"With a very heavy heart Mehraj lowered the casket in the ground and buried his beloved wife Minaz. As he wiped his tears and was leaving the graveyard, only one thought gave him solace. They had lived a happy married life for two decades. Twenty years of utter bliss. If only he could save her from cancer, the villian that took her life."
After finishing the climax of an extremely heart touching novel, Neha became sentimental. Whilst she closed the book, unshed tears welled up in her eyes and she sighed deeply. Just like Mehraj, the protagonist of the novel, a thought struck Neha,
"If Minaz was cured, recovered from cancer, then what would have been the end of this novel?"
She relaxed for a bit while enjoying her evening tea and then busied herself in the kitchen to prepare the dinner. Around 10.30, almost four hours later, when she was eventually able to wind up all her chores and was able to lie down, her eyes fell on the side table. A wish creeped its way in her mind,
"Before returning the paperback to the library tomorrow, let me read the last chapter once again."
She picked up the book, opened the desired page and began reading. Her astonishment knew no bounds. The climax of the novel had actually changed and that too as per her wishes!! Minaz had recovered from her cancer. The couple's life was blissful once again. Minaz and Mehraj lived happily ever after.
Neha couldn't believe it. To clear all doubts and to reconfirm, she read the last couple of pages again. The ending was truly different and surprisingly as per her liking. This miracle evaporated her sleep and all night long, she only tossed and turned. By morning, a new thought struck her,
"After Minaz's death, what if a new woman enters Mehraj's life? Then how will the story unfurl further?"
She went to the library and renewed the book. Work kept her occupied, besides, she had adamantly decided not to peep in the book before bedtime. Easier said than done, she was itching to find out what would happen with this newly thought climax of her's. Time crawled at a snail's speed and she was losing her patience.
Hoof!! Finally! Finally she was free to pick-up the book. Without wasting a second she opened the last section and began reading. Her heart was dancing in her chest and she practically twirled around in her room. A new lady had entered Mehraj's life. And just like that, out of the blue the ending of the story became a cliffhanger. Wow!
Neha came to a decision. After a week, she'd go to the library and say she has lost the book. Of course she had no intentions of returning this miraculous novel. Before retiring to bed, she thought of a new climax for the magical narrative.
"What if Mehraj meets with an accident and life takes a different twist for Minaz?"
As she pulled the covers and fell into deep slumber, even in her sleep a bashful smile stayed tattooed on Neha's face.
Shamim Merchant________________________________________________
