When Naresh opened his eyes, he found himself inside a glowing house. Every wall of the house shone like the sun. Before he could understand anything, the door of the house opened. Naresh stepped outside, and the moment he did, everything went blank, and he fainted.

Again, his eyes opened because of loud noises around him. He stood there, but he could not understand anything. It felt as if he had no weight, as if he were floating in space. Just like on the moon, where gravity is less and people feel almost weightless, he felt the same way. He was experiencing a heavenly peace, as though he had no pain or sorrow left in him.

He walked toward the crowd, and what he saw there made him unable to believe his own eyes. Someone who looked exactly like him had hanged himself from a ceiling fan. He saw his mother, father, and brother sitting there crying.

He went near his mother and said, "Ma, why are you crying? Who is this? I'm alive, Ma... Ma..."

But what was this? Why couldn't his mother hear him? Why couldn't he touch her?

Naresh went to his father and brother and said the same thing, but no one could hear him, nor could he touch anyone.

After trying for some time and failing, he sat down in despair. Suddenly, the events of his past started playing before his eyes like a movie.

Yes... his life story was no less than the story of a tragic love film.

The previous night, after drinking two bottles of alcohol, this world no longer felt worth living in without Soni. He did not want to live without her anymore, so he hanged himself from the fan and ended his life.

Soni was his first and last love. She was beautiful beyond words, as though God Himself had crafted her carefully with His own hands. In Soni's eyes, Naresh could see his future. Through her words, he believed they would spend their lives together in heaven itself.

While he was lost in these thoughts, people tied his dead body to bamboo poles and carried it away while chanting:

"Ram Naam Satya Hai... Hari Naam Satya Hai..."

Where else would they take him? Everyone goes to the same place after death.

After his body left the house, Naresh could no longer stay there. He felt strange pain inside the house. Some force pulled him toward the cremation ground.

Now he realized there were many people who truly cared for him. Perhaps ending his life had been a mistake.

His body was cremated, and everyone eventually returned home. Naresh sat alone on a banyan tree near the cremation ground.

Night fell.

Suddenly, someone called out from behind, "Hey... your body was cremated today, right?"

Naresh immediately understood that this must also be a spirit; otherwise, how could he see him?

The spirit asked again, "So, how did you die?"

Naresh replied, "I committed suicide."

Spirit: "Because of a girl?"

Naresh: "Yes... but how did you know?"

Spirit: "Brother, 99% of suicides happen because of girls. Anyway, now we're just spirits. We have no work except scaring people. But there's nobody around here, so tell me your love story."

Naresh sighed and began:

"Love story... A writer could make an entire movie from my story.

There was nothing special in my life. Somehow, I passed matriculation in first class. I studied only out of fear of being beaten. Then came +2. I grew older, and as I grew older, the beatings reduced... and so did my relationship with books.

Somehow, I passed +2. Then in +3, after five or six backlogs, I barely passed that too. During that time, I picked up terrible habits because of bad company. I started smoking and drinking.

Then came the real test of life — finding a job.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get one. That's when I realized if I had studied properly earlier, I might have had a decent job by now.

On top of unemployment came insults from family and relatives: 'You jobless useless fellow...'

It felt like adding fuel to fire.

To escape the stress, I turned to alcohol every night — the only true friend of unemployed people like us.

Earlier, we drank secretly, but later, we drank anywhere and everywhere. My addiction grew worse... so did my tension.

Then I met Soni.

She was my first love. Looking at her, I finally understood what love meant.

For one whole year, I chased after her. I tried everything, yet never gathered the courage to confess my feelings.

That's normal, I guess. No lover truly has the courage to confess. In front of friends, I acted brave: 'Today I'll definitely tell her.'

But the moment I saw her, all my courage vanished like cigarette smoke.

One day, gathering every ounce of courage in my body, I went to confess.

My hands trembled. My voice shook. I tried to say:

'I love you so much. I can do anything for you. I'll stay beside you forever. My love for you will never decrease. It'll only keep growing. I love you... please love me too.'

Honestly, I don't even remember what all I said after that.

I waited excitedly for her answer... but what she said shocked me.

She said: 'I fell in love with you the very first time I saw you. But you don't earn anything. How can I live happily with you? And you drink alcohol. If you continue like this, how long will you even live to love me? If you leave all these bad habits and start earning properly, then I'll love you.'

I stood there speechless.

Then she smiled and added: 'What, you boys think only you investigate the girl you love? We girls are not any less.'

Saying that, she walked away... but before leaving, she turned back once and smiled.

From that day onward, I swore never to drink again. I decided to start a business because I already knew jobs were not meant for me.

I went straight to my father and said: 'Father, I need some money. I want to start a business.'

Everyone at home was shocked hearing those words from my mouth. My brother even went outside to check if the sun had risen from the west.

Father refused directly. He said: 'I can't trust you. You'll just waste all the money on alcohol.'

Then I touched my mother's head and swore never to drink again.

Eventually, I opened a big shop at the town square. Father even sold land to help me establish it.

A few days later, I went to meet Soni again. This time, I wasn't afraid. I directly told her: 'I love you.'

And happily, she accepted.

I loved her more than my own life.

A year passed in our relationship. I cared for her like a small child, and because of that, I started placing restrictions on her life. I told her not to mix with other men, not to go outside much, to dress properly... and she agreed to everything.

But too much care suffocates girls. Because of that, we fought often.

Still, our love kept growing deeper every day.

Then suddenly, dark clouds covered our world.

Her parents arranged her marriage.

She called me crying and said: 'I cannot live without you. Do something. When I spoke about you at home, they refused because your caste is lower.'

But she could not leave her home and come with me because she feared society and her parents' reputation.

What a great girl she was...

Then she cried and said: 'I cannot live without you.'

And she left.

Today was her wedding day.

She must have looked so beautiful... dressed like a queen..."

Before Naresh could finish speaking, sounds came from the nearby village:

"Ram Naam Satya Hai..."

Two men carrying a truckload of wood were talking while passing by:

"What happened at that wedding today? That girl, Soni Panda, committed suicide..."

Stories

LIFE AFTER DEATH