Fear of Death

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'Should I unfasten my brassiere too? ', queried Yuani glancing at a willowy collen wearing a pink suit and a black hijab. 'Certainly, you have to', she responded standing in a forward head posture and holding an ECG report in her left hand.

The space was tiny that could accompany only a bed and a computer and nothing more. Reclining on her bed which was undyed and monotonously soft, Yuani peered aloft and perceived a white bulb disc-like and delicate.

To conceal the procedure, the pink suited girl, hauled the curtains, so that, Yuani lingered on her bed, sheltered at all sides. 'All ready?', the unnamed girl, punched her question. 'Yes mam', Yuani retorted and pulled her red top and brassiere up, to reach her neck.

'ECHO is a simple test. Not even like ECG, Uncomplicated procedure’, Yuani recalled those words by her mama.

The pink suited girl then grabbed a gel similar to a colourless toothpaste and started squeezing it, inbetween Yuani's chest and to the left. She then took the transducer by untieing its wires and rested it on her chest and rubbed the gel along with it. Tapping the computer nearby with her left forefinger for taking images, she slowly dragged the transducer up and down with her right hand and her eyes straight to the display.

'Oh God! Kindly make it normal. At this age, please nooooo. Help me out', Yuani prayed in pity. 'Take mild breath', reported the unnamed girl who could neither be a doctor nor a nurse according to Yuani’s perspective.

Then moving the transducer up and down, she finally settled it below the left breast and waited for 10 seconds and stood perplexed.

'Chechi, chechi', she bawled. Another woman, dusky and short, moved forward and started noticing the display.

'ECG normal but...... ', then she pointed on the display and told 'abnormalll'.

'O gosh! Something is wrong. Am I really abnormal? Dear God, if I'm healthy I would break 108 coconuts or..... Ok, no no, not for now, but please, it must not be abnormal, pleaseee', Yuani murmured to herself.

'Take the pic of this and clear this', the dusky lady pointed to the pink suited girl and left the stage. 'Okay mam, you can wear your belongings', the burqa girl pointed to Yuani.

'Is it normal? '

'Yep', she told unconfident.

Topping her up, Yuani swifted out of the room, and spotted her mama with a grey bag and red stole. 'Maa, something is erroneous. That's for sure. I could sense it.', informed Yuani aggressively and elucidated every second to her mom.

'Waitttt…. Okayyy…. now you have problem with your heart. So, what now? ', deduced her mama. Observing Yuani standing mum, her mom continued, 'We have to clear it. That's all. Don’t panic.'

How come in the world she could stand bold after hearing this message. Being a pessimist, its really hard to digest the upcomings for Yuani.

'Pay the consultation fee and visit the cardio there?', alerted the nurse to Yuani.

Yuani rushed herself to complete the formalities and entered the doctor's cabin with a 'Good evening.'

'Yes, Ms. Yuani, What's the problem? '

'Doctor, I have unspecific pain at my upper chest area, and vomiting for 3 days'

'Okayy. Let me look at the echo image and come back to you'

'There might be some problem. That's why it's complicating', Yuani's mom gestured.

Thumping and agitating, Yuani felt distressed. After two minutes of the doctor's incoming, Yuani lost patience and asked 'Is there any problem with my ECHO? '

The doctor patiently replied, 'That's absolutely normal'.

Yuani's breath smoothened and all her nerves were placed at its registered space. Yuani gave a rewarding smile at her mom. Scarier of death, she never knew, she has to undergo it one day.

THE CONCEALED LOVE

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After-hours from her workplace, Anashi nestled with her confidence strained and energy drained. Dropping her floral cinch bag on the grey tile floor, she spotted a human outstaring at her wide eyes and grinning uncanny. 'Notice what's new today', he told pointing on the bedside teak cabinet.

Contemplating and examining, Anashi glimpsed at a square package utterly levelled and black. Moving forward, her eyes deepened, scanning at the label 'SUPER 49 GLOW STARS' and the caption printed, 'Create your own galaxy'.

With her sclera broadening and resembling a boiled egg, she screamed, 'starrrrssss', focusing Ayan and his black trimmed moustache. Moving his head up and down, Anashi nonplussed. 'Let's stick it on the ceiling today, no..no..no.., nowww', she fizzled. With apathy and passivity, Ayan gawped at his laptop and replied, 'Not now, on Sunday'. With foul mood and low spirits, she switched to her night outfit and stood on her bed to inspect her height. When she ferreted out that her vertically stretched hand doesn't touch the white ceiling, she power-walked to the adjoining room, dragged the folded blankets and in a heel-and-toe racing placed it on her bed.

Aligning it one above the other, and climbing on its top, and on stretching her right dusky-hand vertically up, she could make it to the ceiling. Slitting the package, she found four square sticker sheets consisting of many mini-stars, the Sun, the Moon, space rocket, Saturn and an alien and felt appalling about the existence of the Sun at night. Footing above the blankets, she shredded a star from a large square sheet and heaved her hand and stuck on the ceiling floor with a massive breath. After sticking tiny portion of the ceiling, she calibrated the blankets and started sticking on the ceiling unstuck. With heavy suspiring, she looked below, watching Ayan working at his laptop.

Anashi aimed for a love like in movies, where the hero and heroine run in slow motion and hugs, dancing with appealing steps, fondling with sweet chirps and fighting with kiddish swords. But her scenario was marked an exception. Gasping and puffing, with shoulder pains and low guts, she perched near Ayan. Ayan lifting his eyes to Anashi punched, ‘Move aside and rest your back, my laptop is costly, don’t descend on it’.

Imprecating some unknown, bemoaning her life and lamenting the Mangalsutra on her neck, she remained silent. When new couples targeted Maldives, Anashi aimed for the Botanical Garden nearby. When newlyweds aimed for couple charming dresses, Anashi and Ayan wore the damn opposite ones. When new couples die for Instagram snaps, Anashi and Ayan barely had three quality pictures. Eyeing her life, she remained mundane. Overanalysing and dilemmatic, she strolled to the kitchen.

With supper mild and heavy mind, she assembled her bed. Employed 18*5, Ayan caught his back pain, and slept aside Anashi. With lights off, a part of the ceiling glittered forming cute stars. After 20 minutes of his pause, Ayan muttered, ‘Hey babe, get up. Let’s complete the stars and then sleep’.

‘Whattt…?’, Anashi marvelled.

‘How come I will let my wife’s desire to recede?’

Anashi had no words and hoped of joy. With hugs and kisses, overthinking subsided, love succeeded and the stars glinted.

The Unexpected Affair

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'Where is the medical fitness certificate? ', asked a man, possessing a mild to heavy paunch and his eyes enclosed within a tiny spectacle. His face wasn't stern for Stana but his designation was.

'As Sunday was a holiday, I couldn't get it done, sir. I'm certain that I will submit by tomorrow', replied Stana expecting for a weird answer.

'Yes, you have to provide it by tomorrow. Be sure', told the officer and walked out of his room. His 5.7 feet tallness and his grey coat proves him as a Principal Scientist (PI) of a reputed Central Government Institute.

Surrounded by papers, registers, penholders and notebooks, Stana never expected of herself being a employee in some random Institute. Unknowing about the next step and her next breath, she felt awkward being seated at a chair just at the opposite end of the PI's. A laptop at her table and a desktop at her PI's and a lot of medals and trophies placed at a steel stand besides the PI's chair made Stana remember her PG days.

With no great expectations and high interest, she took her blue ballpoint and started her work on overthinking. Suddenly, a voice interrupted with a loud notch,'Hyeeee', and on turning her neck, she observed a guy as young as her and tall as her husband. His eyes and fingers were the only uncovered thing that Stana could see. With masks, sweaters and shoes, he resembled a studious character and a less talkative being.

Replying with a mild greeting, he moved forward, removed his bag and sat next to Stana, unfolding and stretching his hand horizontally and shouting, 'Conggrattulationss on the new role'. Curving her lips with a thanks and shaking her hands, she never knew what this congratulations perfectly meant for. Was it for her ability to move into an office she wasn't meant for or for her passion to recede, she didn't know exactly.

Assuring him as the Project Associate, she felt happy to associate with a jovial personality throughout. 'Let me introduce you to the office mates', informing Stana, he took his position and took her to each staff moving up and down and to and fro.

Stana found people with chudidhars and sarees, coat and tie, necklace and bracelets, smile and stubborn, fair and ferocious, lunchbox and spoons but none to match her way.

'Stana, what's your aim? ', asked a scientist quite young and charm with mild grey hairs and lengthy curved lips. Stana froze for a minute. She had an answer that was inappropriate at the second. With loud voice she replied, 'ARS (Agricultural Research Scientist), and pinned a fake smile.

'Very good', the scientist told lifting his eyebrows up.

Reaching the room, the Project Associate explained Stana about her salary and HRA. Hearing his speech, she felt proud of herself being financially independent from then onwards. She had her smile and high pride from within.

'Mrs. Future ARS', the Associate nicknamed.

Smiling and awing, Stana took her mobile and started typing her first novel.