Almost..

He stared at his own body lying on the street. It was covered in blood. His motorcycle lay a few meters away. It too was in a bad shape. It took some time for the feeling to sink in. He was dying. His could see his body struggling to stay alive. He could see it wriggling in pain. Strangely with every fresh breath taken by his body, he felt weaker. Here he was witnessing his own death.

There was not a living soul around. It was two in the night and it would be pure luck if anyone would come by this way at this hour. It was just matter of time. He would die a painful and slow death. Worse, he would witness these last moments. That too, all alone! In the spur of the moment he decided against seeing himself die. Somehow after five minutes he felt stronger. He turned around to see that his body had stopped breathing. It lay still now. “Am I dead?” He decided to probe further. He moved closer and to his surprise he saw that his body was unconscious and not dead yet.

“How am I feeling stronger? I am all the more closer to death. How can I feel stronger?” He wondered. It puzzled him.

“Strange. Isn’t it?” a voice asked.

He turned around to find a small boy staring at him. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Does that matter? What is important right now is for you to realize what is happening to you currently.” He smiled.

Somehow the look the young boy gave him made him nervous. It seemed that the boy had knowledge of things, which he himself didn’t. “What is happening to me? I am dying.” He replied.

“That is correct. You are dying. But if you are lying there unconscious on the road, whom am I talking to?” he asked.

“It must be my soul.” He couldn't think of any better answer at the moment.

“If it is your soul, how come you are getting stronger as your body is nearing death.”

“I don’t know.” He was really puzzled about this himself.

It was at this moment that he saw headlights. Within seconds the approaching vehicle was meters away from his body. He glanced at the boy, who smiled at him. The vehicle came to a screeching halt inches away from his body. The driver hurriedly got out of the car, examined his body and then stuffed him in the back seat. He then accelerated away.

“We have to follow your body” the boy said. Within a flash they were alongside the racing car.

Within an hour they were in an I.C.U. A team of doctors was operating upon his body. They were sitting around in a corner watching the scene.

He started feeling weak. It was then he remembered his conversation with the boy. He looked at the boy who smiled.

“Are you feeling weak?” the boy asked.

“Yes. What is all this? Please tell me.” He begged.

“You almost made it to the other side of the world.” The boy said.

He was feeling weaker by the minute. “Huh?” he couldn't understand.

“When you body dies in your world, you are born in the “Otherside”. Where death is the beginning of your afterlife. As your body nears death, you start feeling complete there. That is because for your wholesome existence there, it is necessary for you to die in your world. They wont accept you till you are whole. Dead! Right now you are in between these two worlds. Suspended in between! The reason you are feeling weak now is because these doctors are taking your body away from death.” The boy explained.

He was feeling really weak now. Almost dizzy!! “I don’t believe you. Who are you and what are you doing here then?”

“I think the doctors are doing a good job. You seem devoid of strength. Looks like they will save your body. You ask about me. I am…”

This is when he fainted.

When he woke up, he was on a hospital bed. Someone was saying something excitedly. Things were in a blur. After some time he could make out the faces of his son and wife. He was alive!! The last thing he could remember was he flying off the motorcycle and crashing onto the road.

After a month he was discharged. As he limped his way out of his room, he saw a young boy sleeping in the neighboring I.C.U. room.

“Poor child. He is in coma since three months.” The ward boy said.

He sighed and felt sorry for the boy. But somehow the boy’s face looked familiar. He shrugged off the thought and moved on.

A pair of unseen eyes smiled at him from within the room.