The Last Message ( Short Story)

 It was three in the morning when the phone rang. It read Thammi – her paternal grandmother.

Thammi at this hour! She panicked. Was she sick?

Clicking on the green key, she heard a faint hello. 

‘Thammi…?' 

'Riti...!' 

' Are you okay? Why are you up so late?' 

'First, tell me why YOU are up?’

'Oh Thammi, I have the assignment to submit tomorrow.'

'How long will it take? You need to sleep, child. You also have to report to work tomorrow.' 

'I know. I am almost done. Just a few more slides.'

'Then I shouldn’t keep you away.' 

‘No, No Thammi. I have been working since afternoon. My mind is a haze now. Can you hold on? Let me grab a cup of coffee.’

‘Go get it, my child! And listen. Only half a cup. Else, it will rob you of your sleep.’

Riti rushed off to get herself a cup of coffee.

Five minutes later, she pulled out a chair, rested her legs on the table, and held the mug in one another and the phone in the other.  

'Now your turn. Why are you up so late, oldie?’

‘I couldn't sleep.’

‘Feeling unwell?’ 

‘No! I am missing you. You haven’t been home for a long time.’

‘Ahh! I will submit this tomorrow and come over for the weekend.’

‘Can't you come tomorrow?’ 

‘Thammi, I am very tired. I have been working tirelessly the entire week. If I catch up on sleep tomorrow, I can visit you on Saturday.’

There was silence on the other end.

“Hey, Thammi. Now come on! Cheer up!’

‘I wanted to tell you something. You know the wardrobe where I keep all my clothes. On the last shelf, under my petticoats, there is a blue box. It was a gift from your grandfather. When you come home, take it out. Now It’s yours.’

Riti let out a yawn. ‘You called me to tell this? Oldie, when I go home, take it out and give it to me. Till then it’s yours! Okay? Are there romantic letters in it?’

‘Wait till you see what’s in it.’

‘Now Thammi. I need to get back to work. Please go off to bed, my dear. I will call you once I finish my presentation tomorrow. ‘

‘Good luck, my dear girl. I love you.’

‘I love you too old girl!’

Riti heard Thammi chuckle over the phone.

The slides were complete an hour later. Setting the alarm for six, she snuggled into the covers.

***

The meeting dragged on for a long time. It ended late and was a success. Riti had bagged the project for her company. The manager was excited and decided to celebrate. That night on her way home, she decided to place a call to Thammi. Taking out her phone, she noted in dismay that the battery was dead. She had forgotten to charge it last night. It must have been dead for hours.

Oh no!

Reaching home, she rushed to put it on charge. Finally, the lights blinked on the phone.

31 missed calls. From parents, from a cousin, from aunt! None from Thammi!

Trying hard to control the pounding that had begun in her, she pressed a hand on her chest and dialed her parents.

Something was amiss, her heart warned her.

No! She protested.

No one picked up. She called again. This time after three rings, her younger sister picked up.

‘Didi, Thammi had a massive heart attack. Come home.’

***

The next morning, Riti performed the last rites of her grandmother. It had always been Thammi’s wish that her favorite granddaughter would perform the rites.

She came back to Thammi’s flat and sat on her bed.

Thammi lived on her own in her little two-bedroom flat ever since Dadu passed away. No one knew when she suffered the attack. The doctors gave an approximate time of 2.30 am. The attack had been severe to send her into a coma. Early morning, when the milkman rang the bell and found no answer, he promptly called Riti’s dad who rushed in. They found the old lady unconscious. Thammi never regained consciousness.

It was strange! If Thammi was in a coma, who called her at 3 am? Was she dreaming?

She hurriedly opened the call log on her phone. There it was. A call from Thammi at 3 am. The duration was of twenty-four minutes. Riti sat stupefied.

The blue box! Riti rushed to open Thammi’s wardrobe. She found the box under the neat pile of petticoats. Opening it with great care, her eyes stared in disbelief at the contents. There lay the much-coveted blue-stone necklace. Lapis Lazuli, the set that Thammi had worn for her wedding. Dadu’s gift to his beloved on their wedding night.  

Holding it close to her chest, she broke down. Thammi’s call last night was her last message to her favorite granddaughter.