Following is a short story I wrote about 5 years ago. This was embedded in my last working day email in my previous organization. I got to read it again today, thanks to a friend. I didn't like it that much at the time I wrote it. But I found it great while rereading it today. So, while I won't be sharing the whole mail, as it was personal and mostly irrelevant to you. But the story is worth sharing. I did a slight one line change at the very end of the story. Enjoy the story and do tell if you like it. I might write another one soon :)
"Are you going to jump?"
"I don't know"
"Standing on the edge of 11th floor balcony and you don't know if you are going to jump?"
"Yeah, Yeah! I don't know. Shut up!".
There was silence in the room.
"Tell me, what do you see Chiraag?"
"Lots of cars running up and down the road".
"And?"
"White headlights on one end and red taillights on the other side of road. Streaks of white and red painting the black surface. People going home from their offices, back to their loved ones. Everyone in a hurry. It's a mad rush."
"Anything else you see?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"The dark blue sky mixing with the pale yellow setting sun at the horizon. The darkness... engulfing the city slowly... Stars are coming out of their caves."
"Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes it is"
"Then why do you want to end your life?"
"BECAUSE OF YOU!", Chiraag groans. "You have made my life unlivable"
"But I am your friend."
"No Sweetu you are not!! You are just a stuffed toy who has driven me to insanity."
Chiraag looked on his right. A white teddy with a heart in his hand was lying on a brown colored plastic chair. The light was dim but the teddy looked to be smiling.
"But you always talk to me"
"Yes, I do. You know why?", Chiraag stopped for a while. "Because, I am... Schizophrenic.". He clinched his teeth. "I didn't believe them earlier. I believed none of them. But now I know, you are not a real person. You are just a stuffed piece of cloth."
"Don't leave me alone Chiraag. Don't go."
"Haha, No, Sweetu. I am done with you. All my friends have left me because of you. I can't waste my life anymore with you".
"Chiraag".
Chiraag looks at Sweetu. The toy was smiling and seemed to be looking at him. Chirag looked back into its bead like eyes.
"Won't you stay Chiraag?"
"NO. NO!"
The toy's faced turned sombre. "THEN DIE!".
All of a sudden, the toy's hands grew and pulled the rug under Chirag's feet. Chirag slipped down the balcony. From 11th floor...
THUDDD!
Chiraag woke up. Blood was gushing down his head. But he was still on 11th floor.
He tried to stand up and searched for a piece of cloth and pressed his wound with it. He realized he had actually fallen from his bed.
He looked at the wall clock, it was close to 6 in the morning. Sweetu was lying on the chair. Smiling. A stuffed heart in his hand.
Chiraag speed dialed a number on his phone.
"Hello Shraddha".
"Good Morning Chiraag. How are you feeling today?"
"I am... fine Shraddha. Listen..."
"Yeah."
"I want to come and get admitted today."
"What?! Are you sure? Because you have been asking not to...".
"Yeah. I think it's time".
"That's great news Chiraag! I will make all the arrangements inside the hospital soon enough. When are you coming?"
"I am leaving now."
The call was disconnected.
Chiraag stared into the Teddy's bead like eyes again. There was always something engrossing in them. It reminded him of something. Of someone... Who gave him this present.
"No!"
There was a white rope lying under the bed. He pulled it out.
"No!"
Chiraag tied the white rope in Teddy's neck with one end of the rope and took the other in his own hand.
He left the room pulling Sweetu with him behind his back. There were elevators at the corner of the floor. But he skipped them and took stairs instead.
11 flights of stairs. Chiraag was coming down slowly. The white teddy tumbling down behind him.
People were stopping and giving him way. No one was sure what was going on. Why was a teddy tied to a rope from its neck and being pulled?
After about 10 minutes, he was out of the apartments and onto the footpath.
"Bhaiyya".
Chiraag stopped. He had barely walked 50 metres from the gate. There was a little girl of about 10 years age, standing beside him. Already started with her daily occupation. Begging.
She raised her right hand. "Something to eat?".
"No, I don't have any money right now".
She looked at the teddy lying on the road, still tied to him.
Chiraag knew what she wanted. "You want him?"
"Yes."
Chiraag paused for a while. "OK.. But on one condition".
The girl was looking at him with curious eyes.
"Play with him sure. But NEVER get attached with him. Do NOT love him.", He took a deep breath. "Or anyone. It will make you mad".
Girl nodded slightly.
"Promise me you won't", he paused for a while. ".. love anyone."
The girl didn't understand what he was saying but she nodded again in affirmative.
Chiraag smiled. "You will be happy. "
He put the string in the girl's little hands and walked away. Never looking back again...
"Are you going to jump?"
"I don't know"
"Standing on the edge of 11th floor balcony and you don't know if you are going to jump?"
"Yeah, Yeah! I don't know. Shut up!".
There was silence in the room.
"Tell me, what do you see Chiraag?"
"Lots of cars running up and down the road".
"And?"
"White headlights on one end and red taillights on the other side of road. Streaks of white and red painting the black surface. People going home from their offices, back to their loved ones. Everyone in a hurry. It's a mad rush."
"Anything else you see?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"The dark blue sky mixing with the pale yellow setting sun at the horizon. The darkness... engulfing the city slowly... Stars are coming out of their caves."
"Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes it is"
"Then why do you want to end your life?"
"BECAUSE OF YOU!", Chiraag groans. "You have made my life unlivable"
"But I am your friend."
"No Sweetu you are not!! You are just a stuffed toy who has driven me to insanity."
Chiraag looked on his right. A white teddy with a heart in his hand was lying on a brown colored plastic chair. The light was dim but the teddy looked to be smiling.
"But you always talk to me"
"Yes, I do. You know why?", Chiraag stopped for a while. "Because, I am... Schizophrenic.". He clinched his teeth. "I didn't believe them earlier. I believed none of them. But now I know, you are not a real person. You are just a stuffed piece of cloth."
"Don't leave me alone Chiraag. Don't go."
"Haha, No, Sweetu. I am done with you. All my friends have left me because of you. I can't waste my life anymore with you".
"Chiraag".
Chiraag looks at Sweetu. The toy was smiling and seemed to be looking at him. Chirag looked back into its bead like eyes.
"Won't you stay Chiraag?"
"NO. NO!"
The toy's faced turned sombre. "THEN DIE!".
All of a sudden, the toy's hands grew and pulled the rug under Chirag's feet. Chirag slipped down the balcony. From 11th floor...
---
THUDDD!
Chiraag woke up. Blood was gushing down his head. But he was still on 11th floor.
He tried to stand up and searched for a piece of cloth and pressed his wound with it. He realized he had actually fallen from his bed.
He looked at the wall clock, it was close to 6 in the morning. Sweetu was lying on the chair. Smiling. A stuffed heart in his hand.
Chiraag speed dialed a number on his phone.
"Hello Shraddha".
"Good Morning Chiraag. How are you feeling today?"
"I am... fine Shraddha. Listen..."
"Yeah."
"I want to come and get admitted today."
"What?! Are you sure? Because you have been asking not to...".
"Yeah. I think it's time".
"That's great news Chiraag! I will make all the arrangements inside the hospital soon enough. When are you coming?"
"I am leaving now."
The call was disconnected.
Chiraag stared into the Teddy's bead like eyes again. There was always something engrossing in them. It reminded him of something. Of someone... Who gave him this present.
"No!"
There was a white rope lying under the bed. He pulled it out.
"No!"
Chiraag tied the white rope in Teddy's neck with one end of the rope and took the other in his own hand.
He left the room pulling Sweetu with him behind his back. There were elevators at the corner of the floor. But he skipped them and took stairs instead.
11 flights of stairs. Chiraag was coming down slowly. The white teddy tumbling down behind him.
People were stopping and giving him way. No one was sure what was going on. Why was a teddy tied to a rope from its neck and being pulled?
After about 10 minutes, he was out of the apartments and onto the footpath.
"Bhaiyya".
Chiraag stopped. He had barely walked 50 metres from the gate. There was a little girl of about 10 years age, standing beside him. Already started with her daily occupation. Begging.
She raised her right hand. "Something to eat?".
"No, I don't have any money right now".
She looked at the teddy lying on the road, still tied to him.
Chiraag knew what she wanted. "You want him?"
"Yes."
Chiraag paused for a while. "OK.. But on one condition".
The girl was looking at him with curious eyes.
"Play with him sure. But NEVER get attached with him. Do NOT love him.", He took a deep breath. "Or anyone. It will make you mad".
Girl nodded slightly.
"Promise me you won't", he paused for a while. ".. love anyone."
The girl didn't understand what he was saying but she nodded again in affirmative.
Chiraag smiled. "You will be happy. "
He put the string in the girl's little hands and walked away. Never looking back again...
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