Voyage of Love (Love Shots Contest)

Last Song

(Genre: Horror)

For a newly wedded couple, Meena and Jai seemed to lack the magical spark of attraction between them. Only three months has passed since their marriage and Jai began to act differently. In the last few days, he was rarely home. He would disappear for hours together and when Meena inquired where he had been to, he would simply ignore her.

        It all started twenty days back when the then happy couple received a phone call informing them about the death of their dear friend, Aadil. They were told that their friend had committed suicide. The phone call was followed by a message from Tina, their other friend. Those five words of text made them both tremble with fear. Jai's behaviour has altered from that very day. Meena's nightmares had begun the same day. The cursed text from Tina read- he died the same way.

*

Meena, Jai, Aadil, Tina and Saya were close friends from their college days. Meena and Jai used to be the most popular couple in the college. Aadil and Tina had set the college's highest record of breakups and patch-ups. Saya harboured a secret crush on Jai, which almost everyone in the college was aware of. But put together these five completely different people used to be the best of friends or at least appeared to be so.

        The strength of their bond was put to a test in their final year, after the shockingly ugly break of Meena and Jai. The bond weakened when Aadil chose to side with Jai and Tina supported Meena. Saya had become the loose link that was holding it together. On the graduation day, the bond had completely been destroyed when Jai has proposed to Saya and the rest of the friends parted as foes.

*

After hearing about Aadil's death, Meena and Jai met Tina. She had informed them that Aadil was found hanged to a fan inside his flat. A suicide note and anti-depressant tablets were said to be recovered from his flat. Everyone believed that Aadil had committed suicide, except them.

        The next day, the three friends had attended the funeral. They were emotionally shaken by Aadil's sudden death. Each of them had suspicions of their own but kept their thoughts to themselves. But when Aadil's parting words of his suicide note were read aloud, each of them froze on the spot as dreadful fear engulfed every fibre of their body.

        They were familiar with each and every word that was read aloud. In fact, a few years back, the three of them, along with Aadil had heard the exact lines being recited as a part of another funeral. Aadil's suicide note was an exact replica as that of Saya, Jai's late ex-wife.

*

Saya never knew when her tiny crush on Jai has bloomed into something more. Knowing that her love would be unrequited, Saya let it reside within her. She had never expressed it, for she has immensely valued the friendship of both, Jai and Meena.

        She was the only child of a millionaire playboy who often used to forget that he had a daughter at home, awaiting him. Brought up in a mechanical household that was run by currency, she grew up all alone amidst a huge crowd. Saya yearned to be a part of a loving family since she was a child. The closest to a family that she could afford were her friends.

        But after the break-up between Jai and Meena, she couldn't help but return the smiles that Jai had begun to send her. He had started to notice her. He had started to spend time with her. He had started to lovingly play with her long curls. He had started to show her affection that she had never expected to receive from him. He had asked her to be his date for the graduation party and had proposed to her that day.

        She loved him and he returned her love. Saya had never been so happy in her life and she had accepted. They got married, a year later. All her dreams had come true and made Saya wonder whether her heart would stop to beat, from the sheer overload of happiness.

        Her heart did stop to beat but out of pain and betrayal.

*

It had been five days since Jai disappeared once again, saying 'I have a few errands to run.' Meena was left all alone and a good night's rest appeared to be a mirage, as nightmares seemed to persistently infest her sleep with, each and every night.

        Jai has not yet returned. Meena was lost in her thoughts. Suddenly the lights started to flicker. Cursing the electricity department, she rose to check the bulbs. But she stopped mid-step as a whispering voice reached her ears. Whoever it is, the person was inside her flat, just a few feet away from her. Meena tried to scream for help but only to freeze trembling with fear, when the whispering voice began to softly sing. The song seemed to gradually become loud. She realized that the person was walking towards her. She could hear the footsteps. Meena screamed aloud and fell out of the couch. She jolted up panting from her nightmare.

*

'Is she dead' asked Meena anxiously, tightly holding Saya's legs.

        'Think so' Jai replied nonchalantly. Dropping down the twisted cloth, he had examined the neck of his wife for any hint of the pulse. He then announced 'She is dead.' Dragging and lifting her body, they had managed to hang Saya's body to the hook of the ceiling fan. Placing a piece of paper on the floor, he said 'Let's hurry.'

        'What is that?' asked Meena pointing at the paper.

        'Suicide note' he replied, closing the door behind them.

        'How did you get her to sign one?' Meena asked her lover, amazed

        'I didn't. She did it herself. It was one of those stupid songs she writes' he said as they hurriedly left to join Aadil and Tina. Their old friends had agreed to play alibis for the soon be discovered murder of Saya, but of course not until they were paid a hefty amount of money.

*

Three days after Aadil's funeral, Tina called Meena. 'I know it was Jai,' she said. 'If he tries to harm me, I will expose both of you,' she threatened. The conversation with Tina had left Meena restless.

        Her anxiousness grew ten-fold when she received news that Tina too has committed suicide, as she could not live without Aadil. Meena knew that Tina was murdered, for she was very well aware that Tina never loved Aadil. Let alone die for him. Meena tried to call Jai but he stopped responding to her calls. She grew suspicious and was afraid. 'It should be someone who learned the truth and was avenging Saya's death,' she thought. But she ruled it away immediately, as Saya never had any other friends except the four of them. 'Two are now dead' she reminded herself. 'Please not me' she prayed.

*

Meena and Jai waited for a couple of years after Saya's funeral to finally get married to each other. They were very happy, for they now had everything. Their secret remained hidden.

        The only problem they had was the frequent blackmail threats from Aadil and Tina. But it has never bothered them, for they had acquired an abundance of wealth from Saya's will. Parting with some on a frequent basis seemed like a small payment.

*

'Where have you been? Why have you not answered my phone calls?' asked Meena, when Jai had finally returned home. 'Tina is dead!' she informed. Upon receiving no response from her husband, she yelled 'I knew! You killed her. You killed Aadil too. You said no more killings. Why Jai? Why?' Jai's persistent silence irked her even more. She reached forward grabbing his shirt and hissed looking into his eyes, 'answer me Jai!'

        Smiling sinisterly and whispering like it's a secret, only to condemn the one who hears it, Jai slowly said 'he was long gone and now it's your turn' in Saya's melodious voice. The lights began to flicker once again but for real.

*

Author's Note: This story has a total of 1368 words excluding this note. Hope you have enjoyed reading it and if time permits, kindly let me know your view by leaving a review. Thank you.