Skin & Blister

23

CHAPTER SONG - DEATH BED BY POWFU, BEABADOOBEE.

We went home after the tiring day and slept for some hours.

I got up by a phone call. It was Neil. I suddenly collapsed. I had a bad vision of Zain already dead. I hurried and picked up the call.

"Irr." Zain was there.

"Oh thank you that it's you. Hi. " I said.

"Can you come over with an eulogy and ask Ayaan too to do the same. "

"What ? Why ?"

"I want a pre-funeral." Zain said.

"You're not going to die." I said, assuring him.

"I know. But in case I die.... Just come over with an eulogy. I want to hear about me from my siblings," Zain said and later added , "and Shrey too." He hung up after saying that.

I went to Ayaan and told him about the eulogy for a hypothetical pre-funeral of Zain.

"He's not going to die." Ayaan said.

"It's just an indirect reason to know how we feel about him." I replied.

I wrote for 1 hour, but still I was not satisfied with what I'd written. It was tough to write down my feelings. I just always knew that feelings are not meant to be framed in words and phrases.

...

"Can you believe that everything is over now?" Ayaan asked. We were in his car, driving to the Hopewell Hospital. 

One Direction's 'night changes' was playing in the background. I was following it's lyrics.

"I think it was not that tough or anything but what awfully heart-rending is, is Zain's injury." I replied to him. He shook his head in a yes.

...

I, Ayaan, Neil, Shrey and of course Zain were in the room 204 of the Hopewell Hospital. There were four chairs arranged near Zain's bed.

"Hey I want a podium." Ayaan said. 

"Be thankful that I at least arranged four chairs, or else you were supposed to sit on the floor and read out the eulogy." Neil said. I and Shrey laughed.

"I want this beautiful evening to start with Neil's stunning words." Zain said.

"Hey, it's already more than 11p.m. And stop being a host in your own funeral." Neil said and Zain chuckled. 

Neil shifted his chair a little more towards Zain's face and cleared his throat before starting.

"I am Neil. Zain Ahmed was the best creature in my life. He used to spend lavishly, not just money but also love. He was my best friend ever since I was born. I do not remember a single day which I've spent without him. I know that I was always his favourite sibling."-Zain nodded his head to No- Neil continued, " you are not suppose to interrupt in your own funeral. He shined for twenty one years in this world and now, when he's no more, he's shining in our hearts. I know that he's in a better place today but I am sure he's missing me. I never want a sunrise in my life now, because in the dark nothing is visible, but lights make things visible. And I don't want to see this world without Zain." Neil said. He was crying and actually everyone was in the room.

"But yes Augustus Waters was correct, 'This world is not a wish-granting factory.'" Neil ended with this and he pressed his forehead down to the edge of Zain's bed and I watched his shoulders shake. He was crying badly. "Goddamn it . Goddamn it. You're not dying Zain."

Zain smiled.

Ayaan took Neil's seat and Neil came and sat beside me. I shook his shoulders to comfort him. Ayaan looked at Zain's eulogy which he had printed and started.

"Hi. I am Ayaan. Zain Ahmed was my older brother, with a stunning appearance. Zain was the most beautiful soul in this planet. He was always loving and he was the best in keeping secrets. I ,individually, was jealous of him because of his goddamn beautiful face. And now, when I am left only with his memories, I want to feel jealous again. I can't imagine even one single day without his eye-catching appearance in my retina. If you're up there listening to this then ask God to send you back so that I can complete all my wishes of wanting to feel jealous. You want me to, right?" Ayaan had also ended up in crying dismally.

Ayaan walked to me which made me realise that I was going to say next. But Shrey stood, relieving me. 

"Hello. Zain was my chum. He was very attractive and benevolent. I am Shrey, sorry I forgot to tell. I was always petrified of the handsome man. He was never brutal or anything but I think he was a big man and honestly I am scared of the big men. I sense that God really required an angel, for that reason he called Zain. I crave that we had spent more time together. I miss you already, bro. You fought a lengthy conflict with your wounds. You'll always live in our hearts. Rest in peace. I love you. See you on the other side, buddy." Shrey was awesome with his speech. Zain gently touched his head and both of them smiled.

It was my turn to go and take the weight off my feet beside Zain and read out the eulogy I had written. I was nervous for some grounds.

"Hi. I am Ira. Zain was and still is my oldest brother. I met him a few months ago and see today I am like how am I going to spend the upcoming days without him. I want to see the future with all my three brothers. I don't even imagine my future without any of them missing. I almost know Zain from 1 year. There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1 and I am really grateful to Zain for giving me this infinite set. I really do not want to miss him. I just always want to be there with him always. I want us to play with Rio on the floor, I want us to order pizza at 3 a.m., I want us to take stupid photos and goofy videos of Neil and Ayaan while they are fighting, I want us to hug each other when we are going to be in our nineties, we want us to mame fun of each other when our faces will yurn like dry apricots because of age and et cetera. But when today he's not over here to listen to this, I'll say this to God. I have heard that God grants everything which is asked with purity in the heart.

"Zain was the best person anyone can find. I really want him back from heaven. I know he's in heaven only because he was such a pure soul and then my good deeds helped him. I want us to meet again in our next life. He'll be my mother. He was a motherly figure for me. I always want to be with you Zain. I seriously hate you, trust me..." He made a strange face and I smiled with teare in my eyes. "Okay, for your sake today, I love you, Zain. Please come back and tell me it was all a nightmare. You are the bravest. We need you, today and then always." I finished off with my tears streaming down like an enormous cascade.

Which eulogy did you people like the most from this chapter? Do comment and tell. Hope you all have liked the story so far. We are almost at the end. Thank you for your love and support.

We love you all loads.

With lots of affection,
Aryarshi. 💚💛❤