Hi Jenny!

“Hi Jenny!”, a voice called out from behind  and my heart filled up with happiness. My best friend was here. We were classmates doing our masters in English. It had just been a month that we had become friends, yet we were as close as words and poetry, music and feelings. People of our college often used to ask me, “are you guys siblings?”, “You both must have been friends from school right?”, “If not school then definitely you have done your bachelors together from the same college.” And so on and so forth. I always laughed at them and said no, it’s here that we met while doing our masters. Some believed us, some didn’t. But it didn’t matter, neither to me nor to him. We were not bothered by what people thought about us. We were happy and content together. We sat together in the class on the first bench and not once looked back or right or left to bother about what was happening to the rest of the class.  We were always engrossed in ourselves. From breakfast to dinner we were always together. We prayed together, studied together, ate together and also went back to our hometown together on the same day and also to the same place. Yeah we came from the same town but until M. A. in English we had never met.

“Hey Jem!”, I said. “You’re five minutes late.”

“Whatever! I’m hungry. Let’s go and eat.”

“Yeah I’m hungry too. Let’s go.”, I said starting towards the café.

“Oh by the way, I haven’t done my assignment.”, he said.

“Figure out how you’ll do it then.”

“Nope. I won’t do it.”

“Do you want to get a zero Jem?”

“No Jenny. I’ll have my breakfast and you’ll do my assignment.”

“And what about my breakfast?”

“I’ll eat that too.”

“What?”, I said astonished.

“Just joking. C’mon, we’re running late.”

In the café, I typed his assignment on his laptop, while he gobbled his sandwiches and then fed me. And as a gift for typing his lengthy assignment, he ordered a milkshake, which I couldn’t finish and obviously he drank that too. Double profit! But whatever, he was my best friend and I genuinely loved him. After breakfast we went to our class and that day we were given the forms to choose our sixth paper. It was a tough choice between Theatre, World Cinema and Creative Writing. We were asked to submit it the next day so I kept it aside and concentrated on the lectures. The first lecture was about Wordsworth’s Poetry and Romanticism. That was my favourite topic… I was secretly mentally dating Wordsworth about which only Jem knew, and he would always give me naughty smiles during Wordsworth lectures. The password to my mail account and laptop was also ‘Wordsworth’ and whenever I sat with my laptop in Jem’s presence, which I usually did, he cracked jokes and laughed till he got cramps in his stomach.

During the lectures I jotted down points to make notes in the evenings and  he doodled in my notebook. After the lectures got over it was my duty to explain to him what had been taught that day. When we got a period off that day, I went to the library and he followed. Sitting in one corner of the library I broke my head as to which paper to choose. I consulted him but he was clueless. After an hour into breaking my head I decided to go for Creative Writing. I had won medals and certificates all my life in Creative Writing competitions everywhere so choosing that as a sixth paper would definitely prove fruitful. He too chose Creative Writing.

“Are you serious?”’ I said, totally surprised.

“What?”

“Why on earth did you choose Creative Writing? You don’t even write your own notes. Who will write your essays, stories and stuff for this paper? It’ll be very difficult Jem. It’s not for people who aren’t writers.”

“I know Jenny. But it definitely is for people whose best friend is a writer.”, he winked at me, “Come let’s get back to class. It’s almost time for the next lecture.”

Back in the class I sat on top of him as to why he had to choose something that wasn’t his cup of tea. I was really angry with him and decided that kiddishness has a limit. He can’t be so casual about his studies. In a calm and composed voice he replied, “I like neither Theatre nor World Cinema. You would have had to study extra and make me notes for those papers. But in Creative Writing you’ll get the chance to write extra if you write all my assignments. And I know how much you love to write.”

So it was decided. In every Creative Writing class, I noted down his topics for the assignments and presentations and worked late into the night to complete them. He too satyed awake with me, either in the library or the amphitheatre or sometimes even on the steps of the hostel lobby. When my fingers gave up, he typed while I dictated. It was always team work and we were the best team of our class. We even doodled together. In the evenings when we had no tests to prepare for and no assignments to complete, we sat doddling together in the café. We also had doodling competitions and he always won. Afterall he was a master in making doodles. I had learnt it from him  and I’ll accept that I was a brilliant student. I learnt it pretty well within a short time.

Our Fresher’s Night was a bit late that year so by the time it was announced we were no more freshers. Everyone had been well acquainted with us by then. But nevertheless, Fresher’s Nights are always exciting. There was couple entry and our whole class nugded us to go together. We did. Before the Fresher’s Night,  one day I had to spa his hair, one day I had to go shopping with him and he even to took me to a family parlour so that I could instrust the hairdressers to give him a nice haircut which would make him look dashing. Sometimes I really felt that he had not grown up at all, but his childlike behaviour made him all the more adorable and the more I joined him in his craziness, the stronger our bond became.

On the Fresher’s Night, he really looked dashing in a black suit. We had paired well and many advised us to get married seeing our dresses. I had worn a white short gown, left my hair open and carried the red rose Jem had given me that evening when he came to my hostel to take me to the Fresher’s Night. That was one memorable night. We did paper dance, sang a duet and discovered what a wonderful singer he was, won all the rounds and finally were declared the “Cutest Couple of the College”. We stayed up that whole night chatting away into dawn. We only returned to the hostel to change and get ready for the classes next day.

 That night we shared a lot of our stories. I had often heard about Sam, his best friend. That night also he told stories about him and Sam, how they had met in college and how they hit it off. He told me how he loved no one more than Sam and that Sam was the closest to him. The stories were both funny and emotional. The bond they shared really touched me. Little did I know that Sam was actually not the Sam I was thinking about. I also shared many stories with him. He was a patient listener and a great comforter. I felt safe with him and could share everything without any hesitation. That night was deep… very deep and one of the best memories I have with him.

A few months later, almost near the end of first year, our department arranged for a trip to the hills as we had got a long weekend of four days. We both began packing excitedly. While it was me who did all the packing, he clicked photos and chatted with Sam over phone. I packed his bags also and when I tried to scold him for being so happy-go-lucky all the time, he just gave one of those innocent baby smiles and that was the end of me being hard with him. It was pretty impossible when he smiled.

The trip was a memorable one. It will be etched in my mind forever.  It was a bus ride and we sat on a two seater, listening to our favourite songs together, we also sang together, clicked weird selfies, had chocolate fights, tickled the life out of each other until finally the entire bus decided to invade our privacy and get us mixing with the rest of our class. Playing games and singing with everyone else was also great fun, but we kept looking at each other across the bus. We were missing ‘our time’.

My phone beeped while the screen flashed with Jem’s name.  I opened it. “Hi Jenny!”, it read. He was texting me from the other corner of the bus.  I smiled and typed back, “Hey!”

“I have a stolen a chocolate from your bag. ;-)”, he texted back.

“That was the only chocolate I had. Put it back in my bag right now.”

“C’mon Jenny! Just a chocolate.”

“It’s mine!!”

“Sharing is caring. Bye.”. I frowned at him and decided not to reply. Took my only chocolate!!!

A few minutes later I felt a tug at my hoodie. I was sitiing with the other girls of my class and watching a movie on one of their laptops. Turning back I saw Jem standing there with an unapologetic face, smiling as usual.

“Open your mouth.”, he said.

“Why?”

“Open first.”

I opened. He popped in a chocolate cube. I looked at him confused.

“Sharing is caring.”, he winked and left.

I had to smile.

We reached after five hours of bus ride and it was a beautiful place. The buglow we had booked was located on an isolated cliff and the view was breathtakingly beautiful. Our voices echoed in the open air and it was fun when all of us shouted and strived to hear our echos. There were two trees beside the bunglow, which all of us took turns climbing. We slipped, hanged, fell yet laughed heartily. We got hurt but none of it mattered as long as we were having fun. College days wouldn’t return and we were making the best of it.

Early next morning when I was sleeping peacefully, my phone rang. The screen flashed his name and picture. I picked up.

“Hi Jenny!!”

“Hi Jenny my foot!”

“No no. You’re supposed to say Hey Jem.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Sure. Get up and get ready.”

“What for?”

“Early morning jog.”

“No way. Bye.”

“See you in ten minutes. Bye.”, the line clicked dead.

10 minutes later…

“Hi Jenny!!”

“Why don’t you let me sleep peacefully?”

“I can’t do that.”

“What?! Whyy??”

“I’m your best friend and I’m not supposed to let you sleep in peace. My job is to disturb you.”, he winked, “Come let’s jog.”

“I hate you!!”, I said beginning to jog.

“And I love that.”

I could never remain angry at him for long. He always had his way around my heart. He had some trick or joke up his sleeves always , that could win the heart of any person. And, he had that million dollar smile on his lips and large innocent eyes. His face was an epitome of innocence and his heart, the epitome of kindness. There was no one who could be rude with him. The most ill-behaved boy in the class also spoke to him politely and with respect. Though he always sat with me and hardly spoke to the rest of the class, everyone claimed to be his friend. Such was his magic! Apparently, he was loved widely.

“There’s a shack over there. Come let’s have tea.”, he said.  After about  forty-five minutes ofwalkiing and jogging and clicking weird selfies, we had spotted a tea shack and I was too tired to jog any further. I needed to rest my legs. We went in there and a kind old lady served us two cups of tea and some biscuits. It was nearly five and the sun had begun to rise. The sunrise was beautiful… something  that will keep your eyelids from blinking… and you’ll gape at the scenery. I could never produce that colour and shade in my oil paintings.

While the sun rose slowly, I decided to share my feelings. I knew that I loved him and I loved him more than I could express. I looked at him, he was observing the sunrise with his old usual smile. I smiled at him. He was so simple and innocent.

“Jem”, I said.

“You know Jenny? My Sam also loves sunrises. When we were together in college, we used to watch it together, and she would always say that the most special moment in her life will take shape during the beautiful sunrise.”

Sam… she??? What was he saying? Sam… was a girl?

“Really? How beautiful!”, I said, trying to control my surprise.

“She is also as beautiful as the sunrise.”

“Definitely!”

He smiled again.

“Anyway Jem, I was going to tell you something.”

“Oh even I have something to tell you. Actually, as Sam loves sunrise so much, I have decided to propose to her during sunrise… I mean I will call her now. Should I?”

“What are you waiting for? Go tell her you stupid!”, I fought back my tears with every bit of strength that I possesed. My lips were silenced but my heart and feelings could always speak love. I controlled my emotions. I controlled my expressions as I looked at the early morning sun. He was away at a distance calling Sam to propose her. Sam was actually not Sam. Sam was Samantha. Samantha… the closest person to his heart, his love, his life, his world…

“Hi Jenny!!”, Jem sounded excited.

I turned back. He had the most childish smile on his face… the happiest smile I had ever seen him curving his lips into.

“She is mine now.”, he smiled and hugged me tightly.

“She was always yours.”, I wiped that single tear drop, that had escaped. No place for tears in my life anymore, I told myself.

Despite my heartbreak, I enjoyed the trip to the fullest. Even though he loved someone else, he was still my best friend and always would be, we spent lots of time together but the only thing that changed was phonecalls. Now, he spent a little more time talking to Sam and those were the times I missed him. He went back to his howetown every weekend to spend time with Sam, and I was left alone, doodling all by myself with no one to challenge me.

On one such weekend, when I was sitting in the amphitheatre and making doodles on the last page of my notebook,  when an unknown man came up to me and said that he needed my help.

“But sir, I don’t even know you.”

“But I know you. You’re Jennifer, Jem’s best friend.”

“Yes but how do you know? And who are you?”

Is he a spy? Has he come to trap me? Jem should’ve been here.

“I need your favour.”, he said.

He simply ignored the question, which means he is a crooked person with a crooked intention. I will kick him the moment he comes any nearer!!!

“I’m Samantha’s elder brother, Clarence.”

“Oh!!”, I was suddenly guilty of my superfast mind that can write a novel in the clouds.

“Please sit down.”, I said as politely as possible.

“You love Jem, don’t you?”, he said sitting down beside me.

I looked at him wide eyed. He must have come to give me a dose for loving his sister’s lover. Wait! How does he know?? Ah! Correect guess Jennifer! He is a spy.

“Yes but…”

“Please stop Jem from doing it any further. Only you can do this otherwise impossible task. He listens to no one but you. Please!”

“Do what?”

“Jem and Samantha were classmates in college. They were very close friends. Jem was really a gem and I could not ask for a better man for Samantha. When Jem called up early one morning and proposed to her, she woke up the entire family in excitement. Me, my parents, we all were very happy. We knew Jem and his family and Samantha and Jem were closest buddies. The way they understood and complemented each other, no one else could.

But things were not to last long. Hardly a week had gone by after that memorable sunrise when Samantha died…”

“But it was the other day that Jem spoke for nearly an hour with Sam over phone. How can she die? I mean you say she died when Jem was doing his bachelor’s degree but…”

“Jem is mentally ill. He could never come to terms with the fact that Samantha is no more. He lives in a world where Sam is alive and he does all those things that he had done back then. He pretends to talk to Sam over phone but he doesn’t dial any number. He texts himself as Sam from her profile and then replies from his own account. He comes back home every weekend to spend time with Sam and sitting on the steps of our house or beside the lake, he talks to some invisible figure. He imagines Sam everywhere and it’s very dangerous.

Jem was always my little brother and my parents and I love him like we loved Sam. If this continues, one day this disease will eat him away. My parents are already broken after Sam’s demise. If anything happens to Jem, they won’t be able to take it.”

I remained silent as a stone. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My Jem… the person so widely loved and respected was mentally ill!!!

“He doesn’t listen to everyone. After Sam, you’re the only person he never says a no to. I have been following his posts and your posts in which you tag him. I have read your poems that you post in your blog. You are that only one person who can make him understand with your love, that his Sam has left the world and it has been three years already.”

“But how do I break this news to him?”

“I don’t know. When we had tried telling him three years back, he just walked away thinking we were making a fool of him and never gave us any opportunity ever again to talk to him about it.”

I sat there in silence for almost a half hour. Suddenly my world had come to a stop. Nothing made any sense to me. Neither did anything make any difference. I didn’t even have to fight back my tears as none came. But I knew, I was saving up for the most painful day of my life. I knew that the worse was yet to come. I skipped classes that Monday and without meeting Jem, left for Brooklake. Brooklake was our hometown. I went to his college and on Clarence’s advise met Prof. Raymond. He was a fatherly old man and held dear memories of Sam and Jem. He recounted how they always did their assignments and homeworks together and how Sam always had to teach Jem for being the unattentive lad in the class. He also recounted how he was labelled as “Mentally retarded” by his classmtes, after Sam’s death. He couldn’t tell me more as his voice got choked. He vigorously rubbed his eyes and sat down dejected. I thanked him and went to visit Clarence. The house was filled with Sam’s pictures. Her parents told me a lot about Jem’s illness. They showed me recorded proof of Jem talking into the the air, sitting on the steps of their house. I listened aghast. It was all a dream. Yes, a dream, because the nightmare was yet to come. Sam’s parents pinned their hope on me and suddenly I was faced with this impossible challenge of bringing back Jem to the real life… in short, giving him a new life.

I returned to my college the next day and was about to enter the hostel.

“Hi Jenny!!”, Jem called out.

Turning back, I could hardly believe that he was the one sufferiing from a mental disease. A disease so bad that he would be ruined, if not timely cured. I could sit back and see the person I love, love someone else, but not see him retire fom life at the spring time.

“Hey Jem.”

“Long time!!!”

“It’s been just three days. Go to class, I’ll freshen up and join you.”

“Cool! See you there then. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I reached my room and dived into my laptop. I had to work very fast and needed to come up with something convincing that would take him to a psychiatrist. I took down a few numbers, changed hurriedly and ran down to class.

“Hi Jenny!!”, he greeted me the moment I stepped in.

“Hi.”, I said, almost breathless.

“Relax! There’s time for the class to begin. You could have done without running all the way from your hostel.”

“Whatever!”

“Don’t blame me for your unannounced asthma attacks then.”

I made a face at him.

“Do you have chocolates?”

“Yes, but I will give you only if you do your own assignments from now on.”

“Not fair!”

“For me. Please!”

“Fine! Anyway, I never refuse you…”

“Good boy.”

1 Week Later.

“Hi Jenny!!”

“Why have you called so late?”

“I need help.”

“In?”

“So many assignments to complete and notes to make and so much of work!!! I need to calm my nerves down.”

“Alright. We’ll deal with it tomorrow. Don’t go back to Brooklake tomorrow. Okay?”

“But Sam?”

“Do without Sam for this weekend please!”

“Okay. Anything for you.”

Next Morning.

“Jem!!”

“Hi Jenny!! Wait a bit Sam is on line. I’m coming in a minute.”

Dear Sam, please leave him alone. Or else I’ll bring you back to life and kill you again.

“Jemmm!! We’re getting late. C’mon!!”

“Yes Jenny. Cominnngg!”

We sat together in the ampitheatre writing analysis on Robert Burn’s famous poem ‘A Red Red Rose’. It was our favourite and we had almost learnt it by heart. But Jem as usual played the child and pranced around me singing “If you help me, I won’t take your chocolates.”

“That’s not any song Jem, sit down!”

“It is. I made it just now.”

“In that case, it’s not very pleasant to the ears. Sit down.”

“You’re being brutally honest.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll still be my best friend.”

“Forever and Beyond!”

“Hey, that sounds good.”

“Then I’ll sing this.”

“No please! You set horrible tunes.”

“Not fair Jenny!”

“Can we get back to the assignment please?”

“I’m not in the mood. Write it for me?”

“Okay.”

“What??”

“I said okay.”

“How did you get convinced so easily?”

“Well… I need a favour this time.”

“I guessed so. Tell me.”

“I want you to come with me.”

“Where?”

“To meet someone.”

“You’ve got a boy in your life?”

“No. He’s a doctor and I’m meeting him exclusively for medical reasons.”

“Has your asthma gotten worse?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Am I any opposition party in the court or something that you’re asking so many questions?”

“Alright alright! I’ll come with you.”

The session with the doctor went well, without Jem getting any clue that the doctor was a psychiatrist. I managed to Jem’s phone after he claimed to have called Sam and sent him off to get me a drink.

“See doc, there’s no call made to anyone in the last one hour.”

“It’s strange how he appears so normal.”

“I know. And see this. He’s talking into the air, thinking Sam is beside him.”

I showed him the  video that Clarence had given me.

I was advised to engage Jem in a deep conversation about life and death and slowly spill the beans. However, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy task. Engaging Jem in a deep conversation was the biggest challenge. But I had to it, not for Clarence, not for Jem’s parents and even not Jem… but I had to do it for myself. I couldn’t sit back and watch Jem give into an illness. No!

That night, stressed out to an unimaginable level, I was sitting in the university church wondering what to do, which sent my blood pressure through the roof and I came down with hard hitting asthma. Father Morison found me sruggling for air and sent word for Jem. I could see a blurred image of Jem running towards me. He took me in his arms and I heard a faint sound, “Jenny, what’s wrong?”

I passed out there and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with Jem pacing up and down the room.

“Good morning Jem.”, I managed a whisper.

“Hi Jenny!”, he smiled and came over and stroked my head, holding my hand. The big dial of his watch shone and I read the time. It was nearly ten. Quite Late.

“How are you?”

“I’m supposed to ask that.”

“Ask.”

“I’ll get the doctor.”

The doctor came in and checked me. “She’s much better. She can go home today.”

“Oh great!”, Jem exclaimed!

“I’ll take your leave now. Take care of her and I’ll send you the discharge papers in a while.”

The doctor left.

“Well then, you’ll get back and complete my assignments. Only one is left.”

“Shameless creature you are!”

He laughed.

“I just want to rest.”

“Too much resting is bad for health.”

“Die!”

“I’ll become a ghost and irritate you even more.”

“I’m sure you’ll become a monster rather than a ghost.”

“A very cute monster then.”, he winked.

“How can you praise yourself so much?”

“I’m very talented!”

“Just get out of here.”

“Yeah let the discharge papers come, we both will get out of here.”

“Useless talking to you.”

“That’s good. Don’t talk and rest because when you get back you have to complete my assignment.”

I frowned at him and he laughed again.

I admit that my asthma attack was a boon till some extent. That night, in the library when I was reading to him the Lucy poem Wordsworth had composed after Lucy’s death, Jem confessed that he had nearly died when he saw me in that condition.

“I thought you would be happy if I were dead.”

“Why so?”

“All my chocolates would have been yours.”

“Well… yeah but I enjoy stealing your chocolates more.”

“By the way, I was thinking about this.”

“What?”

“See, I could have died and all, and I haven’t yet met Sam. Why don’t you call her over? I’m not in a condition to travel right now so…”

“Call Sam over?”

“Yes.”

“Oh that reminds me. I should inform her that you’re okay.”

“Give me the phone once. I’ll tell her myself.”

He took out his phone and pretended to dial a number and put it to his ears.

“Hello Sam. Jenny here wants to talk to you…”

He handed  me the phone.

“Jem, you haven’t called anyone.”

“I have called Sam. What are you saying?”

“No Jem. You haven’t. See.”

I showed him the phone. He looked puzzled.

Slowly, I spilled the next bean. I showed him the video where he was talking to some invisible figure. I told him, I got it from Clarence.

“There’s no Sam here. You’re still busy talking with her. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Jem.”

“I’ll sleep. Come, I’ll leave you till your room and go off.”

A few days later I acted like the person with all sorrows burried within and Jem, though still preoccupied with the video and all was concerened.

“What’s wrong with you? Feeling sick again?”

“I just remembered a friend of mine. She died a very tragic death and her best friend was left miserable.  I feel bad for that guy. He still believes she’s alive. Pretty sad no?”

Jem was lost in thoughts again.

“Jem?”, I said after a while.

“Uh huh?”

“Anyway, did you figure out what you were doing in that video?”

“Bye Jenny.”

“Jem!”

“Sorry Jenny. Gotta go.”

I knew he was drifting further and further away from me but I had to do it. I shut my mind and brain to everything else and the only thing I ever focused on was to break the news to him that he was living in utopia. That his Sam was long dead, that he needed to move on.

I showed him a video on youtube about various mental disorders. I lied that I wanted to write a story based on anyone of those and asked him to choose one when the video ended. But he quitely walked away. He started avoiding me and it became more and more prominent with each day. My classmates interviewed me on this and I always had to act dumb. Times were difficult but I knew that more difficult times were waiting for me.

I tried a lot to avoid telling him flat in the face and kept beating around the bush for four months.  Finally one day, after consulting Clarence, I decided to tell him. It had been nearly five months that we were not in daily talking terms but true friendship never dies. He agreed when I asked him to accompany me to the doctor. Probably because he thought I wasn’t feeling well again.

He was a renowned psychiatrist and I silently hoped that he would do miracles. Clarence had also come andd somehow Jem didn’t seem too happy to see him. Slowly Clarence sarted telling about Jem’s college days and his bond with Sam. Jem smiled. I could still see the love in his eyes.

I might be cursed for breaking his heart, but the pain rather be mine than his.

After an hour into the conversation the moment came when Clarence told about her death and Jem got up to leave. I insisted that he sits down. He kept standing. Clarence repeated again.

Jem looked at me. I wanted to look away but I knew worse moments awaited. I held his hand tenderly and showed him her death certificate. Clarence came up with the news paper cuttings that were published back then which reported about the accident. The truth struck Jem and that was the end.

I had taken him to one of the best psychologists of the city with the hope that my Jem would be cured, but matters simply turned worst. So much so that he was shifted to a mental ward and I had to let him go. I just stood there watching, helpless like an eagle with clipped wings. I had saved my tears to be able to cry when the bitterest pain struck me, and here it was. I cried copiously. Day in and day out. People of the college made jokes on him. For them, Jem’s transfer to a mental ward was a hot topic of discussion. But I still believed to get back my Jem… normal and healthy Jem. The Jem, whom Sam had loved.

People all around are so double faced. All those who showed so much of love and concern for Jem always, suddenly turned their backs on us, the moment they acquired the knowledge of his illness. While he was struggling to get back to normalcy, I was struggling to be accepted by the people of my university. I was cornered, like an untouchable. I was made fun of and laughed at for being friends with someone abnormal.

 But the world mattered so little because he mattered so much.

I visited him every week and came back with a darker shadow over my heart. He wasn’t improving. He never uttered a sound. Sometimes he would become aggresively aggressive and I would be sent word that he was critical. Everytime I knew that I would perhaps never hear from him again.

Forever is forever. But if mine has to end, may it end with him.

Everday the sun would rise and set, bringing bright shades of unique and cheerful colours, but my world was enveloped in shades of grey. Variety of shades. Sometimes I would pray that Jem be rid of the pain. He surely didn’t deserve this. Yet there was a faint hope in my heart, the hope that comes from deep love, that God wouldn’t be unfair to Jem again. (The first time being Sam’s death.)

A year later, the sun actually shone on our lives. I digged out this hypnotist and he did the much needed magic. He hypnotised Jem and Jem’s actual hynosis got cured. It took him however another month to come back to normalcy. He revealed how Sam had died trying to save his life from an accident.

A month later, his parents came to take him away. I was so happy to see him healthy that I cried and hugged him as tight as I could. He gave me a small hug and walked away quietly. Clarence handed me a letter saying that it was from Jem and I knew that I would never hear from him again.

Maybe somewhere down the heart I knew that this was coming. Maybe, this is what should have happened to us. Maybe this was the best that could happen. But nothing mattered anymore. All that was important was Jem and he was okay and so was I.

As for my love, I didn’t need to be with him to love him, I didn’t need him to love me back, I didn’t need anyone to believe in my love either. Because my love was enough… enough to rise above all such trivial issues, enough to last a lifetime without ever fading away.

It’s been five years since and yesterday evening in the library, I suddenly heard a familiar voice, reciting a familiar poem. I remembered Jem’s letter.

“Everyday I live and every breath I take,

Beside the evening fire or the silent lake,

Beneath the soft glow of moonlight, beside the little drops of dew,

Walking along the banks of memories, I’ll remember you.

And maybe someday, on an evening of rain,

We’ll cross paths and I’ll hug you again.”

I turned back.

“Hi Jenny!!”, he smiled.