The Boy with a Familiar Face

She ran after the car. But in no time, the car faded away from her eyesight. Tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. Her mom took her into her bosom. Both cried heartlessly.
          Payel remembered the first day when she had met Vijay. Just a year ago or so...
       

         Payel entered the college with beads of sweat on her forehead. She was really tensed on how would be the first day of her college. Her mom had assured her in the morning that everything will be alright. But still... something made her feel awkward. She walked towards the main building with slow but steady steps. Suddenly, a boy's face came into her vision from a group nearby.

        The face looked too familiar... as if she had seen him somewhere. The boy was not really handsome, but looked like someone on whom, one can trust without any hesitation. 

        Some of Payel's tension seemed to be released. She went to check at the notice board, where her class would be. Room 307. Microbiology Honours.

      Payel took the stairs and reached her classroom. Suddenly, the boy with the familiar face entered.

"May I sit down beside you?", he asked.

"Yaa sure... why not?", she smiled.

Payel fidgeted a little, but shifted inside and the boy sat beside her.

"His face is really too familiar",she thought.

"Did you say something? Oh btw... Vijay",he shoved his hand towards her.

"Payel".And she took his hand into hers. 

       Days started passing. Vijay and Payel became the best of friends. And why not should they be? After all, he was her the boy with a familiar face.
       Many did mistake them for lovers, but the real fact only did they know. That real and deep friendship really exist in these days, and that they can't live without each other's company.
       Months passed. The 1st year exam neared. Vijay and Payel challenged each other for beating each other in the exams.
       Both did extremely well in the exams. 93.4% and 93.7% were secured by Payel and Vijay respectively. Both were really very happy. Since Vijay lived alone, Payel prescribed they should go to her house.
       On reaching Payel's house, she introduced him to her mom, "Maa, this is Vijay, the love of my life." "What???", Vijay looked shocked. He moved his eyes towards her mom. There she was, smiling. Vijay couldn't understand what was happening. He quietly sat down on a sofa.The rest of the evening, he didn't speak a word.
       Quite a few times did Payel accept her mistake and said sorry to him, but still Vijay did not utter a single word. After having dinner, Vijay hugged Payel's mom and waving goodnight, left the house without even speaking to Payel.
      Since that day, Vijay didn't speak a single word to her. One fine day, Payel summoned him,
"What the hell is wrong with you, Vijay? I have said sorry so many times. Please forgive me. At least, don't break the friendship which is between us."
"The friendship was between us, and not is. And if you have finished your self-pity drama, let me go", Vijay snapped angrily.
      Saying so, he left the place leaving Payel crying all by herself. Payel composed herself and planned to visit Vijay's house the coming Sunday with her mom. Maybe this time he will talk to her, if she falls on his feet.

       As planned, Payel talked to her Maa, and they both left for Vijay's house on Sunday. On reaching his house, they saw many people gathered there. Even some teachers and the principal of their college were present there. Their HOD looked at Payel and started crying again. Most of the people's eyes were swollen. Payel looked pale, maybe she had guessed the scene which she will be seeing after a few minutes on entering his room. 
      Lots of people standing outside his room and crying. She entered the room. Everything was so calm and quite. A steady bed with Vijay on it, sleeping so peacefully. It was so peaceful because Vijay had left the life of chaos, and already gone to the world beneath the one everyone was living in. A sleep, a slumber, from which Vijay will never get up.
      Payel stood there frozen, just like a lifeless statue. Gathering some courage, she walked towards the doctor, who was busy writing the death certificate.
"Excuse me, Doc. Myself Payel, Vijay's best friend. Can you please tell me how all this happened?" asked Payel, in between sobs.
       The doctor looked at her, as if he had seen some ghost, or something.
"Sorry Miss Payel, but you can never be his best friend, because every time he visited my chamber, he would mention your name as the love of his life."
       Payel rolled her eyes. What is she hearing! Payel's mom was standing close behind her, and was now crying in wails. The doctor continued.

I have been checking on Vijay, since he was a kid. Maybe months of six or seven ago, he came to my chamber for checkup. Moreover, he used to share his personal feelings with me. He said, "Doctor Banerjee, I am in love with a girl named Payel." And from then on, he used to talk so much about you. He loved you so much. But after his blood test on the checkup, he was diagnosed with stomach oncogenesis, or stomach cancer, a terminal disease, due to which he had only six months or a year to live. He came to know about his disease, but he remained normal without panic. He didn't let this known to anyone, not even you. A week ago, he again came to my chamber, and told me what happened in your house that eve. He said, "I used to love Payel, despite my problem. But I did not ever expect her to love me too, and neither can I let her destroy her life by choosing a dying patient as her life partner. Doc, kill me. I am serious doc. I can't tell her my condition, and neither can I lie to her." I was dumbstruck. I scolded him many times and shooed him. But today, in the morning I came to know, he must had convinced some other doctor and taken a shot of a lethal injection. Vijay, a person who could have lived for some more days, died, living his memories with me, with you, and with all of us.

The coffin car blowed the horn from outside. Payel fainted on her mother's arms. Vijay's body was carried on some arms to the car. The car left after all the arrangements were done. She ran after the car. But in no time, the car faded away from her eyesight. Tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. Her mom took her into her bosom. Both cried heartlessly. Payel looked at the sky. It started raining. Payel stood in the middle of the road and shouted,

Vijay, I was, I am, and I will always be yours. Whenever the wind will touch me, I will think as if you are touching me. Whenever I will score good marks in the coming years' exams, I will know you are scoring those marks. Rest in peace, Vijay. I am coming soon to you. And we will spend a good time there. Yes, you have cheated by taking the exit early, but I will not spare you when I'll meet you. Love you with all my heart and me. Forever yours, Vijay.