Tonight with you...

"See this picture, you wore my night gown and danced when I was feeling low. You looked so funny and ah...so adorable," said Feiyaz looking at the picture in the album.

"Crap! take a look at this one. The disgust is so visible in your eyes when Svetlana's daughter leaked on your trouser," she giggled holding Neil's hand. Neil didn't say anything. He just kept gaping at her. 

"what?" she asked.

"looking at my future"

"Present...focus...present," she said and placed a peck on his cheek.

"sleep now, you need rest," Neil said closing the album.

"I don't. I'm fine"

"I know how fine you are. Doc has asked you to take maximum rest."

"Listen," she said licking her lips, "I want to stay up all night and do every crazy thing that we used to do..."

"...no way. you're sleeping," Neil adjusted the pillow.

"Baby, don't make me beg. I want to live it up tonight with you," she held his hands and looked into his eyes.

"We can do this tomorrow"

"tomorrow never comes, my love. It's right here, right now"

"tomorrow will come...and don't you talk..."

"buzz off ya. You know it best how to spoil my mood," she yelled and played the music loud. Neil went off. She didn't care to see. Five minutes later, he came out wearing Feiyaz's night gown.

"Ahem! and how about a strip show?" Feiyaz turned and he threw her a flying kiss. Her eyes sparkled.

"sounds fun," she changed the music to a soft and enchanting number. Neil started grooving and Feiyaz whistled and winked at him.

Neil and Feiyaz, both salsa professionals, fell in love during a salsa concert and one year later got married. Apart from salsa, there was nothing common in them. Neil, the calm and the composed one and Feiyaz, the hyperactive impatient woman. While Neil would plan the day before hand, Feiyaz would live in the moment. They fought almost everyday and on insane issues. It was only when Neil would grab her by her waist and kiss her passionately that there'd the end to the baseless fight. In there four-year-old marriage, they had decided to divorce each other atleast 40 times only to realise that neither of them would be able to live without the other. They were counted amongst one of the most strikingly attractive couple. They were happy with each other but fate had decided something else. After continued illness, doctors confirmed that Feiyaz was suffering from a blood disorder. Feiyaz had literally begged the doctors not to tell Neil about it. She feared he would break and start panicking. Little did she know that Neil knew about it because of the medical report that was delivered home. Neil, on the other hand, didn't want to tell Feiyaz for he thought she would break down and the little time that he had with her would go crying. He wanted to spend the time fighting and laughing with her.

"You psycho, you are wearing my thongs too," she ran towards him and got hold of the string. Neil didn't protest and she pulled it. Neil grabbed her by her waist and kissed her forehead. Feiyaz rubbed her face gently on his face and then began kissing him in the most passionate manner ever. Feiyaz wrapped her arms around his neck and caressed his hair. Neil lifted her and took her to bed. Suddenly, her expressions started changing. She felt uneasy. 

"You alright?"

"of course," she winked. She shifted uncomfortably in the bed.

"Fei..." he said when she closed her eyes for few seconds. 

"I'm alive, you dimwit," she hit him on his head managing a smile to hide the pain. Neil sensed it. 

"Neil..."

"hmmm..."

"take me in your arms and help me sleep please," he nodded not able to say anything. He wiped his tears when she turned.

"If I ask you for something, you won't say no?"

"I won't...ever"

"Can I have some ice cubes right now?"

"Fei...ask me for something else. Cubes harm you"

"You won't say no. Please, I'm dying for it. It's been four months I haven't had even one. Get me some please," she had that helpless look on her face. Her puppy eyes convinecd him. Neil got ice-cubes and Feiyaz ate it like she was starving. She always said, "ice-cubes are stress busters. I go too numb to feel the shit around me."

Neil kept looking at her trying to fill his eyes and heart with Feiyaz. But the more he saw, the less it was. She was going...away from him forever...to another world. He cried and wrapped her in his arms. She fell asleep but Neil was awake, sometimes caressing her, sometimes kissing her forehead. With every breath she took, his hopes increased. Neil held her close to his heart feeling her alive and with him...she looked at him and smiled. "I'm here always" were the last words she said.