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.