HER LAST WISH

Part 7

Sargam Speaks

Hi friends. Though I am not a writer, I am here for my best friend, Astha.
     I vividly remember the day Vijay called me up. It was strange to see his name flash on my mobile screen because he had never called me earlier. I knew almost everything about himfrom Astha, but we had not communicated directly. A call from him meant that something had happened and the way he spokes, I was nothing less than scared.
     We had  studied together after our fifth standard. Astha had a terrible childhood. While all the kids were enjoying there sapid lunches, her menu for lunch was fixed - it would always be either bread with jam or sandwiches. She had amazing potential. She would always come second or third in the school. I had made a delibrate attempt to be her friend. With time , we became great friend who shared everything with each other.
     She had revealed her story to me about her fixed lunch menu. She had a stepmother. Her biological mother stayed alone and was occasionaly visited by her father till Astha was in the fifth standard, after which she died. Her father brought her to a new place giving her an unwelcome chance of meeting her new mother. She had  a loving father till the eight standard. One fine day, she got to know that her biological mother had never been married to her visitor father and she realized that she was an illegtimate child.
     Life was not that bad after he met Daniel, the topper of our college. Astha's dream to be a rich and famous person was going to be executed well with Daniel because he always adorned Astha with expensive gifts.He had even sponsored her last year's college fees.
     Astha was a slight narcissist. She always wanted to becone a celebrity and even marry a superstar - Salman Khan. She was a crazy fan of his. She would always image her picture with Salman Khan on the front cover of a magazine. She always dream big.
     After graduation, Daniel wished to study further. He cleared the entrance exam and his good score provided for a scholorship for him to pursue a two year course with limited resources  in the US. Daniel flew to the US and meanwhile, Astha cleared het PO exam at Axis Bank. She celebrated her success - as her motive was to tease her stepmother and stepsister.
     I am not sure of what went wrong at Daniel's place, but Danial's father met Astha and requested her to break all relations with Danial. His family's Catholic beliefs and anti-Hindu mindset were the biggest hindrances to their union.
     Astha visited my house and drank to her destiny. A couple of vodka shots later, in the moment of extreme dissapointment, Astha made up her mind to break up with Daniel.
     Then came a marriage  proposal from Vijay's family. At first Astha rejected the proposal because she found a guy average looking and an introvert. After a few days, Astha's father passed away. Astha lost everything she could call her own. She realized that Vijay was a nice guy. She agreed to the alliance without even informing Daniel about it.
     Although, Vijay had multiple shortcommings, the best thing about him was that he loved Astha from the court of his heart. Marriage always changes people and Astha begun to change.