Finally! It's finalized. Happiness can be seen on everyone's face. Hugging each other, giving sweets into other one's mouth (diabetes is the most ignored thing right now) and celebrating a moment of joy. Well, everyone must be happy. Specially me and the person in front of me. Both of us smiling while looking at each other's face. Oh, let me introduce her.

She is Nirupama Reddy. My gf and now my fiance. We had been together for 3 years and now we thought its time to move ahead. We both work in Bangalore. She is now working in IBN and I'm in P&J working as production manager. We both met each other through a mutual friend, Apekshit. Oh shit. I remembered that I was so much busy in all these arrangement that I forgot to call him back. It's been 48 hours since he called last. I called him. The phone was ringing and it kept ringing and then the girl's voice came " The number you are dialing is not answering your call. Please try" .... (you know). I dialed again and this time also same response. I think he is not answering the call because he got angry on me. Well obviously he must be! I have done like this several times. Not answering his calls, replying to his texts after hours but it feels fine for me. I can always contact him whenever I'll like to. I went inside and joined the party.

3 hours later -

My phone rang. It was a private number

Me - Hello!

Unknown - Am I speaking with Mr Ranawat?

Me - Yes, but can I know with whom I'm talking?

She - Sir I'm calling from Bluewell Hospital. Your friend Mr Apekshit Sharma met with an accident and we could only contact you as your number was in the last dialed one. Can you please come here as soon as possible?

Me - ______blank___________

She - Hello? Am I audible?

Me - Yes! Yes! How? I mean yeah I'm coming soon. But how is his condition? How he met with an accident and how the hell is he in Bangalore?

My voice was so loud that everyone started looking at me but that was the least I cared about.

She - Sir you will know everything as you come here. That's all I can say. Thank You!

...Beep..beep...

I felt time has stopped for me. I stood there. Not moving a inch. A felt a hand on my shoulder and it shook me from my current state.

What happened? Nirupama asked me. Niru, I have to go to Bangalore now.

I ran to my room, took my car keys and went to the garage.

Started and got onto to the highway. It's around 11 pm.

I was at Mysore (145 km from Bangalore). Niru was calling me continuously. But my priorities were different now.

I wish they would have been different earlier. He called me 2 days ago. He came to Bangalore. He wanted to meet with me. If I had taken his call and met him, things would have never been this.

Why had I taken him for Granted? He was the one constantly trying to be in contact with me. I think if he wouldn't have been trying we would have lost contact much earlier.

All our memories started coming to my head. All back to 14 years when we were in school. All those class bunks, going to park after tuitions and playing COC during the tuition time. Everything was so much fun then. School, tuition, park and home. Life was so simple and easy. I wish I could meet him at the earliest. I'm so guilty of myself. I'm even ready to exchange my life with him. But please God, take care of him.

Just then there came a curvy turning. I was @120 cruising. I applied my brake hard. I did it with all my force. I could see the time in slow motion. My car coming closer and closer to the side barricade. But maybe it wasn't enough to stop the car.

My face was inside the airbag and I hit the barricade. Luckily enough I was still alive and the damage was not that severe. I could feel my hands paining and bleeding. Maybe karma wanted me to feel a bit in his place. I unlocked my seatbelt and was opening the door just when....BooM!

(Img for reference only)

A truck hit me from behind. I was thrown away from my car, lying on the ground I could see my car and the truck collided. And my visibility going away...blurring. Not my vision but even my thinking ability is also blurring.

My last wish ...Meeting him. Was it going to be fulfilled? Or are we both going to die?

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72 hours later. Bluewell Hospital, Bangalore.

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A corpse was taken out of the ICU. It suffered multiple fractures and the brain was severely damaged.

After a long operation doctors declared the patient DEAD.

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The funeral was arranged. Everyone, friends, families, relatives could be seen crying and hugging each other. Some relatives who always taunted the person could be heard praising the corpse. He was such a good human (when alive) bla bla. It says right that "Funeral isn't for the dead but it is for the living"

Now the last ceremony was to be done. Setting the body on fire. It was ignited and the body in between the woods flamed high. Everyone started crying loud. Nirupama was shocked and was in no condition to cry. Tired after hours of crying and blanked mind.

Most unique sight was the person beside Nirupama. He was the most calm one there but his eyes were full of tears. He a opened his mouth and said, "May you rest in peace, I'll miss you the most brother, Ranawat!"

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Life is too short to take your close ones for granted!

Granted

Taken for granted