Louis, an astronaut, enters in the space shuttle with his crew and teammates with the same faded smile.
The space shuttle launched with all the astronauts hoping for their best for survival. And the shuttle was launched successfully and was now in space.
Everyone celebrating and enjoying, but Louis was sitting the same with the same faded smile and thinking all the time about something and looking back at reality and smiling again... He was missing someone. Someone to whom he can never see.
And one of the female astronaut, Li, having a crush on Louis from a very long time came and sat next to him and asked with a smile, "... Um... Sir Louis... Will you mind having some beer?"
But Louis was still lost in thoughts but suddenly came back to present and said, "Uh... Sorry, but I don't have it. You all enjoy it."
And Li left with sorrow because most of the time when she talks or sees at Louis, he is all the time lost in thoughts of someone.
Louis is the most silent and not acting guy in the whole organization. He is not an introvert, at least before joining the organisation, but when he joined the organisation, he was all the time looking faded with thoughts... Something which was hurting him or is he overthinking about something? No one knows. Many adviced him to go for a therapist, but nothing changed.
Louis has consulted therapist and the only word they said, "He will have to move on. I pray he will." But he was having the same faded smile tomorrow as well.
But Louis doesn't skips his work by thoughts, if it comes about work, he will do his best and I guess... That is the only time when he is not in thoughts.
"... I loved someone... Someone 12 years ago." Said Louis with still in thoughts and a tear came from his eye and it started floating, because of no gravity in space.
And Louis wiped his tears and went to his room to sleep. From tomorrow, he has to work.
Louis work is to repair the parts of the shuttle and more on.
And Louis slept while others were enjoying because it was their first day in space.
Louis joined the Space Organisation around 2 years ago but his thoughts are all the time about someone who left him 12 years ago. Someone who also wanted to be an astronaut... And dream to be in the space. Someone to whom he loved... Charlotte.
The first and last love of Louis, Charlotte. Someone who just came in Louis' class as a transfer student. And Louis fell for her at the first sight.
Charlotte and Louis started hanging out together, playing, studying, almost everything they used to do together.
Till that time, Louis was never interested in being an astronaut. He wanted to become a writer. But Charlotte wanted to become an astronaut.
But the one thing which they both loved to do together, was to See The Stars Together.
At all the new year, all the nights, they both sit together in the open sloopy ground and praying to God to see a falling star.
First day, failed. Second day, failed again. And they just continued trying to sit together and wait for a falling star. Giving up was not a choice for them. They never gave up.
And by that, they both also started counting all the stars.
One day, young Louis sitting with Charlotte and counting the stars and getting a bright smile to see the stars blinking brightly.
"Louis..."
Louis turned towards Charlotte and she smilingly said, "... Do you know... Everything is just created by the dust of the stars, from the small humans to the big galaxies. Everything. Then the question arises, once we are dead, we will no more be able to live... And then... Our whole body will eventually go to its actual place. The burnt will become ashes, the grave one will become food and eventually disposed... Isn't it scary? Uh, sorry, I started a weird topic--"
Louis was surprised and said, "Then what about soul? That's something eternal and non materialistic thing. Something beyond the universe. I am sure that body will end but life will never stop. Every ending will have a new beginning and every beginning will have an end."
And Charlotte was stunned with staring Louis and suddenly started laughing loudly.
"I... I am not the weird person... You are, Louis." Said laughing Charlotte and Louis stood with anger and said, "Don't call me weird!"
"So... Sorry."
And Charlotte stopped laughing and Louis sat again.
Charlotte suddenly surrounded Louis' neck by her both arms and said, "Maybe this could be the reason for our eternal love."
And Louis blushed and Charlotte started laughing again.
But suddenly Louis and Charlotte suddenly saw the falling star for the first time together and they both stood and joined their hands and prayed.
Louis prayed, 'I pray to always be with Charlotte!'
Charlotte prayed, 'I pray that our smiles and love never ends. Let it be eternal forever.'
And the fallen star disappeared and Louis and Charlotte were happy that they were able to see the falling star.
But who knew, it would be last for both of them together.
The next day, Louis was walking towards Charlotte's near road around her home to pick her up and go to school together, but at the road, there was a huge crowd surrounding and ambulance was already there. At seeing more further... Louis was shocked to see... Dead Charlotte.
"... All the wishes were left as a wish... Which could never become true." Said Louis lying on his bed and floating and just thinking that what if nothing such happened, Charlotte would be in the shuttle enjoying on the first day in the space. And by those thoughts only, he slept.
The next day, Louis was outside the shuttle in his astronaut uniform checking the parts of the shuttle and everything was going fine.
But suddenly a warning came to those who were inside the shuttle and the warning was that fuel could explode any second and they all should evacuate immediately!
Everyone panicked for the warning, but the more they were for Louis. He was outside the shuttle and the shuttle has to evacuate just now.
And the Captain immediately contacted the workers that what they should do now.
"Just retreat immediately! Leave Louis for now! 7 lives is more precious than one! If you all waited for Louis, you all will die! We will try to reach till him immediately! We will ask for help from International Space Organisation! But you all retreat just now!"
And it was a crucial moment for everyone. And Captain has to take a hard decision and pressed the button and the shuttle started retreating!
Everyone was in sorrow for leaving Louis but they had no other choice, otherwise they all would be dead anyways. Li started crying loudly and everyone was already grieving for Louis because they know... There's no chance of his survival in the space.
And the shuttle started leaving in front of Louis but he was not feeling betrayed or afraid of death.
"... I already warned them to check the fuel because I was doubting." Louis gave a sigh and laughed and continued, "But that's fine. I just wanted to reach here for Charlotte... If she could not, then I only."
Louis never wanted to be an astronaut or join the Space Organisation, he sacrificed his dream, of being a writer, just with a thought that he will complete Charlotte's dream as his dream. And now he is, in the Space... All alone.
And Louis started feeling cold and said, "It's... Cold..." And smiled, but suddenly his eyes became full of tears and he started crying with remembering of Charlotte but stopped crying because of the tears floating.
"... Do you know what..." Louis was shocked, "... I love you with eternity, Louis."
Louis turned here and there by hearing this voice but there was no one.
And Louis looked straight again and saw... Charlotte, in white costume having white long wings and standing in front of Louis.
"... Long time no see... Louis."
And... Louis started crying loudly and hugged the spirit of Charlotte with weeping loudly that why did she left him all alone.
And the spirit Charlotte also started weeping with happiness on seeing Louis after a decade and hugged him.
And... Louis died due to cold and Li and his all teammates cried with grief.
But Louis cried with happiness going to Afterlife with Charlotte and starting a new life where they will never broke again.
The End