The house was in mourning. It was filled with persons who had not come to this house for the past 5 years. Theirs was an intercaste marriage, and thus earning the opposition from both sides of family, they have been left alone. They no longer went to their families. All they had in the past 5 years was each other, and for the past 4 years their lovely daughter ‘kirti’.
Nidhi sat staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe he was no more. The one man in her life whom she loved the most was no more. Though she was prepared for this day, she couldn’t digest the reality. She sat there like a stone, oblivious to her surroundings. People came and left her house. Her mother was cursing her, why she had to leave them 5 years back to marry Anish, to suffer a fate like this. Her mother and father were crying that her future has been ruined. Now that, she stood alone with a 4 year old daughter.
Nidhi wasn’t crying. She didn’t shed a single tear for him. Everyone around her asked to pent out her feelings, and not to control it. But his words ringed in his years “Nidhi, promise me you wont cry for me when I die. I don’t want you to feel weak and vulnerable losing me. Face my death bravely.” those were the words he told her when he knew that he was fast approaching his day where he would leave the world.
He was diagnosed with cancer, as soon as his daughter was born. They both strongly fought against this deadly disease for the past 4 years. He had even asked her to remarry, to which she had strongly objected. She will forever live with his memories etched in his heart. Now her only love was her daughter and the puppy, which he had brought for her last year.
Her daughter, not knowing what was happening around her came to her. In her little voice, she asked Nidhi “amma, why is everyone sitting around appa and crying, why is there a lot of flowers around appa”.
“My child, appa is sleeping forever”
The child did not understanding asked again “Then, wake him up amma. Tell him a lot of people, have come to see him”.
“Kirti, appa wont come back, god needed help in his office in heaven, so appa went there” she hugged the child.
The child looked up at her mother “amma, I feel like crying”. Nidhi hugged her tight; she could hear the little sobs of her daughter. Everyone came to pat her, and console. Some even suggested her to remarry. She did not pay any attention to them.
She was going down her memory lane….
………..Anish on discovering he had cancer had accepted it bravely. When she asked Nidhi to remarry for kirthi, she had strongly objected to it. She was on the verge of tears, that he hugged her. He asked her mockingly “you are saying no because, u couldn’t bear 1 marriage, let alone 2”. She looked back at him and could see the gleam in his eyes. She used the same mocking tone when she said “maybe”, and hugged him tighter. He murmured into her hair “I’m grateful to have you”. He had also made her promise that she will not show how weak she was by crying, when she loses him. They stood hugging each other for a long time….
When everyone left the house finally, she put Kirti to sleep and went to feed the dog. She then went to her room, no their room. She cleared all his things, looking at each one of it lovingly, holding to each of it like it was her life. She was going through their photos. At last she burst crying, jus looking at Anish smile back from the photo. She hugged herself together and sat their crying for hours.
The next day she sent Kirti to school, kept all the required food outside for the dog, a nanny will come in the after noon to look after Kirti. She then left to her office. Everyone sympathized with her on seeing her at the office. Even the boss asked her to take leave if she wanted to. But Nidhi said it was better if she worked. It would keep her mind of Anish. But he was still their in her mind. However hard she tried to engross herself in her work. She was working in the marketing department of the company. She went to submit a report to the marketing manager, and was surprised to see a new face there.
Sunil looked up from his desk to ask the person outside his room to enter. He was caught offhand of the woman who entered his room. He had not seen her yesterday, when he took this post. She must be one of those employees who were not at work yesterday. He then introduced himself as the new marketing manager. She gave him a smile. But he could see that her beautiful face was filled with sorrow. He immediately wanted to tell her everything would be alright. She then said she was Nidhi, he then remembered she was the woman who the whole office was talking about yesterday. She had lost her husband yesterday. He asked her to sit down, saying that he heard what happened to her husband and felt sorry for it.
Nidhi at once snapped at the new manager, that she did not need anyone’s sympathy. She was fed up hearing people sympathizing for her wherever she went. She did not need their sympathy. She can as well take care of herself. She submitted her report hastily, and left the room.
Sunil was taken aback by her snappiness. Wondering where in her face did she hide all these snappy emotions? He sat there watching her going out of the room. At the end of the day, he saw Nidhi waiting at the bus stop. He offered a lift in his car, for which she snapped again saying that she disapproved of his behavior. First, he sympathizes then he offers a lift. This wasn’t going to make her fall in his trap. She warned him not to try anything and take an advantage of her being a young widow.
Sunil cursed himself for stopping to give her a lift. He decided he would not interrupt in her business. And went on his way, thinking why she was so snappy around him. He seriously did not have any intentions for her as she had mentioned. He only wanted to help her.
She reached home, sent the nanny home. She then asked Kirti how school was and they both sat down to do Kirti’s homework, then they played with the dog and they ate dinner. By the time Kirti was sleepy. She put the child to sleep, and went out to the verandah. She suddenly felt sorry to have snapped at the new marketing manager. She was the assistant manager and will have to confront him often. She decided he was only trying to be nice to her, first thing in the morning, she would say sorry to him. With that thought she slept dreaming of Anish….
When she reached office, she excused into Sunil’s room and asked him to forgive her for being snappy yesterday. He just nodded a good morning to her saying that it wasn’t her fault, she was under stress yesterday. Then they went on with their work. At the end of the day, Sujith one of Nidhi’s colleagues asked Nidhi if he could accompany her home. Being a friend of Nidhi for so long, he said her daughter would be waiting for her and it would get late if she went by bus. Sunil overheard the conversation, as well as Nidhi accepting his invitation. He felt like kicking himself, she did not come with him yesterday, but today she is going with Sujith. Then he said to himself that, he was the new person here. So she did not trust him enough.
But something in Sujith’s voice said that the guy was up to something and Sunil mentally made a note that he would follow them home today. He did not know what made him do that, but he followed her home. On reaching Nidhi’s house, Sunil hid himself behind a tree. He cursed himself saying that it was crazy. What happened to Nidhi was not his problem, but something made him come here. He could hear Sujith’s voice from his hiding place.
Sujith asked if he could come inside, Nidhi said no. Sujith was trying to enter her house. He heard Sujith’s voice saying, “I’ve been waiting for this so long, and I’ve been in love with you from your college days. But you seemed to ignore me and go with that loser Anish. Well now he is gone well and good, I may be married, and you do yearn for physical satisfaction as Anish is gone. We need not marry each other, but may satisfy each others needs….”
Sunil then heard Nidhi slapping Sujith hard on his face. But he put an arm around her, and did not leave her. He was trying to push her into the car. Sunil came from his hide out, and kicked Sujith hard on his stomach, and rescued Nidhi from his wrath. He hit Sujith hard that he fled away from the place. He turned to see if Nidhi was alright. She was shivering. He then asked her to go to her house, and rest. He turned to his car and left the place, he did not give her a chance to say anything.
Next morning in the office, Sujith kept his distance from Nidhi. Nidhi went to thank Sunil for everything. And in the course of time they became good friends. Sunil used to visit her house. Kirti and the dog liked him very much. He understood her feelings and emotions as he himself was brought up by his mother who was a single parent. He had lost his father when he was very young. They both were like some old lost friends. Not expecting anything from each other.
Sunil knew he was making a mistake, trying to get tangled himself with Nidhi. At last he asked her one day, if she is considering remarrying. She then told about Anish’s last words and how she will not be loyal to him, if she chooses to remarry. She couldn’t think of another man taking Anish’s place in her heart. Hearing all these things, Sunil crushed all his feelings for her. They were not right. He mustn’t have thought of marrying her. Her love was so divine. He did not want to mess up his friendship with her.
Thus time flew, Kirti reached college and Nidhi was a successful parent. Sunil got settled and married the girl of his mother’s choice. Their friendship continued for life. At times they used to joke about how she snapped at him the first time she saw him. She was glad to have his company and comfort in those difficult days in her life.
Well…
There is a small line between friendship and love. Nidhi and Sunil knew where to draw the line and be happy and content with life. And they gave fullness to Nidhi’s love to Anish.
Milestone post
3 days ago
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