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"To linger on life"

Malikneeha5
ROMANCE
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Submitted to Contest #4 in response to the prompt: 'An unexpected message changes everything. What will you do next?'



The sky began mourning, as I climbed into the bus. I took my seat beside a teenage boy. Roaring thunder sent shivers down my spine. He asked me if I was fine. I assured him with a lie that I'm alright. Wave of nostalgia hits me and I was drowning into longing remorse. The bus protested against the howling wind and moved towards my hometown ‘Badriya’.
The arms of misery welcome me after thirteen years as we drive deep into the woods. Four hours of my journey and I was already stepping into the town. I strolled on the streets for some time with a strong desire to go back. I penetrated the familiar space confined between four walls. A strong scent of memories and melancholy fills up the space. The place was dusty, with few broken furniture. Regret, guilt, ache and many more such deeper emotions tapped rusted balcony windows and the world outside blurred with each falling drop. The window opposed to let the fresh air burst in. After a few failure tries, I violently pushed open the window. I close my eyes, let the droplet hit me like a bullet and recall the youth of my seventeen.
Our arms brush against each other as we wander in the woods. Tara's hand reached for my hands and soon they were intertwined. She reached the height of my shoulders. Her eyes impersonate autumn leaves, rich. Her red, plump lips were the colour of a warm embrace. She was full of euphoric aura, who could have guessed she was losing herself gradually. I will be leaving my hometown after two weeks and shift to the city for higher education. She decided on taking a one year gap.
“You never told me that you were visiting a therapist?” I questioned her.
“Kabir, I was scared to tell you about the therapist, what if you thought that I am crazy”
“I would never”
We further ambled till our legs gave up. We placed ourselves on the wet rock. There was a heavy downpour yesterday night. She was in her white rain jacket and hair tied in a bun.
“When did you start visiting a therapist?”
“This summer, but don't worry I'll be alright” She softly uttered those lies and her merriment aura sparkled to not question her further. During the times of our high school, each day she fell victim to the class bullies. Initially they started bullying by calling her various names in the class, spreading rumours about her being a one night stand to professors and then they crossed their limits by physically harming her like pushing her, hitting her and also sometimes locking her in washrooms. We chose different streams and I had no idea until one of her classmates told me about the bullies. She always had this habit of keeping all her affliction towards herself. I pulled her in a gentle embrace as a silent comfort and her raven, smooth hairs befriended my fingers. Her touch lingered on my skin, even after we let go of each other.
The next week was her birthday. I decided to put some effort into my attire and bought a cake . Despite the hesitation, I rang the doorbell. It was six in the evening and she welcomed me with a cheerful smile. I made myself comfortable in her living room and tried to make some conversation with her father while she helped her mother. I made an effort to extend a helping hand towards her mother but she turned down politely. After the cake cutting, we had dinner together. We spent some time in her bedroom playing chess.
“How about I take your queen?” she whispered.
“I'll give you my king as well”
“No, the king has to survive even after the queen dies”
We played till our heart's content, we laughed till our stomachs ached, she wept until she ran out of tears, we cuddled till we meet again, we kissed till our lips hurt and we bid farewell to each other.
It was seven in the morning and rain poured heavily. I got a message from Tara's classmate that changed my entire life. It was the day of her funeral. Tara was dead. Her mother found her dead this morning. She hanged herself. I just needed someone to pull me out of this nightmare. I felt weak in my knees and couldn't move. My body shivered with every passing second. I couldn't bring myself to go to her funeral, visit her family and give them some comforting words. I bawled, I sobbed till I drained. My ears perceived a scream and my throat was in pain till I grasped that I've been screaming for too long. I locked myself, I closed the world. Was I too weak that she couldn't hold on to me and chose death to linger on? Time was moving in a blink of an eye and I was still numb till I realized it had been one week already. My parents knocked on my door everyday, till I registered that it was so selfish of me to not visit her parents. Somewhere I had to move on. I can't easily give away my life. I had to hold on to live, to survive. I carried all the pain and unlocked the door. I visited her parents but couldn't give them any comforting words.
We travelled to the city the next week, and I carried the hollow part of my heart that aches for her presence every single time.
Even after thirteen years, nobody could fill this void.





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Neeha, your story is a heart-wrenching masterpiece that captures the raw pain of loss and the enduring weight of love. - I gave it a full 50 points. If you get a moment, I’d be grateful if you could read my story, “The Room Without Windows.” I’d love to hear what you think: https://notionpress.com/write_contest/details/5371/the-room-without-windows

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Good One. Added 50 points. If you could take sometime, please read my story as well and vote for me, each vote is valuable for me : https://notionpress.com/write_contest/details/5442/this-time-too-shall-pass

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Bruh, shouldn\'t have read this at night cuz I\'m remembering things????.

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I have awarded points to your well written story! Please vote for my story as well “ I just entered a writing contest! Read, vote, and share your thoughts.! https://notionpress.com/write_contest/details/5320/when-words-turn-worlds”.

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I loved this so much. The emotion was there and the story was just ???? Im in lovee

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