Up There In The Clouds    

Tanya's POV:-   

"Oops, sorry," I mumbled, drifting aside to make way for a bulky soul who passed me with a whoosh. Nevertheless, he didn't even care to acknowledge me.

It's not new in here, to be honest. I, being a clumsy soul, end up blocking at least five soul's way in a day. I even walked straight through Thanatos once which is considered as bad as tripping someone over among souls. Ugh, can't I be careful for just once?

I looked about the cloud laden place. Some officials were busy executing the process of transporting the souls from the mortal realm to here. By mortal realm I mean to say earth. Things need to be managed smoothly so that a soul, after leaving the body post-death, can easily reach the Clouds.

Sighing, I realized how out of place I was in here. My clumsiness doesn't exactly count as a positive factor. That's why Thanatos and the rest don't ever let me manage the soul-traffic. All I know is that five minutes into the job and I'll cause a catastrophe.

"Feeling lost?" A voice spoke next to me.

"Nah," I whispered and shook my head with a smile at the sight of her.

Of all the souls in here, Lekha had ended up as the best companion. While most of the souls would ignore me and go about their work, Lekha actually showed interest in knowing me. Although she knew my life history already considering how she can easily scan through my details in the 'Documents About the Demised', Lekha used to say that all of that is just the materialistic information. She said she wanted to know who Tanya Rathore was.

Lekha seemed to be in her twenties with ebony dark hair brushed away and tucked behind her ears. She had jet black eyes which always held a sparkle which no other soul in here seemed to have. She was dressed in a beautiful maroon saree which accentuated her bronze skin. One thing about Lekha always set me curious about her past- her hands which were washed red as if with blood. I often thought of asking her but never mustered enough courage to do so.

"Where are your thoughts, Rathore?" Lekha asked, snapping me out of my musing.

Smiling a small smile at her, I drifted past her, through the clouds. Moving away from the Demise Section of Management, I drifted into the secluded clouds where no soul usually wandered. It was a peaceful little place where I'd settle down and wonder about... everything.

The last scraps of my mortal memory were of me trying in vain to escape out of an unending darkness which drew me in despite the multiple attempts by the doctors to save me. I don't even know what I was feeling in those last moments and it's not what I even think about anyway. What I do think about are the people whom I left back without a proper farewell. Thank heavens that a soul can't shed tears; for if I could, the Clouds would be raining down every day.

"You seem gloomier than usual;" Lekha's voice reached my ears again, "What happened?"

I looked up at her. Though she was a soul from two hundred years back, I could still relate to her words. We seem to connect at some level and she understands me better than anyone in here. That's maybe because we both find it interesting to write and express our thoughts through the spell of words.

"It's nothing, really," I denied weakly. Seriously Tanya, you need to learn how to lie.

"Does the tenth of December have something to do with your mood?" She asked, settling down beside me like a feather.

I felt my throat constrict, if that's even possible for souls, and shook my head weakly. Yes, Lekha was right in her observation. I had turned remorseful and quite the moment I realized it was tenth of December today. It's Aarav and Kajal's wedding today. I would've never known of this huge news had it not been a close aunt of mine who passed away two days back. Bumping into me up here, she told me about the whole thing and that's when I realized that it's been over seven years since I died. Seven years since I left a void in everyone's life.

Sighing, I nodded a yes to Lekha.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked me.

"Someone learnt American English, huh?" I teased with a shaky voice, trying to dodge the topic.

"You use it so often that I had to learn its application," She shrugged.

We sat that way in silence for a while, looking out at the white, soft and fluffy clouds. I wondered if Aarav thought of me. I wondered if my brother hated me for everything that happened. I wondered if I were there to see his smile, to be a part of the wedding and to hug my best friend, Kajal, for once.

"Why don't you use your wish to view his wedding?" Lekha voiced her suggestion.

Turning, I looked at her with a frown. She was gazing out at the horizon with a blank face.

I recalled the day I had been brought to the Clouds. The day I died and my soul left the Mortal Realm. Thanatos, the soul who sat in front of me right after I reached the clouds, carried out an interview where he asked me various questions in regards to my life down there on Earth. He had asked me what I had aspired to be, what my plans had been, which dreams remain unachieved, what was life in my opinion and how exactly I died. All the questions being framed in past tense which made it even more gut-wrenching for me. Eventually, overtime I adjusted to the fact that I was now a soul.

"You still have that wish, right?" Lekha asked when I didn't speak.

Back when Thanatos had interviewed me, he held a soft expression after he had finished interrogating me. He then presented a sparkling ball of white light to me which was encased in a silver locket. Thanatos then told me that it was a Wish Weaver; a power which could be used by a soul to view the real-time world for a while. The Wish Weaver, however, could be used just once. Thus, Thanatos told me to use it wisely.

"Yeah," I answered Lekha with a nod as I looked down at the locket around my neck. It sparkled like always as it lay around my neck gracefully. I never took it off fearing I might lose it.

"Go ahead and use it then," Lekha said, passing me a neutral expression.

Taking a deep breath, I unclasped the locket and held it in my hand. The pendant, a white ball of shimmering light, looked ethereal and magical. Glancing back at Lekha, she nodded in encouragement. Rising up fluidly from the clouds, I stood up and closing my eyes I pressed it against my chest and thought of Aarav and Kajal.

The next moment darkness surrounded me and the next instant I narrowed my eyes open to be welcomed by the loud chatter of the guests and the flickering lights of the makeshift stage. It took me a moment to realize that the guy onstage was my brother! Over the span of seven years, Aarav looked way more mature with perfectly trimmed, light beard and that deep blue Shervani . His grey eyes, howver, sparkled just the same way. My eyes then trailed over to the girl who stood beside him with a wide grin. Kajal! She looked so pretty in that red lehenga and her hands adorned with mehendi.

They welcomed the various guests and I guessed that the reception was going on. My smile widened when I noticed Mom and Dad seated among the family friends and relatives who congratulated them. I knew nobody could see me considering how little kids ran right through me without even noticing me.

I took a deep breath and drifted over to my brother. He was shaking hands with Jake who had just arrived and then they indulged into a conversation while Kajal was busy welcoming the other guests.

"I wish Tanya were here," Aarav said to Jake who nodded with a sad smile.

"I am here," I whispered to Aarav with a smile.

My eyes widened when Aarav whipped his head in my direction with a frown. I wondered if he heard me. But the way Jake remained unaffected washed relief over me and I knew they couldn't hear me as well.

"What happened?" Jake asked confusedly glancing my way, following Aarav's gaze.

Smiling, Aarav turned back to Jake and shook his head.

"Just that I feel she's still around," Aarav answered Jake.

I wish I could've stayed a little while longer but then things started to turn blurry and darkness welcomed me again as I transported back to the Clouds. Opening my eyes wide open, I gasped once for air but then remembered I didn't need to breathe anyway since I was a soul. I smiled ecstatically at the thought that Aarav didn't hate me. He didn't hold any grief over my leave and that's what made me happy. However, my happiness was short-lived as a certain face and smile penetrated my memories. Pushing his thoughts away, I turned to look at Lekha who smiled at me.

"How was it?" She asked.

"I don't have words," I admitted.

Rising up from the clouds, she stood facing me. Her bronze skin glistened under the light and her eyes held a caring emotion which warmed my heart.

"But you're not satisfied," Lekha said as if reading my mind.

"What? No," I quickly denied and turned away, looking out at the horizon.

"You want to meet him, don't you?" Lekha questioned.

"No I don't," I spoke dryly, "And even if I wanted to, there's no way I can now, can I?"

I glanced down at the locket in my hand. Its pendant didn't glow like it used to and appeared dull and listless, just the way I did. I sighed as I thought of him and how I'll never know how he's doing in life. I turned to look at Lekha to tell her that we should go back when I paused with a frown.

Lekha stood facing me, a hand outstretched and presenting a locket similar to mine. The only difference was that its pendant was still shimmering unlike my one which meant she hadn't used her wish yet. I looked up at her questioningly. She gestured for me to take it.

"No way! You deserve it!" I said and shook my head in protest.

"Just take it Tanya," Lekha pushed the locket into my hands, "Besides; I don't have anyone down there that I'd wish to meet,"

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"It's been over two hundred years since I passed away, does it even have a logic to go down there and meet someone I never knew?" She argued, drifting a step back.

I shut up. She did have a point. But why didn't she use this wish to meet her dear ones when she had time? Why did she just shove the Wish Weaver aside?

"Rathore?" Lekha's voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

Nodding reluctantly, I passed her a smile which reflected my gratitude. She smiled back and pushed me ahead to use it. Repeating the same action, pressing the locket against my heart, I thought of him. His lopsided grin, his playful brown eyes and dark, dense hair always styled to perfection. Within no time I was transported to some brightly lit room. Looking around, I guessed it was the living room and the way the sunlight poured in through the curtains made it clear that it was early in the morning.

"Tanya, where are ya?" His voice reached me from the adjacent kitchen and my heart skipped a beat at the warmth with which he called my name.

Before I could process anything, he walked out of the kitchen. I felt a numb sensation drown me when he swiftly walked past me with a worried and exhausted look plastered on his face. AK hadn't changed even a bit in the span of these seven years. My eyes trailed him as he peeked down behind the couch and sighed. He then looked for something throughout the room and after a few minutes of search stood at the centre of the living room, his hands resting on his hips and his hair looking dishevelled and unmanaged.

"Tanya I have been assigned one job to do by your Ma and I'll be dead if we'll be late for school," Ayushmann spoke, sighing at the end.

Wait... does that mean...

"Daddy will be dead?" A voice reached me from the other end of the room and a little girl of five crawled out from underneath the table with a giggle.

"Yes he will be," AK replied and walked over to her. Scooping her up from the floor, he made her settle down on the table as he grabbed the bowl of milk and baby food and mixed it with a spoon.

Little Tanya meanwhile dangled her legs from the edge of the table, singing rhymes and syllables which made Ayushmann smile at her adorably. He brought the spoon to her mouth but she made a face and shook her head, refusing to eat. I giggled at that, it reminded me of the time when he had fussed at the hospital while I was trying to feed him.

"What? You don't wanna eat it?" He asked.

"Nope," Little Tanya replied.

"Fine then, Daddy will not take you to the Dance Academy," AK blackmailed with a pout, matching her immaturity.

"N-No!" Little Tanya stuttered nervously at the thought of missing the Dance practice.

Both Ayushmann and I stood still when she stuttered. She was so like me...

Shaking his head, AK brought the spoon closer to her mouth and this time Little Tanya didn't fuss at all. Finishing the breakfast, she wiped her face with a tissue and Ayuhsmann picked her up in his arms and grabbed her little school bag with his free hand.

"Dad?" Little Tanya asked.

"Yes Cherry?" AK asked when they reached the doorway and she giggled at her nickname.

"Who do you love the most?" Little Tanya asked, "Me or Mommy?"

Ayushmann paused at his tracks and looked at her for a moment. Smiling, he turned to look my way, almost as if looking at me. The same rush of feelings welcomed me when I looked into those brown eyes which held warmth and affection.

"I love Tanya the most," He replied to her, his eyes trained my way and a smile on his lips.

"Yay!" Little Tanya squealed. Smiling at her, he departed out of the room.

Turning, I looked at the spot where he had actually trained his eyes on and I felt like crying when I recognized that blue box sitting at the corner of the couch. It was the very box which I had left back for him and which encased my last letter for him.

The next instant I was transported back to the Clouds. I was thankful to the Wish Weaver for making it possible for me to see them. But more than that, I was thankful to Lekha who stood beside me with a wider smile than before. She seemed to have sensed my joy this time.

"Now happy?" She asked me, already anticipating the answer.

Grinning from ear to ear, I nodded and leaped to hug her but ended up flowing right through her, earning a knowing look from her. Grinning back sheepishly, I shrugged at my stupidity.

You'll always be clumsy, Tanya. Always.

And you'll always be in their hearts. Forever.  

Author's Note:-

So final update of YSAH, the Bonus Chapter is also out. How was it? I know it's the longest one and honestly even I hadn't planned on making it this long but it just happened.

I wanna thank dreamcatcher0105 for letting me feature Lekha and the entire Clouds thing. This update wouldn't have been possible without it! If you haven't read the book 'Nubivagant' then go ahead and read it to find out more about Lekha's past and how come she passed away at such a young age. It won't take you more than a few minutes coz it's a one shot, I promise!

Stay happy and healthy,
Love,
Arhana <3