A Real Touching Story

Well this is a story that I read in a newspaper, but was rather touched by it!!
In this modern age of social networking, where we have innumerable chat friends, author Siddhartha Shankar has managed to touch a nerve with this heart-warming story!!!
Here it goes:

FAREWELL, MY LOVE


Going through e-mails, barring the official ones, is always exciting. I usually have my messenger on at the same time. I cook up any number of excuses to log into this so-called virtual world for chatting with my lovely gang of net-pals.

WHERE ARE YOU,MY FRIEND?
During lunch time in office, I logged into my messenger and one off-liner intrigued me. I replied, fervently inquisitive at those sweet off-liners, albeit the fact that I am used to net-pals. Something was taking shape deep inside me as I sought her in my buddy-list. I was feeling showers of rain kissing my cheeks, announcing the arrival of the monsoon and taking over this mundane life. Before leaving office, I looged in again and to my surprise, saw her online in my buddy-list. She had accepted my invitation...

UPTOWN GIRL
"Thanks for accepting my invitation..," I wrote. "How did you come across my profile, do we know each other?" My queries never ended after that. The more I asked the closer she made me feel. Never was it the usual introduction I had before. We chatted till 10.30 at night. "Mom's yelling," she said. I thought I, too would have to rush home. We signed off....Lying on bed that night, I gazed at the ceiling thinking of her and never knew when slumber took over.

ANOTHER DAY
I was occupied with her thoughts the next day. I could feel the lack of concentration in my work. Amidst one irksome assignment I got a buzz on my messenger quickening my heart beats. It was from her. "Bizi ye...?" she asked me in typical chat style. We started chatting about various things under the sun. She had a great sense of humuor and was funny at times. I loved it.

MY POEMS AND SHE
I loved sharing my poems with this bubbly, ever-chirpy character, as if I had written them for her only. I do read out my poems to my friends but never was I so content. I thanked my stars. Someone finally could match my mental level, I thought. After days of sharing virtual space, she gave me her mobile number. Desiring to hear her voice, I called her up the same day. "Hello..!!Is it Simi?"I asked. "Hey how are you!!!"she replied. I could feel the intensity of her voice, so smooth and so sweet. We talked as we if we knew each other for ages!

THE PROPOSAL
I was dwelling in my world of desires. There was only one emotion reigning in my heart.. That I loved her. In this way four months passed and I could feel a confident person emerging in me. A new personality, with a cheerful approach to life. No wonder people change when they fall in love, I thought. Life had taken on a new meaning for me.
It was the evening, just before Christmas. I got a beep on my cell, a message from her reading, "I want to meet you, can you come tomorrow? I have very little time left."
Not understanding what she meant, I immediately asked my travel agent to book me a train ticket for that very night.

THIS IS LIFE.....
I got down from the train and took out her address. The taxi took me to the house where my love was waiting! I was going to see her for the first time.
The car stopped in front of a beautiful bungalow. I hurriedly climbed the steps and pressed the bell. An old lady opened the door and looked at me in wonder.I smiled and introduced myself. She led me inside. While crossing other rooms, I looked at the works of art that hung on the walls with appreciation. The room in which I entered smelt different. And then I saw her lying on the bed surrounded by people. The doctor was checking her pulse.
She was informed about my arrival. Her lifeless eyes for a moment forgot all the pain and sparkled with delight. She signalled me to sit on her bed and said, "I am the girl with whom you have been speaking for so long."
Seeing my blank expression, she asked, "Are you disappointed to see me?" Tears rolled down my cheeks and I was not able to speak. I wondered how a person awaiting death, can sound so lively and optimistic over phone. How a person for whom life holds no value can appreciate life so much!
While returning home that evening, I was a different person. A changed person. I was not able to delete all those sweet messages from my cell and the saved off-liners in my messenger archives. I stored them in the fond hope that whenever I felt dejected I would turn to them for succour.