The Matchmaker

17. Mahi

Thursday, 9th, November

I slowly trudged inside the room, inspecting my surroundings. It looked like somebody's home, decorated in the most peaceful manner. There were vases and lamps placed on desks, and a few comfy couches. My mother left me alone with the lady at the center of the room. She smiled at me, and offered me to take a seat.

"I'm... Mahi," I uttered.

"Yes, I know. I'm Dr. Chaurasiya. Don't stay tense... relax yourselves. We have an hour all to ourselves. Take a few deep breaths... in, and out."

I did as she told, and it calmed me down minutely.

"Okay, let's begin," she announced. "What distress are you suffering from lately?"

"I... my friend, she... she recently died. But it's not once. Another one of my friends had, too, passed away in the previous month. I feel like all those around me will be doomed to die."

"Oh, that sure is traumatizing. Losing 2 of your friends in such a short span of time. But what if I tell you, I've been through something worse."

It made me wonder.

"Worse?"

"Yeah. My father had been suffering from gastric cancer since a long time, and by the time we found out, it was already too late. He passed away exactly in front of me, vomiting blood, right on to me. I must have been only 11-12 years old at that time."

"Oh, no. Then... how did you get over it?"

"I never did. I simply live with it, like a paying guest in my mind. There is never a way out. Only one way, which is, facing your challenges. "

×××××××

It had been only a few days since the mishap. As I came to the class, I could feel everybody's eyes on me. Or maybe not. Maybe I was imagining all that. My mind was playing tricks on me. The center was feeling to be dimmer than usual, its usual joyous aura turned into something sinister.

I took my seat, but didn't talk to anyone. Who was there to talk to? Both of my best friends were dead. I could see others looking at me with curiosity, and then gossiping amongst themselves. It was so annoying. Some of them tried to interact with me, but I simply pushed them away.

Then, after some moments, while I was still zoned out into my better nostalgia, Varun arrived and quietly took a seat beside me. I didn't learn of his presence until I had began to gaze around by myself.

"Hey. How are you doing," he spoke, searching something in his bag.

"I'm doing... okay."

"Does the therapy help?"

"I guess it does, because I'm slowly getting over it. But still, every time I exit the clinic, both of their apparitions flash before me, as if urging me not to forget them."

Varun just hummed in response, and sat thinking something, staring towards the wall.

"But don't you think it is a bit odd? The way they died?" I mentioned.

"Yes, it definitely is. There must've been only a couple of days between their accidents. Coincidences like that are too rare to happen, next to impossible," he spoke in a grim manner.

"That's it, Varun. I don't think that they were accidents."

Varun looked at me with a surprise.

"Okay, let's just talk something else..." he tried to rebuff.

"No, no, no!! I'm serious!" I then looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "I have a strong feeling that whatever happened with them were more than just accidents."