The beginning or the end?

They were on a trip to Srinagar. It was their final year in college. The excited group of sixty students were determined to make these the most memorable moments of their life. They had been enchanted by the beauty of the mountain resort, Gulmarg. The sight of its grassy slopes emblazoned with wild flowers and fir covered hillsides had taken their breath away. They stayed for a day in the famous houseboats on the Dal lake. The experience was a unique one and had them asking for more. That is where Anirudh had ‘discovered’ Preeti, his classmate he had never spoken to before, in the four years of college. They shared an excellent camaraderie during their entire trip, finding each other quite witty and fun to be with and wondered how they had missed being friends with each other before.

It was the last day of the trip, their baggage’s were packed and loaded in the buses. They had stopped at the famous Maulana Azad road. It was usually the last stop on the tour guides list, where tourists could shop for souvenirs to take back home to their loved ones. Row upon row of shops filled with handicrafts lined the streets. There were so many things to buy in the Srinagar market.

"Kashmiri handicrafts are prized everywhere for their exquisite craftsmanship. Kashmir carpets, in both wool and silk with their Persian design, are a lifetime investment and the shoppers' selection range from the simple to the most extraordinarily intricate patterns handed down the generations.  You can shop for the woolen garments like pullovers and stoles. These apparels also have the embroidery of the silken threads.

 There are papier-mâché items ranging from jewellery boxes to mirror frames, a range of intricately carved walnut wood furniture and accessories, stone jewellery boxes, beautiful woolen shawls, and more. 

Finish your shopping and assemble near your bus by 4pm sharp. The bus will not wait for anyone because your flight back home is at 7pm. We will take you straight to the airport from here. Happy shopping" announced the tour guide in his towering voice.

The group of excited girls and boys scurried to shop as if their professor had handed them their question paper for the exams and said 'your time starts now'. They shopped in groups but soon realized that it would be better to shop individually as each was looking at different things.

"Vidya, Renu, Divya and Kavya, lets finish our shopping individually, this way we will finish quicker. Let`s meet near the bus at 3.45pm sharp" said Preeti.

"Ok lets" chorused the others.

 Anirudh and his gang had also decided likewise. Preethi and Anirudh were both looking at a shop full of Attar- oil perfumes, when they bumped into each other.

"Hey Ani, found anything interesting?"

 "I am a little confused Preeti, I don’t know what to buy"

The shopkeeper handed them a tray with a large collection of perfumed oils in tiny bottles with a tinier dipper in each.

“Saab try it before you buy. Rub a little drop of the attar on your wrist and smell it.” suggested the shopkeeper helpfully.

 “Whom are you buying for Preeti?" he asked as an after thought.

"My parents, sister, boyfriend...how about you?"

"The same, except make it girlfriend and sisters. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend. You seem too quite and withdrawn in college. In fact I did not even know you properly till we came to Srinagar."

“You know Rahul from our previous batch? He proposed to me last valentine`s and I accepted.”

“Lucky Rahul ! I proposed to Shweta from 2^nd year on valentine`s too. We have been seeing each other since then”.

“By the way I expected you`d say girlfriends”, she laughed, “You have quite the reputation of being the charmer in college. Every girl in college is crazy about you.”

“That`s a lie madam. If it was true, how come my charm did not work on you?”he chuckled.

They continued rubbing various oils on their hand and Anirudh was elbow deep in perfumes when Preeti chided him,

“Ani, people will think we are crazy, smelling each other`s hand like this. And don’t go up any further, it starting to get a little…hmmm…weird.”

Holding her hand and smelling the attar on it had been quite a heady experience and Anirudh had begun to feel a little amorous too. He wondered if she had been feeling the same, but dared not say or do anything lest he offend her. She was quite pretty and fun to be with. How had he not noticed her before? ‘Lucky Rahul’ he thought again.

They brought a whole lot of other goods including woolen shawls, embroidered salwar kameez and trinkets.

"Ani, lets buy some home made chocolates , my sister will kill me if I go back without it"

 The chocolate area was vast and smelt divine. To their surprise and liking, they were allowed to taste tiny bits of various varieties before they bought it. Preeti had a small piece of rich cocoa butter chocolate that was melting in her palm. Without warning, Ani grabbed Preeti’s hand and licked the chocolate off it . Taken aback at this impromptu act, Preeti was quite embarrassed. But she hated to admit to herself, that she had actually quite like the warmth of Ani's mouth on her hand, just like she had enjoyed the warmth of his breath as he had sniffed the perfume off her hand. It was difficult not be charmed him and his flirting. But that was exactly why she had stayed away from him. She never thought he was capable of taking a relationship seriously.

“It’s 3.45 already Preeti, lets hurry up.”

"I hope the bus doesn’t leave without us.” cried Preeti.

But the bus did leave without them, and the pleadings from both of their friends had gone unheeded. The tour operator felt it would be easier that 2 people missed the flight than the entire group missing it. Both of them were horrified to find the bus gone and Preeti could not stop crying.

“What are we going to do now, how will we get back”

“Calm down Preeti, we are not on another planet, lets take a cab to the airport" said Ani holding her reassuringly.

They hailed a cab and all through the way, a tensed Preeti held his hand tightly, her nails biting through the flesh of his palm.

 "Don’t worry my dear, we'll make it on time"

They were relieved when they finally reached the airport an hour later and checked in their baggage which the tour operator had kept in his custody in case they missed the flight. Since they were the last to check in, their seats were together but quite away from the rest of the group. The flight take-off and landing had a disturbing effect on Preeti and she was more than happy to let Ani hold her comfortingly across her shoulder. 

There was a palpable tension between them, an undeniable attraction, a futile self-denial, and an insurmountable feeling of enticement. The magic of Srinagar had woven an indescribable bond between them. Oh! how she wanted this time to never end! And how he wished he could hold her like this forever!

But as they say, all good things eventually came to an end. After the flight landed, they were immediately surrounded by their respective friends and a host of questions. "Hey, where did you two disappear?", "How did you manage to reach the airport?" As they chatted animatedly, he felt his heart beat faster every time she looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.  As they walked towards the exit, she caught him stealing glances at her and blushed.

“Surprise!!! I missed you so much, my love!”

She turned around and saw Rahul waiting for her at the exit and a familiar smile crowning his face. She walked into his embrace, looking around for Ani one last time. He was walking towards the exit waving his hands in air and Shweta waving excitedly at him with a huge smile on her face...

Trouble in paradise- part 2

“Dad…wake up Dad…Dad..”

Anuj opened his eyes to find his boys standing next to him.

“Hey Champs, Good  morning ! Up early....huh?”

“Dad, it’s 8 O’clock. The school bus has left without us. We will never be able to reach school on time!”

  “And anyway, there’s no fresh set of uniforms for us. Remember, you forgot to send us change over clothes to Mrs. D`Souza`s yesterday? So it’s all muddy. There’s a heap of unwashed uniforms in the laundry bag.”

(‘What? The alarm didn`t ring at 6am or did I sleep it over? Whatever!  Now what do I do? No uniforms,so school is ruled out. Shall I send them to the crèche in the morning? No, Mrs. D`Souza has strictly said not before 12 noon.What a way to start the day! Stinking morning, stinking clothes, stinking kitchen , stinking life!  I think I have an idea. I think I’ll spend some time with the kids today. Let me call up boss first.’)

He asked his boss for leave and then announced to his boys,

“Champs, dad is on leave today as well...what do you want to do?”

“Hurray, Dad !! Lets go to ‘Chinese Checkers’ for lunch.

“Lets watch ‘Alvin and the chipmunks’ and then lets play cricket.”

Amid all the excitement, Anuj realized how little time he had spent with his little ones and how much the boys had missed his involvement in their daily lives. He hardly knew what they ate, what they liked to do, what their routine was like. Anjali had taken care of everything perfectly.

The kitchen was a mess and he didn’t have the heart to cook anything, not that he could. Heading out was a better option, he thought. They watched the morning show of ‘Alvin and the chipmunks’ at PVR cinemas. After a fun filled morning at the movies and a hearty Chinese lunch, he put the boys to bed for a small afternoon nap while reading out stories from the ‘Arabian Nights’. Just then Shashi called and invited him and the boys over to dinner at his house. After the boys woke up, he played cricket with them for an hour and then the three of them drove to Shashi`s house for dinner.He was happy to have the boys off his hands for sometime and watched as they played with Shashi`s children after dinner.

“Bhaisaab, Its high time now, why don`t you ask Anjali to come back home. The boys must be missing her for sure. You must be missing her too.”

Shashi`s wife Avantika was Anjali`s closest friend.

“Bhabhi, I didn`t ask her to leave home, she will come back when she wants to. I don`t think she`s bothered about the kids or me. She knows very well I cannot cook. Is she even worried what the kids might be eating? I have been having a hellish time since she left. I have to wake up early, get the boys ready for school, pack four lunch boxes...yes , you heard it right...two each for the boys...I didn’t even know there were two lunch breaks! And you know what, the kids have their own choices, but poor boys, all I could pack for them were a couple of slices of bread and jam! You have to remember to get the kids homework done, remember to pack clothes and food for the crèche, remember to pick them up at the right time, remember to do the laundry and  ironing, cooking, cleaning...the kitchen’s a mess, I don’t know who is supposed to wash all the vessels! I am fed up bhabhi !  I can either work or manage home, and there’s no guarantee that I can do the latter ever. How in the world does Anj....”

“Well Mr. Newton, now that the apple has finally landed on your head and you have discovered your own law of gravity, what`s the plan?” Shashi and Avantika were smiling.

 “Anuj, how do you think Anjali manages all this? She leaves for office at the same time as you, doesn’t she? She does every bit of work that you have been complaining of and she does it with élan and without fretting about it. Just because work goes on, it doesn’t mean she isn’t stressed out? And you expect her to...”

“Don’t embarrass me further guys, I just realized what a fool I have been. I`ll call up Anjali right now, but before that let me call up boss…”

“…Sir, I need to take tomorrow off too…yes sir, there`s an emergency…well, its called family crisis…thank you, sir…yes, I`ll see you on Monday.”

“Thank you Shashi and thank you too Bhabhi, I think I`ll take the kids and Anjali to Ooty for the weekend, and tell her how sorry I am for driving her nuts when she was already doing her best for us. I think I`ll drive down and pick her up from her Mom`s house right now.”

“There`s no need to do that...”

He turned around and saw Anjali with tears in her eyes.

“I am sorry, Anuj….”

“Shhh…don’t say anything…”  

Trouble in paradise.....chapter 1.

“Oh my God, what’s wrong with you, Anuj ? Who do think I am? A machine? A computer? I am sick of running around like this. I am sick of trying to balance my work and home. I am sick of getting up early cooking for you guys, getting kids ready for school, rushing to office and handling all the stress there, helping kids with their studies , cooking and serving you guys again… oh, the list is endless, and forget about appreciating what I do, you have the heart to keep nitpicking?”

Throwing the bundle of clothes in her hand on the bed, Anjali stormed out of the room. Anuj was still trying to fathom what just hit him, when he heard her bang the main door and walk outside.

‘What is with these women nowadays? Why do they have to make a big deal out of everything? I only asked her why my clothes are still not ironed. What’s wrong with that?’

He walked out wearily like an injured soldier who has had no chance of defending himself at the enemy camp. As he walked into the kitchen to have a sip of water, his eyes popped out of their sockets as he read what she had written in bold words on the kitchen door,

DIY

(p.s. everything)

(p.s. I am on a holiday, don’t call me for anything)

‘Is that woman crazy? How can she just go away somewhere? Let me guess…where could she go? Office? Hmmm.. I’ll check out on my way to office.’

“Hello Mr. Anuj, you need not have come to inform personally, Anjali called me and told me she is sick and will be on leave for a week. Take care of her. And tell to get well soon because we’ll miss her here.”

“Thanks Mr. Bhattacharya. I’ll tell her .

‘Creepy boss, why is he going to miss my wife? I’ll have to tell Anjali to be wary of this guy.’

As soon he reached office, he walked to the cafeteria, and ordered some breakfast.

“Hey, fought with your wife old buddy?”

He saw Shashank his closest friend since college looking down at him and giving him an ‘I know it all’ look.

“Is it on the front page of the newspaper today? Or did Anju call you too? Has she put a notice on my cabin door?” said Anuj with sarcasm spilt over his words.

“Whoa, someone’s in a pretty foul mood today. What happened?”

Nothing really Shashi. Just the regular stuff that marriages are made of. Fights, fights and more fights. Your Bhabhi got angry because I asked her why my clothes are not ironed and she left home and went to ‘god knows where’.

“What? So go find her buddy ,check on her workplace.”

“ I did, madam had the decency to tell her boss she is on leave for a week.”

“Check out her Mom’s  place.”

“There’s no need to do that. She’ll regret her decision and come back by evening. I know Anjali and her silly ideas.”

“Oh, man, how could you not be bothered? What if she did something stupid, you know, like hurt herself…?”

“I know she won’t, she’s too gutsy for that.”

Anuj was busy preparing the minutes for the client meeting the next day, when he received a call from the crèche.

“Mr. Anuj, can you please come and pick up your kids, it’s already past closing time. We called your wife but her phone’s switched off.”

“Oh I see. I’ll be there in 30 min. Sorry for the inconvenience”

Anuj decided to complete his work at home and rushed to pick up his 7 year old twin boys Adiyta and Arjun.

“Dad where’s Mom? Why didn’t she come to pick us up?”

“Dad, I am hungreeeeeee.”

“Aditya, Arjun, Mom will be back soon and as soon as we get home, I’ll get you guys something to eat, ok?”

Anuj prepared noodles, the only thing he knew how to cook and called out to the kids.

“Noodle time champs….come on and raid the table…”

“Dad can we go out and play?”

Anuj was happy to have the kids out of his space so that he could concentrate on his work.

“Sure. Be careful, ok?”

It was almost 8 pm and there was no sign of Anjali. Now he began to feel a little worried. He decided to call her parents.

“Hello Ma, is Anju there?”

“Yes, beta, What’s up between you guys, She won’t tell me anything and she doesn’t want to go back.” (‘ah, the rat has its usual hiding place…!’ he smiled)

“Can I talk to her?”

“Anjali, Anuj`s on line, talk to him beta.” he could hear her mom calling out to her. And then after a few seconds, he heard the click of the phone.

“Dad I am hungry.”  H e looked up and saw Aditya and Arjun covered in mud and looking like they had just wrestled with a bunch of pigs in a swamp.

“Holy god, where have you two been?”

He had completely forgotten about the kids!

(‘hungry again? I just gave them some noodles! What do I make for dinner now ?’ )

“Champs, let`s go out for some pizza….what say?”

“Hurray!!! Dad you are the best.”

He gave them a quick shower and took them out for dinner.By the time they returned, the kids were fast asleep in the car.

 (‘peace at last. Let me complete my work.’)

Anuj got up at 7 in the morning and realized, the kids were still in bed. He woke them up and by the time he could get them ready for school, the school van arrived and honked crazily. He told the driver off and decided to drop the kids to school himself.

“Dad, breakfast, I am hungry. What did you pack for lunch? Dad, remember you have to pack two lunch boxes…for each of us. I want sandwiches for short break and aalu ka paratha for the long break. ” Aditya was dictating.

‘oh, there they go again. Why are these kids perennially hungry?’

“Dad, I want poori and sabji for the long break and….where’s mom?”

“Kids, Mom is over at Granny`s place. There`s no time to prepare anything now, You`ll have to make do with bread and jam for both your lunches. What do you eat for breakfast?”

“Milk, Chocos and egg.”  

While the kids had their breakfast, Anuj finished packing the lunch and hurried to get ready for office. By the time they reached school, they were late and he had to send a letter for late attendance. He was late to office too and he had just a few minutes before his client meet. He had just finished his meeting, when he got a call from his kids school.

“Mr. Anuj, please pick up your kids from school. They will be waiting near gate no.3 .”

He had completely forgotten to call up the van driver and tell him to pick them up after school. It was 3pm, too early to leave office. He asked his boss for a break and rushed to pick the kids and drop them at the crèche. The class teacher was waiting for him and complained that the kids had not done their homework the previous day. As this was the first instance she had chosen not to punish the kids. He apologized and ferried the kids to the crèche. There he realized he had forgotten to pack the change over clothes for the kids and they would have to remain wearing the school uniform till he came to pick them up again at 6pm.

“Mrs. D`souza, please buy some proper lunch for the kids, they have eaten only bread and jam all day” , he requested the caretaker giving her a Rs.100 note.

“Don’t be late today, Mr. Anuj.”  Mrs. D`souza shouted out as he was running back to his car.

When they reached home, Anuj decided to help the kids out with their homework first and then try to cook something.

“Dad, can we go out to play”

“ No, homework first.”

(‘why is dad becoming like mom?’)

“Aditya, did you say something?”

“No Dad.”

All Anuj could manage to cook was some soggy rice and the kids reluctantly ate it with curds.

After the kids went to bed he sat down to complete his work that was pending as he had left office early. He picked up the phone to call Anjali, but his ego came in the way and he dropped the thought. He kept a 6 am alarm just before he dozed off to a sound sleep.

( to be cont..)

Down memory lane.....

                  

                     Ah! Those were the days of  pure unadulterated fun. The days before TV became a household necessity. When just a few neighbours had the privilege of owning a colour TV and would happily accommodate the less privileged ones in the homes for the favorite shows. When at exactly 5.30pm on Sundays we would hear “washing powder nirma..washing powder nirma…dudh ki safedi….” on our neighbours TV and realize its time  for the Sunday movie on Doordarshan and rush to finish our chores and run to their house just in time for the movie to begin and watch it over animated talks and cups of steaming hot coffee. When the whole family would wait for “chayageet” on Wednesdays on Doordarshan with no difference of opinion over which program to watch. When siblings did not have to fight over whether they should watch “pokemon” or “tom and jerry” and then decide to watch what each wants on two different TV`s in two different rooms.

                      When we would wait to reach home after school and go out and complete yesterday`s game of “lagori” with our friends and our parents did not have to worry about watching if we were safe. When we did not need anything more than playgrounds to keep us occupied. When we could play in the rain and not worry about being scolded for the fear of falling sick. When carom boards, chess boards, ludo and snake and ladders did not gather cobwebs in some fancy cupboard but played everyday with siblings and friends. 

                     The days before there were more people in houses than electronic gadgets. When there was so much time for dads and mums to spend with their children. When they taught us virtues and good habits by telling us little stories thus shaping our thoughts and actions. When we felt listened to and important by our parents. When parents did not keep themselves so occupied with their mobiles and laptops that they could not even hear what their little one was trying to say.

                     The days when we had family get togethers and dinners and the talk would revolve around who was doing what in the family rather than meet on networking sites and discuss scams, fake swamijis, and all irrelevant details. When cousins would plan little events during family time, enact funny plays and sing songs, bringing out all latent talents out of the closet. When first, second and even third cousins would bond over planning and arguing who got which part to play and practicing the “script” with so much effort. When the whole family would plan picnics together, and hire a bus, carry home made food and all necessary staples for the outing, instead of just one family simply driving out to a mall in their fancy cars and eating all the junk that money can buy. When we carried badminton rackets, cricket sets and volley balls to play during our outings, not video games and i-pods. When we carried a radio instead and tuned in to listen to Amin Sayani`s deep throated voice and the latest movie songs.

                     When festivals meant, meeting families and friends, eating great food and relaxing. When Diwali meant getting up early, taking oil baths and wearing new clothes. It meant visiting all elders of the family and taking their blessings. The greatest joy was getting a princely Re.5 coin from grandma which she would have planned and kept ready for the entire army of little children who would visit her that day.

                     When entire families of our apartment would gather after Lakshmi puja during Diwali and burst crackers together. When during Holi, eating “gujiyas” and applying gulal was the most awaited event after the ladies in the apartment had finished praying and dancing around the bonfire lit to signify the burning of “holika” .

                     When Sankranti saw kite flying competitions on every terrace and the sky would be adorned with kites of every make and colour. When every lady of the house would greet her family and neighbours with til-gud and say “til gud ghya goad goad bola” meaning ,have this ladoo of sesame seeds and jaggery and always speak sweetly.

                     When Ganesha Chaturthi was far less commercial and much more fun. When dancing in the “sandall” while installing the Ganesha idol was fun and not disgraceful. When the entire society got together and sang “sukh karta dukh harta” with utmost devotion and the prasad “gopaalkaala” that was distributed was a mixture of offerings from all the houses.

                     When we could solve any problem by just discussing them with our friends while chatting on the terrace of the apartment. When no heartbreak seemed permanent, because friends would help heal the scar. Being scolded by parents did not signal the end of the road and 10year olds did not commit suicide even after being beaten by the parents, because we had friends to share our misery and give guidance.

                     When board exams of std.10 and 12 were treated as battles, where neighbours would come to our houses and wish us luck and give us gifts like a pen or a small chocolate bar , all aunties in the apartment would feed us dahi-sakkar as a good luck charm and inquire how we had written the exam after we came back. When we distributed sweets to everyone in the apartment after the results were announced, receiving advice on what we should do next. When we felt happy in others achievement and sad in their failures.

                    When neighbours could ask each other , “I am going to the market, do you need anything” and the favour would be returned without asking, in taking a sick child to the doctor or babysitting or rolling out papads.

                    These days seem like they were light years ago….I wonder what memories my children will have? What tales will they carry forward to tell their children? Will their cousins be some distant galaxies whom they might not even meet more than once in their entire lifetime? I am pondering over all these thoughts and just then I am shaken awake by an ensuing fight, and a request,

                      “Mamma, can I see the TV in your room, Chikku will not let me see “Mighty Raju” on POGO, he wants to see “mickey mouse”.”
(Pic cou

chapter 4: The Dusk lamp- the final goodbye.

Read part 1 part 2 part 3 here


The Rishab who was once so full of life, was now lost somewhere. He hardly smiled, and looked like a pack of bones. He always had a faraway look in his eyes, and cheering him up was getting to be difficult each day. She had never seen him so depressed before. They had just come back from one of the satsangs, when Rishab asked Aaratrika to get him his files.

Here Aaratrika, These are some documents of our house, keep them carefully. These are certificates for Fixed deposits, mutual funds and Life insurance. This is our locker document. These are my cheque books and bank account details. You are my nominee for all my accounts, so keep these papers safely."

 “Rishab, why are you telling me all this?"

 "I don’t want you to run around when I am not around, my love".

 " Stop talking like this Rishab",she cried,"you are not going away anywhere, we have a whole life ahead of us. You have to take me to Khandala  , remember? We have to raise our children, put them through college, get them married. How can you even talk of leaving me alone?''

 "I don’t want to ever leave you, but I know, my time has come." 

Aaratrika held on him in a tight embrace, like she would never let him go, and they both cried at the fate that await them.

Rishab was in bad shape and the pain was intolerable, he had to admitted again. The doctor confirmed their worst fears, when he told them,

" I am sorry to be saying this, but you have no longer than 6 weeks to live. The relapse is acute and no amount of chemotherapy will do any good. The body has also become too weak to tolerate this high amount of radiation." 

It was a heart wrenching moment when Rishab held on to Dr.Ravi`s hand and begged,

"Doctor, please do something, give me some strength and extend my life for another 6 months. I want to spend the time with my wife and family. All these years I have kept working myself without taking time out for them. I had always thought, there will time later for all this. I wanted to pay off my home loan, get a promotion, get a hike in salary, do everything but spend quality time with my family. I had the energy, but no time. Today I have neither the time nor the energy. And yet my heart craves to do all that I always wanted to do, but never did. I want to take my wife on a long holiday, I want to do some adventure sports together with her, I want to have my own children, I want to sleep on my mother’s lap and hear her sing, eat delicacies that she so fondly used to cook up for me....."he said chocking under his own tears.

Dr.Ravi was visibly moved and patted Rishab`s hand softly unable to say anything hopeful. Aaratrika was surprisingly calm, as if in a trance. She was making up her mind to give Rishab at least some happiness in his final days, so that he would not be so overburdened with guilt for a life lived less. When she went home that night, leaving Rishab in the hospital, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss, looking at her empty house, and cried till her eyes were so swollen and red, that they looked bit by a bug. 

She called her in-laws and Saurabh so that they could be near him in his last moments. They all arrived the next day, before she could leave for the hospital, and on her insistence, her mother-in-law prepared some almond kheer, some biryani and carrot halwa for Rishab. He was extremely happy to see his entire family, especially his mother.

"Rishab, beta, see what I have cooked for you, your favorite kheer, halwa and biryani. Come let me feed you some."

He tried to eat a little of everything, looking gratefully at Aaratrika. His dad read out few chapters of the Bhagwad Gita to him, while Saurabh updated him on worldly matters. They had all vowed to remain as cheerful as possible when with him, so that he did not feel additionally burdened by their grief. They stayed by his side all day long each day, taking turns to keep him cheerful, bringing him food cooked by his mother, Aaratrika wearing clothes of his choice, his father and brother spending quality time with him .The doctors time line of 6 weeks got cut short by 4 weeks, as Rishab passed away sleeping on his mother`s lap, just 2 weeks after being admitted.

                                                      ******************

This temple had brought back a lot of old memories, she remembered the dozens of times she had come here seeking divine intervention, every time Rishab had been admitted in the hospital.

'Why didn’t you ever listen to my prayers? Were my prayers not worth answering? Rishab passing away at such a young age, he was not even 30.And me being widowed at 25, how can you explain this god?'

Aaratrika sobbed softly as if it all this had happened just yesterday. But a whole lifetime had passed between that time when Rishab had left her and today when she was leading a normal life with Avinash. Life indeed goes on and tough times don't last forever. She wondered whether she should let go of those memories that continued to haunt her. But then, those times had made her stronger and more prepared to face the world. It had given her the courage to face life with a renewed determination. She was glad she had found Avinash who had been a pillar of support during her mourning. She was grateful that she could let go of Rishab and marry him.

"Aaru, why didn’t you pick up my call, I must have called you a dozen times, hey, what happened? Are you crying? Are you ok?''

 Aaratrika wiped away a tear, and looked at her husband not answering his questions. He was holding two packets of food and handed over one to her. He placed an understanding hand over her shoulder and they ate in silence.

 "Aaru, we’ll try to get back home at the earliest, we’ll go to Bandra some other day, ok?"

 " That’s fine by me ,Avinash, I am not in a mood to shop today anyway." 

They finally got a cab and went back home, she was silent for most part of their journey and Avinash presumed it had something to do with their shopping being cancelled for the day.

"Don’t be so upset, we’ll go tomorrow.” he said.

Aaratrika gave him a wry smile.