Author's POV

"Please machan, she has been in love with you ever since I've known her. I'm not asking you to marry her or something, just take her on a date. She'll loose hope on love and life if you don't do this da, please" his bestfriend was pleading Keshav for the past hour.

"Oooofff okay okay, I'll take Nitya on a date" Keshav finally agreed.

Nitya, a pretty average who studied at the same college as Keshav. She was in love with Keshav but he didn't like her back, there wasn't any particular reason, he just felt that she's not his type.

She always had a bright cheerful smile on her face. Even though he wasn't even a bit interested, he agreed because something in him told him to.

It had been nearly an year since college got over, they met at their friends' birthday parties etc but he never even tried to strike a conversation with her. The last time they met about a month ago, he walked away when she went near him to start a conversation.

He parked his car at the location his friend sent and waited for her. It was a bus stop that was bustling with people. The sun was setting, making the whole city look orange in colour.

Soon after, a girl in her early twenties walked towards his car. Her dusky skin was pale and she had lost some weight but the smile on her face was as bright as ever. She was dressed in a pink kurti and leggings with her hair put on a ponytail.

She knocked on the car window and he looked up from his phone. He lowered the window so that he could see her. He opened the door sitting in his seat itself and she climbed in.

"Hi Keshav! Thanks a lot for agreeing! You know this is my dream to go on a date with you" she flashed at him. He nodded and asked her nonchalantly , " where do you want to go?"

"I read that a fair is being held in the city. Shall we go there?" She asked, with the usual enthusiasm in her voice.

He simply nodded and drove to the fair that was at the other side of the city. He was quite irritated by her as he thought that she put his bestfriend in her hand and made him work for her.

"Let's go" she squealed. He walked with her leaving one feet gap in between. He got them tickets and they both went inside. She almost started acting like a child as soon as they were inside. Her eyes were sparkling seeing the different games and food around them.

She dragged him to the games side first and pointed at the gun shooting. He sighed and went with her. First, she tried and shot only one baloon but he shot four of them. She clapped her hands happily and dragged him to the next game stall. He too enjoyed a bit with her, only a bit.

They placed games for next hour straight and she was so exhausted that she'd faint. " It's enough Keshav, let's go eat something", she said and pulled him by his hand. He roughly pulled his hand out of her hold and gave her a glare. Terror flashed through her eyes but she soon changed it into happiness and walked towards the food stalls.

She went to the shopkeeper and told," Anna, I want a potato spring and cotton candy. Keshav, for you?"

"I don't want anything", he shrugged. "Umm Anna, one masala popcorn too" she ordered.

Soon she brought all the food and sat next to Keshav placing the food on the table in front of them. She moved the popcorn to his side but he was busy with his phone.

She poked his back arm to seek his attention. "Please eat the popcorn" she said with puppy eyes.

He coldly refused it. "Please eat or else I'll get a stomach ache", she said pushing in the spring potato. He swallowed a smile and started eating.

"You knew I liked popcorn?" He asked staring at his phone. "You gues I loved you for these many years without knowing these small things about you", she smirked and again, there was silence between them.

He could feel her stealing glances his way which he learnt to ignore. Soon after, they were in the car, returning back.

The car halted at the bus stop as she told she would get down there itself and go home by walk. He agreed without any protests.

She turned and leaned forward to hug him. But he backed off with a scowl. He saw disappointment flash through her eyes but again she masked it with happiness.

She opened the door, got down and said,"bye Keshav" with a bright smile.

"Goodbye" he said coldly looking at the deserted road in front of him.

She chuckled," goodbye, indeed.". He saw some other emotion pass through her face at once, Sorrow? Pain? Yearning?

Her heart was filled with happiness. Why not? Her dream of years had come true. I could die happily now, she thought to herself.

He sped off not thinking twice but he could see her standing and watching his retreating through the rear view mirror of his car.

After driving for 5 minutes, he wasn't at peace leaving a girl alone at the street that too at night time. So he took an u turn and went back to the bus stop but she wasn't there.

He got down from the car and went a bit forward to see her on the ground, in unconscious state. His heart was thumping out of his cage.

He quickly took a stride back to his car and brought a bottle of water. He sprinkled it on her face but there was no reaction. Chills went down his spine.

He lifted her bridal style and put her inside the car and drove to an Apollo hospital 5 minutes away. He parted her cheeks trying to wake her up but all went in vain. He placed her fragile body on a stretcher and scurried into the casuality.

After few minutes, he heard a nurse speaking on landline," doctor, patient Nitya who went missing few hours ago has been admitted but her condition is critical" and his heart stopped beating.

*Flashback*

"No Nitya, I can't do this. This may even risk your life" Nitya's bestfriend said in a shaky voice.

"Please di, consider this as my last wish" she said not being able to look at her bestfriend whom she might leave in few days, forever.

Nitya has an serious heart condition which needed an open heart surgery which was planned the day next to the date. Even with surgery, the probability of her making it out alive was just fifteen percent.

She was quiet sure that she would die, something in her told that these were her last days. The once cheerful girl became pessimistic.

Finally her bestfriend agreed and made her boyfriend talk to Keshav.

*Flashback over*

He saw both their best friends running towards his direction and they told him every thing that happened.

He was broken.

He saw her through the untinted part of the glass and she was lying like a lifeless body, his heart clenched. Her parents were crying sitting on the chair consoling eachother.

The nurse came out and said, she was mumbling a name in sedation and yeah, it was his name. Tears pricked his eyes thinking how much a person could love him to even think about them at their death bed.

All the memories of him rejecting her several times flooded into his brain and he felt frustrated for missing a girl like her. She was one of a kind. He wondered how she could smile that brightly even at such a circumstance.

She opened her eyes and the operation theatre was being prepared for her surgery. He requested the doctor, almost fell on his legs to meet her once. With a heavy heart he allowed him only for two minutes.

He stepped into he room and she who was previously staring at the wall with her face devoid of any emotions, turned towards him and a small smile bloomed almost instantly.

He went near she and he heard her mumble his name like it was the one giving her the strength to go through this pain.

He bent down and asked why she didn't tell before, holding her hand firmly. She just shrugged.

"I love you" she spoke through the oxygen mask and he couldn't form any coherent words, only tears flowed.

A girl, whom he knew for years, who always had a bright smile on her face, helping others around, doing cute things to impress him was now lying on the bed, pale and weak.

"Chumma vachum thiruppi sollamaatiya?" She asked with expectant eyes. (Won't you say back even for my sake)

"Love you too di" he said, pressing his lips on her forehead.

"Please don't cry, I wanna see your smiling face lastly not your crying one" she said, weakly caressing his cheeks trying to wipe his tears. Before he could reply her, the nurse opened and asked him to go out as they had to take her to the operation theatre.

"Keshav, I've given something for you to Aishu. Please get it from her" she said weakly and he nodded.

He undid his hands from hers and stood up. With a heavy heart, he walked towards the door.

"Keshav, please pogadhayen" she said and turned to look away from him, a tear left her eyes after being strong for so long. (Keshav, please don't go)

He ran back to her, repositioned the oxygen mask and pressed his lip on hers. He was gentle, but before she could respond, he backed off and ran outside.

Even a minute more with her would make him want to fight with Yaman (god of death). He crashed down the wall opposite to his, crying uncontrollably. He saw her being taken to the operation theatre, a huge part of him wanted her to come back alive.

Her bestfriend came to him and gave him a small worden box which had both their names carved on it. He opened it and a small piece of paper fell down. He instantly recognised her handwriting.

Hi Keshav,

I hope you recieve this message. I'd probably not be by your side when you're reading this. I had dreams Keshav, I wanted to get a better job, marry you, have children with you and live my life happily but seems like God loves me so much that he wants to take me this soon.

You became a huge part of my life in these few years Keshav, you are the person who taught me what love is. I even enjoyed when you scolded me. You're a beautiful soul, Keshav. The girl whose going to spend here life with you must be really blessed. Anyways, atlast you'd be free without this pest bugging you, am I right? Well, even if you answer now I wouldn't be on Earth to listen it. 

Take care Keshav, my love for you will never die. Thanks for everything you did for me. I don't know what more to say.

Love you

Nitya Keshav

"I love you Nitya, I really do. I'm sorry for realising it this late, please come back to me", he shouted in frustration, anger but death is something inevitable, right?

Death ends life, not love.

A/N

Hello everyone, first of all thanks a lot for reading.

Your comments about the one shot here please.

I thought several times before publishing this one shot, this is so unlike my other works. I had a principle that I wouldn't write such stories but here I'm breaking it. I don't know, should I take this down?

This may even seem idiotic to some people, critics are welcome too.

I request my new readers to not judge my other works with this, my other works have an entirely different mood from this.

One more thing I wanna add is, life is really short so be kind to people especially the ones that shower you with love.

So yeah, thanks again for reading.

~Shandy