On the escalator declining the way down to the basement, he was quiet and looking at the adjacent escalator which was going up. His eyes glanced at the girl who appeared like some other girl known to her, the one in white long frock with golden strips; she was looking like an angel. A strange smile appeared on his face and he saw the hand of the girl in a boy’s hand who was in black blazer. This man was carrying the baggage suggesting that it surely contained the stuff purchased from the same mall. The girl was seemed to him very happy and girl didn’t saw him.
The day flashed before his eyes from his past, the time when he was younger and the day of his convocation, the day when he was going to receive the certificate of his university education from the dean. That was a similar day, the same sun, the same wind but something was not similar.
He went to the stage to get his certificate and while approaching the stage, he stepped first stair and slipped off it. Although he managed to avoid the fall but other students started laughing. Some laughed because he was the student who got distinction and hence jealous was the reason, some personally disliked him and some for the moment only but he saw a girl on the stage standing behind the dean with a rolled and tied paper into her hands. She was handling the certificates of different students to his dean to pass onto the coming students.
He saw and noticed that the girl felt a pain due to his fall but he approached the dean and received his piece of certificate paper. This was the first time he noticed the girl who was studying in the college. He remained busy all the times and unnoticed many such personalities but this time; it was a glance which he never realized will be going to take him somewhere else.
They both realized that they do not live too far from each other. One evening, she was sitting on the bench in the society park when Sam was jogging and saw her again.
He stopped near to her and asked, “Hi! I saw you on the convocation day. Do you remember me?” and approached his right hand towards the girl to shake.
Girl stood and answered, “oh Hi! Yea I have seen you. You are the one among those three only persons who got distinctions this year.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to be introduced in that way. My name is Sam and you must know me by my name”, the boy smiled and replied instantly, “just keep sitting, make yourself comfortable.”
Girl sat down generously asking him to have a seat. The guy sat there and girl said, “by the way, I am Jasmine. This will be my final year in the college.”
They chatted for too long and become friends eventually.
They started meeting in the park again and again, every evening. They started loving each other. Sam was more worried about his career, his future and his business. He was taking care of the business established by his father. Sam’s father had died in a car accident two years ago and hence he has to handle all the business with his mom but now was taking care of all the business on his own.
His father wished to take this business to world known reputation which was now Sam’s aim of the lifetime. He loved Jasmine a lot and Jasmine too. Jasmine’s parents and Sam’s mom were good friends and this truth revealed to Sam some time later.
Jasmine was real possessive about her love. She also left university passing it with good grades, though she was not distinct but was able to get a decent job.
One day one Sam’s birthday, Jasmine called Sam to a restaurant. Sam was doing great in business. He remained quite hectic for all the day and supposed to lunch with Jasmine. In his busy schedule, he forgot everything and just realized it before leaving the office. He rushed towards his phone and saw that there were eighty nine missed call of Jasmine. Immediately took the keys and ran to his car. He called the girl being in the car and asked where she was. The girl cried and replied that she is still waiting in the restaurant. He went to the table and girl was sitting in a corner.
She stood up and kissed Sam and whispered in his ears’ “I love you a lot.” Picking up the flower from the table, the yellow flower, once favorite of Sam and put it into his hands, she ran out of the restaurant crying and left the place.
Such cases begin to happen more frequently, more than either of them had thought of. Girl started remaining more of sad. Her parents asked her many times to know what is wrong with her but she never wanted to make her parents involved into this.
She knew that she was the one loving him a lot and in return, Sam also loved him a lot.
And the man left the Shopping Centre and standing in the parking saw a park where a girl was sitting alone with her dog. He walked towards the girl and halfway, the girl saw him coming towards her staring at her and she left the bench. Sam was still staring but not the girl, he was looking at the bench. This bench was identical to the one where he found Jasmine sitting on some day. He touched the bench and sat on it, knees at some distance and elbows on it with bent neck and hands behind his head such that his forehead was supporting onto his palms.
Sam was working in his office one afternoon when Jasmine came in and brought him the lunch. She prepared the lunch herself that day. She kept a letter into the box. She kept the lunch box over the table in front of the Sam. Sam was surprised with this. Jasmine quickly left the office of Sam saying him to take the lunch as soon as he gets time. Sam was really hungry and opened the lunch box. He found a letter into the box.
The letter was all written with the fountain pen and at many places, the words were spread like someone sprinkled the water on it but Sam quickly realized that that was not water, they were drops of tears. Jasmine wrote all her feelings but what Sam concluded was that she needs his time, his attention, his care and his love.
What he noticed was a sentence which touched his heart and shook his mind – I don’t know tomorrow exists or not for us but I have today and I want you to be present in my every moment.
Very next day, he went to her place but she was not there. He realized that it was Sunday and hence there should not be any job. He wanted to give her surprise with the same yellow flower, the dried one which she given him on his birthday. Sam was looking for her in her room but he didn’t found Jasmine instead he found an envelope. This brown large envelop was kept on her bed and it looked some official kind of document. He picked up that envelop and saw on it, it was from some community hospital.
He felt very unsecure. He opened it and it was a report which was about the Jasmine. Jasmine was a sick girl. He was broken from inside.
It was a cancer. This was the stage of Jasmine’s cancer from which she couldn’t be saved.
He recognized quickly that many times Jasmine went back to her home. Many times she felt sick and many times he saw her taking some pills and when asked for what are these pills, she every time replied that they are nothing but just for headache.
He kept the envelope as it was placed and moved quickly out of her house. He made it clear that now he is not going to hurt her, neither he will tell her that he knows about her sickness and will try to keep her as happy as he can.
After all, he also loved her a lot and Jasmine gave her that love which no one could have given him.
Sam left a message to Jasmine’s mobile phone – My love Jasmine, I am really sorry for all. I read your letter and realized that I have done many wrong things with you. I want to see you tonight in the same hotel we dated first time. See you there at 7 tonight.”
After sending this message, he went to the restaurant to book the table. He purchased a dress which someday Jasmine liked the most. She told him about that dress when they were in a shopping centre and Sam was supposed to go for an urgent meeting, was in blazer, black and shining but Jasmine was holding his hands too tightly.
After the arrangements and coming back to home, all the time he was thinking about Jasmine. How she is, what could be done for her. It was confirmed that she was not going to live with him anymore. He was thinking of everything about her.
The past times how she reacted against his every act. She cried number of times due to Sam and this made Sam very upset and sad, he started crying for the past but was still making himself bold to keep his love happy for all the time, for the period she is going to be with him now.
He received a text from Jasmine’s mother after some time. It was the reply of Sam’s message to Jasmine – “Jassie is no more!”
He jumped out of his bed and asked for the address. The place was that restaurant’s back side where a park was located in which she left the world and an envelope on which there was written – Only for Sam.
Sam reached the place but Jasmine was not there. After talking to her mom, he came to know that she realized that she was going to die within some hours, anytime and wanted to spend the time in all those memories which were created by “Sam and Jasmine”.
The community park near the bench she died, in front of which was the back of the restaurant where they dated first time and many times later, the shopping center adjacent to the restaurant on the other side of the road in such a way that the façade of the building was visible from the park.
The envelope contained a letter in it written with few lines –
Dearest Sam,
Thanks a lot for giving me so much love of yours. I feel that I was alive for many years but I lived for only those times when you were there with me. Your care, your hurts, your love and your words will be with me no matter we are together or not. I never wanted to make you upset but when I came to know about my disease, I was in situation that I couldn’t leave you but I didn’t tell you because I needed your love and not your sympathies. I wanted you to love me because of me and not because I am sick. I might leave you alone but you will remain with me.
Loved you a lot
Jasmine.
He stood up and started walking towards his car. While crossing the road, he collided with the tram and left a note – I am with you but want you to be with me, forever…...
Sam’s accident was reported in same local newspaper in which Jasmine’s death was reported. This was the immediate next local newspaper which was being printed twice a day.
