The Wedding Ring

“Rs.500 Ma’m please”, said the shop keeper.

Fiddling with her wedding ring , Anjali broke from her reverie. Unaware about the time she had been lost in thought, the married single paid the impatient shopkeeper, collected her package and moved out. Anjali had meticulously planned this evening. She wanted everything to be just perfect. The perfect evening to acknowledge all the beautiful moments she had lived through her four years of marriage.

She had de-boarded  her cab at Connaught Place to collect the order she had placed for Ajay’s favourite cake.  Her plan was now to cover rest of the distance home through metro, the easiest and hassle free mode of transport that the Delhi government had ever provided.

While she made her way through the evening rush, her thoughts drifted  to her first meeting with Ajay.  She was just 24 then and not keen on tying the knot. However, coming from a traditional Hindu family her 24^th birthday had activated the alarm bells.

Ajay was everything she had not imagined him to be. He was the dude with class and great taste which suited her sensibilities well. The same was true for Ajay. They soon started dating and voila six months later, Anjali was the constant in Ajay’s life. But what was it about Sam that she had started to drift away from Ajay or was it Ajay who had already sailed miles apart.

“Station Rajeev Chowk”, boomed the voice in the ladies special. Unconsciously, she dropped her wedding ring.

“It’s still not time”, echoed a voice inside her. Anjali slipped it back again with a sigh.

”It’s showdown now and it’s planned”, she mumbled.

Her hands were shivering as she picked up her package and got down to change the metro.  She pulled herself up to face the inevitable.

The crowd again pushed her where she didn’t want to go. Before she knew, she lost her balance from the flight of stairs and decided that she would end up in the hospital with a broken bone or two.  Out of blue, protective arms came to her rescue and she saw herself in Ajay’s embrace. She looked in his eyes. Eyes filled with oceans of love.

Tears seeped through her eyes. The memories, the nightmare she had buried resurfaced. The same arms that held her protectively had embraced Sharon. She felt disgusted.

Two years back when Ajay’s infidelity broke Anjali internally, she had decided to start afresh and give the relationship a second chance. Ajay had been repentant and she was still madly in love with him. So much in love that she forgave him. Lest she knew that soon the relationship that she had given her everything to, would breath it’s last two years later.

A fresh start, with a stained relationship and broken trust, both gave their best to sustain. God had other plans. Anjali met Sam. She had already drifted away from Ajay unintentionally despite her best effort to make it work. Sam was like a breath of fresh air in her claustrophobic relationship. They were good friends. She shared her life with him and before she realized she fell for him.

Four years had been enough for Anjali and Ajay to read each other. And Anjali’s silence spoke volumes today. He looked into her eyes and understood. It was over and he knew he had ruined everything thing because of that one moment of weakness. Anjali had given her best shot but he had broken her trust. He kissed her one last time. Tears flooded from his eyes. They embraced each other.

To the world, they looked like lovers breathing life to a new beginning. But a passer by knew they were now grieving the death of a defunct relationship.  Sam had not planned to be there to witness this showdown. As luck would have it, it was a perfect catch 22 situation.

Six months back, Sam had met Anjali. Their friendship had blossomed into a relationship which could not be christened. They were neither lovers nor friends. But over these months he realized that he was in love with a married woman.

He understood how painful it was to put flowers on the grave of dead relationship. Now he felt it was easier to put behind Rose’s death and move on with his life. He still had Rose in his memories guiding him every moment in his quest to deal a meaningless life without her. Rose and Sam were still lovers. They still cared for each other. How did it matter if one was dearer to God. The ordeal was excruciating  for Anjali and Ajay. They were grieving the relationship seeing each other die every single moment of their dead lives.

Could you beat death..it got you one way or the other……

The wedding ring slipped from Anjali’s lifeless fingers. Ajay could feel her body turning cold.

A voice boomed, ”The time has come”.

“No”, shrieked Ajay.

Sam broke from his reverie and rushed to see Ajay holding Anjali’s body as if he could stop what was meant to be.

Death is inevitable. Anjali’s death left the story incomplete. Ajay was destined to complete it. Nurture Rose, their adopted two year old. Ironically Anjali had christened their child Rose as she was a metaphor. She symbolized love and pain Ajay had inflicted on her.

Unaware what she had lost, Rose slept peacefully in her cradle. The story began…

Restless leaves rustle

Ruminating past

Where memories reside

Letting love linger on…

 

“If love is the answer could you please rephrase the question.” ~Anonymous

 

The Incomplete Story

Ajay was sitting in his study with his eyes closed ruminating over the past fifteen years. Rose was now seventeen. Ten years back, he had made a tough decision but the story was still incomplete. He could still remember the day vividly. After Anjali’s untimely demise, he had tried to bury the guilt with work. Somehow, it had lifted its ugly face again. Rose was then seven and was practically growing up on her own. His justification had been that he was providing Rose with the best. In fact he was trying to buy love for her through the money he had amassed over these years.

“Dad, do you love me”, Rose had asked.

Ajay had answered without looking up from his laptop, ”Yes, sweetheart, dad loves Rose”.

”Did you love mommy?”

”Yes sweetheart”, he was loosing his patience.

He had an important presentation to complete  and to make for the lost time with Rose he had already planned a weekend trip.

“Then why didn’t I come from mommy womb.”, said Rose.

Ajay looked up and their eyes met.  He could see the pain in her eyes. He had failed. The guilt was again making way in his life like an evil mistress. He was speechless.

Rose had her answer and left the room without another word. A week passed. She had not come to him after that and he didn’t have the heart to admit his guilt.

A knock on the door. “May I disturb your noble thoughts”, said the voice.

“My thoughts were never noble and you have already disturbed me, so please cut it out”, sighed Ajay.

Sam grinned and came in.

“So”, said Sam.

“What?”, snapped Ajay.

“Five years is a long time to decipher the façade that you wear everyday.”

Ajay sighed, ”I lost Anjali because I was a jerk and now Rose hates me as well”.

“Stop cribbing like a ten year old and listen. Ever seen a toddler giving up on his crusade to walk just because he fell once. Ajay, I understand you made a mistake seven years back and repented. It’s all right, we make mistakes and but we get up and move on. I can’t give you a ready made solution to your problem. But remember you are a good human being and that is what makes you what you are.” Sam left the room and Ajay was left alone with his guilt.

Outside he could hear Rose giggling, Sam was narrating her favourite story that Anjali had penned for her. Ajay had never read bed time stories to her daughter. He wasn’t there on her first day at school. All this would change now.

The next day, he had put down his papers and started with consultation which paid him well. Things began to change. Rose now had a full time father. Nonetheless, something was missing. The story was still incomplete. He missed Anjali terribly. He had always tried to identify Rose with Anjali. Rose was everything Anjali was not. If Rose was the rebel, Anjali the conformist. They were poles apart. Rose was a free spirited girl but so was Anjali. Rose epitomized their relationship and was born out the pain he had inflicted on Anjali.

“Hey Dad!!! Knock knock…I have some great news”.

Ajay was snapped back to present. He could now sense the life in her voice which was non existent when she had come in her study ten years back.

“Ok..let me guess, you have sold all the tickets for the charity concert.” said Ajay.

“Yes and I believe you haven’t forgotten your promise”, Rose said in her sing song voice.

“What promise. I don’t remember anything”,” bluffed Ajay.

“Dad, this is not done.”, fumed Rose.

“Ok, fine.I was just kidding. I remember”.

“Wow, somebody is looking good”. Sam entered the study.

”By the way, somebody is looking old as well”.

“Give your humour some rest, Sam”, said Ajay.

“Father and Godfather, please continue with your gibbering, I will catch you both later. Got to go”. Rose fluttered out of the room like a butterfly.

“So, old man, what’s up with the surprise for Rose for tomorrow”, asked Sam.

”Come,I will show you. But you need to keep this a secret”, said Ajay anxiously.

“Don’t worry, cross my heart”

Ajay led Sam in the garage and voila there stood the black beauty. A brand new Bettle.

“Wow, I think Rose would love it”, said Sam.

The next day after the concert, Rose was allowed to drive her birthday gift. As fate would have it, the lives of the three brought together by twists and turns of fate were going to change forever. As Ajay and Sam were contemplating a good place to dine, before Rose realized she lost control and skidded off the road. The car rammed into a pole. Ajay and Rose escaped with minor injuries. The night, however, left a deep ugly scar etched in their memory forever. Sam finally was able to meet love of his life, Rose, in heaven.

Ajay didn’t want his incomplete story to die an unnatural death. Two months had passed since Sam’s death and Rose had practically locked herself inside the house. It seemed as if his world was falling apart again. Unfortunately, Sam wasn’t there to guide him this time. But he had to make things right for Sam’s sake. For Anjali, who had brought them all together.

The next day, he went inside Rose’s room and was pained to see what had become of Rose. Somehow, he still cursed himself for letting her drive the car that unfortunate night. But it was time to get Rose back on her feet again and not drive himself again in self sympathy.

“Hey, sweetheart”, said Ajay cheerfully.

“Hey, Dad..u had  a meeting?”, asked  Rose.

”Yes, I cancelled it”. He was again face to face with the seven year old Rose who had come to her study that day.

At that moment he realized that a story is never complete. There would always be something in life which would be beyond our grasp. Our desires are never ending. We would fall and make mistakes. However, we would have to get over it and move on. So did Rose and Ajay.  They had their regrets and share of sorrow. However, it was a part of life.

Life is like the beautiful butterfly that perches on your shoulder for one fleeting moment and flutters away with a desire to capture the love that lingers long after the sun sets down for the day.

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