Love Story Part-2

Before I start the story let me tell you about the Promote feature of Orkut which I tried using to promote this story.

Those who have missed the first part here is the link:

http://richaritwika.blogspot.com/2009/12/love-story-part-1.html

Parul always thought there are 2 kind of lovers – one who will give life for love and the other who can take the life of others who try to come in between them, the lovers. But then she met a third kind who would take the life of the lover itself for love. Parul wanted someone to love her, but she never thought that she would be loved by a ghost. A ghost of a software engineer, Rahul Mehra.

After reading Rahul’s mail of ‘do the honors’ Parul and whatever happened with her few minutes back she fainted in her cubicle. Her cubicle mate Shaurya tried waking her up. The other cubicle mates of Parul, Swapnil and Rosesh, also came near her. At the same time Rohan got up at his desk and he saw a crowd near Parul’s desk and came running towards her cubicle. In the meantime Rohan had called for an ambulance for Parul. Parul was rushed into the hospital, Rohan also went along with her. On the way to the hospital Parul was back into her senses and told everything about the mail where Rahul has written that Parul must die so that they can be together. Rohan tired calming down Parul and asked her to take the rest of the day off. He said that he will change her place and also ask CCD to keep that haunted machine in the store room.

At the hospital Parul was given medicines which gave relaxation to her brains. From there Rohan dropped her at her home and came back to office. Parul was too scared to go to the office again. She kept thinking what if Rahul really meant what he wrote on his mail. She had no idea whether Rahul was with her now also at her place. After all ghosts can reach anywhere at anytime. Parul didn’t know where to go and ask for help. Parul didn’t want to die so soon and wanted to live. She wanted to have a real love life with a real person.

Next 2 days also Parul didn’t go to office because she was scared of what will happen at the office. On the third day she thought running away from the problem wont be of any help to her. She has to go to the office and face this ghost who has fallen in love with her. She opened her mail from her new place and as usual there were mails from Rahul. She deleted those mails but the mails were back again on her system with the same timestamp in her mailbox. She ignored Rahul’s mail and opened some other mail but Rahul’s mail opened automatically. She thought maybe reading these mails somewhere she can find a solution for her problem.

Hi Parul,

I saw the way Rohan took care of you and took you to the hospital.

He is a nice human being but I don’t like him so stay away from him.

Also don’t think that plugging off the machine will stop me from approaching you.

And yes I give you 15 days time to decide as to how you wish to die and after 15 days I will myself take away your life.

Waiting for your death. Love you always.
Rahul Mehra

One thing Parul had noticed that Rahul usually mailed her after 10:00 PM. So she thought that she would leave office early, as early as possible. She had thought that she is not going to stay late. From that day she would rush out of the office by max 7 PM. But that day was different. Parul was trying to finish her work and was planning to leave by 7 PM but somehow she was feeling that her system has gone too slow and she is not able to work. She was feeling that someone has tied her to the chair and even if she wants to leave she is not able to move from her place. It was getting late, people had started leaving the office. Her cubicle got empty. Suddenly the light over head stopped glowing. Parul thought that she would send an update mail saying that she will finish the task tomorrow but somehow the new message option was not working on her system.

She picked up her extension to call up CCD to help her in sending the mail but there was no dial tone on the phone. Even the VOIP in her cubicle was not working. She tried getting up but she was unable to do so. All the lights of the floor were off by now. She knew no one was there on the floor. Her heart had started beating faster and then a mail from Rahul came. Even without clicking on his mail the mail opened in front of her.

Hi Gorgeous,

I know you don’t like this name but today I am happy.

I am happy to see you at this time in the office. From the last few days you were running away from me.

But I know the ways to stop you.

I don’t want any disturbance while I am with you so your extn, VOIP or mobile is not working.

I want to keep starring at your face which is looking more beautiful with the lights coming from your machine.

Has anyone told you that your eyes can even kill a dead person again?

Your hands look so beautiful when you type with them. I feel so happy when you touch the screen, I feel like you are feeling me.

Oh Parul you don’t know how special I feel when you are with me. I just cant explain it in words.

Do you want to see me? Its there in one of the attached mails which was sent to you also with the subject line “Remembering Rahul Mehra”

Love you always.
Rahul Mehra

She looked at the pic and she thought he was handsome when he was alive. Parul felt that if Rahul was alive then maybe she would have fallen in love with him. But he was not alive, he was a ghost and she had so many dreams to fulfill. She thought even if Rahul was alive and she was in love with him then also she wont have let his love come in between her aspirations. Suddenly she felt that she was released and she could get up from her cubicle. She just got up and started running towards the lift. The lift was not working so took the stairs and started hurrying down to the ground floor. She punched her card but the exit door didn’t open. She looked at the reception but no one was sitting there. She could not think of a way of going out from the office. She didn’t wish to go back to her cubicle.

Smoke started coming from below the door and Parul started feeling suffocated. She could not breath, she felt as if something blocked her respiratory track and fresh air could not pass down to her lungs. She thought this was it her end has come and she will also die in this office like Rahul. She started crying and tears started flowing out of her eyes. She thought of breaking the glass and come out of the building but she didn’t have that much strength. After sometime the smoke stopped and she was able to breathe finally. She punched her card again but still the door didn’t open. Finally she was tired and she went up to her cubicle but she didn’t know why. As soon as she sat on the chair the cable of her extn wrapped around her neck and she felt someone was trying to strangle her. After sometime the wire loosened up and again her body felt normal but she was not sure whether everything was over or Rahul’s ghost would do something more to her. There on her screen Rahul’s mail was flashing.

Hi Parul,

I hope by now you would have known my strength so don’t ever think of leaving early from the office.

I wont take your life till the day I have given you a choice to kill yourself.

You know when did I die, the day when it was my birthday. The pic which you saw was taken on my birthday.

Your birthday is also coming and so that is the day I have selected for your death.

If you wish to die before that, you can very well do that. And yes don’t even think of not coming to the office because I am a ghost and I can be at your place also if I want.

I can be anywhere I want.

Waiting for your death. Love you always.
Rahul Mehra

After all this Parul knew now nothing could save her from dying. She could not tell this to anyone because she thought who was going to believe her story. At that moment the only person she could think of was Rohan. She thought of calling up Rohan and took out her mobile but there was no signal in her mobile. She started thinking of her parents, her friends for whom her existence mattered. She thought how sad her parents will be after they come to know that she is no more. Also she is the only child of her parents. She has her responsibilities towards her parents and she would be dying in someday leaving them alone behind her. While she was thinking all this a mail flashed.

Parul you can leave the office now. I will see you tomorrow night.

Go have some sleep. You need to take rest before you have another hectic day tomorrow.

Love you always.

Rahul Mehra

Parul reached home and laid down on her bed but she was not feeling sleepy. The office incident was still fresh on her mind. She tried sleeping but there was no use because every time she closed her eyes she started thinking how she was suffocated and strangled to death by a ghost. Don’t know when she went to sleep. The next day when she got up already half the day had passed and she thought of missing the office but then she remembered Rahul’s warning. Without giving a second thought she got up from the bed quickly and got ready for the day or maybe another dangerous night.

She reached office and thought of talking to Rohan. Asking him more about Rahul Mehra, the ghost who had started creating havoc in her life. She rushed into Rohan’s cubicle and asked him for a coffee if he was not that busy. Rohan studied Parul’s face and he knew that there was something which was bothering Parul. Rohan agreed on going for a coffee with Parul.

Rohan: “Now tell me what is it that is bothering you.”

Parul: “Rahul Mehra, the ghost. Yesterday he almost tried to kill me. I want to know everything about Rahul.”

Rohan: “Well I don’t know how that will help you but sure I can tell you about Rahul though personally I don’t know much about him.”

Parul: “That is fine. Just tell me whatever you know about him.”

Rohan: “Rahul had joined as a s/w engg. Some 3 and half years back. He was very dedicated to work. He was the only resource in this project and he very quickly grasped everything about the project. He had a very sharp brain and even though he was a s/w engg. there were no defects in his code. Also his deliveries were on time. Work wise you are just a replica of him. Earlier I would ask him to leave the office early but then I could not push anyone out. As a person I didn’t interact much with Rahul. He would never come for any office parties. Also he was not interested in being a part of some fun events. His life was all about work. And this work one day took away his life.”

Parul: “He didn’t have any friends over here?”

Rohan: “I have no idea as I said I didn’t know much about his personal life. Only one thing I know about his personal life is that he had only a mother. His father had died long back and he had no siblings. I still remember the face of Rahul’s mom when she had come to collect his dead body. I feel sorry for the old lady that she lost her son. Well that is all I know about Rahul.”

Parul: “Who was assigned the project after Rahul died?”

Rohan: “The person who was assigned the project after Rahul’s death has left the company.”

Parul: “Any idea why he left the company? Was he also a workaholic like Rahul or me? Did he ever mention anything like he was being bothered by a ghost?”

Rohan: “He was not a workaholic like you or Rahul though he completed the work assigned to him but he never gave extra time to complete his work. His approach to the work was more systematic and he would avoid calling up onsite. When he was in project all tasks were assigned through mail and the updates were also sent through mail. Only when there was some major issue he would give a call to onsite. I liked his style of work. And he left because of personal reason. He was getting married and his wife was not ready to move to this place. After he left, you joined the project. Anything more you want to know which you think can be of any help to you.”

Parul: “It is ok Rohan. Now I have made my mind that I will die soon. Hope the next person who joins the project is not a workaholic like me or Rahul. Lets go back to work.”

Link to the final part of the story:

http://richaritwika.blogspot.com/2009/12/love-story-final-part.html

P.S. Wish you all a Merry Christmas.