A Young Love Story...

Part 29 - Happiness Comes To Those Who Wait...

The death certificate made Ananya cry like crazy. She sat there on the roadside, crying endlessly. She could not believe her husband and mother-in-law would leave her alone, in what she felt was the beginning of happy times. 

She gathered herself, and walked into the house. She dialed her parents. She was calm and composed as she spoke, "Mumma, please come over right now. I need you." Her mother asked her, what was the matter, to which she only said, "I need you and Papa, please come soon." 

After years of not having called that one number on her contact list, she wanted to call him. Not because she was now free to, not because she wanted him, but because she wanted him to bid the last farewell to his friend. She dialed. 

Vishesh stared at the number for a long while. It seemed familiar. Finally, he picked it up. "Hello?" he whispered. 

"Vishu. Anu here. Rishi is no more." she said simply. 

Vishesh got shaken up. "Whatttt???" he almost jumped. 

"Rishi and mumma, met with an accident, early this morning. On their way back, from Trambakeshwar. I only thought you may want to see him one last time. If you want, you could come. And don't come for me... That is not what I want." she said frankly. She was not in that frame of mind to think of Vishesh as her lover, but only as a friend of Rishi's. 

Vishesh could not believe what he heard. He immediately rushed to his car, and left for Rishi's house. His mind was racing. 

Ananya's parents reached, and right at the outside gate, they stood still staring at what they saw. 

Ananya came out, and ran to hug her mother. She wept, and buried herself deep into her mothers chest. She kept crying for what felt like an eternity. Finally, as she calmed a little, Ananya told them what had happened. 

Vishesh came, and tapped Ananya's shoulder. Ananya saw him and hugged him tight. She cried endlessly again. 

After almost two hours, they all sat down to decide how they would go about the last rites. Since Ananya's father was asthmatic, finally it was decided that Vishesh would lit the pyres. After finishing the last rites, Ananya's mother spoke, "Vishesh, you have proven your friendship all the time. I remember you gave your blood to Rishi. And now this. You are more than a brother. In these tough times, I am happy that you kept your friendship alive." 

Ananya looked at all of them. Slowly, she moved her hand on her tummy, and said, "I have always been unlucky, and it continues to haunt me. Rishi and mumma had gone to pray for our family's completion with a baby. But they were not destined to hear of the good news, which has now turned a sorrow for me..." 

Ananya's parents were shocked to hear this. Even they agreed, that at this hour, the good news also sounded bitter. 

Vishesh rushed to Ananya, hugged her, and said, "Anu... fate has always been cruel on you. I am so so so sorry Anu... I am so sorry!!" She hugged him back, and cried again. 

As he said this, suddenly, Ananya's mother reflected back to one incident where Ananya mentioned only someone special called her Anu. Slowly her mind wandered on to Vishesh, and it suddenly hit her, he was the Bengali guy she loved. Immediately, she felt horrible. It was right there in front of them, but they had been blind. Yet she was happy her daughter had been a loyal wife. Now she was feeling sorry, that she could neither marry the love of her life, nor live happily ever after with her husband. She felt bad, on behalf of her daughter. 

After spending a few hours, Vishesh left her with her parents, and told her to call him whenever she needed. He also assured her parents he was just a call away.