A Real Character
by Ramprasad Misra
(Kolkata, India)
Jane came to meet me, probably at the worst time of my life, when I had been suffering from a strange disease. Doctors prescribed me a dozen of pills a day with complete bed rest. I was completely unaware of the name of the disease and when I asked someone about it, got a common response, "it's a minor fever, you will get well soon", but my mind failed to believe it.
I knew that the final exam of my Masters was scheduled after a bit less than a year. I had been fearing to drop it. I used to pursue a dream to go to MIT to do my PhD as there I'll get the opportunity to interact with the world's top economists, Nobel laureates, especially, my idol Dr. Amartya Sen. I had been preparing myself so that I could get the opportunity to get into MIT.
I did not know why all my dreams and future plans were knocking my brain when I didn't want to think much!
During my school days, I used to believe that my soulmate had been waiting for me somewhere. I even had a romantic idea about my first date with her.
"We must meet on a rainy day on a sea beach, when the sea is roaring, the waves are dancing on the sand. The sun is about to go as if making the way for moon". I could not able to think further.
"People who never fell in love can't think romantic matters beyond a limit", I thought.
I realized that none of my dreams would come true as I was going to leave this world soon. I felt myself like a short-lived animal. "Do they not have any dream?" I asked myself, but I did not have any answer. Every moment of life reminded me that my time was ending. Even I felt the medicines I was taking of no use.
Suddenly, the doctors observed that my health condition had been deteriorating day after day, of which, the reason they failed to discover. I could read everyone's face around me. I realized that they either have read my thought or a message had come to everyone including me that my time was ending. Friends and relatives were coming frequently to meet me, which I did not feel necessary.
One day, Jane came to meet me. She was aware of the fact that I've bee in bed rest for more than two months. When she entered my room, except me none was there. She sat just beside me and kept her left hand on my forehead. I felt that a current passed through my body. I talked a lot with her.
She told me about our first meeting at Goa. We, two unknown people were intentionally drenching on the rain. That was my first introduction with her. Next day, we went to Mumbai on same bus sitting side by side. I could remember that we had been asking unnecessary questions to each other as we were feeling to talk more and more. "Can not this journey be endless" I thought.
This introduction turned into friendship and soon I found myself in love. I could remember every detail of our meeting; her dresses, their colours, jewelries, everything. I did not know whether she loves me or not. "Whether she feels the same for me" I thought.
Once I tried to ask this question to her but someone inside me stopped me from doing that. "Love is a one sided process" he told. With time we met more frequently but the desire could not end.
"It's almost after three months we've been meeting" I counted. When I first felt the headache I did not give it much attention but with time my health condition deteriorated to such extent that I felt that I'll die soon.
Probably Jane understood my feelings. "You will get well soon" she told. I've heard this sentence so many times but my brain declined to believe. This time, when Jane repeated the same words, I immediately felt that it was true. Her words made me feel that I will be alleviated. I have to survive for fulfilling my dream; I have to survive for her. All my nerves shouted together, "I’ll survive, I've to be survive" as she touched my forehead again.
After some time, Jane told me that she had been going to Thailand for one month and she promised me to meet me when she comes back. "Please keep in touch" she said with a smile and in response, I smiled back. She continued speaking, "I know you wanted to ask whether I love you so much as you love me?" I was not wondered as I felt that my soulmate had read the message of my soul. "I should answer it now" she told. "I believe I love you much more than you love me" she continued. I became so happy that I did not find anything to speak. She gave me another smile as a sign of biding good-bye and left.
It was after a long time I logged onto my e-mail to send a message to her. I though to write her a long message but when I started to compose, nothing came into mind. I just wished her happy journey and logged out of the system.
Doctors were extremely happy to see the progress of my health. After a week, they put a halt on my pure bed rest and advised for going out for ten to fifteen minutes in the evening. I was feeling better and better.
Next week the doctors checked my test reports. The team leader was about to jump from his chair. "Congratulations! You are the rare of the rarest people survived of this disease. After a week you can join your classes ", he told so joyously as if he had got the news of winning the Nobel Prize.
I came back home and thought to send a message to Jane that I've been cured. I signed into my e-mail, but, surprisingly, could not find Jane's name there. I also found the sent items but in vein. More surprisingly, I discovered that I had not logged into the system for more than three months!
I asked my mom whether anyone named Jane came to meet me during my illness and she nodded her head, indicating a "No".
I tried to remember whether I know someone named Jane whom I met in Goa. I failed to remember any person with that name. Oh my God, I've never been to Goa either.
I was really sorry to accept that it was a dream. "Can a character of dream give someone so much power?" I asked myself. "You are the burning example of that" my inner soul replied. I had no choice but to believe that.
When I started to ask "An imaginary character…", my inner soul corrected me, "She is not imaginary, she is real". "If she is a real character, what is she doing now?" I asked. "She has become someone else's Jane to make him out of the danger" it replied.
(This is a fiction story and not based on any real events. Any similarity may be considered as a coincidence.)
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