The bond of separation

*mobile phone rings*
Elend: Hello, who’s this?
Lenore: hi, hello…this is Lenore. Lenore Lakewel. Am I speaking to Elend Venture?
Elend: Yes, I am Elend Venture but I cannot recall if I–
Lenore: I know, you don’t know me. I am a friend of Vin. I got your number from her. Is that fine with you if we can talk?
Elend: Ummm..ok, fine by me. Is everything alright? I mean, all of a–

Lenore: Vin is dead.
Elend:…
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Lenore: hello? Elend?… You there?
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Elend: sorry, I didn’t hear you correctly I suppose. You just said–
Lenore: Vin is dead Elend. Vin..Is..Dead. You heard me correctly.
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Lenore: Hello? Elend? Are you alright? (God! Has he put me on hold or mute?) There?
Elend: why are you saying this? What is this all about? I do not understand? You must be lying. This is some kind of prank I know.
Lenore: do you really think that I or she would go to such lengths to prank you?
Elend: Yes. I know this is a prank. If Vin had any medical condition like that, I would have known definitely. This is not possible. So, I would ask you not to call me again because this is not funny.
Lenore: Ah! You would have known? And how would that be possible? When did you last contacted or messaged her?
Elend: A month back. And she was fine. I know her voice when she is happy or upset or stressed about anything. It was nothing like that. She was strong and hale then. So, I do not wish to believe in your story anymore, kindly hang–
Lenore: And life remains as it is, right? Anyway, she was right about you all along and–

Elend: What happened to her? Because this is not funny anymore. Tell me what really happened.. tell me she is fine.
Lenore: why would I kill my friend just to pull your legs? She is dead. Vin is not coming back. You are not going to hear from Vin ever in this life. Do you understand? I don’t know why am I shouting but it’s just, Vin is dead. That dumb girl is finally at peace. God!
Elend:(*trying to focus*)
h…h..how? Whe…when?
Lenore: what? Are you tensed? U crying or what? Naa, u just…I don’t know. But why am I feeling tremors in your diaphragm? Well, this is new. Looks like Vin was wrong here. She hoped otherwise.
Elend: Get to the damn point please! Please! I can’t take it anymore, I am begging you please tell me what happened to her. Just tell me…
Lenore: she had a heart cond–
Elend: I know about that but what happened to her? Tell me she is doing fine. Can I call her? Is she with you?
Lenore: “Call her?” Do you understand how hollow these words sound to me? “Call her” my ass! What is this Elend Venture? This behavior? This sudden urge to talk to her? You haven’t lost anything, have you? You need to have the thing to lost it. God! How could you even think of calling her now? OK, so these are those temporary momentary feelings that Vin used to find so real. She always said to me that your concern and care for her is second to none and I always told that poor girl how much wrong she was. I don’t know why I am getting angry on my friend now. Always, I–
Elend: I am literally on my knees holding this phone…please, I can’t take this anymore. Get Vin on the call. Please, I can’t–
Lenore: Her bi-cuspid valve of heart stopped opening properly. Blood couldn’t get puri…blood…(I have to stop sobbing. Lenore stop. U can’t cry)…her heart couldn’t purify the blood efficiently. Resulting into an influx of impure blood to her heart. I don’t know exactly if this was the thing. Doctor, performed surgery on her. Though, it went well but, she was already weak at that time. More loss of blood festered her health. She couldn’t make it.
Elend:(*restless*)
Just get that girl on the phone, I want to talk to her. Right now!
Lenore: Shut up! Elend Venture. Where were you while she was yearning to hear your voice? Why did not you call her when she kept telling me that you will be calling her very soon? Why did not you call her when she used to drench her pillows and squelch her cries so that doctors and nurses could not hear them? Where were you when she told me not to recieve your call in case if you call, before undergoing her operation? That idiot loved you with all her life, till the end of her life and you dared to question her love?……
You know what? I really feel good for her now. At least wherever she is, must be at peace. At least not trying to prove anybody that she is in peace. All these years, she loved you. You always used to ask her–
Elend: please, tell–
Lenore: Don’t you dare until I am finished. You always questioned her love for you right? “Why do you love me?….It is not love…how can you..?“
Let me …I will….(Gotta stop your tears lenore. Gotta stop..!)
She never fell in love with you. She fell in love with herself. She fell in love with the happiness she found in you, with you. She fell in love with every breath she took when she used to talk to you. And yes, she fell in love with your life, with your struggles, with your patience, with your desires, with your courage….with…with your voice. With…your presence. She was very sure you two could never meet in this life and yet she loved you unconditionally…..
She used to read your old chats on whatsapp and always got startled as soon as you start to type something.. helplessly she kept pummeling her phone screen to open the keypad until she realized it was just a screenshot. You thought of her as a crazy soul, right? She WAS CRAZY! She had already made a tryst with her death even when you two guys talked. She never told you. Kept it to herself. “His dreams must be fulfilled no matter at what cost” used to be her reply whenever I told her to tell you about her heart. Numberless times I tried to take her phone and find your number to inform you but….anyway…(*cries*)
She just wanted to see you..she never got that chance to see your face. This was her first and last wish during her final times…this…
Elend:. (*heavy breathing*)
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Lenore: now, please don’t tell me you have started feeling bad or sorry or love or whatever the fuck u can feel… Vin is gone.
Elend:
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Lenore: Is there anything you want to know or else I hang up this call.
Elend:…..wait…please, wait…
You…you sa..said..(*unable to speak*)
Lenore: please don’t act as if you are crying. We both know this..
Elend: (*crying*)
But…you…her…you….you said…her operation…successful. Then?
Lenore: (*maintaining her calm*)
She got very weak. Vin lost a huge chunk of her weight. Doctors told her to eat but Vin abnegated food. “That’s what he does, Lenore. He gives me hope. It’s in his nature. He gives me hope in the very hopeless situations. He gives me hope to fight for my dreams. He gives me hope that everything will be alright. He gives me hope that everything will fall into its place. He gave me hope to love again. But I am tired Lenore. Five years Lenore it has been and now I am tired. I can never get to see him. How does he look? What color his eyes are? How cute is his nose? How pink are his lips? How much does he squint when I irritate him? How prominent are his dimples which he talks about so much? How secure his hugs would feel? How lovely his kiss will taste? How…..anyway, Lenore, I know if I hear his voice once again then that idiot will end up giving me hope to live😅. Live more. But I am tired Lenore” were her final thoughts for you that she shared with me. (*cries*)
Elend: Vin…..Vin
Lenore: Just a night before she…..
She gave me her mobile phone without even any prodding. She said she wants to sleep and I can have her phone. She had removed all her security pins. She asked me to send you a PDF file while she was asleep. Never have I thought….(*cries heavily*) I am forwarding you that PDF file.
Is this your whatsapp number as well?
Elend:..
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Lenore: all I can hear is silence. Even if you don’t want it, yet, I will ask you to be a human for once in your life, and respect Vin’s final wish.
Elend: (*heavy throat*)
I….I wanted to…save her. I want her…but..
Lenore: Seriously dude, I couldn’t care less anymore. Is this your whatsapp number as well?
Elend: Yes.
Lenore: Alright, I am forwarding you that PDF file. It is protected by some security key or password I don’t know. Vin said that you will understand. It is something, ummm…I don’t know, that what she always used to say to you before hanging up the call. Something like that…
(*elend burst into tears*)
(*lenore cut the call*)
Elend felt alone in the whole world, numb, paranoid. His hands felt cold. Blood frigid in his veins. And he realized he loved Vin all along and at that moment his phone screen flashed.
He received a whatsapp message from Lenore. He opened the PDF and start typing the security key..
Tears falling down on the screen as he typed..

‘Will meet soon‘

File opened.

My sunshine,
First of all, I am so sorry on behalf of Lenore. She loves me so much and gets a little cranky sometimes. Please, don’t mind her if she has called you already. Secondly, I Love Youuuu soooooo much. I told you right, the day I will leave, I won’t let you know 🤭. I will simply leave. I am feeling funny right now. I feel cold. My hands are cold. Just in case, if I do not get to see tomorrow’s sun, I want to love you in my final times. Ok, I have some complaints to make😒. Since, I can’t call you or contact you, and moreover, I won’t be here anymore to hear you if you get mad🥳.

Baby…..I.. Baby, I want to see you tonight. Please, I am channeling my wish to you from my every cell and every pore of my body in a hope that it reaches you somehow. Please, baby I really loved you. Do not think that it was nothing but attraction. And I am a little scared too. I don’t want to die😏. What if it pains and you are not here to hug me? Baby, you are going to achieve your dreams. I have no doubt about that. You know what? Lenore thinks I am an idiot. She says, if you have loved me then you would have made at least one video call in these 5 years. But she is a bigger idiot. She doesn’t know what love truly is. I am literally and medically dying this time😅 to hear your voice. What you must be doing right now? Ummm…perhaps, working relentlessly for your career you dreamed of. I won’t be able to see the happiness in your face now. But I know what will be the pitch of your voice, how fast you will breathe, how much you will forget words while expressing your amazement.

Elend, why did I never get the chance to recieve your love?
No..no..nooo…No serious talks! Do you know what is worrying me right now? That, even my final letter couldn’t move your heart a little for me. It couldn’t make you feel for me. Couldn’t make you cry for me..Elend, I…..no..No.. Nooooo! No serious talks. Wait a minute😃. You actually opened this file that means you knew the password???? Thank God! You have paid attention to my talks. Elend, I don’t want to die. Elend, I want to live with YOU. I wanted to marry you, One day. I wanted to grow old with you. You often say that nobody can force you for anything. So, here I am forcing you for one thing…Miss me Elend. Please, miss me😢. I don’t want to die…I don’t want to die…I don’t want to die.. save me.

I am feeling fuzzy right now while typing this😅. I think, time is here. Ok, listen to me fast…
Please, stop going on long walks in winter nights, stop going on solo trips, stop eating fast food, don’t stress yourself much for your career. And….remove my phone number from contact list. You will never going to get any message or call from this. How funny is that, in my final moments I am hearing your voice telling me “Vin, please, don’t leave. I need you. I really need you in my life. Don’t do this to me.” Only, if I had been this fortunate to hear such thing while I lived…..
So, Mr. Elend Venture 🙂, you hear it from me one final time-
I love you. And I am going to love you in my remaining time, I am going to love you till I take my final breath.
See you on the other side.

Vin🥲

[Note from the author:
I DO want to write about what happened to Elend afterwards. But I am not sure what he would feel or if this is what he would feel.]