I want to die

It was 11.30 at night. The room was dimly lit. Shikha was lying on her bed, looking through the windowpane. There was not a bit of sleep in her eyes. Suddenly the door creaked open and a young man about 6 feet tall walked in. He was Vijay, Sikha's husband. They were married three years back and he really loved his wife. He said - "Hi Shikha! So, how are you?" A smile lit up her calm face and she said - "Perfect as I am always." Shikha had had a cerebral attack just a week after her marriage and she had been lying on the same part of the bed since then. The doctors had given up. They called it 'an upper brain death.' Vijay had been running after specialists, neuro surgeons, brain therapists and even thanatologists but they had all said "NO". He worked in a small private firm from early morning till late night to make both ends meet. People wondered how he would keep Shikha's treatment and medicines going on. Everyone kept telling him that it was useless to spend money on her treatment and even he himself knew that. But he had decided that he would never give up. But today there wasn't any rice and even her medicines had finished. Vijay felt miserable. Suddenly he looked at the apple near the bed. The people who lived next door had given it to Shikha this morning. He brought a large knife from the kitchen and started cutting the apple. Shikha said - "Vijay, I want something from you." Vijay came closer to her and said - "These three years of our married life you have never asked for anything. I promise to give you whatever you want." Shikha looked at the shining sharp knife in Vijay's hand and then in a quivering voice she asked - "Have you heard of ............ Euthanasia?" There was absolute silence in the room and one could even hear a pin drop. A chill ran down Vijay's spine. Shikha looked at him begging for mercy. She tried to lift her hand in an attempt to beg, but could not. There were no tears in her eyes, they had all dried up. Vijay controlled himself and said - "Don't be silly." He made her eat the apple and said - "The doctors say you would soon be all right and then you would walk with me to look at this beautiful world around us and then...". His voice choked, he couldn't lie anymore. He looked at the watch and said - "It's already too late." He walked to the switchboard and switched off the light. He could feel his heart heavy inside him. Quietly, he walked back to the bedside.

Two days later, the neighbors broke open their door. Inside they found two bodies lying side by side on the bed. On one corner of the bloodstained bed sheet was written in blood -

"Oh Merciless God, you've never cared enough
But a son of yours has dared enough
To bring mercy to himself and his beloved wife."

I want to die

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