The Cottage Girl

Dinesh was an eight years old boy. His dad worked in a Bank and had recently been transferred to the hill station of Ooty in the southern part of India. Ooty was a quiet place compared to the hustle bustle of his old city Delhi. His new school The National Public School in Ooty was about five kilometers from his house. Dinesh pedaled his bicycle every day to his school. He enjoyed riding his bike feeling the cool breeze of the Nilgiri trees and Silver wood trees on his face. He had never seen a more picturesque place in his life. He had been to the hill station of Manali in the northern part of the country when he was a kid. But, he had no memory of it now. Dinesh used to leave for school every morning sharp at 7 A.M. and reach school by 7.30 A.M. In the evening, his school would leave at 4 P.M. and he would be home by 4.30 P.M.

One day, when he was returning from school, it started raining very heavily. Since he was already midway, he decided to take shelter somewhere till the rain stopped. He spotted a small cottage nearby and headed towards it. The cottage was built on the side of a tea estate. Dinesh parked his bike near a rosewood tree and knocked on the wooden door of the cottage. Dinesh heard the sound of wood creaking inside as a person moved on the wooden floor to open the door for him. The door was opened by a young girl. Her black curly hair was untied and she asked in shy tone,"Who are you?". "It is raining heavily, can I please take shelter in your house till the rain stops?". "Alright, but remove your shoes outside".

Dinesh went inside. The cottage was quite small compared to the bungalow that he stayed in. But, the cottage was very neat and everything was in its place. It was quite opposite to his house where he always created a litter everywhere and never found anything in its place. "Will you take some tea?", the young girl asked him. "Sure, thanks". Dinesh sat down on the floor mat as there were no chairs in the house. The young girl went to a small corner in the house to prepare tea for him. There was only one separate room in the house covered by a curtain. Dinesh thought that it must be the bathroom. The young girl brought tea for him in an earthen pot. Dinesh sipped the tea and exclaimed,"Wow, that's the best tea I ever had." The young girl smiled shyly and said,"Thanks".

Dinesh realized that he had not even asked her name till then. "What is your name?". "Radha", the girl answered meekly. "Radha, which grade do you study in?", Dinesh asked her curiously. Radha looked at him with a sadness which betrayed her pain and said,"I do not go to school." Dinesh suddenly realized that he had asked her the wrong question. Seeing her living condition, he sensed that she must be from a very poor background. He said in a sober tone,"I am sorry Radha. I did not mean to hurt your feelings." "It is not your fault that I am poor. It is my fate and I have accepted it." The tone of her voice reflected the deep pain and anguish that she experienced. Dinesh was just a boy but he was sensitive and he understood her pain. He looked out of the window and saw that the rain had stopped. He got up and picked his school bag. As he went to open the door, he turned back and said,"Would you like to be my friend?". Radha did not say anything but smiled in her reply. Dinesh took her smile as a "Yes".

The next evening, there was a knock on Radha's door again. She was surprised that Dinesh had returned once again. She saw that he had parked his bike near the rosewood tree. "Hello, Radha, can I come in?". She opened the door. He quickly opened his bag and took out some books and pencils and handed it over to Radha. "What is all this?", she asked with excitement. "This is all for you." "But, I don't know how to read or write." "I will teach you," Dinesh answered firmly. Every day, after his school Dinesh would go to Radha's house to teach her. After a couple of years, his Dad got transferred to Delhi again. He told goodbye to Radha with a heavy heart. The two kids hugged each other and cried as they said goodbye.

Many years later, when Dinesh became a young man of twenty-five years, he came to Ooty with his friends on a vacation. He had forgotten all about his childhood friend and only faintly remembered that he had once stayed in Ooty when he was a kid. His friends had hired a jeep and they were driving on the hill station. Unfortunately, there was a mudslide and their jeep met with an accident. One of his friends who was driving the jeep had suffered some major injuries while he and his other friends were lucky enough to have suffered only a few minor bruises. Dinesh and his friends rushed their friend to a nearby hospital. Their friend was taken to the Emergency Ward and the doctor diagnosed that his hand was broken and a surgery had to be performed immediately. After about three hours, the surgery got over. A lady doctor came outside and told them that the surgery was successful and their friend would be discharged in a couple of days time. Dinesh went ahead to thank the doctor. As he said,"Thanks, Doctor." The doctor stared at him for a moment and exclaimed,"Is it you Dinesh?". Dinesh seemed confused. "How do you know my name?". "Don't you remember me? I am Radha," the doctor answered excitedly. After a while, a bell rang as he recollected his childhood and exclaimed,"My god, Radha, how are you?". "I am great. I am a Doctor now. I have no words to thank you," saying she hugged her old friend in tears. The two friends went out to a cafe and shared their life's journey with each other. After dating for a few months, the two friends decided to tie the knot.

By now, you must be wondering who am I? I am Dinesh's mother and Radha is my daughter-in-law. When Dinesh returned that evening from Radha's house, he was a changed boy. He wanted to help her but did not know how. So, I told him to teach her after school every day. I also arranged for her school expenses and sponsored her education. I requested the school authorities to tell Radha that they were sponsoring her education. I did not disclose this matter to Dinesh as I did not want him to feel that he was doing a favor to his friend. Also, I did not want Radha to know about this matter as I did not want to hurt her self-esteem. But, even I had no idea that life would take this unexpected turn to reunite the two childhood friends once again and then bond them for their entire life.

The End

The Woman on the Train

Every day, I would take a train from St. Frank Anthony station to Terry Cross station to reach my office. I boarded the train at 7.45 A.M. every morning. The train journey was one hour long. At 8 AM the train would arrive at the Serra Veronica station.

Every day, I looked forward to this moment. A woman boarded the train from this station. She preferred to travel in the first coach everyday like me. She had beautiful round eyes and tied her hair in a long ponytail. She was fair and had a slender figure. She was of medium height and walked elegantly. She carried herself with grace and looked charming in her office outfits. She looked around thirty years in age. She always sat down near one of the seats near the coach entrance. I made sure to sit on the other side of the coach where I could see her.

I had been observing this woman for the last one year. I did not know who she was. We would both get down at the last station. I would walk to the platform where I saw her climbing the stairs. I would follow her to the exit. I would walk fast to catch up with her and as we exited the station, for a few moments, we would walk together.

It seemed as though time stopped in its tracks during those few moments. Everything would appear to move very slowly around me. I could smell her perfume. It had a sweet fragrance like a rose. As she exited the station she would walk towards the bus stop. I would rent a bicycle and ride it to my office.

As I pedaled past her, I felt a strange feeling. This feeling represented hope. The hope of seeing this lovely woman every morning. I often wondered if she ever noticed me.

I wasn't the sort of guy who could just walk to a stranger and start a conversation. I lacked the courage. So, I just observed her every day. Seeing her would make my day. If she did not come on any day, I would feel restless. I felt scared thinking what would happen if she stopped coming one fine day.

I wondered if I was in love with this woman. But, I questioned my intellect wondering that how could I just fall in love with a stranger whom I knew nothing about. But, the feeling I experienced when she was around me was something unique. Seeing her would bring joy to me. She was like a rose in the garden. Seeing her every day would add joy to my otherwise dull life. So, I continued my life in this manner for almost a year.

About a month back, my fears were realized when the woman stopped coming on the train. I thought the first couple of days that she might have been sick. When she did not come for an entire week, I thought she must have gone off on a vacation. I thought that she might be returning the next week.

But, when she did not come for two more days, I became anxious. I wondered what had happened to her. Now, I cursed myself for not introducing myself to her. Only if I had her phone number, I would just call and check if she was alright.

I was stupid enough to not even know her name. How was I going to find her? I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I thought that there were other possibilities as well. Maybe, she had quit her job. Maybe she had got married and moved to another city. Or maybe her office timings had changed and she had decided to take another train.

The third possibility struck me as more likely to me. I decided to check this theory the following day. I took the train at 6.45 A.M., a good one hour before my regular train time and got down at the Serra Veronica station from which the girl boarded her train every morning. I stood at the side of the platform checking every new passenger.

There was a train every ten minutes. So, there could be five other trains between 6.45 A.M. and 7.45 A.M which she could have boarded. I stood patiently scanning every passenger's face. Already three trains had departed but there was no sign of the woman. I had begun to think that maybe I was wrong. That maybe she had quit her job or moved somewhere else, otherwise, she might have turned up by now.

As I was just thinking about this new possibility, I saw a familiar face in the crowd. It was the girl. My heart skipped a beat. My face became red and a smile of content spread on my lips. I moved across the wave of passengers. As I walked towards the girl, the train came and there was a rush of people to board the train. I lost her in the melee. But, I saw that she had boarded the train. I was glad that I had found her again.

I thought that when I got down at the last stop, I would walk up to her and introduce myself. I did not want to lose her again. I began to rehearse in mind what I would be saying to her. Should I introduce myself casually or seem more professional? Should I tell her that I have been observing her since the last one year? What if she thought that I was stalking her? What if she thought that I was a weirdo?

As the train arrived at the last station, I was a little nervous. But, I was determined at the same time to meet her. I had made up my mind to talk to her. So, as soon as the train stopped and the passengers got out, I walked briskly towards the girl. As we neared to the platform steps, I approached the girl and said, "Excuse me, Miss, can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?".

The girl turned around stunned. I guess she recognized me. But, she obliged me by saying "Yes, sure". Now, as I looked into her eyes, I panicked. I did not know what to say to her. So, I decided to tell her the truth. "You used to take the 8 A.M. train every day. I hope you recognize me. I used to travel in the same coach with you every day. I was a little worried when I saw that you stopped coming. I hope everything is fine."

I hoped that she would not regard me as an idiot. She looked astonished for a moment. But, she replied softly,"I am touched by your concern. I remember seeing you on the train as well. I used to take the train to my office every day after dropping my son at his school. My son's school timings have changed and it opens half an hour earlier now, so I started taking the train a bit early since the last week."

As she mentioned the word "Son" I felt that I should not have been following her like this. I felt embarrassed thinking that she might have sensed that I had been observing her so much all this time. "I am very sorry to bother you like this. I am glad you are alright." I excused myself and started walking towards the platform stairs. I was happy that the woman was safe. As I was climbing the stairs, I heard her call out to me,"Hi Mister, please stop."

I turned back to see her climbing the stairs in a hurry. Catching her breath, she asked,"What's your name?". I told her my name was Sam Orwell. I once again felt like a stupid person to not have introduced myself. I apologized to her for not having introduced myself earlier. I asked her,"What is your name?". She answered that her name was Sandra Rocks. She then asked me if I had some time to have breakfast together. I felt obliged and agreed immediately. We went to a cafe just outside the station.

Once in the cafe, we ordered our breakfast and sat down at a side table. When I was sitting with her, there was an odd sense of familiarity between us. I did not once feel that I was sitting with a stranger. We started a casual conversation. She asked me about my job and work. I told her that I was an Accountant and that I worked for a private firm. She said that she was an English teacher and she taught English for the college undergraduates.

She asked me if I was married. I answered that I was not. She said that she was a single mother. Her husband had left her some years back for some other woman. I felt sorry for her. We exchanged our phone numbers and she said that she would be coming catching the 8 A.M. train again from tomorrow. After breakfast, we took the same train to reach our offices.

At the exit, we exchanged goodbyes. As I pedaled past her that day, I felt a sense of happiness which I had never experienced before. This time I was sure of the feeling. It was indeed loved.

The End

The Foster Mother

The boy had big dreams. He often told me that one day when he will become rich, he would take me on an airplane. He would make a paper plane and hold it in his hand he would circle around me and make a nasal sound he would say,"Whoosh! Kaki, I am the Captain of Air India. Welcome Aboard! Ice-cream and biscuits will be served shortly, Whoosh!".

"Hari, will you stop making so much noise, boy. I can't sleep," I would say to him seeming annoyed. But, on the inside I loved him. I felt so happy when Hari was around. For a moment, I would forget about all my sorrows. I was the foster mother of Hari.

Hari was an eight-year-old boy. He was short for his age and had dark sunburnt skin. His clothes were ragged and his curly hair was disheveled. But, his eyes sparkled with mischief and there was always a grin on his face. I had found him about six years back abandoned on the temple steps. A small baby cuddled in a white blanket.

I heard the baby cry and took him in my arms. The baby became quiet when I held him. His small innocent eyes stared at me. And, then the baby smiled which made my heart melt. I looked around and checked with the temple priest. We searched for the parents of the baby for many days. But, we could not find them. So, I requested the Priest to allow me to keep the baby. The Priest thought for a while and seeing that there was no better option he handed over the baby to me. But, I guessed that he secretly wondered how a poor widow who owned a small tea stall could take care of the baby.

I earned enough only to earn two times meal for me every day. But, after Hari came to my life, I knew that this much money would not be enough to feed the both of us. So, I pawned my two gold bangles at the old jewelry shop near the temple and got enough money to feed the two of us for the next few months. I started taking household work like cleaning houses, washing utensils and gardening which also fetched me some extra money. I also did odd jobs at the temple which also got me some money.

After Hari became six years old, I decided to send him to a school. With my odd jobs, I was able to make just enough money needed to feed the two of us. I did not know how I would afford the school fees. I talked with the temple Priest and he talked with the temple Trust people. They gave me some money to take care of Hari's school fees. I felt a gratitude for them beyond any measure. My boy would finally go to school. He would learn and if everything went well he would be able to study till the tenth class and became an electrician or a plumber. If he was lucky, maybe someone would hire him as a Peon in a big company.

It was two years since Hari was attending school. He was now in the third class. He had already studied more than me. I had managed to study only till the second class when my parents had decided to pull me away from school. They did not find any reason why girls should be educated more. So, they made me do all sorts of household chores and when I turned sixteen years old, I was married off.

My husband was a forty-year-old man who had two children already. His wife had died while delivering their second child. For some time, my husband took good care of me. He took me to the cinema and shopping. But, after one year of our marriage, he started beating me and abusing me. He used to come home drunk every night and beat me.

Once, he beat me up very badly. I had bruised eyes and blue marks from his beatings. That night, I ran from the house. I went to the station and climbed the first train that came to the platform. I did not even know where the train was headed. In the morning, I got down at a village station. The name of the village was Suhana Gaon. 

I did not have any money when I came to the village. I only had two saris with me. I kept walking till my feet could not carry me anymore. I saw a temple nearby. I went and sat in the temple for some time. The Priest saw me and asked where I was from. I lied that I was a widow and my In-Laws had chased me out of the house after my husband's death. The Priest took pity on my condition and gave me shelter in the temple backyard. The temple became my house. I did odd jobs in and around the temple and also managed to open a small tea stall with my meager savings. It was around this time that Hari came into my hands. 

One day, early in the morning, I was selling tea when a big blue car stopped in front of the temple. A woman in a beautiful red and white colored sari stepped out of the car. She was accompanied by a tall and handsome man. From the way the man was holding her hand I sensed that they were husband and wife. The couple went inside the temple. I took no more notice of them and became busy with my work.

After about half an hour, the couple came outside. I saw that the Priest was accompanying them and the three people were walking directly towards me. I became slightly alarmed. I hoped that my Hari had not done any mischief. As the lady came near I saw that her eyes were moist. She had been crying. The Priest addressed me and asked,"Kaki, where is Hari?". From his tone, he looked concerned. I thought that definitely something was amiss and asked him,"Pujari ji, is everything alright? Has my Hari done any mischief again?" saying this I turned to the lady and folded my hands, "Madam, please forgive my son. I will teach him a good lesson today." However, the Priest addressed me and said, "Kaki, no Hari has not done anything this time. These people are looking for him. You see this lady is his real mother. They are here to take Hari to his actual home."

As I heard these words, I could feel the earth trembling beneath my feet. I felt like I was swirling and found it difficult to stand in my place. The vessel of milk spilled from my hand. "How is this possible? Hari was abandoned six years back on these temple steps. How do you know that this lady is his real mother?", I asked sobbing. This time the lady replied,"I was a single mother when I gave birth to this child. I was very afraid of the society. I was afraid that I or my child would not find acceptance in this society. So, due to my fears, I decided to abandon this child. I am very thankful that you took such good care of my child. I will be forever indebted to you. However, please return my child to me. I can't live without him anymore."

I became angry. "Where were you all these years? Did you even care if your child was dead or alive? Why have you come back after all these years? Go away from here, I will not give my child to you."

As I was saying this, I saw Hari returning from his school. When he saw that I was shouting at these people, he came running and jumped into my arms. "What's wrong Kaki, who are these people?" he asked me softly. The lady's husband who was quiet for all this time spoke now. He addressed Hari and said if he would like to go in the big car. He offered him chocolates and biscuits. But, my Hari refused them. He offered to buy him new clothes and toys, but still, my boy refused them. He said,"I will not leave my Kaki. So, just go away".

By this time a lot of people had gathered around us. The husband finally took away his wife and they drove away in their car. I hugged my child tightly. Next day, the Priest came to our house and said, "Kaki, can I have a word with you?". He then told me that the young lady and her husband had lost their only child in a car accident. And, now the lady could no longer bear any more children. He said that if she did not get back Hari then her husband might marry another woman.

When I heard this, I remembered my own plight after my marriage. I could not let another woman suffer the same fate. I thought that I had become selfish in my love for my child. I had not even spared one thought about my boy's future. No matter how hard I worked in life, my boy could never have the same life that these rich people could give him.

I put a stone on my heart and agreed to let go off Hari. The Priest understood my sentiments and remarked,"A mother who raises a child is greater than a mother who gives birth to the child. I bow down in front of you, mother please forgive me".

There were tears in everyone's eyes that day. Hari was shouting and kicking his legs as the couple came and took him away in their car. I waved him goodbye knowing that I had lost him forever. I had once again lost the purpose of my life.

The End

The Accident

My name is Anjali. I was only twenty-four years old when this incident happened. I was married to a handsome Air Force Pilot, Squadron Leader Ranjith Singh. Ranjith and I had met at a Pub a few months back and it was love at first sight. We had dated for only about four months when he had proposed to me and I had said yes to him. We were both heads over heels in love with each other. We had informed our parents of our decision. They had readily agreed. After a brief meeting of our parents, the wedding date had been finalized and we were married in another couple of months. Coming to think of it now, everything had happened so soon.

Our wedding had taken place in Delhi where my parents stayed. After the wedding, we stayed at my parent's house for about a week's time. After one week, we took a train to Agra where Ranjith was currently stationed. The train journey was short and it took us only about three hours to reach Agra. It was nearly noon when we reached Agra. It was the month of July and it was hot. The temperature was around 31 degrees and the humidity was also very high. It had been raining the last week but the high humidity was making us sweat very badly. We had quite a bit of luggage with us. Ranjith had said that some people from his office would be coming to help us with transporting the luggage.

On reaching the station, we found that no one had arrived. So, Ranjith made a few quick calls to his office people. I saw that he was shouting and seemed to be upset. I was a little taken aback as I had never seen him lose his cool all this time. So, after he finished his call I asked him what was the matter. He said that there was some miscommunication about the time of his arrival and his office people had thought that we would be arriving at 11 PM and not at 11 AM.

I told Ranjith that it was alright and we could hire a luggage van to carry all our luggage. We had around ten big suitcases and three heavy bags with us. So, we hired few porters and asked them to carry the luggage to the taxi stand. At the taxi stand, Ranjith booked a luggage van and also a cab. He told me that he would be coming along with the luggage van as it would not be safe to leave all our luggage unattended.

He wrote down the address of the Air Force Officer Quarters and instructed the cab driver to drop me safely there. I was hesitant at first to travel alone. I hugged him and told him that I was not feeling comfortable traveling alone. He assured me that we were about to meet again in half an hour and there was no reason to worry. He said that the journey from the station to the Air Force Quarters was only about half an hour.

I took the cab and Ranjith boarded the luggage van. I felt silly to feel worried and waved him goodbye. My cab started and as Ranjith had told me, we reached the Officers Quarters within half an hour. On reaching the quarters, I was met by people from Ranjith's office. They had come to welcome me. They greeted me warmly and carried my luggage. They had already arranged for our stay and took me to our quarters. Ranjith's senior officer Wing Commander Mahesh Suri came over to our quarter and introduced himself. We chatted for some time and had tea. After a while, I started becoming anxious as Ranjith had still not arrived. It had been almost an hour since I had reached the Quarters and there was still no sign of him anywhere. I tried calling Ranjith but his phone was unreachable.

Mahesh noticed my anxiety and asked me what the matter was. I explained him everything. Mahesh asked me not to worry and said that probably the luggage van had got punctured. I was still not very convinced and started to worry. Seeing my state, Mahesh asked me to rest for some time and said that he would go out and make some inquiries regarding this matter. I closed the door and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes but I was feeling very uneasy and restless. I sensed that something was not right. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I ran to open the door hoping that Ranjith had returned at last. When I opened the door my happiness vanished into thin air. Mahesh was standing outside the door with two more officers. One of them was a tall and smart lady. The other one was a medium height gentleman of a fair complexion. The expression on the faces of these people was very serious. Seeing them, I judged that something terrible had happened.

Mahesh asked me to take a seat. The young lady officer by name Sunanda held my arm and gently guided me to the sofa seat. After I had sat, Mahesh told me that he was about to reveal some serious matter and that I should try to keep calm. I had already started crying and asked him what was the matter. He said that Ranjith had met with an accident on the way to the Quarters. He said that he had suffered several critical injuries and had been admitted to a nearby hospital.

I started weeping uncontrollably. Sunanda tried comforting me by patting my back. I asked Mahesh if Ranjith was in a critical state. He nodded in reply and said that he was being treated for serious injuries in the operation theater. I said that I wanted to go to the hospital. Mahesh and all the other officers got up and took me to the hospital in a car. During the car journey, Sunanda tried comforting me and said that everything would be alright. I was still in a state of trauma and was praying God to keep Ranjith safe.

 We reached the hospital in about fifteen minutes time. On reaching the hospital, we checked at the Reception for Ranjith. The receptionist guided us to the Operation Theater. When we reached the Operation Theater, we saw doctors operating on the patients inside. We were not allowed to go inside. I could not make out Ranjith's face from the small window of the door. I started crying once again. The officers started comforting me. Meanwhile, the doctor came outside and we checked with him about Ranjith's condition. The doctor said that the injuries were serious and he could not answer about his condition till the operation was over. After a couple of hours, the operation was over. The doctor came out of the door with a bent head and my heart skipped a beat.

He came to me and said sorry we could not save him. I started crying. I could not believe all that was happening. How could God be so cruel? We had been married only for a week now. How could God do this to me? I was shell-shocked and sat down and with my head in my arms started weeping. Suddenly, a familiar hand brushed my long hair gently and whispered my name, "Anjali Darling". I looked up to see Ranjith standing next to me smiling. I looked on in disbelief. I looked at the other officers and they were all smiling too. The officers loudly exclaimed,"Welcome, to the Air Force Family."  I was too shocked to react and stood bewildered. I jumped into Ranjith's arms and started crying. He caressed me affectionately and said that he was fine. In a short while, I realized that Ranjith and his officers had played a prank on me.

In the span of the next few months, I came to know that a prank is played on every spouse of a newlywed Air Force couple. Every husband/wife who joins the Air Force family has to be mentally strong owing to the nature of their spouse's work. They have to be prepared to bear any kind of ill news at any time. I was the subject of many such pranks in future also. Also, I participated in playing pranks on other people too. Over the course of many years, I realized the true importance of this prank. Many years later, when Mahesh passed away in an air accident, I could see that same sadness in his wife's eyes which I had experienced all those years back. But, she had become a tough woman and kept her own when she was conveyed the tough news. This made me realize the sacrifices of our armed forces and their families and I feel proud to be part of this great institution.

The End

The Trek

Last month, I had gone Trekking with two of my best buddies David and John to the Smoky Mountains. The Trekking trip was John's idea. John is a wildlife photographer. He had traveled to several exotic places around the world. Now, that he was back home after two months long assignment, he had pulled me and David for this trip.

He came over to my place about a week before the trip to convince me to join him. He said, "Sam you have to come. It will be a great trip. Just you, me and David camping in the mountains, just like the good old times." I told him that I was busy with a writing assignment and my new book was slated for a release next month. But, he would not listen. So finally, I relented and agreed to join them.

It had been several years since the three of us had gotten together. I was not sure how the trip would come along. I had not spoken to David in a long time even though both of us stayed in the same city. We had met very less after the college. So, I thought maybe this trip might be a good opportunity to say one final goodbye to my old friends.

We had agreed to travel the Friday evening and return back by Sunday evening. The mountains were only a six hours drive from our place. So, we had planned to do a 5 A.M. trek on Saturday. David picked me up and also John from our houses. He was a teacher in the government school. I saw that he had some gray hair now and wore thick spectacles. The mustache on his face made him look like a very different man from the one I last remembered. "Hi David, it's good to see you," saying this I shook hands with my old pal. "It's good to see you too, Sam," David answered.

I felt overjoyed to see my old buddies. They looked different now. But, I felt the same happiness in their company as I had felt during our college days. At that moment, I felt that I had done the right thing by agreeing to come for the trip. We reached our Motel by 12 A.M. So, we decided to catch up on some sleep before the trek. We took adjacent rooms, 301, 302 and 303. We decided to regroup at sharp 4.30 A.M. I was exhausted after the long drive and went to sleep immediately. I was woken up at 4.30 A.M. by the sound of my alarm. A little annoyed, I switched off the alarm and got up. I picked up my trekking gear and went to the parking area.

David and John were already there. We started the car and started for the mountain foothills, the place from which we had decided to commence our trek. The foothills were just about ten miles away from our Motel. The jungle area started after a few minutes drive. The jungle was very thick and it was very dark. David had to switch on the fog lights to see the road properly. After about a half an hour's drive, we reached the foothills. Since it was off-season there were few trekkers. In fact, we had not spotted more than a couple of other trekkers.

We strapped all our trekking gear and started the climb. The climb was difficult. We were all in our mid-thirties and were not as fit as we were during our college days. As we were mid-way through our ascent, David said, "Look, guys, there's a cave down there. Let's check it out,". As I and John looked, we saw a small cave at a distance. We decided to explore it. We reached the cave entrance. It was about eight feet in height and around two feet in diameter. It was pitch dark inside and we switched on our torches.

Our torch light revealed that it was a big cave. I was surprised that I had never heard or read about this cave even though we had visited this place a couple of times before. The cave had some kind of foul stench and the side walls were damp and covered with moss. I could see water dripping in small drops from the ceiling. I was amazed at the cave and started checking the far end. I turned back to tell, "Wow, what a cool place,". But, I was surprised to find neither David nor John behind me. "Hi, Guys, where are you? I can't see you," I called out. I could not hear back any response. So, I thought that they must have come out of the cave and I decided to go back too.

I came out of the cave but still could not see my friends. I got a little nervous and tried calling them. But, the network signal of my cell phone was weak and I could not call them. I was now in a conundrum. I did not know if I should I look inside the cave or if I should climb up or simply go back to the car. I was getting anxious when suddenly I noticed another trekker at some distance and called out to him. "Hi Mister, please wait," saying this I ran in his direction.

The man was a tall and muscular man in his late thirties. He was carrying a backpack and wearing black goggles. "Excuse me Sir, but did you see any two people on your way up here?", I asked him breathing heavily. "No. I am sorry Sir, but I did not see anyone," he replied earnestly. I started feeling very tensed and did know what to do next. He sensed my anxiety and asked,"Is everything alright Sir, Can I help you in some way?".  So, I told him my story and explained him my situation.

I learned that his name was George. George suggested that we should check in the cave once again. We both checked the cave thoroughly but still could not find them. So, we decided to climb up the mountain thinking that the two would have climbed up hoping that I would follow them. So, we both started the climb. George talked to me and it helped to release my stress. I learned that he was a dancer and that he liked to trek. After about a couple of hours of the climb, we finally reached the mountain top.

The cool breeze and the amazing view from the top of the mountain greeted us. I looked around to see if I could find my friends. But, still, there was no sign of them. I became worried and looked at George. We decided to take rest for ten minutes and then start our descent. I was worried that something wrong had happened to my friends.

George was very supportive and comforted me by saying that my friends would be alright. He said that they probably would have played a trick on me. I became angry and thought that if this was the case, then I would probably never forgive them. After ten minutes, we began our descent. It took us about three hours to descend the mountain. Finally, we reached the foothills and I rushed to the place where we had parked our car. The car wasn't in sight anywhere. So, George offered to drop me off at the Motel.

By the time we reached the Motel, it was noon. I searched for David's car but could not find it in the parking area. I could not understand what in the world was really happening. I went to the Motel's reception and inquired if my friends had checked in. The receptionist gave me a puzzled look and asked: "Excuse me, Sir, but I do not know about any of your friends." "Please check the reservations against the rooms 301, 302 and 303," I asked him getting impatient. "Sorry Sir, but we do not have any rooms with these numbers. The third floor has been shut down for business for the last five years." "What?", I said as my head started reeling and I took a few steps back. I held my head tightly with my hands lest it fell off due to the force I was experiencing inside me.

I looked at George and he was looking at me anxiously. "Do you remember Sam?" he asked me in low voice. "Remember what? Who the hell are you ?", as I said this I began to see the scenes from past life in flashes. I saw me, David and John driving to the Smoky mountains. Only it was our younger selves back from our college days. We were all looking so happy. Suddenly, out of nowhere a wild buck stood in the center of the road. David steered the car to avoid crashing into the buck. But, he lost control and the car rolled over and fell down into a ditch. I rolled out of the car and came onto the side of the road. I saw David and John trapped inside the car. As I rushed to help them, the car suddenly burst into flames and I fell back due to the impact. My head crashed into a tree and I fell unconscious.

George revealed that I was in a state of coma for the last ten years. He said that when I woke up, the time had completely stopped for me. I still thought that David and John were alive. I did not remember about the car crash. So, George who was my Neurologist had decided to enact a small role play to make me recall my past life. So, he along with some other doctors had enacted the whole episode.

I later met with the other Doctors who had played the roles of David and John and thanked them for helping me. I visited the families of my real friends and offered my condolences and explained to them about the incident which led to our accident. They were happy that I had recovered from my Coma and wished me the best of luck. I feel so much blessed today to have been able to share my life's story with you all.

The End