In the middle of the night, an eighteen years old boy named Shivam Sorcar went out to the balcony outside his bedroom, and called a girl named Aparajita Chakrabarty from his smartphone.
Aparajita answered the call just when Shivam was about to disconnect it, convinced she was sleeping and wouldn't pick up her phone. "Hello?" She said in a sleepy voice.
"It's me."
"Shibu?" Aparajita couldn't hide the surprise from her voice, diebelieving that her boyfriend would wake her up in the dead of the night, when he well knew how it would infuriate her.
"Yeah, Shibu." Shivam replied, and waited to see how she would react.
"Why did you wake me up? I really need my sleep, you know that! Specially when I have trouble sleeping and I have been seeing this bizarre nightmare lately..." Aparajita started her verbal assault, getting ready to destroy Shivam simply by words for playing this prank on her.
"Happy Birthday, Aparajita," Shivam said calmly.
"Wha...Oh! Holy Cow, I totally forgot all about it! It's 9th August!"
"You may forget all about it, but I can never. Because I love you."
"Thanks, dear. I guess my parents are planning a surprise party or something. They usually ask me what would I like to have for my birthday. But this time they didn't. And I have been so tensed about entering college and picking up the right subjects for me, well, the thought of my birthday was probably the last thing on my mind."
"You've never been that excited about birthdays, either." Shivam reminded her.
"Yeah...well...my grandfather used to say you should never celebrate birthdays, because by doing that you actually celebrate the passing of one more year from your alloted lifespan...in other words, you celebrate moving closer to death."
"That's dark, alright. You never told me that. Maybe the old fart was scared shitless of death..."
"Hey! He was my grandfather! How dare you!"
"Okay, Okay, I'm sorry, now don't start on me again!" Shivam surrendered.
"Yeah...well...I guess he was a bit of an old fart alright," Aparajita said, and giggled. Then they both laughed, and it felt nice as usual, laughing together although separated by miles. Technology could be so magical at times.
"So, tell me," Shivam broke the beautiful silence that had come after their laughter, "I am the first one to wish you on your eighteenth birthday, right?"
"I have not been born yet," Aparajita said.
"Huh? Not born yet? What does that mean?"
"Well, you see, on 9th August, I was born at 6:22 pm. But it's only past 12 am now. So...from that perspective...I have not been born yet," Aparajita explained.
"Weird logic," Shivam complained.
"I can be weird at times," Aparajita giggled again. Shivam loved the sound of it. Suddenly he had this strong image of kissing her, playing with her hair, getting her all bothered and restless just by holding her in his arms. And man, was that image erotic!
"I love you," Shivam said.
"I love you too, Shibu."
"I wanna ride you. I wanna eat you," Shivam added.
"Oh please, why're you always horny?" Aparajita said, mocking anger.
"Don't blame me. You're way too sexy. Anyway, meet me at 6pm then. I am determined to be the first one to wish you. If you meet me at 6 pm, you'll be born right in front of me, and then I'll wish you. Then I'll kidnap you and take you to a lonely place and I'll kiss you and lick you and make..."
"Ok, ok, I understand, you are struggling with your sex drive as usual. We can meet, but sharing a capuccino is all that we are going to do," Aparajita said.
"Ok then...see you tomorrow. I mean today. Good night, dear."
"Goodnight? That might be good for you. I just hope I don't see a fucking nightmare again."
"What nightmare, Aparajita?"
"I have been having this recurring nightmare in which I see a man moving through a forest. I know he is very evil, even though I can't see his face, because he is always hiding it under a hood. Then I see him reaching a huge lake...and the lake's water is so black...and I know some huge monster is hiding beneath that lake...I can see its figure beneath the dark water, I don't know how. And it just scares the hell outta me, and I wake up gasping for breath," Aparajita said.
"Hmm. Must be scary. It sounds like something out of a fantasy adventure novel, though. Have you been reading something like that?"
"No. It's just so bizarre."
"Look, Aparajita, why don't you read something relaxing before going to sleep? It'll take your mind off things. You are just tensed about entering college, that is all. Read something romantic, maybe, and I bet you'll sleep well." Shivam assured her.
"Okay, I'll try that. I'll just find something to read on Wattpad," Aparajita said, sounding uncertain about the idea.
"Well, goodbye and goodnight then," Shivam said.
"Goodnight, my king," Aparajita said, and disconnected the call.
***
Shivam left his house at around 5-30 pm, wearing a faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt, his black hair disshevelled and unkept, his clean-shaved face shining with excitement and happiness. He had spent the day preparing for the occassion: he had began by gift-wrapping the necklace he had bought for her, then he had pre-booked two tickets for an upcoming superhero movie for them. Aparajita, for some reason, loved every kind of superhero movie. Of course, it would not be releasing until the 18th of August, but he knew that just seeing the tickets would make her happy.
Shivam checked his wristwatch and started walking briskly. He did not want to be late. Aparajita was always very punctual, she would reach the cafeteria at 6pm sharp. He was about to reach the end of the street he was on, when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind.
"It's you again!" Shivam said, turning to face the person who had stopped him in his tracks.
He was face to face with a beggar--a young woman whose face must have been very pretty once upon a time, but was now covered with grime and broken with hunger. She was covering herself in age-old rags, and her long brown hair was a mess. An odd smell seemed to be emitting from her, and it made Shivam want to retch.
"Get off me!" Shivam said, and took a few steps backwards. "Why do you always follow me around? I'm just a student! I don't have spare money! So you go and show your miserable face to other people and maybe they'll help!"
"There is something that I..." The beggar-woman began.
"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR YOU! ALRIGHT? NOW LET ME GO I AM GETTING LATE!" Shivam shouted, and turned to get out of the street.
"But I have to tell..." The beggar-woman was still hobbling behind Shivam.
"Listen, woman. You seem to be sane enough, so I don't know why have you been following me for the last few days. But I can do nothing for you. Alright? NOTHING. And I have no interest in what you have to say, I don't have time for your story. So let me go, okay?" Shivam hurried out of the street, and came to the bus stop. Soon the bus that would take him to his destination came along, and he climbed up its steps, forgetting all about the begger-woman.
But in the empty street that Shivam had left behind, the beggar-woman was still standing, looking at the road that Shivam had taken with haunted eyes.
"Your life is in danger, young man, that's all I wanted to say," the beggar sighed.