Two bodies, One person

"Forget me"

          She began to become sick by and by and the number of times she fainted increased. Then she was taken to the hospital to see what all these were about. Some testing showed this result. It was bone cancer. She was admitted to the hospital that very moment. But she was not having much trouble that we thought she would come home soon. But we were too quick in our judgements. Her condition began worsening and she kept shrinking day by day. Later, only her bones were visible.

             I visited her every time I could and since I was free after the examinations, it mostly was daily that I visited her. I kept her cheerful as best I could. Although her body was so thin, her twinkling eyes still gave away the youthful spirit remaining within her.

               One day, while we were laughing for our own dull jokes, tears began to escape her eyes. I was shocked.

"Are you hurting somewhere?" I asked.

"Yes, yes I'm really hurting" she replied, the tears now flowing endlessly.

"Where? Should I call the nurse?"

"No, don't. I don't think they will be able to relieve me from this pain. It is in the heart that I'm hurting," She continued "I know I won't stay much longer. I know I should be getting ready for my own death. But I simply can't. I can't leave you guys - mother, father, brother and you. How could I bear to leave you?"

      I hugged her. I didn't have words to say. I could understand her pain. We both cried together.

     The next day I went to the hospital, we talked as usual and she gave me a paper. She said to read it somewhere private. I was curious to know what it held. So, as soon as I left the hospital, I went to the park and read the letter.

          Tears came involuntarily. It was not mere sadness. Extreme anger was mixed up. How could she be this selfish? How could she utter those words? It was like her death wish. She was saying that as she was dying, just to forget her and live on  with my life. That I would meet a better friend than her. This was not a selfless appeal to her best friend, if it was what she was thinking. This was a selfish approach. I didn't want to keep the letter with me anymore. She had even included a quotation from one of the poems in our literature syllabus - "Remember" by Christina Rossetti.

    "Better by far you should forget and smile, than that you should remember and be sad"

"It was supposed to be addressed to a lover, you dimwit!" I wanted to yell aloud to her.
    But our relationship was more stronger than that of lovers. So the letter was rubbish and I didn't want to keep it with me any longer.

          My hands lost the grasp on the piece of paper.

           I watched how the wind carried it away without the least intention of retrieving it.