It was thirty first December's night, bone-chilling cold. It was snowing all over the city, and amidst the snowfall the whole city was adorned with lights and decorations. The Clubs, pubs were filled with young people, the children were running through the snow covered streets with lightning balloons and colorful dresses, people were eating at resturants, some were busy preparing for the dinners, the sound of laughter and scent of delicious meals came from the households. The whole city was busy celebrating the new year's eve.
But the apartment on the thirty seventh floor of this tower seemed indifferent to all these. It was silent, as if nobody was there inside. The door was shut from inside.
Inside the master bedroom, a man was sitting on the carpet floor, leaning on the frame of the king size bed. He held a bottle of wine in his hand, it was half emptied. Some empty bottles were scattered throughout the room's floor. The room was immersed in darkness, his silhouette could be seen only in the dim light coming from outside through the window.
He didn't know for how long he was drinking, sitting on the carpet floor. Maybe, for hours! When he entered the room, there was still sunlight. As the night wore on, the room became dark. But he didn't find the need to switch on the lights. Once, he feared darkness, but today, darkness seemed to be his best companion!
He emptied the bottle in continuous sips, then threw the bottle on the floor. As the floor was covered with carpet, it didn't break, rather was settled in a corner of the room. The man didn't give attention to it, he still sat as he was sitting before. His red rimmed eyes, extremely pale face and dark circles under eyes were shouting clearly, he didn't sleep for days!
Well, he hadn't slept well for years, indeed.
....
He was Dr. Robert Williams, a forty two years old, brilliant scientist of Stalkholmes International Research Institute. He was the best researcher of the institute and also the highest paid one.
Why is it said 'was'!
Because early in the morning today, he was fired from the institute, for allegedly making false allegations against his colleague.
Robert had spent the twenty two years of his life behind the closed door of the laboratory of this private research institute. He was working on a project no one thought would be successful. He was trying to create a vaccine for an incurable disease, AIDS.
Initially, when he started working on this topic, everyone laughed at him. The unpredictable nature of HIV virus and its ability to change the shapes accordingly made it one of the most difficult viruses to make an antibody for it. But he didn't lose hope and went on with his works. For his research, he needed some modern equipments, but his university didn't have the infrastructure. He started looking for sponsorship, but no one was willing to spend money on an uncertain project.
Robert was losing hope slowly, that was when he got a totally unexpected sponsor, the director of Stalkholmes Pharmaceuticals, the largest pharma company in the country!
Robert was recruited as a scientist in the private research institute of Stalkholmes with a condition that they'd sponsor his project, but he had to do other projects as well.
Robert was over the moon, hearing it. He grabbed the opportunity and joined the institute. Soon, he became the most sought after scientist of the company, making unique formulae for the company's medicines. Under his guidance, some of the best medicines of the company were produced, making the stocks of the company sky-rocketing. His project was funded by the company as promised earlier, every was going smooth. And in a blink of an eye, twenty two years had passed!
In these years, Robert worked tirelessly, day and night. He forgot everything about himself, his sole focus was only on his works and the project. All his hardworks were paid off ultimately on the day when he had finally achieved the impossible -
He created the first ever vaccine of HIV virus!
That day, for the first time in his life, Robert cried. He had sacrificed his everything for this research: his youth, family, personal and social life, his love. Despite having a fat bank balance, he wasn't able to enjoy even the little luxuries of life - watching sunrise and sunsets, slow mornings, spending some alone time. There were days when he couldn't come back to his apartment at night and slept in the seperate room in the laboratory allocated for him.
He hadn't slept well for years. The desire to make the impossible possible, drove him crazy. Everyday was a challenge for him; studying the complex characteristics of the virus, observing it's changing pattern, creating new formulas and testing them. And when he saw his hardworks were paid off, he couldn't control himself but cried.
But little did he know, his triumph was short-lived. All his dreams shattered even before gaining the recognition the day when he found out that,
His life's work, his research paper was submitted by Clara, his research partner and the wife of the institute's director, Jeremy Stalkholmes.
She patented it under her own name, taking the sole credit of the research.
He was taken aback! How could she do this! Upon hearing the news, he rushed towards the institute and demanded answer. But all his protests fell deaf ears. Nobody stood up for him. Well, it was obvious. Who'd had the guts to go against the director!
Jeremy silenced all his protests, and fired him in the ground of accusing his colleague with false allegations.
He could do nothing but watch his life's work was snatched away by someone. He knew he'd never be able to fight against them, because it was the research institute of the largest pharma company of the country, and their connections were dewp rooted.
On the other hand, he was away from everything for almost two decades, and he was never be able to make any connection outside the institute. Now it was obvious, if he suddenly tried to talk about the injustice, no one would hear him. And on the top of everything, he didn't even had the proof of their wrongdoing.
....
Suddenly, he was brought back to his senses by the collective voices of the whole tower's residents shouting Happy New Year. He looked outside, the entire sky was shining in the lights if the fireworks! The sound of firecrackes and the cheers of people was heard faintly even from the 37th floor!
He stood up slowly. It was a new year, for so many people it was a new beginning. And for him! ...
Well, he knew what he had to do.
With trembling feet, he went to the attached balcony. Slowly standing up on the balcony railings, he looked up at the lit sky. A bittersweet smile appeared on his lips. He could she the falshbacks of his entire forty two year's lifespan before his eyes.
He murmured, words came out of his throat.
"Thank you life. Thank you for everything. Thank you for paying the price of all my life's hardwork, thank you for all the humiliation and injustice that I've received. Thank you. Let's end it here. Good bye!"
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped from the balcony. His body floated from such a height for moments and hit the ground, blood flowed all over the road. At the same time, a falling star was seen in the sky far away.
And thus two stars fell, one living, the other cosmic.