It was eight’ o clock in the morning and Yash was already late for his classes. He was strolling fast towards the college when someone called him from behind. She was Neha, her class mate. She came near to him and said “So, you are late again, anyways what are you doing in the evening? Can we go out for a movie?”
“I am sorry Neha, I have some work to do today, may be some other day”. He replied.
Neha knew that day will never come, when ever she would ask Yash to go out some where, he always avoided giving some excuses. Neha was used to it but she never gave up hope.
Neha and Yash were doing there graduation from a college in Shimla. She was from Delhi and always wanted to do her graduation from this beautiful hill station. Yash was an orphan who stayed with his uncle in Shimla.
Neha met Yash on the first day of college; she felt that there was something in Yash, which made him different from others. The very first day, she approached him for friendship but he said nothing. She used to admire him a lot, his politeness, his simplicity and his innocence struck her the most.
He was always there to help anybody but always stayed alone. He never used to hangout with classmates and was happy staying alone. Most of the time in college, he would either sit in the library or work out at Gym. Whenever Neha would ask for any favours, he was always there to carry them out but he used to talk very less. His silence drew Neha towards him.
Years went by but he never changed. Neha used to ask him, why he was like so, but he would always smile back and say that he was fine. Neha felt that Yash took interest in her but he was avoiding his emotions for some of his reasons. She could read it in his eyes, while he took interest in her conversations. She wanted to find out the reasons but he would never open up.
One evening, when they were returning from the college, she hold his hands and said, “Can we sit here for a while, please.” He said nothing and sat on the roadside bench. She sat beside him and asked him, “Yash, please tell me what’s the matter, why are you like this? Why don’t you have any friends, I appreciate what you do for others and for me but still I feel that you never took us as friends, you have to tell me what the matter is?”
He gave her a smile and said “Neha, you again started all this, I am fine, please don’t bother for me”. She was hurt as she started weeping and sobbingly said “I’m bothered Yash because I care for you, I am your friend but you never let me felt so and I am sure you don’t need any friends, including me”.
Tears were flowing from her eyes and he felt bad too. He did not wanted to hurt her feelings and he stood up, wiped her tears, and said, “I am sorry, I never meant to hurt your sentiments, I have a friend and I want you to meet her”.
He hold her hands and they started to walk up the Mall road towards the Church. He started to move towards the graveyard behind the Church and she was amazed but kept following him. They came near a grave, below a big mango tree. He turned to her and said, “Meet my friend Cathy.”
He sat near the grave and said, “Hey Cathy, look who is here, Neha, I told you about her that day”. She sat near him and said, “What happened to her, was she you girlfriend”? Yash took a deep breath and replied, “No, she is my best friend. We were in the same school and were as best of friends, studied together, played together and had lots of fun, then she got a disease, when she was only 12 and she never recovered from it. The day she died, I lost everything. I have never seen my parents and I was brought up by my uncle, Cathy was my only friend and I never needed anyone else, she was always there for me and I lost her too. Then one day, when I was going through my books, I found a letter, her last letter written to me”.
He took out his wallet and gave her a piece of paper. She started reading it and it went like this,
Hi Yash,
I know when you will receive this letter, I will not be there with you and I know you are missing me. You are my Best friend Yash and I wanted to say you something that I am not leaving you alone, I am always with you.
I know you are an idiot and you cannot do anything without me, so I will always be with you and don’t you dare give my place to anyone else in your life, I’ll kill you.. Just joking Yash I am also missing you but I pray that you always remain happy. If you ever feel, lonely, just come near to me, I will be sleeping near your house and you can wake me up when ever you want,
Cathy.