She shut down her system and packed her bag with shaking hands. God! It has been a long day at office and she was so damn tired. She was not feeling well and was not sure how she was going to drive safely back to home. But she will do it. Her boyfriend was stuck in some family issues and if she told her parents about how she was not feeling well, they will probably rush her to hospital.

Her parents has been extra paranoid since she got a paralysis attack last month. Now she was fine, that's what she told her parents. She never want them to worry over her and besides if she told them how dizzy she feels, how confused things get for her, they will ask her to leave her job and rest. They can't afford that. Her salary paid for 80% of the household expenses. She can't afford to rest and loose her job.

After bidding everyone goodnight, she dragged her steps toward the parking, her mind too tired to process anything. Then her thoughts moved to the upcoming Valentines Day. Her mood brightened as she thought about her boyfriend and what should she gift him. Then her mind drifted to the night they have spent together recently and she blushed thinking about things he has done. He is her first and only boyfriend. As if spurred by her thoughts, his name flashed on the screen of her phone and she picked up the call.

"Hey!" She said as she made way toward her scooter.

"Hey, where have you been?" He asked, his voice showing that he is angry. She ignored it as she was used to by now.

"Yeah, I got a bit late. I was stuck at work." She said while sitting on her scooter.

"A bit late? It's too late. It's almost 7:50 p.m." he scowled over the phone and she tried to calm down her frayed nerves. Since her paralysis, she has been getting high blood pressure and hence was always tense and get angry very soon. Yet she tried to be calm. He is just worried about you, she told herself.

"Yes, there was some work I was stuck in. Besides it's just 20 minutes over my time." She said, trying to calm him down.

"It's too damn late. Now you will drive all alone to your house." He said, his voice laced with distrust and it hurt her straight to her heart. Even after she gave him everything, he still didn't trust her.

"I daily ride alone to my home. What's the deal?" She was irritated now.

All she want was to reach him and have a long sleep after a hearty dinner.

"You don't even have internet to send me your current location." He said, obviously angry at her now.

"What the hell man. I have just been 20 minutes late. I told you I was stuck in work. What do you think I was doing? Having a quickie with someone?" She was getting furious as well.

"I won't know that will I? What you are doing and with whom you are doing it, how would I know?" He said, his voice hurt with supposed betrayal.

"Are you crazy? I was working at office, I told you and yet you don't believe me. What the hell is our relationship about if you can't trust me even after 6 years of relationship?" She screamed, she was way past being calm now. Her heart was thudding painfully in her chest. She was too tired to fight and here was the man she loves more than life, hurting her more than he can imagine.

"It's not about mistrust, I am just possessive" he said in his defense, "And besides why are you behaving so aggressively? It means you must have done something and you are trying to hide it." He said, his tone now laced with contempt.

"You know what? You are psycho. You are bloody insufferable. You think you own me? I love you and you begave as if it is my weakness? You are the most stupid person I have ever met. You are pushing me away with your stupidity."

She screamed at him, her throat hurting as her heart broke into several thousand prices. Tears leaked her eyes and soon she was sobbing, hunched over her scooter.She screamed at him, her throat hurting as her heart broke into several thousand prices. Tears leaked her eyes and soon she was sobbing, hunched over her scooter.

"You don't even know how to talk to me. You don't respect me. You always call me things. I don't want to talk to you anymore." He bellowed and the call disconnected.

Now she cried, her sobs loud in the empty parking lot. Her heart broken and her life feeling bleak and dark. The ache in her chest as well as the weakness of her body made her tremble. She wanted to die but she can't. Who will look after her family then?

The call from her mother broke through her burning eyes and she cleared her throat before receiving the call, "Yes mom!"

"Dear, have you left for the home? Are you okay? I hope you are not feeling weak or something?" Her mother's concerned voice was like soothing balm over her aching soul.

"Yes mom, I am fine. I will be right there in half an hour"

"Have you cried love?" Her mother said and she smiled at her mother's uncanny ability to always know when she has cried, just by listening to her voice.

"No Mom! Just a chewing gum in my mouth. See you soon!"

"Ok love. Drive safely"

She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. She drove through the traffic, past the people and shops as her min whirled around everything. As she reached home and put on a smile, she can't help but think that her Valentine was ruined. Again!

I stared at my phone screen, willing it to light up and show my best friend's name. It was midnight and people were calling to wish me happy Birthday. My boyfriend called, my cousins and my friends called and wished me. Everyone did but my best friend didn't.

I waited and waited and waited. The clock now stuck 3:00 am in the morning and still she didn't called. I finally gave up and went to sleep.

"Happy Birthday my friend" someone whispered in my ear and I smiled. She has finally wished me. I knew it.

People told me that she will never come back, that she has died, but I know, she will always be there with me. May be it was a dream as I was half asleep. But I want to cling to that voice and hope that somehow she can see me. My best friend forever, who is lost to me now.

It's about 2 a.m here in my hometown and it is a cold winter night. I just stepped out for a moment and observed the only thing that is visible right now, the Fog.

This white fog is covering everything up as if trying to hide all the secrets. It made me feel trapped as if I can't go anywhere if I want to. If I will take one single step, I will be enveloped by it and it will cover me, like it has enveloped everything. It will chill my bones and make me tremble.

There will be no trace of me as there is no trace of the trees and the neighboring houses that are covered in fog and have become invisible. The fog is so dense that even the path leading from my doorway is not visible to me. It is as if there is nothing else left in the world but this Fog.

I couldn't help but feel the world closing in on me and for a second I am unable to breathe. This is the time that made me aware how much I ignore the beauty of the normal world around me.

This situation makes me realize that this is identical to what we feel in our day to day life. We take our loved ones care and love for us for granted, and then when they are no longer with us, when we are separated by the 'Fog' of this life, we miss them. Then we crave their touch and their support to get through the panic and the problems.

I couldn't think anymore. The cold was making me numb and the fog was scaring me, so I did what every other human do. Turned away from my problems, walked inside my house and closed the door on the FOG.