"You may do all the explaining you want, but I stand firm on my decision. At least we can think over it Aadi," she pleaded with me. I agreed to give it a thought only so that she could forget talking about it for a while.
"Guys, if you are serious, then let me tell you that we are not here after fifteen days. So be careful. Don"t take unnecessary risks. We are sorry but it"s not possible for us to wait," said Sonam.
We smiled and told them to enjoy. We a.s.sured them that we would be careful enough not to hurt anyone"s feelings. This was not so serious since no third party was involved. We both could resolve the issue on our own. We departed for our offices after the brief lunch session.
That night was again an uneasy one for me. Did Riya really want to get married in secret? I loved her. I loved her beyond imagination. We had overcome many obstacles along the way, and if at this juncture in our relationship she wanted to get married, why was I taking a step back? AND THEN IT STRUCK ME. We can"t keep on waiting for her parent"s approval any further. And what guarantee was there that if I waited for their approval, they wouldn"t attempt to get her married off to someone else? In that split second, I decided to marry Riya. That time officially!
Suddenly the world seemed to be a perfect place, a place for Riya and me to spend the rest of our lives together in total bliss, without difficult parents by our sides.
I met Sameer and discussed everything with him. He was shocked to hear about me having a change of heart and deciding to marry. I told him to be the first witness and another office colleague to be the second witness from my side. We had to apply in the registration office first, but I informed Sameer much prior to the date for confirmation. The next day we went to the registration office, applied for marriage, and completed all the necessary doc.u.mentation work.
The officer there said, "We will put up your names on our notice board around fifteen days from now. Then you will get the date of marriage. If in those fifteen days anyone raises an objection to your marriage, then we can"t proceed with the rest."
We agreed and came out of the office. I couldn"t believe that within a month"s time, we would be getting married.
The fifteen days pa.s.sed by in a blur. When we saw our names displayed on the notice board, our happiness knew no limits. We had dreamed about it for so long that it took us time to understand the enormity of the situation. We lived each day to be the one for each other. All our memories flashed in front of my eyes when we were staring at each other.
"I still can"t believe that we are getting married. Pinch me. I hope it"s not a dream," I said.
She pinched me and I screamed out aloud, making people on the streets turn their heads to see what was causing so much noise. We went shopping the next weekend in preparation for our court marriage. Riya purchased a gorgeous sari for herself with zardosi work on it. As per my wish, she purchased a Punjabi chuda too. Wearing the bangles is not part of our tradition, but it was always my wish to see her wearing them. She got our name engrained on them as per the custom. Everything was prepared. We bought rings too. The rings that would bind us in responsibilities. They will stand testimony to our promise of standing by each other"s side forever and would make us realize our limitations. But most important of all, they would make us realize our love for each other.
"You look good in your sherwani," said Riya when I tried on the outfit for her.
I didn"t know how I looked. I didn"t care how I looked. What mattered to me was that I was looking good for Riya and that she was happy. We waited for the day to arrive. I was finally going to marry the girl of my dreams!
Finally, there was just one day left before our wedding. The date of our marriage had been fixed for February 22, just missing Valentine"s Day by a week.
I called Sameer to remind him to be there as a witness on time. He asked me whether I was nervous or excited. I told him even I didn"t know the answer. It was a feeling of mixed emotions. The night seemed never ending. My heart was pacing so fast, I could count the heartbeats on my fingers. Just when I was thinking what was going on in Riya"s mind, she messaged me, Tomorrow night will be our first wedding night. However, we will be away from each other. Love you, my darling!
A Twist in the Tale.
The day of my wedding finally arrived. I took my new sherwani and went to Mohit"s flat as I couldn"t wear it in my house for fear of arousing suspicion among my parents. Mohit was not in Mumbai but I had keys to his flat. I went there and changed into the sherwani, which was cream in colour and had silver work on it. I looked at myself in the mirror and took a long breath. Probably this was the last time I was looking into the mirror as a bachelor. I smiled. No boundaries could separate us now. The anxiety was finally over. I took a cab to the registration office. I called Riya but she didn"t pick up the call. She must be busy getting ready, I thought to myself and headed out.
While driving the car on my way to the registration office, I recalled again the day when I saw Riya for the first time. Time brought us together and one fine day, I proposed to her and she accepted my love with grace. Still destiny had something else planned for us. We met again and this time we were very sure that we wanted to be with each other for good. From this day forward, she would not walk alone. My heart will be her shelter and my arms will be her home.
I reached the registration office. Sameer and my office colleague came within a few minutes. It was a pleasant morning, and I could not wait to see Riya in a bride"s sari. I wanted to see her wearing the chuda on her wrists, which she had decided to wear just to see me happy. I was excited and could barely contain my emotions.
Sameer patted me on my back said, "I have known you for years, but this is the first time I have seen such a huge smile on your face."
"I never expected us to get married so early. Never in my wildest dreams. And to see our dream finally coming true is just unbelievable, Sameer," I exclaimed.
"I can understand your feelings, buddy. I remember the way you would drink alcohol just to garner a bit of attention from her. Today, you will finally marry her," said Sameer.
Sameer said that he had written a note for both Riya and me to mark this beautiful day. He took out a sheet of paper from his pocket and started reading.
Lady luck made you meet Riya in college and you both fell in love with each other. You have been together for many years now and all I have to say is that two people couldn"t have been more perfect for each other. I just want to wish you good luck for the future. You make for a lovely couple and I am proud to be here with you as a witness and a friend on your wedding day.
I was overwhelmed by his kindness. He has indeed been a good friend to me over the years and a worthy choice for the best man at our wedding.
I looked at my watch and saw that Riya was running late. She should have been here by now. I was worried whether everything was okay at her home. There wasn"t much traffic from her place to the registration office, so she should have easily made it here. I dialled her number but she didn"t respond. I was getting uncomfortable now.
The clock struck twelve in the afternoon. We were already late. I couldn"t understand the reason behind her delay. I didn"t want to call Mohit, but I had no option.
"Hey Mohit, How are you buddy?" I asked him.
"I am fine. Just a little occupied with work. How have you been, lucky boy? So you are officially getting married before us. Congratulations on reaching the end of bachelorhood."
I wanted to tell him that Riya had not reached yet but he seemed so enthusiastic about our marriage that I did not want him to be worried unnecessarily.
"Yes, I know it"s the end of bachelorhood. But Mohit, listen. I have called you up for another reason. Can you please tell Sonam to call Riya and check where she is? She has not reached the registration office yet. She should have been here by now. She is not picking my calls either. Can you tell Sonam to call her or her landline number?" I said in a dejected tone.
"Don"t worry. I will tell Sonam to call her up and find out what is causing the delay. She will give you a call in fifteen minutes or so and update you with the status. Chill, my boy!" he said and kept the phone down.
Those fiteen minutes seemed like they would never end. Sameer was as worried as me. I kept telling myself to try and remain calm, pushing all the negative thoughts away. I felt alone, even in Sameeer"s presence. I messaged and called Riya several times but she didn"t respond.
Finally my phone rang. I quickly retrieved my cell phone from my pocket. It was Sonam. My happiness vanished within a flash and I suddenly became a bundle of nerves.
"Aditya, I tried calling her several times on her mobile but she didn"t pick up my call. I called her on the landline number too, but no one picked up. I don"t understand what has happened. There could be some problem or she might be on the way. Do wait for some time and give me a call if she comes," said a tensed sounding Sonam.
I had no option but to wait. The court timing was till 4 pm. I was completely broken. I knew she wouldn"t betray me this time. I trusted her, I trusted her a lot. This was just so unexpected. I had planned the wedding night and along with it, so many surprises for her. I had so many dreams, but everything seemed futile now. I called her again but still there was no response.
She is not coming, I told myself. Finally, I decided to leave. A broken heart gives way to deeper fears. I thought I had lost her forever. How could this end so suddenly? In the absence of her love, my happiness has vanished. For all the times we laughed, for all the times we hugged and kissed, and for all the times we made sweet love, I can never get over her. I used to love her so much, I used to adore her, but the ending is not what I expected.
I reached home without realizing I was still wearing the sherwani.
Mom asked me where had I gone dressed like that and what was I up to. I could not hide my pain any longer and told her every single truth about our love story. I told her the plans we made together and the decisions we took to live with each other. Like any other Mom would have done, she was extremely hurt that I had lied to her.
I wept in front of her trying to make her understand my situation. I told her I needed her support. She hugged me and told me everything was going to be okay. I retired to my room hurt, refusing to eat anything and smoking endless cigarettes. How could you have done this to me, Riya? I love you. I shouted and screamed, if only she would hear.
Somewhere in my heart, I knew she couldn"t betray me. She loved me. She cared for me. She would always tell me that she loved me more than I loved her. She would not do this without informing me; I sensed there was something fishy. I decided to go to her house and see for myself what exactly the issue was.
She can"t lose interest in me so suddenly. She can"t love anyone else.
Wiping the tears off my face, I started my bike and zoomed off to her house. The silence filled the evening even in noisy traffic. I could not hear anything. All I could hear was Riya saying, Tomorrow night will be our first wedding night. However, we will be away from each other. Love you, my darling!
Her last message to me hammered in my head all the way till I reached her apartment. As I climbed up the stairs, my heartbeats increased. Standing outside her apartment door, I suddenly got cold feet.
It was then that I noticed a couple of shoes and slippers lying about outside her doorstep. In my head, I already feared the worst. Just then, an Uncle came outside the apartment. He was dressed in white clothes. I mustered the courage to ask him what was happening inside. He put one hand on my shoulders and told me in a soft voice that Mr Umesh, Riya"s father, had breathed his last that morning.
I stood there stunned. It was impossible. It was just impossible.
How could this happen all of a sudden? And why hadn"t Riya informed me about it?
I rushed into her apartment but could see neither Riya nor her Mom. Riya"s brother was crying on a relative"s shoulder. Everyone had tears in their eyes. I was shocked to see the glumness of it all. I couldn"t believe my eyes.
I asked one lady how it had happened so suddenly. However, she did not know anything. Then a screeching siren of an ambulance filled the air. I ran downstairs and stood near the entrance of her society. As the ambulance approached towards her gate, I felt my heart getting heavy and my body getting cold. The ambulance stopped inside the gate. Riya and her Mom came outside. Riya still didn"t see me. They both were crying loudly. I could feel their pain. I still hadn"t accepted the fact that Riya"s Dad had left the world so suddenly.
The hospital staff took the body out of the ambulance. I was not able to react nor did I have courage to approach Riya. A few men from the family came forward and took the body upstairs. It was then that Riya saw me. She stood still for a minute. She had stopped crying and just stared at me. I had never faced a situation like this and was completely unaware of how I should react. She came close to me with heavy steps. We didn"t utter a word. We both stared at each other for some time. Then Riya embraced me and wept like a small girl. The entire apartment resonated with her sobs.
"Riya, how did this happen?" I asked her.
"It was just so sudden. I was not in a state to inform anyone. I still can"t digest the fact that he is not amid us anymore. I loved him so much," she cried loudly.
All the relatives gathered around to pay their condolences. Riya told me what exactly happened.
"After I messaged you last night, I went to sleep. I was so excited about our marriage that I got up very early to get ready. At the breakfast table, Mom told me that Dad was not feeling particularly well. He was sweating a lot since morning and had complained of shortness of breath. We didn"t want to take a chance with his health as he was suffering from hypertension since the past few days. We took him to the nearby hospital and got him checked upon by the doctor who asked his staff to keep Dad under observation until evening. I was by his side the whole time. Whenever I thought of messaging or calling you up, someone would invariably call my name. I went to the washroom to freshen up. When I came back from the washroom, I saw something abnormal and informed doctors immediately. They came and injected him. Mom rushed to the hospital. She had gone home to bring food for him. After some time, the doctor came and said that he had a heart attack and that they could not do anything to rescue him in time. It was so hard to believe that he had left us and would never return," said a weeping Riya.
I gently stroked her hair, trying my best to comfort her.
She continued, "He was the one who taught me to walk; he was the one who stood beside me in my bad times. He was my world. He was my life. It was so hard for him that even at the last minute he looked at me. He tried to open his eyes wide but they shut forever. He tried to tell me to take care of Mom and my brother. He tried to reach for me; he wanted to hold my hand. He wanted to hug me for the last time. However, he couldn"t. He let his little girl be alone in this unknown world. He won"t be with me to hold my hand or catch me when I fall. He has left us forever. My life has come to a screeching halt. I want to ask G.o.d why he has done this to us. Why did he take away one thing that mattered the most to me? Why always me? I want my Dad back. I want him to sit beside me when I get married. I want him to hug me when I leave this house and come to yours. I want him to just be there with me at all times."
Riya cried and cried till her tears dried out. I tried to tell her that the body may have run its course, but the soul lives on forever.
The Saviour.
The next day, I called Mohit to inform him about the tragedy.
"Hey buddy, how was your wedding night? You got up early?" He laughed. He certainly was not aware of the situation.
"Mohit, you won"t believe this, but things are not the same anymore. The reason why Riya couldn"t come for the marriage yesterday was because her Dad has expired," I said in a heavy tone.
Mohit couldn"t believe it. I told him everything that had happened yesterday and asked him to call Riya up and see how she was doing. I called Sonam too and told her the same thing. Both of them were about to postpone their engagement but I told them not to do so. Both Riya and my plans of attending their engagement seemed dicey now. It was impossible for Riya to attend it and I didn"t want to leave her alone. I convinced both of them not to postpone the engagement even if we couldn"t turn up. Both agreed to go ahead with it, but with a heavy heart. Riya messaged me that Sonam and Mohit had called her. She felt bad that she would not be able to attend their engagement. I told her to take care of herself and her Mom. I felt extremely sad for her brother. He was still so young and had a long life ahead.
As the days pa.s.sed, our conversations got shorter and shorter. We would talk for a few minutes and I would tell her to keep wading through the waters till she reached the sh.o.r.e. In her family, it"s not allowed to speak on the phone a lot or even step out of the house for a few days after someone"s death without any specific reason. She had taken leave from her office for a few days. Three days pa.s.sed and it was my birthday. I remembered how happy I had been on my last birthday with Riya. This time, happiness evaded us. I woke up to receive a message from Riya on my phone.
Many many happy returns of the day! I am sorry that I can"t be with you on your birthday. You may think that I don"t miss you and I don"t think of you as much as I did earlier. However, I want to tell you today that with every pa.s.sing minute, I think of you. Today even if I am not with you, just close your eyes and you will find me standing there. I will always be with you and support you. Enjoy your day and don"t be sad. I know you are upset, I know you felt equally bad but today is your day, so enjoy it. Your family wants to see you happy. Be happy for my sake, please.
She was the best! She understood exactly how I felt. She understood every emotion in me. No one could understand me better than Riya.
I spent the day with my family. My Mom sensed that I was upset. When no one was in my room, she came to me and asked me what happened after that incident.
"Mom, the reason why Riya didn"t turn up that day was not because of her attempt to betray me or because she had hard feelings towards me. It was because her Dad had pa.s.sed away. They were already under a financial crisis and this has made things worse. She is completely broken and needs my support," I cried.
She sat down and told me to come over and lay my head her lap. She told me that Riya"s family was her first priority and told me not to impose any decisions on her. She had many responsibilities on her plate now, including her brother. I could see sense in my mother"s talk.
I kissed her cheek and told her she was the best before retiring off to bed.
My performance in the office was also adversely affected. It was the month where maximum incentives were given out to employees. In no way was I in the contention owing to my poor performance. I could not even complete my basic targets. Every now and then, I was concerned about Riya"s health and her condition. I did not tell her what I was going through in office as I did not want to burden her further with my problems too. We could not talk often due to all the relatives who had a.s.sembled at her home for the rituals that are conducted in the first fourteen days following someone"s death.
My manager warned me about my performance. This time Mohit was not there to defend me and that made the situation worse. My stats were poor. My poor performance affected my health and I suffered from regular headaches. Each day without Riya kept getting more and more difficult for me. I remained aloof most of the time, even in the office premises. I used to complete my office hours and leave straight for home without socializing.
Sameer called me that evening and asked me whether I could meet him. I wanted someone with whom I could share my feelings. I met him and cried a lot on his shoulders. He was the one who supported me in all my bad times. I wished Sonam and Mohit could have been with us. He told me to be strong and support Riya in this time of need. I finally managed to smile. After a long time, I had shared my feelings with someone and felt relaxed that day. I thanked Sameer for being there.
My phone rang. It was Riya.
"Aadi, I am joining office from tomorrow. I can"t take so many days off. My office timing is till 6 pm. You think you can meet me after the shift?"
"Sure. I hope you are okay now. Are you in a condition to join office?" I asked.
She said she was fine and that joining office would do her good as it would divert her mind from the gloomy atmosphere at home. Her voice too seemed much better than before.
Finally, we were meeting each other. Finally, I would see my love after almost half a month. This brought a smile on my face. I waited for her shift to get over. My shift got over two hours before hers. I saw her walking from a long distance. It felt so nice to see her. Just looking at her made me feel content. I closed my eyes and thanked G.o.d for having taken care of her in my absence.
She came and stood in front of me. I glanced at her. She looked pale. The twinkle in her eyes had vanished. The dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible. She had lost weight too. She seemed very tired from her voice. She somehow managed a weak smile and sat on my bike. We drove to Grant lane, one of our favourite places from our dating days. We had special memories a.s.sociated with that particular lane.
When we reached there, she hugged me tight and said, "All I have of Dad now are his memories and photos in frames. I wanted to tell him while he was alive that I loved you and wanted to get married to you. But G.o.d took him away from me before I could tell him that."
And then she recounted painfully all that had transpired following her father"s demise.
"After three days of Dad"s death, we received a letter from the bank. It was a notice regarding our loan payment. We had defaulted on the payment and so the bank officials had come for recovery. The amount was a considerable one for us. We all were worried about the payment. Finally, after a lot of discussion Mom called Dilip Uncle and asked him to come home. Dilip Uncle was Dad"s closest friend and had been with us through thick and thin. Uncle was a part of our family. He came home the next evening on Mom"s request."
Riya recounted every word of their conversation.
"Dilip Uncle asked us the last date given by the bank for repaying the loan. I was sitting beside my Mom with a worried expression on my face. Mom told him that the last date was a lot closer than we expected it to be. He suggested that since the bank officials were on our head, he would pay the loan on our behalf and we could pay him back later when we had the money. It was such a sweet gesture on his part. We felt bad to take help from him, but we were left with no other option. He told us that Dad was a dear friend of his, almost like a brother. Uncle said that it would be his pleasure if he could help our family in any way possible."
I was listening intently to every word Riya was saying.
"Mom and I both cried and thanked him for his generosity. He was no less than an angel for us. He made the loan payment and did not ask us even once in that by when we would repay it. If he had not helped us at that moment, situation, I don"t know what would have happened to us. For the next few days, Dilip Uncle became a regular visitor to our house, visiting to check on our general health. Sometimes Dilip Uncle would even join us for dinner. He would tell my brother to study hard and that he would look after his graduation and would see to it that he gets admission in a reputed college. He told my brother not to think of anything else except studies and just work hard. His genuineness was clearly visible. He was indeed an angel sent by my father to look after us in his absence. I thanked G.o.d that night. He helped us in every possible way... He referred my brother"s name to the trusty of a reputed college in Mumbai-Swami Vivekanad College. He did this even before my brother"s final exams were over."
"He sure sounds like an angel, Riya. Even blood relatives do not show so much concern as he did," I chipped in.
"He sure was," said Riya. "Yesterday night, I told Dilip Uncle and Mom that I would join office from today. Dilip Uncle told me that there was no urgency unless I was feeling better. I told him that I can"t take more leave and that I need to work for my team. I explained to him my working profile. He then said that he may have a better job for me as my profile sounded impressive. He said that I can work in his company and earn more than I am earning presently. He believes that with my experience, I deserve a better pay and a higher position. He even went a step ahead and said that if I had some qualms about joining his company, then he could refer me to a few other companies whose HR heads he knew well. I told him that I needed sometime to think. I couldn"t take a quick decision but a.s.sured him that I would take the right decision, one which would be keeping in mind my family as well. He agreed and smiled. My Mom was overwhelmed by his giving nature and thanked G.o.d for all his kindness over us in absence of my Dad. That day I missed Dad a lot. I missed him more than ever before since his untimely death. Before leaving for office today, I just stared at his photo. I could feel his eyes telling me that we were in safe hands and that I should take the decision sensibly. Tears fell down from my eyes and I decided that I would agree to work under Dilip Uncle in his company."
I had been so engrossed in her story that I failed to notice that night had fallen. "Jaan, did I do anything wrong in accepting his offer? If you are against it, then I will rethink my decision," Riya cried on my shoulders.
"No, my sweetheart, you can never be wrong. My love can never be wrong. If I had been in your place, I would have done the same thing. I am so thankful to Dilip Uncle who managed to help you in this time of crisis despite having his own family to take care of. If he is giving you a better position and salary in his company, then it would be foolish of you not to take him up on his offer. You deserve it. You have a much better profile than I do. Go ahead. Don"t think over it again."
I hugged her tightly. I didn"t want to let her go from my arms. I was happy to see her progress in life.
As the days pa.s.sed, Riya"s financial condition improved considerably. We were all thankful to Dilip Uncle who gave her a much better job and also helped her brother excel in studies besides giving moral support to her Mom. I wanted to meet Dilip Uncle and thank him personally for his kindness. But I was aware that it was not my place to do so.
The confidence in Riya"s body language, the glow on her face, and the sweet smile gradually returned. As days pa.s.sed, Riya slowly managed to move on and accept the fact that her Dad won"t come back to them. She knew she had to prove to him that his daughter could hold the family together even though he wasn"t with them anymore.
One evening, Riya"s family and Dilip Uncle"s family decided to go for dinner together. Riya requested me to join them as I had told her once that I wanted to meet Dilip Uncle and see for myself their saviour. She told me she had convinced her Mom saying that I just wanted to meet her Uncle and that there was no hidden agenda behind it. I agreed to come at the decided venue.
I got into a nice suit and left my home. Riya had told me that they would be a.s.sembling at Shabri restaurant. I had mixed feelings and did not know how I would react when Riya would introduce me to Dilip Uncle. I stood outside the restaurant and reserved the table for us. Soon all of them arrived. I could single out Dilip Uncle from far itself. He was immaculately dressed in a black suit with a matching bow tie. He seemed to be a big executive of some company. As they came near, I sensed Riya"s Mom was not happy to see me there. It was not because she didn"t like me, but because I was an outsider for them. Riya introduced me to Dilip Uncle"s family as a very good friend of hers and we shared greetings. He casually asked Riya whether we were just friends or seeing each other. Riya laughed and changed the topic. Dilip Uncle was just pulling her leg. We went inside and Riya signalled to me asking me to behave like a sophisticated person. I smiled at her.