His Wife ✔️

27. The End

M A N I K

I was in a place that I recognised, but did not recognised. It all familiar, yet unknown; the hallways knew their way to me, I knew where I was, but maybe I didn't take any effort to recognise anything.

"Manik," there was a small whisper that made my eyes open with a jerk, making me stare everywhere at the hospital lineways, the critical rooms lined up ahead of me, and I looked around me.

I recognised whom that voice belonged to, ofcourse I did. Nandini Malhotra, my wife.

I looked around, not finding anything. The hospital was empty, it was just me sitting on the black steel bench in front of the ICU my wife was in.

"Nandini?" I called out desperately, my ears already alert to just hear her voice once more.

"Calm down, Manik," her voice was no less or more than any whisper, and I saw everywhere around me, but I couldn't see her.

Was she invisible? Why couldn't I see her?

"Manik, I love you," her voice distracted my horrible train of thoughts and I stared at the door in front of me blankly, rather helplessly, tears threatening to fall off. It was more than a day that I had not seen her or spoken to her or anything like that, and all I get is such a closure?

"Nandini, I want to see you," I murmured under by breath but I knew she heard me. I just wanted to see her once, hold her in my arms and kiss her goodbye, the way it was supposed to be. I didn't want to let her go this way, with me not being even be able to see her at all.

"Sshhh Manik," she scolded, but her voice still low and I gasped. "What have I done that we deserve this?" I tried bargaining, my voice cracking away.

"You loved me, more than any person could love any one else. You gave me an infinity in a finite number of days. Every second that we spent together was my forever, Manik. Don't cry, please," her voice got lower and I could still not see her at all. So I sat back on the bench, holding my face in my hands, my eyes closed.

If I couldn't see her, I could feel her atleast. Feel her with me. For one last time maybe.

"I don't want to let you go-.....," my voice faded and she sighed. I was so desperate to see her, I could burn the entire world if that was the way.

"I wish I could have stayed, Manik; but I cannot. God was here to take me, and I stole some time away to talk to you. Let's not be greedy? I hardly have time before I walk away from your lives," her voice was even lower but every word was like a dagger to my half beating heart.

"Then please ask your God to take me with you as well," I murmured and she almost giggled. I could give away my everything to just hear the sound of her giggling, again and again and again and again until my ears give away, because I would never grow tired of her.

"I would have, you know I love you so selfishly. But I cannot. Because you have to be here, you have a greater responsibility to take care off....," I could sense her smile and even my imagination, her smile was so radiant that it took away the pieces of my broken heart making me want to smile as well.

"What responsibility?" I breathed, her scent flowing through the corridors and into my nose, tears finally flowing off. She was here, somewhere here. With me. One last time.

"Our babies, Manik. They've not even come into the world, how can it be time for them to go away already? You choose to save me or you don't, I have to die. We all are given certain time to live, and I already lived more than my time. I loved eternities in every time you kissed me, Manik. So now you have to let me go, and treasure the children I'm leaving behind with you. They need you, Manik. Be with them, I will be watching over you..", her voice faded away, as if she was crying too.