The Call...

It was already past his working hours, he had to do an overtime to fill in for his friend. Was a very tiring and troublesome day for Rakesh. He returned home at 9pm, he had left for work at 8 in the morning. The argument he had with his boss was still going in his mind. He knew his points were right, but the boss won’t listen to him. Just thinking about it was making him damn frustrated. He was too tired to make anything to eat, the frozen last night’s pizza and a can of Carlsberg was good enough for him. He was lying on his bed watching TV, some weird horror movie. He wasn’t actually watching anything but surfing through. The work pressure was getting the better of him. Just then his phone rang, he checked the number, it was his friend Rahul. He picked it up and said,
"Where the hell are you these days Rahul?"...Rahul answered, “Sorry bro..just got back in town...was away to Delhi for a business meeting...
so you want to catch up for a drink like the old times??"
Hearing his friend’s voice seemed to have a pretty nice effect on Rakesh's frustration, He said, “Sure man... want to met right now??" Rahul replied, "Yeah why not...the same old place!??!".. Both had a small laugh, and then hung up, Rakesh did not get dressed up much. He was anyways still in his work clothes as he dint feel like changing after returning home.
He went down, started his car and went straight to THAT place. He hadn’t visited there in a long time.
Maybe a year or so, but the memories he had cant be forgotten so easily.
After a good 45mins drive he reached there. It was a small secluded beach where hardly anyone visited.
He came out of his car and sat on its bonnet. Staring at the moon, it seemed like an eternity had passed since he last visited this place.
After some 5mins he heard another car arriving, it parked right besides Rakesh's car, out came Rahul holding 2 cans of Carlsberg. After all it was their favourite since college times.
They both shared a handshake and then a warm hug. Rakesh felt like a college student again. Being with his closest friend made him feel really light. They started to chat. And the chats topic ranged from their work to their ex's and back to those good ol’ college days.
And it seemed just like a minute and it was already past midnight, they had couple of cans of beers gulped down by now. All the topics in the world were almost over discussing.
Rakesh was feeling a bit tired by now. So he lied his back down on the wind-screen, closed his
eyes and was talking about how his boss never acknowledges his work and how his best efforts always go in vain, he spoke for almost 10mins and dint realised that Rahul hadn’t spoken a word yet, he opened his eyes to see no one was there. He was sitting on bare sand on some random sandy beach. He started to feel something weird has happened in those 10mins he had his eyes closed. But on the other hand he was getting
a feeling that it was more than that. A shiver went down his spine...Suddenly he felt a cold breeze through his face.
He began sweating heavily, his hands felt frozen. He began panting so heavily he hadn’t in his entire life. He tried looking for someone around, but he couldn’t see a thing, it was all sand and water. He started running. His heart was pounding. Heartbeats reaching their limits. But he still couldn’t see a road; it felt like he was the last person on this earth and that he would give anything to see some sign of human existence around him.
He couldn’t remember how since how long he was running. He had lost the sense of time.

Suddenly he felt something touching his legs...and catching them.....BAAM!!...He fell straight
to the ground on his face. He felt something creeping up to his legs. He was sure he was going to die at that very moment. He wanted to get up and start running again but his legs won’t even budge. He felt something like tentacle thing crawling its way up to his torso griping his body like a coiling anaconda but as it came towards his waist it felt like a skinny human hand making hissing sound like an insect, realising that he cannot escape this situation. He Dug his face into the ground he waited for his end to come, closing his eyes as hard as he could. Suddenly he heard a phone bell ringing....It was his Cell phone!!!
He opened his eyes...lifted his head...he was lying face down on his bed...with a beer can toppled off the bed leaking on the floor...He couldn’t understand what happened...did he fall asleep while watching the horror film??..Was that real? Putting those thoughts aside he rushed for his cell phone. It was still ringing, he saw the name flashing up....and his forehead filled with sweat and  his breaths grew heavier....The name flashing on the cell phone was...."RAHUL" !!!!!!

BYE..!

       It was well past midnight, a man wearing a black suit entered his room. He gave a vague smile and asked, “Just a day more please.” The suited man smiled and slowly nodded his head as he left the room.

A continuous bell ringing got her out of bed in the morning. She was still half asleep as she opened the door. There she saw him, standing with a bouquet of pink orchids, a box of chocolates and a cake. “What are you doing here baby?” she asked in astonishment. “You should be home resting! Who let you leave your bed?” she asked in an angry voice.

“Happy Birthday Babe!” he said rather smilingly.

“You didn’t like me coming?” his voice turning low now.

Noticing that she made all his efforts almost worthless immediately apologised, “ohh, so sorry baby. Come on in na. I just got scared seeing you come all the way here alone.”

The both went in. He opened up the cake box. It was her favourite Belgium dark chocolate. She smiled looking at it. The cake had an image of both of them from the time when they had gone for a fishing trip. It was one of their best outings and their last one as well.

He sat on the couch and placed the cake on the table in front of it and started lighting up the candles. Pointing her to come and sit beside him. “Make a wish before you blow them off” he said handing her the knife. As she closed her eyes to make the wish, “You know what not to wish about, right?” he smiled again as a small tear rolled off her eyes. She closed her eyes, made a wish and blew off the candles and then cut the cake.

She took a big piece of the cake and stuffed it in his mouth. He did the same along with applying some over her face. She in turn took a chunk of the half cut cake and tried to apply it on his face as he jumped off the couch and ran towards the bedroom. She followed him saying “you’re so dead!”

“You’ll never be able to catch me you slowpoke!” he teased her as he ran for his life.

In the bedroom they ran around the bed couple of times. Just then the he started breathing heavily and bent down. She threw the cake away and came to help him. “It’s ok, it’s ok” he said as he took deep breaths.

“It’s certainly not!” she shouted. “You should never have come here” she said as tears started to fall off her cheeks. “How did uncle and the doctors let you come?” she asked

“Who said they did?” he said as he tried to laugh but it wasn’t coming easily.

“What the hell!” her temper was out of the ceiling. “You’re going back now. I’m gonna take you home” she said as she helped him on the bed and was about to reach for her phone.

Just then he pulled her hand and gave a kiss on her lips. All her anger went away as she embraced him in a hug which was warmer than a thick blanket in a cold night. As the kiss broke, he looked at her and said, “See, I’m all better now.” He gave the smile which made her fall in love with him.

She hugged him tight, “I love you and always will, no matter what” she said as tears came of her eyes like an open flood gate.

“But, you know what babe?” he said in a tense tone.

“What? What?” she asked worriedly.

“I love you more. I always will. No matter what” he said with a big smile on his face.

“You.....you’re a bad man!” she said with a small smile on her face as she punched his arms gently.

“And you’re so cute!” he said pulling her cheeks.

They both spent the next hour in each other’s arms on the bed. “Should we make an epic birthday lunch?” he asked.

“That would be awesome!” she exclaimed.

“Anyways I don’t have time till dinner..,” he said as she looked at him with an expression of dismay. “I mean, I need to go back home!!” he laughed.

“Such a meanie you are!” she punched him again but this time a bit harder as she went towards the kitchen. He followed her.

“What should we make?” she asked as she took a look around the kitchen.

“What about pasta with baby corns and mushrooms in white sauce. I guess it’s someone’s favourite” he said giving her a wink and pulling out the packet of pasta from the shelf. She knew it was her favourite pasta combination.

“That won’t be too bad” she teased him.

In half an hour the pasta was ready. They set up the table. He took out a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and poured two glasses out. “Are you allowed to drink that?” she questioned.

“Ahh, stop it. Let me live for a day at least” he replied. She thought that he does have the right to do what he feels like for a day if not more and nodded.

As they were about to sit for the lunch, “Oh forgot to mention, your chair for today is my lap” he said teasingly and gave a wink. She blushed and agreed. He served the pasta in a single big plate and brought it to the table. As he sat down on the chair he looked at her and pointed to his lap. She sat on his lap. She was blushing so much that her faced looked like a tomato he joked. She gave him a small pat on his shoulder.

He took a glass of wine, gave it to her and taking the other one for himself, he said “A toast for your birthday and your happiness.”

She smiled and said, “My happiness is with you” and gave him a kiss. He then took the fork and fed her and himself alternating turns. They also shared many kisses in between. When the food was over he asked her if they can remain like that for some more time. She smiled and hugged him.

He then lifted her up in his arms and took her in the bedroom and slowly laid her on the bed as he kissed her forehead and then her cheeks and then her lips. She kissed him back. As he was making his way on to the bed beside her, he started coughing heavily. She immediately got up and helped him on the bed again. She ran towards the kitchen and got a glass of water. The water helped in relieving the coughing a little bit. As he got normal he pulled her towards him and hugged her with all his might.

“I love a lot babe. And I’ll miss you!” he said as a tear dropped off his eyes. This was the first time she saw him cry and she knew she had to be strong. So she wiped the tear off his cheek and said nothings gonna happen baby. I promise. My god won’t let anything happen to you. She kissed him on his forehead.

The rest of the afternoon she made him lay on her lap as she caressed his hairs. He kissed her hands in between. She felt it was truly the best birthday she ever had. As the clock showed 5 o’clock he got up to leave. They hugged again. She didn’t want him to leave and he didn’t want to go.

“You know this was the best birthday!” she said as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

“Anything for you baby” he smiled as he gave a small pat on her lips with his lips.

“And as much as I wish I stayed, you know I have to leave” he said and she nodded with a sad face.

As he opened the door she came from behind and hugged him, very gently this time, “Go home safe ok” she said in a sad voice. “Or should I come to drop you?” she asked.

“I’m not a kid babe. I know my way back. And I’m going home nowhere else. Nothing can happen to anyone going home. Right?” he said giving a big smile and gave her a kiss on the forehead and her hands.

“Bye!” he said in an emotional voice and he head out of the door into the street.

He waved her goodbye as long as he could see her standing on the porch. And as she disappeared around the corner of the street, he was joined by his friend in the black suit. He kept one of his hand on his shoulder and they both walked down the road, slowly disappearing into thin air.