THE ANTIQUE BOOKSHELF

THE ANTIQUE BOOKSHELF



I had always been a loner. My profession was designing custom made software for small business enterprises and it allowed me to work alone.  I was happy with my work and it paid well. I lived in a nice wooden house beside a lake.  My office was a neat room on the second storey and I had done it up tastefully using rosewood furniture. At one side of the office, I had placed an antique bookshelf which the seller convinced me belonged to Victorian era England. I had paid 10,000 USD for it which was a princely sum for me.  I actually believed him even though the price was suspiciously low for antique furniture. I had no clue how a Victorian age bookshelf from England got into the United States. Neither did I care. I was mighty proud of the bookshelf and had lined it up with my choicest books. I loved reading history and the classics and boasted a pretty good collection on these subjects.

Since I was earning well, I thought I could hire a household help. I needed someone to take care of the house and keep it neat and tidy. There was an agency in town that supplied housemaids and I filed a request with them. The agency returned my call within an hour and set up an interview for the afternoon.  I clearly remember that it was the end of April. The days were cool and pleasant, but the nights would get chilly.

For the last two days I was grappling with a complex requirement my client had placed to control his credit sales. I was seated in my office hoping for some divine inspiration as I had a delivery deadline to meet, when the door bell rang. I got up from my chair, my mind still on my work and looked at the beautiful view of the lake from my office window. It was deep blue in color and appeared very calm and serene.  Oh, how I love this view I thought as I walked clumsily down the stairs to open the door when the bell rang again. I hurried my steps, sensing the impatience and irritation of the lady at the door. “Hello’ I said, as I opened the door, expecting to see a middle aged,  fat, experienced and matronly woman  and extended my hand.

But I nearly let out a whistle at the sight of the creature that greeted me at the door.  “Hello, Mr. Mukherjee” she replied, pronouncing my name perfectly, smiled brightly and shook my hand. My heart sank both at the sweetness of her voice and the beauty of that smile. Her touch was sensuous. She had perfectly shaped pearly white teeth and her smile was dazzling like a million stars.  Her touch was arousing and evoked in me highly pleasurable feelings of heightened manliness. I held on to her hand for a period much longer than prescribed norms of polite greeting, enjoying immensely the softness and warmth of her palm. I managed to smile sheepishly, feeling quite embarrassed that she could make out the impact that she was producing on me.

“It’s me”, I finally managed.

“I am Christi Taylor. I was sent to this address by Ms. Monica Rafael of Help in a Day. I have an interview with you and this is the letter from them”, the lovely creature continued in her sweet voice, making no effort whatsoever to free her delicate hands from mine and offering me a manila envelope with her left hand. Her voice sounded like some celestial harp that played only for the Gods.  “You are very punctual” was all that I could manage, as I finally let go off her hand. She had deep blue eyes, waist length blonde hair which fell across her shoulders carelessly like golden threads, a voluptuous body which filled her dress nicely, pouty luscious lips painted with my favorite shade of deep red lipstick, chiseled nose, creamy white skin and a lovely angelic face which any man could die for.  She was wearing a white silk blouse, knee length denim skirt and black sling back stiletto heel shoes. She had matching earrings of blue colored gems and a gold chain with a peculiar shaped pendent that looked like a bird in flight. The pendent drew my attention because it sat right on her delicious and generous cleavage, which I was lucky enough to see as the first two buttons of her blouse were undone. I could make out from the shape her blouse was forming that she was abundantly endowed in that department and the silky, transparent material of her blouse revealed that she was wearing a white bra. Her complexion was white, translucent, glowing and flawless.  Her legs which I could see below her skirt were slender, smooth, shapely and creamy. “This way please”, I said gaining some of my composure by reminding myself that I was a respectable, young , software engineer, and not some old, perverted, letch.

She entered the house and I closed the door behind her. As she entered a whiff of delicious fragrance wafted into my nostrils. I was not sure whether it was the perfume that she was wearing or it was the natural smell of her body. She seemed to be 3 or 4 inches taller than me from which I assumed that her actual height would be same as my 5’6” as she was wearing heels. As she entered I could see that she had well rounded hips which fit her skirt well. I led her up the stairs and sat her across my table. It was a mere formality I guess as there was no way I would be rejecting this gorgeous creature even if she would not have had the faintest idea about keeping a house. I guess my heart had already started ruling my mind.

As she sat across the table, I realized that she had done the buttons of her blouse. Perhaps she had caught me staring. I felt a bit embarrassed and asked her a few basic questions. I learnt that she was a widow and her husband had passed away last year. She had a 5 year old daughter. She did not have much of an education and was looking for a job like this to supplement her husband’s inheritance. We settled for a salary of 1500 USD per month. She would report for work the next day. We fixed the times such that on the way to my home she would drop her child at school. After finishing work she would pick her child up from school. The interview lasted for about 10 minutes and I noticed that all along she was eyeing my book shelf with great interest. When she finally left, she stood for a few moments next to my bookshelf before finally caressing it gently. There seemed to be an expression of affection on her face, almost as if she was looking at a long lost child. “You have fine taste Mr. Mukherjee.  I will walk myself out. See you tomorrow”. 

After she left, I returned to my work with renewed vigor.  I felt inspired. I could not help remembering Keats famous saying that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Within no time I was able to solve the problem.

The rest of the day, I decided to take it easy. I could not help but think about Christi. She was such an epitome of feminine beauty.  She was exactly what I would look for in my dream woman. It was almost as if God had sculpted her based on my specifications. I felt no remorse in the way I thought about her, even though she was recently bereaved, so enthralled was I by her beauty and personality. I looked forward eagerly to meet her the next day, and decided to surprise her with a thank you gift for proving so lucky for me.  In all this excitement, I didn’t even care to open the manila envelope that she had given me.

The next day at eight in the morning sharp the doorbell rang again. This time I was at the door in a jiffy. I was almost embarrassed at the way I was behaving. I was like a teenager having his first crush. Today she wore a yellow colored frock which covered her body from her shoulder to her knees. She looked fresh, tender and innocent. Her golden tresses hung over her shoulders. I was tempted to reach out and touch them as they looked so much like pure gold. She had put on very little makeup except for a light mauve colored lipstick. There was an element of dignity and virtuosity in her being. She greeted me brightly. My heart leapt in joy at her sight as I was half fearing that she would not turn up, and I could only manage ‘ Hi Christy, nice of you to come again’. I actually choked on the words. They sounded so silly, but she did not seem to mind as she walked in holding a knapsack which I assumed contained her change of clothes.  She found her way to the bathroom and came out wearing a sleeveless tee shirt and shorts. The tee shirt was loose fitting, but the shorts showed enough of her legs and I loved what I saw. She had also tied her lovely hair in a bun and it looked cute, though I preferred it to be loose.  I wanted to hang around, but my male ego got the better of me and I sauntered up the stairs and forced myself to sit at my desk and do some work.

I was secretly hoping that she would come up soon to my office to clean it, and I was not disappointed. Within half an hour I heard a knock at the office door. “Come in” I said, trying to not sound very excited. The door opened, but I continued to look outside the window pretending to be thinking as I looked upon the lake. I had to use a lot of will power to try not look at her.

“A nice view you have there, Mr. Mukherjee”. That voice was so melodious and sweet; it was like a cuckoo calling in the forests in springtime.

“I am glad that you like it. I never get tired of it”. I turned as I said those words and found her standing right next to me. I could sense the warmth of her body, in spite of our distance.

I stood up and looked into her eyes. “Would you like to go down for a walk”, I offered.

“I would love to, but I have work to finish”.

She could read the disappointment in my eyes. She added kindly, “Maybe a few minutes would not make a difference”.

I cheered up immediately. I opened my drawer and quickly took out a packet that I had brought for her the previous day and slipped it into my pocket.

Soon we were walking by the lake. I even mustered the courage to hold her hand, and she did not seem to mind.

I felt like in heaven. I did not know if this was love, but I certainly felt a lot of affections for this sweet woman who was so kind to me.

“Tell me about you, Mr. Mukherjee”. I shall, but first you must promise to call me Ani, shorter version of my first name Anirudh.

She laughed sweetly. It sounded like church bells ringing. There was so much of pure innocence in whatever she did. “Ok, tell me about you Ani”.

I sat her down below an old oak tree. I had never before felt so romantic in my life. Quickly I recounted the story of my life so far. I described the early days of struggle in a remote village near Calcutta. I told her about my impoverished parents who sacrificed everything so that their only son could be a big man. I told her proudly about my success in academics. How I excelled in school and got myself a scholarship in one of India’s premier engineering institutes and than about my scholarship to Harvard. I paused here a bit to see if my story was having some effect on her. I think I saw her blue eyes twinkling in admiration or was it just my imagination? 

“Where are your parents now” she asked.

“They are in Calcutta. I have bought a house for them so that they can live comfortably. I can never repay what they have done for me. But the least that I can do is to try and make them comfortable. They have visited me here. They liked this place at first, but soon got bored and wanted to go back’

“You do not have a girl friend”.

I did not expect this question and I was taken a bit by surprise. “I am too busy” you see. The truth was that so far none of the girls I had wanted to be friends with had found me interesting. They all felt that I was a nerd. I looked into her eyes and could see her disbelief in me.  “She can read through my mind”, I thought. I regretted not having told her the truth. But I immediately had the courage to make amends. “You see, I am always at my computer. I love my job so much. Girls find me a bit strange”. I looked into her eyes again. I think they twinkled with appreciation at my candid confession. I felt much relieved and better.

We sat there for some time gazing at the lake. There was a very pleasant breeze, and we could hear the chirping of the birds in the trees. In the distance I could see the top of the mountains and in the lake I could see fishes swimming on the surface and birds flying around us. The setting was so romantic, that I finally managed to take out the packet from my pocket and handed it to her. “I have a gift for you”, I said.

She smiled warmly, “For me, why”.

“Open it and you will know why”.

Inside was a bar of chocolate with a simple handwritten thank you note. She read it with interest, and I used the opportunity to gaze at her sweet features even more intently. Oh, God!! What deep pleasure I was feeling in the company of this beautiful woman. 

“You are most welcome, Ani. I am glad that I brought you luck. And I love chocolate”. She removed the wrapping of the bar and bit into it. “It’s delicious” she exclaimed and closed her eyes in enjoyment. I loved the sight of her and wanted so much to touch those golden tresses.

“Would you like a bite?  It’s delicious” she closed her eyes and I could see rapturous delight on her face. It was such a lovely setting. The most beautiful woman in the world was sitting right next to me, on a bed of green grass, under a tree, besides the tranquil waters of a blue lake. I really wanted to take her in my arms and hold her for eternity.

I was not fond of chocolates. But I was touched by her gesture because she was offering me a chocolate which she had already bitten into. “She already considers me to be a friend”, I thought internally. I especially wanted to eat that piece where she had bitten into, hoping to get a flavor of those luscious lips and that delightful mouth. I proceeded to break that piece of chocolate, when she quipped. “Bite straight of it” and offered the chocolate to my mouth.

My God! What a dream come true. The most beautiful woman in the world was feeding me chocolate. I bit into the piece with relish and felt that the chocolate tasted good because her lips had touched it. She had no hesitation in biting at that very place where my teeth had been moments before.

I could now clearly feel some chemistry with her. She was clearly enjoying my company, and I did something unimaginable. She was sitting on my right side and I put my arms around her shoulders as we both leaned against the tree. I pulled her slightly closer to me so that our bodies were touching and instinctively as if, she rested her head on my shoulders. I finally got the courage to touch those golden tresses with my hands.

She ate the chocolate like a child. Her hand got messy and she licked it with her tongue. It was a wonderful sight, and I watched her intently. She caught me staring at her and got embarrassed. There was also some chocolate sticking outside her lips but she was blissfully unaware of it. I was tempted to bend forward and lick her lips. But I only took my handkerchief out from my pocket and wiped her face with it. She seemed to enjoy the attention I was giving her.

We returned to the house holding hands. We never spoke a word. It was as if our bodies were communicating with each other. I knew at that moment, that I had fallen in love with this woman and I would continue loving her for the rest of my life.

Christi finished her work and left. Before leaving she kissed me gently on my cheeks.  After she left, I suddenly felt every empty. I had never felt like this before. Not even when I had left my parents behind for the first time and had gone to college. Not even when I had left my country and come to the US where I knew no one. It was a very strange type of a feeling, as if a part of me was suddenly missing.

I tried to concentrate on my work, but could not. I needed to be with Christi. My passion for her was assuming uncontrollable proportions. I kicked myself for not asking her number, when suddenly I remembered the manila envelope. I raced up two stairs at a time, flung the door open and proceeded to tear open the envelope, my hands shaking. Inside was her resume, a letter from the agency and a photo of hers in a business suit. The resume had her address and her cell phone number.

I decided to go to her neighborhood, secretly hoping to meet her. Her house was in a slightly down market part of the city. I quickly discovered her house. It looked small, but had a very pretty lawn in front. Just like her I thought.  It was around 4pm.

I was disappointed to not see her anywhere. I decided to send her a SMS.

“Hi, Christi. Just checking if this is your number”, I sent. I felt really silly, but I had no control over my emotions.

“Hi Ani, It sure is. You may call me for anything” was the prompt reply.  I fell for her more. She was so friendly and open.

“Can I call you now”?

“Sure”.

I called and was rewarded promptly with her dulcet voice at the other end. “Hi Ani”

“Hi Christi”, I said while actually wanting to say hello my darling.

“Just checking up if the arrangement worked well with your daughter”, I continued.

“Yes. I picked her up from school and dropped her at my friend’s as I had some work to attend to. She is staying over with her tonight”

“Good. So you get some nice quiet moments tonight“.  I sounded very silly.

But she only laughed. Like a young girl and the sound was so soothing to my ears.

“Tell you what. Why don’t I pick you up and we go somewhere for dinner”, I mustered the courage finally, instead of beating about the bush.

There was a pause at the other end which seemed to me like an eternity and I thought I had blown it all away by my impatience. Finally the sweet voice resumed, “I do not feel like going out. But if it is okay with you, maybe you could come down to my house. I could make dinner for two”.

My heart leapt with joy. “Sure I will be there. But I hope it is not too much of a bother”

“Sure I do”. I sounded too enthusiastic.

I heard her laugh again. “See you around at 8pm. I will be waiting. I hope you have my address”.

I looked at my watch. I did not have time to go home and change. But I needed to take a bath and buy some new clothes. I had 2 hours. I had to look smart when I met her.

I drove down to the nearest departmental store. I settled for a semi-formal look. I selected a white silk shirt, matching cream trousers and a dark blue colored sweater. I than picked up a pair of black leather shoes which would go along well with my black belt. I than bought a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac which was the most expensive French red wine available in the store.  I than drove towards a motel where I needed a room to wash and change. On the way I stopped at a florist and picked up a bouquet of 36 long stemmed red roses.

At 8pm sharp, I rang the door bell of Christi’s house. . I was careful that the collar and cuffs of my shirt were showing below the sweater. She opened and greeted me warmly. She looked like a Goddess. She was wearing a knee length black halter dress which contrasted beautifully with her flawless creamy skin. She was wearing my favorite red lipstick and her gorgeous golden tresses were free. She wore a pearl necklace, pearl earrings and black high heeled shoes. I paused at the doorway for a few moments. She leaned against the door, folded her arms and gave me a naughty look. “Won’t you come in Mr. Mukherjee”?

“I sure will. But first let me admire your beauty”

“We have the whole evening. And I must say that you look nice. You must groom yourself well, and I am sure you will find many girlfriends”

I handed her the flowers. She thanked me, kissed me on both my cheeks, closed the door behind me, took my hand and let me inside. I could smell the natural fragrance of her body and could see that her back was bare and the dress only covered from waist down on the back side. I sensed that I was beginning to lose my control.

I put the wine bottle on the table and briefly scanned the room. It was neat, simple and utilitarian. The walls were painted ivory white which contrasted well with the mahogany furniture. There were paintings on all the walls of Panini. In one corner of the room, there was a marble sculpture of a couple in an erotic pose. The temperature in the room was warm and comfortable.

Christi had opened the wine bottle. She offered me my glass and sat next to me on the sofa sipping hers.

It was good wine.

“Your husband was so lucky”

“Why”

“He had your love”

I looked into her eyes. I could see some pain and sorrow.

“Christy, you are so beautiful. You are the woman of my dreams”.  I guess the wine had given me courage.

She bent her face towards me. I cupped her beautiful face and sealed her lips with a kiss. We kissed long and passionately and I took full liberty of the situation and ran my hands liberally over her naked back, something which I had wanted to do the moment I had seen her in this dress. Her skin felt like cool satin.

“Christi, my darling. I want to drink wine from your mouth”

“She sipped the wine from her glass. I clasped my lips around those luscious lips again and drank the wine from her mouth. It tasted like the nectar of the Gods.

She led me to her bedroom. I removed my clothes. I saw her undress and feasted lustily on her naked body. She had perfect breasts and smooth skin. She joined me below the sheets, naked like a baby. Her body was so nice and warm to feel. I touched and fondled her breasts for an eternity before sucking them like I was her child.  We kissed like there was no tomorrow. She pulled me on top of her.  My hardness found the object of my worship. I entered her smoothly as her love canal was flowing with her love juices. I lowered my mouth on her mouth, kissing and sucking her sweet saliva as my manhood thrust inside her love temple like an impatient cobra. We came, again and again and again. We lost count of time.

It was the sinister sobbing of a woman that jolted me out of my sweet dreams. My head was still feeling groggy with the wine. For a moment I had forgotten where I was. I suddenly remembered.  The atmosphere of the room which was so warm and loving suddenly seemed very cold and sinister. The room was dimly lit by a red light lamp. I groped on the bed next to me, hoping to find the comfort and warmth of my darling’s soft body. But the bed was empty. The sobbing was distinctly louder now and seemed to come from the other room.  A cold wave of sweat broke out before me. I could not hold myself back. I started screaming “Christi, Christi” like a child crying for his mother.

There was no response. I got out of the bed. My senses were numbed. I walked into the sitting room naked. My head had stopped thinking. I did not see her there. I was on the verge of tears when I saw that the main door was ajar. I walked out and saw her sitting on the ground, her back towards me. Her head was drooped downwards and her golden hair was touching the ground. She was wearing a white dress. She was sobbing like a child. I looked up towards the sky. There was a full moon. I felt cold as there was a strong breeze outside and I had no cloths on my body.

At that moment, something snapped inside me. I knew that I was going to find out some unpleasant truth, but I no longer felt afraid. I kneeled down besides the sobbing lady and gently put my hands on her shoulders. The sobbing paused. “Go away” answered a voice, which was no longer sweet but quite harsh and terrifying. I turned her face towards me.

What I saw would have chilled even a lion to the bone. My beautiful Christi had turned into a demoniac version of her previous self. She had grown two long ominous fangs in her mouth which stuck out by the side and her creamy skin had become pale and ghostly. Her eyes were bloodshot. And her mouth was covered with blood. On the ground lay a dead rabbit whose body had been mercilessly torn apart by what looked like some wild animal. She looked at me with anger and growled fiercely.

But love conquers all fear. And I had really loved this woman. I wanted to help her, understand her, care for her and die for her if required. My voice was like steel. “Let us go inside. I want to hear it all”. It was not a statement, it was a command. I felt fearless and courageous, feelings which can only be brought about by true love. It was true love that had changed a meek scholar into a brave knight. I was going to be my Christi’s knight.

I held her hand and made her stand. She hissed and tried to bite me.  I just glared at her in anger and slapped her tightly. I felt like punishing my hands for hitting my darling, but that was the only action which my instincts told me to follow. It seemed to calm her and she followed me inside quietly holding my hands. I took her to the bedroom and made her sit on the bed. I switched on the lights and got dressed. My mind was beginning to clear up. I than took her to the washroom and cleaned up her face and hands and removed the blood. I even cleaned her two fangs, touching them gently. After all they were a part of my darling.  I felt like a husband caring for his wife. No other feeling could even compare closely to what I was feeling. Come what may, I was going to be there for this poor creature I promised. I loved her so much.

I than led her to the bed and made her recline against the backrest. I also lay down besides her, covered both of us with the blankets and put my arms around her shoulder. I was overcome with feelings of tenderness and love, something which I had never felt before. I cupped her face in my hands. She looked beautiful again and her fangs added to her appeal. I kissed her on her lips for a long time, and to my delight she put her arms around me and kissed me back. I than looked into her eyes, which had started regaining their blue color. “Tell me the truth darling. I want to hear it all”

She narrated a most remarkable tale. She was actually a vampire. She was born in England 150 years back. The Count of her parish who was also a vampire had fallen in love with her and the two had got married. They had a very happy marriage, but unfortunately she could not bear him any children. There was a curse on the Count’s family that he would be the last heir to his family’s legacy. They decided to sell up all their belongings and travel around the world. The bookshelf which was in my house was one of the possessions’ of the  Count. In the course of their journeys they had been to India where they had met a holy man at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. They stayed in his ashram for two years, serving the hermit. The hermit was so pleased with their services that he used his powers to lift the curse on the Count and the two were blessed with a daughter soon.  The hermit was also aware of their vampirical nature, but by his mystic powers he had curbed their dependence on human blood and they had no trouble surviving on vegetarian food which the ashram served.

After the hermit passed away, the couple decided to settle down in the US for the sake of their child as England had some sad memories for them. Last year her husband had died in a car crash. Since the car had exploded, her husband could not survive because he had got cremated. So here she was living with her 5 year old daughter, who was not a vampire. She had actually taken up a job in my house so that she could spend some time with her husband’s memories. She had been to the same furniture shop to buy some stuff when she realized that one of her husband’s dearest possessions was so close by. She found about me and came to know from some sources that I was looking for a maid.  She meant me no harm and actually liked me because I had cared for the bookshelf so well. 

Thanks to the hermit’s blessings, she had survived so far without human blood. But today was the last day of the mystical effect, and she had to have human blood today. Saying so she started sobbing inconsolably. I lifted her face. Large drops of tears were flowing down her eyes. She looked so vulnerable and her skin was again turning pale. Her body was turning cold and her breathing had become labored.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you crying?”

“I will have to kill you and suck your blood”

I looked deeply into her eyes. “Is that all? Is it my life you are worried about?”

She nodded her head in agreement. Her golden tresses looked so inviting. I caressed them lovingly.

“Why are you worried about my life? If you have to suck my blood please go ahead. Do not delay. You are looking pale and weak and I do not want anything to happen to you. Remember that you have a 5 year old daughter to take care of”

It was then that she said the words which gave a whole new dimension to my life. “I do not know what you have done to me Mr. Mukherjee. In my whole life you are the only man with whom I have made love besides my husband. You are so nice, so loving. I love you. I cannot kill you”, saying that she started sobbing again.

My heart melted. I held her close in my arms and kissed her lips. She kissed me back. I lay down on the bed and she lay down over me. I could see her weakening. She was looking pale and sick. “Come on my darling, bite me”.

“No I cannot. “ She said and again kissed me deeply on my lips. But I could feel the passion of her kiss waning. She had to have my blood. I moved her face away from my mouth and started kissing her neck. As if on cue she started kissing my neck too. Her luscious lips felt like satin on my neck. And then before she realized, I pulled her face into my neck so that her fangs tore into my skin and the warm blood from my body flowed into her mouth. She did not perceive it at first. Her natural instincts made her suck deeply of my blood. I felt no pain, only happiness that my life was of some meaning to my beloved.

Suddenly she screamed.

“Oh no. I hate you. Why did you do this? My life has no meaning without you.”

I looked into her eyes. There was pain and sorrow and love, selfless love. I held her close.

“Grant me one last wish before I die”, I pleaded.

“Tell me my darling” she asked and kissed my lips. I tasted my own blood from her mouth. It felt strange.

“Can you not see it in my eyes?”

“Yes I can”. She released my manhood and held it in her hands. For a moment, I felt alive again feeling her caress it with her delicate fingers. With one swift movement she guided me inside her. She was warm and moist and ready for me. She started moving her hips in pleasure. I felt rapturous. I kissed her one last time on her lips and pulled her face to my wound. She started sucking my blood, while her womanhood was fiercely sucking life out of my manhood. I started slipping into unconsciousness. This is how I wanted to die. In the arms of my beloved, our bodies in passionate union.



I did not know how long I was in that state.  Christi told me later that I was unconscious for a week.  I woke up with a start. I felt an excruciating pain in my neck. My mind was hazy. When I felt a warm hand on my face. I held that hand instinctively. I knew it was my Christi’s. I clutched that hand and sat up upright on the bed.

“Calm down, darling” the doctor asked you not to stress.

I looked at her. She looked ethereal. She was dressed in a simple floral dress and her hair was free. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were blue like the Mediterranean.  I could see that I was in my bedroom as I could see the lake outside my bedroom window.

I drew her closer and she sat down on the bed. I recollected very clearly the events of that night.

“I was supposed to be dead”

“Yes, but you passed the test”

“What test?”

“After my husband passed away, I discovered a letter that he had written to me which was to be opened only after he died. In that letter he mentioned that he had foreseen his death. But the hermit in India had granted him a special boon. The boon was that he could ask for any one wish, and that wish would be his. So he had wished that after he died I could become a normal human if I found true love. And when I find my true love, no harm would ever come to him or to me. I have found my true love”, she said and kissed me gently on my lips.

“So darling, are you happy being a normal human”

“Yes, sweetheart. I want to be by your side always”

“Oh my darling. Does this mean that you will always be with me and will never leave me?”

“Yes my baby”

“And our daughter. Where is she?  I have never met her. Shit man, I do not even know her name”

I heard a patter of a child’s footsteps outside my door. And in walked a cute little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. “My name is Jodie” she said in a serious voice as she stood near my bed.

I looked at Christy.”Honey, can I hold her and hug her? I really want to”

“Off course  darling. She is our child. “

I got down from the bed. I felt strong already. I scooped Jodie up in my arms and held her close to my chest with me left arm. I was so happy that she did not seem to mind. I was engulfed with feelings of parental affection and I could feel tears flowing down my eyes. Christi wiped away my tears with her soft fingers.  I put my right arm around her and pulled her close to me. I looked in the mirror. We looked such a beautiful family.

“Thank you Christy”. I kissed her on her cheeks.

“Thank you my love. Get well soon. Your clients are driving me crazy with their phone calls. There is one guy who keeps calling about some credit sale problem”

I chuckled.

“And also…” she said and bushed. Her cheeks turned crimson and my heart groaned because she looked so beautiful.

“Also what?” I enquired.

Jodie wants a brother.