Love Short Story – And everything was over in a heartbeat!
Love Short Story And everything was over in a heartbeat!
Image Credit: Prateek Karandikar (commons.wikimedia.org)
It was early morning, but it was raining heavily. Madhuri knew it was June and the monsoons were prompt.
As she peeped through the large wooden window in her room, in the first floor of her ancestral home, far away from her work place, she saw the red beauty Krishnachura standing near the house, so close to the right, fully drenched in the rains like an inviting beauty.
She had learnt that word from her Bengali friend Anideepa Gosh, a writer. Her friend had also enlightened her with its meaning ‘crown of the Lord Krishna’. Before that Madhuri knew the tree only as Gulmohar.
Madhuri had always loved visiting her ancestral home, though this time the reason was very special. The huge building, more than a century old, had been built in an antique style. Valuable wooden furniture adorned each room. They had been carved so beautifully that none who visited the house could leave the place without uttering a few words of admiration to the owner of the house, as the gifted hands that created it had already gone into the oblivion.
The tree full of red bloom reflected her joy, the red flames awoke blazes of hope and desire in her heart. The vermillion colour made her dream about the vermillion in the sindhoor rekha of a bride. She turned pink, with the mere thought of that and she smiled.
She has taken a small break from the busy role of a bank manager in the city, just to obey her parents’ advice and to check whether she had any luck with matrimony. Her timeline indicated her age thirty eight years and status unmarried. And the credit for keeping her a spinster all those years was duly bestowed upon the planets in her horoscope. It was not just mangal dosha, which could have been rectified by marrying a man with similar dosha, but all astrologers had asserted and predicted in one voice, that she will never get married and even won’t get engaged. All famous astrologers believed it as a condition without solution.
She had been hopeless all those years, as it was hard to find a suitable man who doesn’t believe in horoscopes or doshas. And neither she nor her parents were interested in an inter-caste/ inter-state / inter-country relation too. And the busy life had always helped her in keeping her sadness behind a smiling veil.
It was one month back that her relative from USA brought a proposal of a professor working there, hailing from her own place, from her same caste. And the important thing was that, he was an atheist. The family has been overjoyed since then.
After that everything has happened in the speed of light; including the contacts between the two families, exchange of photos through internet, which later resulted in the exchange of phone numbers and mails. Her parents were happier when the atheist agreed for the minimum religious functions, as per their request . So a simple engagement and wedding were promised!
Madhuri and Shravan fell in love, though it was late, for both. Better late than never, she reflected.
“Shravan has landed the place yesterday and will reach my home today “ She texted Anideepa.“The engagement function is at 11.30 am, only close members attending”.
“I am sad to miss the beauty in make-up, so don’t forget to send some snaps, but definitely I will come for your marriage, if you invite!” teased Anideepa. “Everything will be fine Madhuri! My good wishes to you! Regards to the man of the hour and all at home!” She added.
“Sure…” Madhuri hoped her friend’s wish will soon become a reality.
She looked herself in the mirror while the beautician was busy with jasmine flowers on her hair.
“Not bad!” Madhuri rated the image she saw in the mirror.
The maroon silk saree and simple gold jewellery, gave her an elegant look.
The clock ticked 10.30am.The echoing of car horns informed her love’s arrival.
“Thank god, the rains have stopped!” She said in her mind.
The group included Shravan, his parents and other close relatives. She peeped through the window again and saw the man stepping out of the red Ford Fiesta in a simple but traditional outfit. A shy smile spread over her red lips, for love and dreams there is no age bar!
She was called to the hall where the function was to take place, as it was 10.30 am. Smiles on all faces! She couldn’t speak to Shravan, though they exchanged gazes and smiles, loaded with love and admiration.
The time was up for the function. Shravan’s uncle, being the eldest and most respected in the family, need to announce the declaration of engagement between Madhuri and Shravan, reading aloud the already prepared document. Shravan’s aged uncle searched his pockets and found that he has forgotten to take his glasses from the dash board of his car.
“Uncle, I will take it, give me the keys!” said Shravan as he stood up from the chair. Getting keys, he went out.
His uncle’s car was parked under the Gulmohar. He got the glasses, locked the car and a lightning flashed from the dark sky!
Sometimes a flash is enough to show your way when it is absolutely dark. But for Madhuri, all her hopes were gone in that flash!
Shravan lay near the Gulmohar, lifeless. Everything was over in a heartbeat!
And, without rain or wind the tree was seen showering red flowers over him.
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