time in between and she
would obey him blowing a kiss on the cell. “Now go to sleep.”



“I
don’t feel like sleeping.” He said in a tired voice. She had known him
for a long time but today he was reluctant to hang up. Every time he
would make an excuse and engross her in some romantic conversation as
she dismissed the idea of hanging up.



“It’s almost morning!” She said checking out her watch. “Jai, I love you sweetheart and go to sleep. You have a job tomorrow.”



“I don’t want to hang up. I miss you, Preeti.” He said in a heavy voice. “I want you here by my side.”



“Jai.”
She was out of words at his craziness. She realized that as the moments
were passing by, his voice was growing weaker and tired.



“Jai! Are you okay?” She asked worried as she could make out he was having problem keeping up the conversation.



“Never felt better.” He said in a slow husky voice. “It’s just that I am falling asleep.”



“I think you should sleep now.” She said finally.



“I guess so…” He said with a pause. “I love you, Preeti.”



“I
love you too.” She said and hung up. Something was disturbing her about
Jai as she called him back but he didn’t receive. She hung up thinking
that he must have fallen asleep.



She
tried to sleep as her eyelids felt heavy when a sudden vibration of her
cell made jump. Jai’s number made her blush as she smiled and received
his call.



“Jai…Go to sleep!” She said firmly but an unrecognized voice greeted her.



“Hello…Who is this?” She asked worried.



“Who are you? How do you know Jai Mehta?” A voice asked on the other end.



“I am Preeti Khanna.” She answered as her heart raced. “I am Jai’s fiancée.”



“This
is Dr. Sheharyaar Khan from Appollo Hospital and I am sorry to inform
you that Jai Mehta has passed away fifteen minutes back.”



Preeti
could feel her world shatter as these words hit her head like a hammer
and she could feel her body grow numb. Dr. Sheharyaar Khan explained to
her about Jai’s accident which took place two days back and he had a
severe brain hemorrhage.



The
words were a blur for her as her brain lost all capability of
understanding. Jai’s handsome face and innocent smile floated in her
mind and a sudden realization of losing him dawned on her.



Her
friends were by her side when she revealed to them about Jai’s death.
Preeti couldn’t believe that Jai is no more as she grabbed her cell
phone to dial his number when a message symbol blinked on her mobile.



‘Preeti…I
am sorry to leave u but I tried to keep my promise that I will love you
till my last breath. I have loved u from bottom of my heart, ur smile
brings solace to my soul and I can never bear to see u crying. Baby,
even if I am not there…remember that I love you and will protect you. I
will miss you….Goodbye.’



She has read his message again and again sobbing in the dark. She tried to dial his mobile number which was ‘switched off’.



Jai
was gone and she knew he would never return to her. His memories
assaulted her mind as she lay awake but by dawn she drifted off to a
restless sleep. At morning when she checked her cell phone, there was a
message for her.



“I hate it when you cry…I love you.”