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.

......

Everything seems to be new and different, Last night, He had no 'body', No-one could feel him and he even felt helpless when his wife committed suicide by sliding her veins, And now, Everything changed in a snap, He opened his eyes and found himself 17 years old. And the calendar to everything in his room told him that it's 2007, not 2020. From the LCD Screen Tv to flip-flop cell phones. There was no name called 'smartphones' But they called it with another name, Touch phones. He walked here and there in his room rather than sneaking out and visit others, His brothers and his parents.

He bound inside because of the shock.

Over then, The television automatically switched on, And it aired the same man, who came to the hospital to take his wife with him. Rohan's eyes came out in shock. For a minute, He couldn't realize anything which was happening around him. He went towards the tv and looked at him. Where that man was reading the newspaper inside the television.

"Impossible" He exclaimed looking at the television closely.

"Wait a minute, It's all my dream?" Rohan whispered.

"Not at all, Nothing is your dream." The man in the television screen spoke to Rohan while looking at him. Rohan fell back on the floor at the instant. But His eyes fixed on the television.

"Oh my god" Rohan called him.

"Yes, My son" The man in the television responded to him. Rohan's eyes came out in shock, He just couldn't able to recognize what was happening around him. He remained confused. But he gathers up the courage and tried to ask him.

"Wha... What's happening?" Rohan asked him in a calm tone. But his mind wasn't ready to calm down.

"I gave what you asked." The man in the television responded with a smile. Rohan recalled the event that happened in the hospital where he tried to protect his wife from him who was about to take her away with him.

"But, I didn't ask anything for me," Rohan asked him.

"That's where the purity of the love exists." He responded.

"But I asked a happy life for her, Not me, I am fine with whatever I have gone through in my life, I lived my life, Whatever I got in my life is what I deserve, but my Rithu didn't deserve anything. She didn't deserve that end. Please, I don't need any second chance, I want her to forget me and lead a happy life with someone whom she deserves." Rohan said with teary eyes. But that man stood up from the place and smiled at him.

"Even I thought you deserve this end, But Now, I think you need a reboot." He said with a smile.

"I don't want any reboot in my life," Rohan said in a failed tone.

"Before 5 months, You were ready to do anything to survive and To be with her, Now what happened? Became tired of your life, This much easily. See, Gods are made with kind hearts, They forget and forgive. Now I already rebooted your life, Repeating the mistakes or Creating a new memory is all up to you." He said and Rohan looked at the tv screen without blinking his eyes.

"You wanted a second chance, I gave that to you, Whatever changes but one thing will be constant, You very well know, about what I am talking about." He said with a smile, and the television switched off. Rohan stayed at the same place until His mom shows up in his room with a tea tray.

"What happened to you? why are you sitting in front of the TV?" She asked him, Rohan stood up from the place and stayed silent.

"Your behaviour with your father yesterday was unacceptable, Then too, He was ready to forgive you and take you to States. We are moving to America and that's final." His mother said and he just couldn't able to gather anything for a while. But his mom just blabbered everything to him and went but he stayed back in his room, Confused.

......

On the other hand, At the same while, someone ended up in counseling for staying in silence for the past twenty days. Her parents became so tensed when they found her in that condition. But Only her heart knew the reason.

"Rithika, Right?" The psychiatrist asked her while reading the name in her prescription but she least bothered to that.

"Miss, can you please tell your age?" The psychiatrist asked Rithika while tapping his pen in his notepad.

"16" she replied in a low tone.

"Wow, Very dangerous age and confused phrase..." He commented on her answer.

"What you're saying? I am silent because I am heartbroken, You're saying I am silent because I got humiliated by the person whom I trusted the most. You're saying, I am heartbroken because My best friend betrayed me by moving on with the person..." Rithika yelled at him in her thoughts when he was not ready to leave her alone and keep asking her questions.

"Okay, I got it... You're not silent just because of what you have said, But Let me guess Academics?" He continued to ask her. she nodded her head just to escape from the place where she was in.

"What happened? I mean with your academics... At least you can share with me..." He asked her.

"Don't know, But. How much I try I couldn't able to succeed? It's like going round and round in the same speed! I couldn't able to score more!" She said which she thought it must be convincing from the person who was sitting opposite to her and observing. But he smiled instead. Why he's smiling?

"Okay, Rithika. Your mom said you like to write! So I have a small present for you!" He said and take out a diary from his bag and handed it to her. She looked at the diary with confusion.

"From now, Whenever you think like going round and round, Write down your problem here. Share everything with it like it's your best friend. Bye Rithu, See you at the next session." He said Rithika didn't wait for a moment to take her bags and leave that suffocating room. DOES WRITING EVERYTHING PUT END TO HER PROBLEM?

......

Winter of 2018.

Description: Before the reboot.

The day was very dull equivalent to her mood, Rohan couldn't cheer her up because he knew she was deeply hurt by her sister who didn't invite her to her wedding, and she gazing at her Instagram photos. She didn't shed tears but she was sad, and she badly needs a person next to her, He understood. Taking the blanket from the cupboard, He moved towards the drawing-room. Rithika was resting in the couch and gazing at her iPad. She didn't notice his presence until he came and wrap her with the blanket.

"Rohan, Didn't sleep yet?" Rithika asked him Before she could spell anything further, He took her head in his lap and switched on the television.

"Not yet! Wait, Shall we binge-watch vampire diaries?" He asked while switching on to Netflix. She looked at him and checked his temperature.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Rithika asked him with a smile. Because she knew he hated that series but he loved it.

"I have to ask this to you, Why are you acting so different since morning? Just because you come to know about your sister's wedding through Instagram?" He asked her while intertwining his fingers with her finger.

"Not like that, I am happy for her," Rithika said with a smile and took his hand wrapped it around her neck, and heaved out a deep breath. Rohan sensed everything but he had no idea from where to start. But his number one priority was to change her mood, So he decided to ask the question which he wanted to ask for a long time.

"I know, It's the wrong timing to ask you this, But I want to know, Shall I ask?" He asked while caressing her hair in his lap. She turned her face and looked at him.

"Did I say 'no' to you on anything? why are you even asking?" Rithika asked him. He couldn't able to come out of her words but kissed her forehead and thanked her for everything, For being with him in the most terrible and last phrase of his life. If he says that in reality, she will cry, He never wanted that, so he remained silent.

"Why are you silent? Ask me whatever you wanted to ask!" Rithika insisted on him.

"Hmm. What I need to know is..."

"What?" She asked him.

"When did you fall in love with me?" He asked.

"I always loved you, I told you this at least a million times..." Rithika hesitated.

"Whenever I ask you this question, You always hesitate like this. I hate you for this!" Rohan said in a grumpy tone.

"Aww, My baby became grumpy. But Honestly, I couldn't figure out when I fall in love with you, But I can tell when I recognized, I can't live without you." Rithika said.

"I heard that for a zillion times, You recognized that before 3 years and before 2 years, You went out of patience and proposed me, And we got married. But I want to know When you fall in love with me." He asked her in a low tone.

Rithika stood up from her place and sat opposite him in the couch, Took his palms, and kept it in her lap. He looked at her confusingly with a smile.

"Okay, Shall we play a game? I call it, 'DOWN TO THE MEMORY LANE' I hope, after playing this game, You might get your answer When the great, Rithika trivedi fell in love with the great Rohan Singh Rathore... So Are you ready, Mr. Rathore?" Rithika asked him.

"Yes, Mrs. Rathore. I am very good in cracking puzzles." He said with a smile, Her cheeks went pink seeing his smile. His smile always makes her blush.

"Are you blushing?" He asked her.

"No. The weather. It's too cold. Shall we start the game?" Rithika asked him in the return, He pinched her right cheek, but she slightly jerked off his hands, tugged her hair behind her ears, and started the question.

"Okay, The game is, I will ask you some questions, You have to answer them, It's about 'us'... Are you ready?" Rithika asked him.

"Always!" He responded. Sat up comfortably on the couch facing her opposite.

"Question no -1: When did we first meet?" Rithika asked him.

"Wait, I know the answer, It's 4th Grade. Am I right?" He asked her, She smiled looking at the floor. He asked her what happened, Instead of replying, She opened her google drive in her iPad and shown him their kindergarten group picture where Rohan was standing in the first row and Rithika was standing in the row above him. Rohan cupped his mouth in shock.

"What are you saying?" Rohan exclaimed.

"Yeah, We both are in the same class from Kindergarten to second grade, Then my paapa got transferred and again we met in 4th grade. So Rithika-1 and Rohan-0" - Rithika replied, Rohan remained silent and nodded his head.

"Question no-2, I think you can answer this question, Who was your first-first girlfriend from school?" Rithika asked him.

"I can answer this, It's Rivana from 5th grade..." He said with a vibrant answer.

"Oh really, Then Rihana, Nithya, Ananya come under which category?" Rithika asked him with a smile.

"Oh, Yeah, They exist. So It's Ananya, She's the first girl who I proposed to without knowing the meaning of love." Rohan said with a cheapish smile.

"Stop cheating, Mr. Rathore. This point goes to me. So Rithika- 2, Rohan- 0" Rithika said.

"You said, The questions are about us..." Rohan said.

"Anyway, You're not gonna remember anything, Let's go general," Rithika said disinterested tone.

"Rithu, Yaar." He pouted at her sadly.

"Okay fine, Three more questions." - Rithika said. He nodded.

"When did you find a girl like me EXISTS in your school? The place where you were studying." Rithika asked while placing her hand in her cheek.

"You mean a girl like a fairy." He asked her, she chuckled. He knew the answer but hesitated to tell anything to her. So he was ready to pick the safe answer.

"Before 4 years, When I met you in the conference as a journalist." He said avoiding eye contact with her.

"No, You're lying, I know, You know the answer, Come on, Answer. Now you're my husband, Remember." Rithika asked him in the calmest tone.

"In our twelfth grade, Before boards, When I come across Kiara," Rohan said in a low tone. He couldn't able to face her.

"Hey... Hubby..." Rithika called him. Rohan faced her with a low face.

"You never knew I have feelings for you over that time... So there's nothing to worry about, Over then, I was hurt, But not now." - Rithika said while widening her arms for a hug, He came and took her in his lap while hugging her.

"I shouldn't have done that, I was living under some shed which had full of fake people and resisted me to look through the real peoples and the fairy of my life." He said while kissing her forehead.

"Stop cursing yourself, You were a kid. And now everything became alright." - She said while caressing her face in his chest.

"Yeah, When I find the reason for my life, it presented me with a timer." - Rohan replied. Tears crossed from both of their eyes.

"It was a very bad phase for me. My best friend, Kiara cheated on me, That too, Moving on with you, She knew everything about my inner feelings, On that day, I lost trust in everything. Even I refused to spend some time with my mom, Gone away from my sister, She almost became like a stranger to me, And then, the Sudden death of my mom, After my exams, And my father's re-marriage. Everything messed up with one another." Rithika finally opened up to him, Even though he knew he was the reason behind it, He didn't loosen up the grip, He held her tightly and consoled her by being with her.

"Then, Finally I went to college, Met my friends, They brought me back to life," Rithika said with a chuckle.

"This Lehenga. Mom made it for me, For my wedding, She wanted me to wear it with pearl jewelry as I am very obsessed with Mermaid princess. She wanted me to look like a mermaid princess walking in the aisle holding my prince charming hand, Oh my god, How cheesy she was?" Rithika chuckled, Tears grouped in Rohan's eyes but he didn't let it down. He held her palms tightly.

"She dreamed a lot for me, For my wedding. Now, seeing my sister in that outfit. I just can't stop myself from missing my mom." Rithika said, Her voice trailed off. Rohan pulled her back to his chest and stopped her from saying anything further. Over then, He wished to go back to the past and erase her pain a little bit. But He signed disbelief thinking that, It will never happen but the least he could do he can adore his fairy who slept in his chest.

......