Terrace - A short story

11.30 pm - Friday - 26th September

"Hey, are you sleeping?", his first sentence instead of "hello" when he called exactly a night before her birthday. On that night, she knew his answer for "why you called me so early, still half an hour is to go?" Because he doesn't wants to hear "the person you are trying to call is currently busy, please try after sometime" on her birthday. True, only he knows that he is going to propose her on this birthday.

They talked as if they are talking after so long time in-spite they hung up their calls in the same evening. She was living in a rent house and he was just a city apart from her, but was studying in a same college of their state. So it was obvious that they are going to meet each other tomorrow morning for the classes. But, still he wants to make this night special for her. And, thus, he also wants that he should be the first one to wish her, so he continued with all his cheesy lines and immature talks to make her laugh again and again.

Exactly at 11.55, he said, "Okay, listen, what if I come to your place this night to celebrate your birthday?" This made her laugh and she said, "you stay with your family and it's not possible for you to travel here for me this night, so don't be silly now!!!"

"Okay, hope so, that's true", he teased and continued, "Sweetheart, will you please come to terrace, even I don't know why it's raining at your city?"

She laughed again and said, "how would I come to your terrace?" And, for few seconds, silence was speaking. "Happy Birthday My Princess", he breaks the silence sharp at midnight. Before she thanks him, she said, "it's raining, oh god, am I dreaming? Are you really here?"

"Yup, so please come to terrace, I can't find a perfect place to stay dry!!!", he said. She ran out to see him up there, approaches to the nearest lift and hurried from the next nearby stair steps. It was not required for her to on the flash light, as the steps near the door of the terrace was decorated with the blowing candles and when tries to open the door found a banner of 'Happy Birthday'. This seems to be a perfect dream. She anyhow opens the door to see more surprises.

What she saw was unbelievable, the floor was decorated with red and pink rose petals lied in the form a big heart. The candles were lighten up all over the terrace, she looked up and found moon is smiling with shiny stars. And when she looks around, all were seems to be a beautiful dream of her life. She walked near the bench kept in front of the projector and white screen. Found a letter, "Please sit dear, let us go on a ride through this video" and she switched on the video to watch further. Before that, she checked her phone with a text of him, "please put your phone on silent just for 10 minutes." She does the same, and sits back.

*video started*

All her journey spend with him was clubbed and only tears were speaking drop by drop. The video was about to end, and she was expecting him to be here, just sitting right besides her. Then she noticed that the video is blank for few seconds, could hear only his voice,

"Happy Birthday Princess"
"Will you marry me?"

And the video continues, but this time the moments displaying on the screen was really new to her, the scene of the hospital and the person sleeping on the patient's bed was extremely in a serious condition. She was confused and felt bad that moment. Then, the video turned to display that person's face who was lying there.

She was broken after seeing him in that condition, and he was still saying her, "Will you still marry me, princess?" Now, words slept on the death bed and tears were speaking with their hearts. After 3 years of his death due to brain tumor, he is still the first person to wish her today on her birthday, and she couldn't answer him even for once, that "Yes, I want to marry you". Only the captured video of his proposal and everything he did on the same date is viewed on her every birthday for her satisfaction.