The Serenade of the Nightingale

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."

 -Unknown

I don't think it's over yet." Rishi murmured, riffling through his wardrobe, searching for something appropriate for the cold day dawning upon him. His hands stumbled upon a black coat, shirt and pants, he pulled them out from the wardrobe in a hurry.

"This should be fine, I guess." He thought. His hands shook in fear, realization crawled upon him. A mind bustling with thoughts, his life ravaged strip by strip.

"How am I supposed to face her?" Wrestling fiercely with the buttons of his shirt, he keeps the top buttons open feeling suffocated. Emotions welling up inside Rishi nearing him to puke, but he gathered some strength and tightened his belt, He found solace in that suppression. He geared himself up by quickly wearing his coat but he stopped for a second, looking at the mirror. Watching himself carefully, straightening his pant, looking for any inconsistency in his clothes. He stares at the coat, brushing it slightly.

"I never thought I'll wear the coat you gifted... like this... How am I looking?" He looked up at the ceiling, eyes yearning for something."But... there is no running away from it, is there?" Rishi murmured, preparing himself for the inevitable. As he opened the door, a brisk autumn breeze hit his face.

The creak of the wooden floorboards marked his first steps outside. The chilly air and weak sunlight, the rust-colored leaves crunching beneath his feet, the distant noise of the fleeting cars, the barren branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, and the crisp air biting through his coat, everything seemed to mock him. The once-vibrant fields were now a dull brown, the roofs littered with fallen leaves. A sudden gust of wind sent a shiver down his spine.

"Oh God, is this your way of mocking me? Or are you just reminding me how unlucky I've been... from the start," Rishi said in a defeated tone, brushing the leaves off his shoulders. A petal from a withering Cherry blossom tree drifted down, landing on his face. He grasped it firmly, feeling its fragility."I should get going..." Reluctantly, Rishi started walking towards the street but soon he put aside his emotions clouding his judgment. He started running along the street, clenching his fist tightly.

He stopped at the gate of a graveyard. A wave of cries filled with helplessness and desperation fixed him to the ground. The place had no lighting, the dim sunlight being the only source that brought some visibility to this murky, dampened place. He stood still at the gate unable to move, watching his family from a distance wailing and weeping near a grave, his heart aching at this sorrowful sight.

It was a funeral, funeral of Rishi's wife, Priya. His father and in laws, standing near the grave helplessly. This was the first time Rishi saw his father crying. "Why did you have to leave me, Priya...." Priya's mother was heartbroken at her loss. Priya was her only child whom she loved with all her heart and her sudden death shook her mother to the very core. "Oh come back to me, my dear Priya.. Please.. God.. help me!" Priya's mother sat their helplessly, cursing her unfortunate fate, begging god for some kind of miracle. The cry of a mother who had just lost her child shook everyone to core, even the people nearby couldn't help but shed tears at this saddening sight.

Rishi's mother, Suparna saw him standing under the tree, her heart torn into pieces seeing her child in pain as well. She asked Mira, Rishi's sister to bring Rishi. Mira could barely stand on her own, she reached out for her mother's shoulder, holding on to it as she slowly stood up. She walked over to Rishi, wiping off her tears. "Come Rishi, mother is calling you." She whispered. "I'm fine here.." He replied. "Come Rishi.... She is waiting for you. She deserves a goodbye." She whispered, clutching on to Rishi's coat. This single sentence shattered his soul. Tears would do no justice as to how he felt in that moment, a million needles piercing through his heart.

With every step he took his shoulders stiffened, wallowing into the sea of sorrow, breath cut short. Struggling to move forward, his feet shaking helplessly while his body turned cold. His mind filled with Priya's memories as he reminisced his time with her. On her grave, he stood still "You.... you lied to me." He clenched his fists, holding his chest tight. He couldn't stand any further, he sat down on the ground gently caressing her grave. "You said.. you won't leave me." His soiled hands embraced his face.

His father, Rishabh urged everyone to leave Rishi alone. Mira held her mother and Priya's mother gently, as they cried on her shoulder. They paid there respects and left Rishi alone at the grave. Rishabh, while walking back, patted Rishi's shoulder "Rishi... sometimes it's okay for a man to cry. Now is one of those times.." Wiping off his own tears he joined his family who were leaving the graveyard. Rishi sat near Priya's grave, he was broken enough before but his father's words surfaced his suppressed emotions. "I'm sorry... If only I knew.. this could happen..." He lied beside her grave when the rain hit the ground. "I.. If only I was there with you.. I might've saved you..." Rishi covered his face with his arms as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Thank you God.. I can cry now" That was the first time Rishi had cried since his middle school days.

"Priya... come back to me... please, we promised... we were going to buy our house right? Priya... stay with me." He let out a desperate cry. Strong winds accompanied the rain and quickly the weather changed, it became much more violent. "Look Priya.. even the Earth is mourning your loss." He whispered in a broken voice.

After half an hour of helpless screams, desperate begging and crying Rishi finally strengthened his heart. He wiped off his tears and swore never to cry again on Priya's loss. He was still holding onto the cherry blossom petal, which, as a way to pay his respect, Rishi buried alongside Priya's grave. He couldn't stand the sight of her grave any further. Every minute that passed by in that place weakened his will, so he decided to walk back home despite the violent winds and downpour.

The weather soon turned into a thunderstorm but Rishi, who was on the street now, was least bothered about himself, all he thought was Priya. "Oh.. look Priya.. the house we promised we would buy..." He pointed out towards a barren land, no house in sight whatsoever. "So like us" He said with a low laugh, after walking a little he heard a couple arguing in some nearby house and sighed "and then I would cook your favourite meal.. Rajma.. to make up to you."

Priya was all that was on Rishi's mind.. He was reliving the memories he made with Priya and it was hard for him to come at terms with her demise. All of a sudden, a blinding light pierced through the street, wrenching Rishi from his memories. He shielded his eyes, squinting against the sudden glare.

The world seemed to blur around him as the screeching of tires filled the air, mingling with the gasps and shouts of onlookers. Rishi stumbled forward, lost in his thoughts, barely noticing the speeding car hurtling towards him. The piercing sound of a car horn yanked him back to reality, but it was too late. The car swerved, trying to avoid him, but the slippery pavement betrayed both their intentions.

The impact was brutal. Rishi felt himself lifted off his feet, the force of the collision sending him crashing onto the cold, hard ground. Pain erupted through his body, sharp and immediate. He tried to scream, but the air was knocked out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for breath. The world spun around him, the cold seeping into his bones. He lay on the ground, disoriented, his vision blurred. The car that hit him skidded to a halt a few meters away, its front bumper crumpled and steaming. People rushed over, their faces masks of horror and concern. "Someone call an ambulance!" a woman shouted, her voice trembling. "He's hurt badly!"

Rishi's mind raced, a chaotic mix of pain and confusion. He could hear the distant wail of sirens, growing louder with each passing second. The icy rain continued to fall, mingling with the blood trickling down his face, washing away any warmth he had left.Through the haze of pain, he saw a pair of shoes come into view. A man knelt beside him, his hands trembling as he reached out. "Hang in there, buddy. Help is on the way," the man said, his voice strained. Rishi tried to respond, but his body refused to obey. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, a small comfort in the midst of his agony. As the sirens grew closer, the world around him started to fade, the sounds and sights blurring together. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was a small crowd gathering around him, their faces etched with fear and concern. And then, nothing.