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Among the Stars: A Story by Sheela S. Iyer

Sagar and Isha loved being with nature. They often admired the surroundings and even frequented trekking. But due to work pressures and other priorities, these moments took a back seat. It was Christmas week. One Saturday evening, they decided to go to the Riverbank to spend quality time and watch the sunset. The river seemed calm, and they enjoyed the tranquillity.

There were not many people around. Sagar lovingly took his wife Isha’s hand in his hand and gently kissed it. Isha felt shy and quickly pulled her hand back.

“What happened honey? Why did you pull your hand back?” Sagar asked.

“Ahh! We are no younger, and this is a public place.” Isha said sheepishly.

“So what if we are in our fifties? Love neither sees age nor dies. It’s about feelings.” Sagar said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Soon the sun started going down to kiss the horizon, and the view was worth a watch.

Nature is so beautiful. Isha murmured, keeping her eyes fixed on the gigantic sun the entire while.

The sun disappeared, allowing the moon to rise. The air was pleasant, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Relief from their mundane chores and stress.

After capturing the beautiful sight in their eyes, they stood up to go back home. They had just walked a few steps when a loud voice caught their attention. Both of them stopped abruptly and looked back. A group of boys were bullying a young couple.

They rushed to help the couple. Isha attempted to speak with the boys but they started hurling abuses at her. Sagar couldn’t tolerate this and slapped the boy hard.

One of them grabbed a hockey stick in wrath and hit Sagar. Sagar fell on his face and hit his head on a stone. Blood started oozing out.

Isha tried to call the police when things got out of hand, but one of the boys shot her before she could do so and flew away from the scene. The couple yelled and cried.

Hearing the noise of a gunshot, people walking on the opposite side gathered. They immediately took Sagar and Isha to a nearby hospital.

While Isha was declared dead on arrival, Sagar was still unconscious. The police took the statement of the couple who witnessed this incident.

A few hours later, Sagar gained consciousness. When the news of Isha’s demise broke, he stopped in his tracks. He struggled to take a deep breath. His heart ached, and his legs trembled. He felt pain digging deep into his body. Tears flowed uncontrollably at the thought of living alone for the rest of his life.

Oh, God! Why did we go there? Was this destiny? He asked questions but never received any answer.

With the aid of sketches, the youngsters were apprehended and imprisoned.

Sagar occasionally goes to the riverbank and sits by himself, gazing up at the sky while looking for Isha among the endless array of stars.