Heartfelt.

Hello readers, welcome to the second chapter of ‘STRINGS’.

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You know the thing about being sick for a very long time is that everyday there’s a little less life left inside you than the previous day. Everyday just doesn’t lets you live. You get surrounded with every possible negative thought but you can’t just do anything.

1 AM. Phone rings…

“Hello?” she answered.

“Let me just give up .”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yes everything.”

“Don’t lose hope. You’ll get better soon.”

“When? It’s been 3 years. I can’t live like this anymore. I don’t have any hope left to lose.”

“Don’t give up.”

“I don’t have a choice. You know when you have been like this for a very long time; you just don’t get to live every day. You get to die every day. First there’s this mental sickness in the morning, then this pain that hasn’t left me alone for a single day in these 3 years doesn’t let me get through the day and before you know there’s this mental sickness in the night again. And you know what the worst part is..”

“What is it?” sobbing.

“You have to pretend to be okay every day. Not because you want people to see you strong but because you want good days for your mom. She never wanted this. My parents just don’t deserve this.”

“But you know they love you so much. They have been fighting for you all these years against this.”

“That is the problem they love me. I just hope that they didn’t. So they wouldn’t have to put up with me. I have robbed them of all the little joys of watching their kid grow. Sometimes I don’t tell her exactly the intensity of the pain so that she is relieved. She calls me three times a day till the time she is in the office just to make sure I am okay. My father never gets to shed a tear but I can just feel it in his voice every time he gets to know that I am not well. He had big plans for me you know and now he’s letting them go. I am not his brave lion anymore. He doesn’t call me that anymore. And every day it keeps getting worse. Every time the pain shoots up to a new level that makes me feel like I am going to pass out now.”

“But you have still survived it so far.”

“I call that my bad luck.”

“I call that courage.”

“No. Listen to me. I didn’t choose to live like this. This life has been forced on me. Every day is like dying. And people? They don’t realize the damage they are doing. Just their sympathetic faces make me realize how weak I am. And how their mean words are enough to give me another reason to give up. I have lost everyone I considered as my friends , these were the people to take a dig at my situation first hand. It’s a good thing I came to know them but it aches to be friendless. I wonder why you have not done yet. You’re my childhood friend . You could have done that.”

“Because I have seen you grow up so much in the last 3 years. And you have amazed me. And god, do I want more years with you. And why do you keep forgetting the thing your mom told you that you’ll stand out like the brightest star in the sky one day. I believe that too.”

“I just hope I become a star in the sky one day really soon .”

“Okay . You want that despite knowing that your parents , your sister and I want you so badly.”

“My parents have my sister, the kind of kid they have always been proud of , the kind of kid they deserve to have. My sister is strong ; she’ll get out of it. She has always been the strong kid. And you , you don’t deserve to put up with me every effing night. You have your own life, you have many friends. I am just a childhood mistake that still stresses you out.”

“You’re my best mistake that I don’t regret. I know you’ve had a long battle. But just don’t give up when you’re so close to winning.”

“What if I don’t win ?”

“I know you don’t like losing. Just hang in there till your day comes. I want you to be there for me when my bad days will come.”

“I’ll try.”

“Never stop trying.”

“Goodnight. I’ll see you at class tomorrow.”

“I’ll pick you up for class tomorrow. Goodnight.”