Love in Covid Time

 #tinytales #shortstory #fiction 

#copyright #storiesbyluvv

"Hey, what's up?" Gaurav messages.

"Hi.. Nothing. the same housework," Ankita responds.

"Same here," Gaurav says, winking.

"What do you do?" Ankita inquires.

"This lockdown made me realize how hard the ladies in the house work," Gaurav replies

"So I started helping my mom with her work,"

"Because the maid isn't permitted to come, I help her with cooking, dusting, and even washing utensils."

"Hehehehehehe," Ankita laughs.

"Liar. I don't believe you,"

"Okie. I'm video calling you right now "Gaurav responds

"Speak to my mother personally and ask her," Gaurav says, but Ankita cuts him off.

"I don't require proof, baba. I was simply teasing you," Ankita responds.

"Now that college is over, what are your plans?" Ankita asks.

Gaurav responds, "I applied for a few jobs online."

"Let's see," he says.

"Good," Ankita says.

"hmmm..." Ankita continues.

"What happened? What are your plans? "Gaurav asks.

"Haven't thought of much lately," Ankita responds.

"Will see after the lockdown is over,"

"It's simple to be a boy. Nobody expects you to do housework, but as a female living in a joint family, not doing housework is a big no-no," Ankita responds with a sad smiley.

"Hmmmm...," Gaurav says.

"What do you understand?" Ankita asks.

"Being a girl is difficult, especially in a joint family," Gaurav replies.

Ankita sends numerous laughing smileys.

Gaurav, perplexed, "did I get it wrong?"

"No, you got me right, but I love pulling your leg," Ankita responds with another laughing smiley.

"Gotta go now, catch u later," Ankita says before going offline.

Ankita and Gaurav were classmates and close friends who attended the same Ahmedabad college. They just finished their third-year exams when the lockdown was declared. Fortunately, Gaurav arrived in his hometown of Rajkot before the restrictions were imposed.

They've been communicating via WhatsApp chat and, on occasion, phone calls. They continue to discuss current situations in their respective cities and society.

"Hey," says Ankita over the phone.

"Wassup," Gaurav responds.

"My mother is covid positive and has a very low o2 level," Ankita explains.

"Oh my goodness. When did that take place?" Gaurav inquires.

"You didn't say anything about it to me. We've been talking on a regular basis" Gaurav continues with little disappointment.

"The reports arrived yesterday evening," Ankita says quietly.

"I was waiting for a report," Ankita adds.

"the doctor recommended that mom be admitted to the hospital," Ankita said, her voice mournful.

"I've been contacting ambulances and hospitals for beds,"

"Okay, then what happened?" asks Gaurav.

"There are no beds available in the hospital, and the ambulance service reports a three-day wait" Ankita's eyes well up with tears.

"I'm blank for what to do. I'm confused as to what to do next." Ankita sobs on the phone.

"My father passed away a few years ago. I can't afford to lose my mother right now," Ankita bursts into tears.

"Don't worry... Stay Strong," Gaurav makes an effort to keep her calm.

"Listen, give me a little time and let me try something" Gaurav adds.

"You are in Rajkot. How will you do?," Ankita expresses her sadness.

"I'll do something. Just have faith in me," Gaurav then hangs up the phone.

Gaurav rings the doorbell four hours later.

"What......?" Ankita is astonished when she sees him in Ahmedabad and at her home.

"Where is your mother?" Gaurav asks.

"How did you get here?" Ankita wonders.

"Questions later. The ambulance is waiting below, and I spoke with the doctor at Srishti Hospital. We can get a bed there, and the treatment will begin right away," Gaurav explains.

Ankita couldn't believe her eyes and ears.

"Auntyji, let's go," he continues while keeping a safe distance and wearing a mask and gloves as precautions.

Gaurav rides his bike alongside the ambulance and completes all necessary paperwork at the hospital for admission.

"Yes. Everything is finished. no need to be concerned," Gaurav says over the phone while standing outside Ankita's society gate.

"The hospital will provide a proper diet as well as all necessary items," Gaurav adds.

"Thank you so much," Ankita says on the phone as she stands on her balcony wanting to see Gaurav.

"But how did you get here and how did you manage?" Ankita asks.

"When you said you had no idea what to do and were getting no help in the ambulance or hospital, I didn't think twice and took my bike key and drove from Rajkot to Ahmedabad. It took me four hours to get here "Gaurav responds.

Ankita couldn't believe he'd arrived on a bike.

"Meanwhile, I took the help of my friend to get me a travel e-pass. I had a few contacts in the blood donor group, so with their support, I was able to arrange for an ambulance and a hospital bed."

"I knew I'd to be here for you, and I can't leave you alone in this situation," "So, yes," Gaurav says with a smile.

"Feel free to call me whenever you need me. I am always there for you,"

Every alternate day, Gaurav rode his bike to Ahmedabad to check on Ankita's mother in the hospital and to assist Ankita with any other home-related tasks. Finally, Ankita's mother was discharged from the hospital and return home.

"Stay happy and smiling," Gaurav says over the phone standing outside Society Gate.

"You look beautiful when you smile, and happiness on your face gives an extra glow to your skin,"

"Hey... do I ask one question?" Ankita says nervously.

"Yes," Gaurav says with a smile.

"Why did you do what you did for me?" Ankita wonders.

Gaurav didn't say anything in response.

"I mean, you drove 4 hours on the bike for me and my mom every alternate day, took care of us, and that in the midst of those restrictions and lockdown,"

"Why?"

"Because," Gaurav explains.

"Because..." Ankita repeats again.

"Because I love you with all my true soul and pure heart," Gaurav says with a smile.

"I love you with everything I have."

"I want to be yours for the rest of my life, until the end of eternity,"

"I will always be there for you until my death, and I will be there for you in every next birth,"

"Hey.. hey.. " says Ankita.

Gaurav felt he had overstated his feelings.

There was silence in between, which made Gaurav even more nervous.

"I love you toooooo," Ankita says with a kiss felt by Gaurav on the phone.

©luvvasanwal

Happy Anniversary

#tinytales

#shortstory #fiction

Arnav was relaxing on his garden balcony, reading the newspaper with his legs stretched out on the table. He was enjoying his quiet time when Naina appeared from behind and hugged Arnav.

"Happy 1st Anniversary, my love," Naina whispers as she gently kisses his ears.

"Happy Anniversary, sweetheart," Arnav says, smiling as he folds back the newspaper.

In her joy, Naina steps forward to meet Arnav face to face.

"You truly forgot about our anniversary," Naina winks.

"Right," Naina teases, tickling Arnav with her fingers.

"No... no... not at all..." catching up with Naina on the couch.

"Really, then why did you sleep so early?" Naina asks, smiling.

"By the time I got ready at midnight and came to you, you were already in deep sleep," Naina adds, her mesmerizing smile still on her face.

"I did remember, but you are also aware of the workload and pressure. I was exhausted, and I honestly don't know when I fell asleep," Aranv responds, attempting to conceal his guilt.

Before Naina could say anything more, Aranv kisses her passionately and says, "Happy Anniversary."

"You're a terrible liar... but you know how to win hearts," Naina giggles.

"It's time to get ready and head to the office. I had invited all of our friends to a party tonight "Naina smiles.

"Come home by 7 p.m.," Naina says as she gets up from the couch.

Arnav returned home in the evening, struggling with lots of bags in his hands. He received everything on the party list that Naina had sent him.

"So lovely... You've got it all "Naina says this as she takes several of Arnav's bags.

"Yes, I have..." Arnav was astonished when he discovered that Naina had done all of the decorating at home. 

"Wow... it's wonderful," Arnav says of Naina's décor efforts for their first anniversary party.

"Now, go take a shower and get ready quickly," Naina says with a chuckle.

"Friends will be arriving at any time now," Naina says.

Naina hurried to get ready for herself as soon as Arnav finished getting ready and came out of the room.

Friends started to arrive, and Arnav was greeting them, making them comfortable on the sofa, chit-chatting in the living room, and... Naina walks out of the room. Everything, including time, came to a halt for Arnav. Naina's beauty hypnotized his senses. He felt an angel approaching him.

Chuck... chuck... one of his friends snaps his fingers to bring Arnav to the world.

"Yes.. yes.. she's yours... she's your wife," one of the friends jokes.

All were having a great time until a couple of friends arrived with a large double-tiered cake on the trolley table.

It's time to celebrate with cake. All, including Naina and Arnav, were enjoying the wonderful time.

The cake was prepared, the candles were lit... phew... phew..... Arnav and Naina blew out the candles while everyone cheered "happy anniversary," but as soon as Arnav stood up, he spotted Chabbi across the table.

He became afraid of what he saw. "How could she possibly come?"

He tried to find her again, but she was nowhere to be seen.

The next moment, she was behind Arnav, saying, "How did you forget about me?"

"You've got to remember that your wedding anniversary and my death anniversary are on the same day, and you know it... right? and I will make certain that you never forget till the end," As he turns back to face Chabbi, she laughs hysterically.

This time, Arnav was terrified of life.

#shortstory #shortstorywriter #shortstorychallenge #shortstorylong #shortstorywriting #shortstoryoftheday #shortstoryfiction #shortstoryideas #shortstorytelling #shortstoryprompt #shortstoryseries #shortstorycollections #shortstoryaday #shortstorytime #writer #writersofinstagram #writersofindia #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersnetwork #reader #fictionwriting #fictionwriter #microfiction #fictionwriters #flashfiction #amwritingfiction #fictionalcharacter #fictionlover #fictionreads  

Spreading AIDS

#tinytales

#shortstory #fiction

Disclaimer - Adult content. Reader's discretion advised.

Neel teases, "ooohhh... Naaaaiinaaa..."

"Darling... I'd like to enter your heart..." Neel continues to make lewd hand gestures with lustful facial expressions.

"We are here... where are you going?" teases Neel's companion Moksh.

Another friend says, "I can give you a lift on my bike only if you hugged me tightly... condition applied..." and everyone bursts out laughing.

While crossing the street, Neel and his gang of four companions always make filthy remarks about her, making Naina uncomfortable.

Naina, as usual, pays little attention to them until one of Neel's friends grabs her dupatta, scaring her to death. The entire gang whistles in pleasure as they see Naina's terrified expression.

Naina snatches her dupatta from the air and flees till she feels safe enough to go in a public place. She dashes to the restroom as soon as she enters her office and sobs her heart out. She was unable to cope with them and was unable to complain to anyone. She was aware that Neel is the son of a powerful MLA from her village; they are powerful people, and she comes from a small family whose parents rely on her wage.

They will be waiting for her again in the evening when she returns home, she knows. She is helpless because there is no other way to get back to her house and avoid the gangster Neel and his gang. She has to face them every day and every evening.

It is embarrassing for Naina at times, but the public ignores her pleas and the incidents that occur around them. Neel and his powerful MLA father are feared by everyone in the area.

Every day, Naina has to cross the street, facing Neel and his gang, go through the village bazaar and walk roughly 2 kilometers past the village to the bus stand, where she boards a bus to the city, where she works at a company and returns home by 8 p.m.

"Hey, Naina..." says Moksh.

"She is so beautiful..." Neel started fantasizing about her. Naina was never seen wearing a saree before.  Neel was ogling at her bosoms and fair waist. He was checking her out from curvy waist to rosy full lips.

As soon as she approached the street corner, Neel grabbed Naina by the waist and began running his hand around her stomach and waist, touching her in all the wrong places. Naina sobbed and pleaded with him to leave her alone. After a few minutes, he let her go. Naina ran, with tears flowing down her cheeks while adjusting her saree to cover her properly herself.

Naina was returning to her hometown after attending the company's yearly party. She arrived late today due to a delay in the commencement of the company party. It was at ten o'clock at night. As a responsible daughter, she called her parents to inform them that she had just arrived at the bus stop and would be home in 20 minutes.

The two-kilometer walk from the bus stop to the local bazaar was in the dark. All of sudden, from dark woods, Neel and his gang seized her and wrapped a cloth over her mouth. They lifted her by her hands and legs. Naina fought desperately to escape for her life, but she couldn't break free from their grasp. Neel's companions had a firm grip on her hand and legs.

They dropped her in the middle of a field, where no one could see her, and no one could hear Naina's help.

"Please, don't do that..." "Please..." pleads Naina, realizing Neel and his gang's intent.

Neel and his friends were making fun of her, then Neel grabbed her saree pallu to undress Naina. Naina tried to flee, but the gang had surrounded her in all directions, leaving her no room to escape.

Naina folds her hand and falls to the ground at Neel's feet. "Please let me go..." she sobs incessantly.

"I will only let you go after we penetrate your body and pleasure every inch of your flesh," grins Neel.

Neel undresses himself while his friends help him in undressing Naina. They rip apart her blouse and throw away her saree. He was on the verge of bending over Naina...

"Yes... Yes... You've deserved it, bitch. You deserve much more worse," "YOU BITCH..." Arnav shouts with raging eyes staring at Naina.

Neel and his group were perplexed to see Arnav in this location. Moksh and his friends grab Arnav, while Neel maintains control over Naina.

"What brought you to a stop?"

"Neel... I want to hear her sobs and see her feeling helpless," Arnav grins.

"What happened to you, dude?" Moksh asks.

"She is the bitch who gave me AIDS," yells Arnav.

Everyone in the village is aware that Arnav has AIDS, but no one knows how he contracted the disease.

When Neel and his group heard the word AIDS, they were taken aback and shook themselves off Naina's body.

"Please do not leave. Punish her... punish her... I'd like to watch her cry. Bitch needs to be raped and punished," Arnav exclaims as Neel gets dressed and his friend prepares to escape. Everyone was afraid that they, too, would catch AIDS.

As soon as Neel and his gang were out of sight, Arnav covered Naina with her saree, "Sorry for faking you having AIDS, as it was the only way to save you..."

#shortstory #shortstorywriter #shortstorychallenge #shortstorylong #shortstorywriting #shortstoryoftheday #shortstoryfiction #shortstoryideas #shortstorytelling #shortstoryprompt #shortstoryseries #shortstorycollections #shortstoryaday #shortstorytime #writer #writersofinstagram #writersofindia #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersnetwork #reader #fictionwriting #fictionwriter #microfiction #fictionwriters #flashfiction #amwritingfiction #fictionalcharacter #fictionlover #fictionreads  #AIDS #AIDSawareness #rape #empowerment

Happy Birthday

"I am with you; all you have to do is close your eyes and see me holding your hands," Arnav says over the phone.

Before going to bed, Naina gives him a feeble smile and wish him a good night.

Naina wakes up the next morning, but she is still not feeling well.

She has a severe infection in her lungs as a result of covid. She looks at the sun rays piercing the glass window of her ICU room, forming a rainbow prism. She attempts to be cheerful, but deep down, she knows she isn't.

"Good morning, Naina," says the nurse, who is dressed in full PPE.

"Good morning," Naina responds faintly.

Naina was unable to understand the person behind the PPE suit since she couldn't see her entire face. She has the impression that they are all different nurses come to check her vitals at different times.

Except for the nurse visiting time, which is also quite brief, she often feels quite lonely at the ICU unit.

"Will I be able to recover from this infection?"

"Will I be able to live for a long time after that?"

"What happens to Arnav and his parents after that?" "How will they deal with themselves?"

"Am I wasting Arnav's hard-earned money?" "I'm losing faith in myself,"

She was suffering from depression. Naina intends to take her life as soon as possible so that she can relieve everyone and put an end to this illness for everyone. Everyone outside the hospital is hoping and praying for her recovery, but she is not well.

"Why keep them waiting in the hope of my survival when I am not going to survive?"

"It's good to end this waiting as soon as possible and let everyone move on with their lives than to be stuck with me, my disease, and continue spending money on my hospital treatment,"

Finally, tears that had been suppressed for so long fall down the cheeks. She was unable to stop it.

"Naina, it's time for medications," the nurse adds.

"Is it really necessary when I'm going to die soon?" Naina asks.

"Never lose hope and confidence in God."

"You will celebrate many more birthdays on Earth," nurse continues.

"Look over there," the nurse adds, pointing to a window.

Beautiful balloons (red, blue, white, pink, and many colorful hues) are floating over the sky. Heart-shaped balloons were flying up with a string linked to the board.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEETEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL SOUL-MATE!"

Naina's eyes glowed as she saw and read it. Even though she couldn't get up and walk up to the window, she felt a surge of joy in her heart and delight in her spirit.

The first board was joined to another board, which was just visible through the glass.

"I WISH TO SPEND ALL YOUR BIRTHDAYS, NOT ONLY THIS LIFE, BUT EVERY LIFE I TAKE ON EARTH FOR YOU," 

The third board comes up,

"GET WELL SOON, LOT TO DO IN LIFE TOGETHER... XOXO, ARNAV"

Naina was overjoyed and felt very special. She did, in fact, forget her own birthday while in ICU with so many negative things racing through her mind. But she is now on cloud nine, flying in a wonderful paradise.

She began to feel so much better inside and tries hard to get out of bed when she suddenly feels someone holding her hand...

"Good morning," says the nurse, who is dressed in full PPE.

"Happy birthday, Naina," the nurse wishes.

It took Naina a moment to understand she was dreaming from the start.

"Thank you," Naina says.

The next thing she knows, balloons with a board attached to them are flying up through her windows.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY... MY LOVE, MY LIFE, MY EVERYTHING... XOXO ARNAV,"

Unknown Number - Short Story

One fine morning,

I woke up and got ready for my gym session.

I was about to leave home...

My mobile rang... TRING... TRING..

I looked but UNKNOWN NUMBER

I didn't care much and pick the call.

"Hello, Mr.Arnav"

"Yes Speaking"

"I suggest not to step outside home today"

"Are you crazy? Who are you?"

"I am YOU"

"Good Joke. Let me know who the hell are you"

But call got disconnected.

I didn't pay much heed to it

and left for my gym.

Nothing happened. I did my exercise intensively and came back home safely.

I lied down to relax for few minutes on my sofa and fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning

and again got ready for my GYM.

As I was about to leave home,

my mobile rang.

TRING... TRING...

"Hello, Mr.Arnav"

"Yes speaking"

"Do not step outside the home"

I ignored the call and went to GYM.

These continued every single day for the past 3 days.

Same routine in the morning, I go GYM and come back home and fell asleep only to wake up the next morning.

I freaked out on the third morning WHEN......

The police broke into my home based on my neighbor information,

and found me lying on the sofa

DEAD.

I was standing there but policemen were examining my body on the sofa.

that time, I realized

I have been dead three days ago due to a silent heart attack by exercising intensively and overdose of steroid intake in the gym.