Token of Love

Time: 4:30 PM Place: Airport

....this is the last and final call for passengers of Flight No. 0934...

Sreya reluctantly walked towards the boarding counter to collect her boarding pass. She was going to Delhi at her maternal uncle's place for a month. She wont be seeing Aakash for such a long period. She had dearly wished that Aakash would show up at the airport. He had promised to come and see her off when she apprised him about her vacation. She had childishly asked for a rose on the D-day, as a symbol of retention. But last night they had a fight. For reason unknown to her, Aakash was behaving rudely. "Perhaps, he was a bit upset as i wont be with him for a month," thought Sreya. It is normal in love, though. But she never had thought that Aakash wouldnot turn up. She sought for him for the final time amidst the crowd. There was no sign of him. Dejected, she headed towards the boarding counter where her parents were waiting for her.



Time: 4:45 PM Place: City Hospital

Aakash tried his best to get up from the hospital bed. He tried his best to open his eyes. He needed to go to the airport. Sreya must be waitng for him. But he couldn't.

Two bottles of blood were given to Aakash. There were injuries all over his body. His right ulna has broken into three pieces and his ankle has been dislocated. His condition was critical. If it had been a few more minutes late in bringing him, he would have been lost forever. It was a terrible accident. Actually he was heading towards the airport. When he got down from the bus he remembered about the rose he had promised. Luckily, he found a flower shop nearby. He got himself a beautiful red rose. "Sreya will be more than happy," he thought. He was bit upset with himself for fighting with her last night. Actually, he didn't want to believe that he wont be seeing or speaking to her for a whole month. He knew that his thinking was wrong. But still he was unable to refrain himself form thinking so.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that he was onto to the roads. There was no chance for the taxi's driver to break. It hit him severely, which left him unconscious.


Time: twilight Place: Near the accident spot

The little beggar-girl found a red rose left carelessly near the pavement. Stains of blood were on its leaves. Nevertheless, she picked it up. It was the first time that she was holding such a pretty flower in her small dirty hands. She had only seen them at the shop across the road. She proudly held it high. The sky had taken a beautiful hue of sepia. A plane flew by in the background. The rose was really looking beautiful.