Everything but her

Life betrayed us all

'Sir, was your wife pregnant?', the doctor asked Vikas.

Vikas looked towards Virat but he knew he would not find any answer from him right now. He asked the doctor,
'She is my brother's wife. Was she pregnant?'

'Yes sir, this lady was two months pregnant', the doctor told him.

Vikas looked at Virat once again and this time couldn't help his tears. His brother had lost his entire world. He went to him and asked him,
'Virat, did you know that Aarushi was pregnant?'

'Aarushi, where is she Vikas? Why did I not stop her today? I didn't even look at her today morning. I was sleeping. She told me to bring chocolates. She said she wanted to celebrate. Vikas, she wanted to celebrate', he said ignoring Vikas' question and then burst into tears once again.

Vikas called up their family doctor and she confirmed that Aarushi had indeed been pregnant. She had gone for the tests the day before only. This was what she would have wanted to celebrate, he concluded.

Vikas called up Ajinkya and broke the news to him.
'What? What are you saying? Have you gone out of your mind?', he said crying on the phone.

'It is the truth, Ajinkya', he said controlling his own tears.

Ajinkya cut off the call crying bitterly. Vikas, meanwhile, informed the entire family.

'Sir, it is better if the body is now packed. It is in no condition to be left open like this now. Please sign here and tell us what we should do', an assistant at the hospital said to Vikas.

Vikas signed the papers and asked them to wait for a while. He wanted someone else to take control. He was beginning to lose all resolve seeing his brother like that. There was no end to his tears. Moreover, he was filled with regret of not being able to see her the last time. If ignoring her in the morning. He would now never see her again. She was unrecognisable now. Virat had missed his chance. This was going to be the regret which was to define his life.

Ajinkya arrived after two hours at the hospital and he broke down completely as he saw the state of his sister's body. He could my even believe that it was her. The cheerful, happy Aarushi was gone. In a moment his mind worked wonders and he could picture all the childhood memories. They all haunted him. What had become of her? No, she did not deserve this.

After everyone had arrived, according to the doctor's advice they took her body for cremation. The sun had already set but the body couldn't be kept for another day. Another custom broken, just like Aarushi's life her death too didn't follow the rules of the world.

Virat watched his life burn away. What more could this fire do, he thought. He had been deceived once again. Deceived into loneliness forever now. His tears had not dried away till now but the grief in his heart could never be dealt with by these tears. In a moment, his life had come to a standstill. The meaning of his life had suddenly been taken away. What was he going to do with his life now?

They all came back from the cremation ground and Vikas took Virat to his room to take that customary bath. He saw the pack of chocolates and champagne lying on his bed, significant of how life had played with him. He set him off to the washroom and gave away those chocolates to a maid who worked in their house.

Virat went into the washroom and he could smell her everywhere. It was as if she was right there. There were some clothes of her which she had forgotten to give into washing in the morning, they told a story to Virat. How could he possibly believe that she was never coming back again. He shouted in agony at his destiny. He wanted her back. Anyhow. Admire those beautiful eyes. Kiss her lips. Drown in her arms. Even die with her. Why could he not have it that way? What had he done to deserve this?

The water trickled down his body but he felt nothing. No relief. The pain seemed never ending. He didn't want it to end too. He wanted her to reside in his body. Even in the form of pain, if that was how it was supposed to be.

Ajinkya came up to Virat and gave him a hug. He broke down instantly and said to him,
'How did we become so despised by destiny?'

They both cried their hearts out embracing each other. Both had lost their worlds. Both could not believe at the rate it had all happened. After a while when the two calmed down for a bit, Vikas came up to them, sat them down and said,
'Virat, you didn't listen to me in the hospital. Aarushi was two months pregnant'

Virat looked at him as though he had taken Aarushi's life. But he soon regained his senses and said,
'It's all done. She is gone. It doesn't matter now. I'll never be a father now. She took it with her', and the tears found their way on his face once again.

Ajinkya gave him a glass of water and there were flood of tears once again. Outside, virat's mother was dealing with strangers who were telling her how wonderful her daughter in law was. She knew they meant well but what the hell did they know about her son who had known exactly how wonderful she was and lost her in a second.

Life it seemed had betrayed them all.