OS: SELFIE

SELFIE

Jalal stared through the eyes of Jodha in darkness. The photograph was awkwardly lively in this gloomy dark misty environment. Jodha's eyes are shining in innocent and crazy glee; her fresh, gorgeous, killer smile is just as breathtaking as it is in real. He is looking dashing like ever in this photograph, the most handsome and coolest boy of his college in his branded leather jacket and dashing spiked hairs riding on his brand new bike... He is winking hotly with a touch of smudge in his lips, and Jodha, leaning at right from the back-seat, chuckling excitedly while clenching his waist with one hand and other hand holding the selfie-stick up to capture the moment in the memory of the cellphone forever. It was a mad photograph really! A mad selfie in a late-night long drive in his brand new bike! A super-duper cool selfie!

Their last selfie!

He sighed deeply... Only a day before she was with him, and now he has her lost forever. And it was all his fault! He was drunk, he had offered her to go for a late night outing, he was running the bike on the highest speed, he refused to wear helmets, and it was he whose carelessness had drove the bike to skit and collide with the standing lorry and...

All blank!

It was paining inside. Jalal never felt such a pain in his life! It was not hurting his body, it was like someone was constantly loading him with some unbearable burden, it was like someone was playing tag-of-war with him as a rope and he is being torn apart! It was strange, and terrific. Much more terrific than the pain he met that night... It was a bloody dreadful pain; so horrible that he was blind and unconscious for a long time, and then when he opened his eyes, and pains were gone as he saw Jodha fallen aside, drenched in blood and unconscious and... and he tried to reach her and touch her and help her and take her to hospital and...

The last selfie was still in front of him; his daring smile now mocking at him, Jodha's eyes now scolding him for being so irresponsible. Why? Why he did this? Why he let them to get apart??

"Jalal!

Jalal heard her voice. He sensed as if it is coming through that photo only...

"Jalal... you're listening me... Jalal?

"Jo!

"Jalal!

The voice was not very clear. It was like a telephoning conversation through a poor network, but still he could felt the warmth inside, and he felt the uncanny agony increasing more and more and more...

"I need you Jodha! He sobbed vulnerably. "I can't make it out without you!

"Me too Jalal! It's too hard Jalal! I want to be with you Jalal!

"It's all my fault dear! I... I was reckless! It was my fault! It's only for me we are not together today! I am not going to forgive myself!

"No no Jalal! It was me! I distracted you! It was me who insisted to click selfie! I will never forgive myself! I am responsible for everything! For everything!

"Jo... Don't cry Jo!

"You're crying Jalal?

"Is there no way left Jo? To be together?

"I want to be with you Jalal! I am so alone Jalal! So alone!

"You remember Jodha, the first day we met? You literally killed me with your panache! And remember the day I proposed you? You readily accepted my proposal, and it was the best day of the world!

"How can I forget Jalal? My most memorable day of life! I was so madly in love with your style, your coolness! I was so madly love with your reckless daredevil attitude!

"If only we could understand that recklessness will cost so high!

"You remember Jalal, the night we made love? It happened all of a sudden, and we were not prepared; but it was so beautiful! So dreamy!

"And after that we literally started weaving dreams of getting married and having children... Only was waiting for setting up the carrier! Who knew that this wait will never end?

"How can it be true? Everything will be a memory only, that everyone will forget, and there will be nothing left as a sign of both of us!

"Yes Jodha! Finished! Everything is finished!

"Jalal... I cannot bear it anymore! It is so painful!

"I am more in pain Jodha... I am feeling as if I am left alone in a deadly cyclone. Jodha, I want to be with you! I cannot afford to lose you!

"Then wait for me Jalal! I will come to you... I will!

"No Jodha! You cannot. Your family will die. I know. I have seen them.

"Jalal...

"When they had taken you to the hospital, and my body was taken to the morgue, I followed your stretcher. You were covered with blood Jodha, you were unconscious... And I was unable to touch you, to hold you! I only followed them, and they took you to OT. I wanted to be with you, I couldn't... Some strange force was pulling me. I then desperately wanted to take me with you. But then I saw your mother, father and brother... crying like insane and praying to almighty to save your life... And I saw my Ammi... my Abbu... how could I wish then that you come with me? Then I couldn't stay... I had to go. I was forcefully pulled back... to this... this dark place...

"Jalal...

"How will my family survive Jo? My Ammi has become stone in shock! My Abbu has lost the controls over his nerves, he is blaming himself for giving me bike! They will become mad without me Jodha! I know... I know they love me too much! They will become mad!

"Don't cry Jalal! Don't cry...

"I fought with them that night! They were trying to restrict my activities! I thought they were snatching my independence... If only, if only I could be an obedient son!

"Me... my parents too warned me... and I thought they are orthodox! It was me who was obsessed with that selfie, I distracted you. Instead of stopping you from being reckless I instigated you! I am sorry Jalal! I am sorry!

"So foolish we were Jo! We thought that undisciplined recklessness is the only way to enjoy life... So foolish we were! Now everyone is telling- Jalal, the spoilt brat of the rich father has lost his life... The only title I have achieved throughout my entire life- a foolish spoilt brat! It was my life, and I lost it! Without giving it a chance I lost it!

"I will die without you Jalal! I...

"No Jo! You have to live... You cannot end yourself this way, being only a spoilt daughter of a rich man! You will recover, you will live... I... I got to go... It's paining... It's too pain...

"You are going! You will go!

"I cannot tolerate anymore... It's too paining to talk with you... I don't know! I cannot hear you Jodha! Jodha... Jodha I was a foolish... I finished myself without reason Jodha... Don't blame yourself Jodha... You got to live... you live...

The voice lost in the darkness... His voice was not hearable anymore. All has been mingled in the smile of the handsome spoilt brat of that selfie... That last selfie...

Jodha, covered in bandage, broke down in crying in her hospital bed again. The pain of heart overpowered the physical agonies and she was uncontrollable now... How she is going to live with this guilt! How?

The last photo together lay beside her. Her glowing, excited eyes, his cool smudge, daring wink and the full stream of life- everything being captured in a single click of camera, will remain as a single selfie only... forever...