'Horror'scope match

8.48am : December 1st, 2009
“Is my lunch ready?” he asked her as he hurriedly put the laptop bag across his shoulders.
“You can bet it” she replied with a smile.
He smiled back and said “Yesterday night was awesome!”. He cherished her blush and added “Thanks!”. Within 20 seconds his lips were on her tender ones. “I love you” he said when they finished. “Love you too” she whispered.

He took out his bicycle parked inside the garage and rode away fast while she kept watching him go down the road. Life has been good here, she thought. Living in a new country was a new experience altogether and though she would get lonely most of the day, she relished the time when he was with her. She went inside to start her daily routine of managing the house, sorting his office files, taking part time tuitions, shopping in a neighborhood market etc. It was like the perfect day as she was in the perfect mood to work. After putting the clothes into the washing machine, she went to clean up the utensils. She was arranging the bed when the telephone ringed.

10.12am : December 1st, 2009
“Yes ma” she said nonchalantly as she picked up the receiver.
“How are things beti?” it was her mom’s voice unmistakably. “Are you feeling lonely? Why don’t you come down to India once?”
“Ma. Not anytime soon! He is busy with his work nowadays. Maybe in another 3 months. Can’t assure you though. And I am not feeling lonely. Infact I have even forgotten you!” she laughed as soon as she said that. “Nah just joking” as she continued she heard a beep-beep sound which meant another call was coming in. “Mom someone’s calling. I’ll call you back in sometime bye” as she put the other caller in.
“Am I talking to Mrs.Geetha Bhaskar?” the voice had an accent and tone that frightened her instantly.
“Yes” she barely finished it when the man on the other side spoke “Madam, this is Frank calling on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department. Regret to inform you that Mr.Ajay Bhaskar met with an accident now. A speeding truck hit his bike from behind. He is being observed under casualty section in the Highland Hospital. Please make it here as soon as possible”

Her head was spinning. Tears started flowing through her cheeks. She heard it right. She quickly ran to fetch the keys and opened the garage to start the car which was used only by her in the past 5 months. As she stepped on the gas, she couldn’t help some thoughts plaguing her mind again…

5.18pm : February 2nd, 2009
She was looking at the guy’s pic in the matrimony site. “Not bad” she winked to her mom. “Oh he looks good! He has shown interest in you. Congrats Geetha, you are going to States soon” her mom mocked. She blushed…

10.35am : December 1st, 2009
She ran into the hospital weeping profusely.
“Will he be alright doctor?” she managed a question.
“Mrs.Bhaskar, I can’t assure you anything. He got injured on his head. Bleeding hasn’t stopped for long. We are trying our best. Keep praying” he patted on her shoulder and hurried away into the ICU…

1.12pm : February 22nd, 2009
“Hi Geetha! This is Ajay Bhaskar. If you find that big, call me Ajay. If that’s big too, call me AB. Not as smart as Amitabh but definitely as witty as him” he winked while offering to shake hands.
She smiled and obliged “Hello Ajay. You can call me Geet. Not as beautiful as Kareena but definitely as fun as her”
They laughed together on their first date…

12.26pm : December 1st, 2009
She overlooked the glass wall in the ICU and saw him, his face full of blood and cotton banded to his head. He was unconscious. Doctors and nurses were proactively attending to him. She started praying…

11.37pm : February 28th, 2009
She got a message in her mobile. “I tink I lik u lotsss! Just hope dis wrks out well :)”
She replied “I am enjoying your company! Hope it stays forever :)”

1.47pm : December 1st, 2009
“Ma. I am worried ma. It has happened. I feel so so guilty. I love him ma. I love him!” she was unable to control her emotions.
“Beti. Be strong. We are all praying here. Ajay will be alright. He is a fighter!” her mom tried her best to console her…

10.06am : March 13th, 2009
“I don’t believe in all this nonsense dad!” Ajay threw the paper away.
“But you can’t marry her beta!” her dad pointed towards her.
She was crying. For no fault of hers, her life was doomed.
“Oh come on! You believe one stupid astrologer? It’s not proved by science!”
“Beta. This is serious stuff. Ghatak ji has been wanting good for our family always. His predictions are never wrong. Its written in her fate that her first husband will die within 9 months of marriage!”
“Stop it dad! Don’t you see you are hurting her?” he made a strong rebuttal and walked towards her . “Listen! Don’t let this get to you. We are marrying whatever the world says and that’s final!” he clasped her hands with his…

4.12pm : December 1st, 2009
“Madam?” the voice of a nurse stirred her up from the brief nap she tried to take.
“Is he alright?” she asked with a lot of hope.
“The bleeding hasn’t stopped. We need to inject a powerful medicine. It’s risky but we have to take a chance. Can you please sign in this?” the nurse handed her a note.
She read the contents which started like “I fully understand the risks involved in this procedure and I give my complete consent…”
Her tears smudged parts of the letter as she signed it…

11.06pm : March 31th, 2009
“Hello wife” he mocked at her as she strode in to the room.
She looked at his eyes and saw the mischievous intent. “How should I call you hereafter?” she asked with a wink.
“Mr.Soon-to-be-a-ghost-hubby?” he laughed at the thought.
Immediately her mood changed. With moist eyes, she ran to the bed and turned to the other side. She slept off in the same position. He was awake whole night enjoying the beauty of her in dim light…

6.45pm : December 1st, 2009
“Geetha, please have some sandwich. You haven’t eaten whole day!” the Indian neighbour was her only company in the hospital.
“Yeah” she took the packet.
“Are you having enough cash? I could afford some” she was offered help.
“No its fine” she smiled for the first time since morning though it was plainly artificial…

10.32pm : July 2nd, 2009
He came home after a heavy day’s work and knocked the door. She opened and turned back to walk immediately. He sensed something wrong. He ran across to her and turned her face with his right hand. He sensed that she had been crying.
“What happened?” he asked her.
“Oh nothing. I have your dinner ready. Come lets eat” she diverted the topic.
After dinner he sat in the house computer to browse. And he saw the phrase ‘horoscope mismatch’ typed in to the Google search widget at the right top of the browser. He opened the History and checked all the pages she visited that day. There were accounts of ladies who said that astrologer’s predictions were true in both negative and positive sense. There was also articles about how astrology is very much science with a vision. He understood her mood that day.
The next day, he bought a new bicycle home and told her that for fitness reasons he is always going to cycle to office. She smiled…

8.27pm : December 1st, 2009
Doctors began to rush in and out of the ICU. There was a sudden visible change of mood and a palpable tension gripping the medicos. She rushed to the ICU door and got hold of a nurse.
“What’s happening now? Why is everyone tensed?” she knew the answer before she asked.
“I am sorry madam. He is not responding well to the treatment. His pulse is going too low. I am not sure if he can stand for long. We are trying out best to revive him though. Hold faith” and she moved away.
She was beginning to realize only a miracle can save him now. She was talking to herself “No! He can’t die. He is too strong! Our love is too strong! He will be safe. We’ll enjoy life together again.. again” she kept praying as she kept weeping…

11.47pm : Oct 16th, 2009
They were on their way to New York for the weekend. They were aboard a flight which was delayed by an hour in air due to problems in landing clearance. He was fidgeting in his seat. He was checking out through the windows and asked the air hostess from time to time as to when the plan will land.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” she asked.
“Just air sick” he said.
The plane landed at exactly 5 minutes to midnight. He quickly switched on this mobile and started operating something. After 3 minutes, he heaved a sigh of relief. She was puzzled but she ignored it as some office work. A beautiful weekend was approaching…

9.13pm : December 1st, 2009
The doctors were getting restless. She was called in to see him for once. She went inside the room and saw the face she knew in minute detail. His head was still banded and drops of blood were oozing out every second as she watched him.

“He has lost a lot of blood. He is going into coma. There is not much we can do now” the tired doctor whispered to her.
“No!” she made a loud scream. She ran towards him and started talking to him “Get up you fool! I love you! Get up! Life is calling us! Please! You promised me that you’ll stay alive! You promised!” she was beating his chest mildly with her hands…

The emergency sounds were on. The chief doctor rushed in to check the pulse.

9.19pm : December 1st, 2009
The chief doctor pronounced him brain dead. She lay her head on his chest and spoke whatever that came to her mind. She spoke for one last time…

1.23am : December 7th, 2009
He was dominating her thoughts. Every single second. She thought of how life was with him, before him and how much he loved her. The sense of guilt that plagued her made her think of suicide and what not. It was after all her horoscope. It was because she was delivered at a wrong time some 24 years ago. She stopped crying after sometime since she believed crying will amount to flushing her feelings away and in turn make her forget him. She didn’t want that. Ever…

She checked her email. There have been many condolences that came in through various sources. She considered it her duty to acknowledge them all. There were 15 unread items in her inbox. But one thing stood out. A mail with the subject “My last mail to you Geet” from sender Ajay Bhaskar at midnight. She was stunned at first and then she was afraid. Was this some kind of joke?, she asked herself. She knew that Ajay never shares his passwords with anyone, not even her. Then how? With her shaking hand, she moved the mouse and opened the mail. It had a mp3 file attached to it. She downloaded it and ran it.

“Hi Geet” the voice gave her a chill. It was his after all. Unmistakably.
“When you hear to this, I probably be dead” the voice continued. “Thanks a lot Geet for being wonderful! I have had the best time of my life with you. I loved every part of it. You were lovely, caring and more importantly the close friend I always longed for. I know I agreed to this marriage knowing that some person somewhere said I might die. I didn’t believe it then. I don’t believe it now either. But I know you do. And it was beginning to get to me. After I saw that it was disturbing you, I decided that I must act upon every eventuality. And that you are hearing me now means you were right to be worried. The astrologer was right after all. Anyways, I have made an insurance premium for Rs 50 lacs the details of which are in my mail. Password is ‘ilovegeet1’ all in small. A small help from me before I get completely wiped off from your life. I want you to marry again Geet and live a happy life with a lot of kids as you always dreamt of. That’s probably why I never wanted you to carry a child from me. No issues for the next person. You deserve another chance Geet. Go out and enjoy life. And know that I am quite happy to die now that I have lived with you. I feel complete. In every way. Thanks! Thanks for everything! And if you are wondering how this mail reached you now, well I set the ‘to be sent’ time to a week in future and I re-edit the time before the week completes. If I fail to edit, it means something wrong happened to me. Remember that New York flight landing? Now you know the answers. Anyways, to end it all, I am sorry for not being with you forever Geet. I am really sorry… I love you…” the voice was shaking at the end as it faded away and she knew he must have wept at the end. She cried again that day, inconsolably…

11.41am : February 14th, 2010
“You are a fool!” she pointed her fingers to his face in the portrait and she smiled. For the first time in 2 months. “You thought you’ll go away that easily without a trace eh? And you wanted me to marry someone else?” she was blushing with a report in hand as she recollected her last conversation with him…

8.48am : December 1st, 2009
“Is my lunch ready?” he asked her .
“You can bet it” she replied with a smile.
He smiled back and said “Yesterday night was awesome!”. He cherished her blush and added “Thanks!”.
“Probably because it was the first time without protection AB?” she winked.
“Yeah maybe. I think its time for a new member in the family!” he said as he moved towards her and placed his lips on her tender ones.
“I love you” he said when they finished. “Love you too” she whispered.