STORYMIRROR

REVATHI BHASKER

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3  

REVATHI BHASKER

Others

Forever Yours

Forever Yours

11 mins
22


It had been raining incessantly for three days in a row and having no work to do and nowhere to go, I had picked up one of my favourite Wodehouse novels before stretching myself on the recliner. As if reading my thoughts, Ishwari entered my room bringing some freshly fried cashew nuts and a piping cup of ginger tea. Talat Mehmood’s Jalte hain jiske liye was just what was needed to complete the perfect backdrop.


My mind raced back in time – Kirti appeared before me, with a tray of onion pakoras and hot tea, humming an old Hindi melody. She sat beside me in the balcony and her mere presence made me happy. We hardly spoke while gorging on the tasty snacks, but both of us experienced sublime bliss.

 

Kirti was not a stunning beauty, but her liveliness, charm and the twinkle in her eye endeared her to one and all. She lived just a few blocks away from my uncle’s house and I had first met her in one of the parties that uncle had hosted. It was clearly love at first sight – I fell for her, lock stock and barrel and hoped that the feeling was mutual. I bribed my cousin to arrange for us to meet for the first time, after which it was smooth sailing for both of us. Our parents were happy with the match and soon we got married amidst great fanfare and started living together.


My brother had gone to the US to pursue his post graduate studies, but then took up a job and settled there itself. He married an American national and soon became a US citizen. After we got married, my parents decided to go on a holiday and spend some time with his family. 


This gave us both the newly weds time and space to know each other better and we made the most of it. I worked for a multi-national company while Kirti was in a bank. We would pack our bags and spend every weekend in the nearby resorts. When my parents returned from their holiday, instead of the two of us, all four would enjoy the weekends away from home.

We would always look forward to the rains and would enjoy getting drenched by the sea-side with the waves breaking and splashing against the rocks. We loved the way the froth would fall over us! We would then walk down to the nearest building and under its shelter munch the roasted peanuts and wait for the bhuttawaali! 


Time seemed to fly and on our second wedding anniversary, Kirti shyly shared the good news with me, and the very same evening we consulted a gynaecologist who confirmed it. My parents were overjoyed and from then on, each day was a celebration, eagerly awaiting the new addition to our family. The first trimester was a trying one and my mother lovingly attended to Kirti. Kirti’s mother was with her brother as her Bhabhi, Khushboo too was in the family way.


However, it was a pleasant coincidence that both Khushboo and Kirti had registered in the same hospital which was owned by my college-mate’s father. Both my mother and Kirti’s mother took turns in cooking a variety of dishes to please their daughters-in-law and would frequently visit each other.


The much-awaited day arrived and we left for the hospital carrying with us clothes for the newborn, flasks etc. Kirti was taken to the Labour ward, while we kept pacing up and down the corridor. I bumped into Sukesh, Kirti’s brother who said that they had got Khushboo admitted just the previous night. Both of us, fathers-to-be had a lot in common to discuss and while our parents kept each other company, we were ready to do the running around if the need arose.


Sure enough, the doctor came out to inform that Khushboo had lost a lot of blood and there was an urgent need of Rh negative blood group, which was in short supply in the blood bank. I spontaneously asked Sukesh to stay back and took his scooter to meet one of his friends who shared this rare blood group. Fortunately, he was at home and I could reach him in the hospital in time. Kirti was still in the Labour Ward, though I was informed by the nurses that it may be evening before she would deliver.

It was nearing lunch time and unknown to all of us, it was also the turning point in all our lives. I was sent home to fetch my mother’s medicines and I took Sukesh’s scooter once again. I remember having reached home and picked up the medicine pouch. I had kick-started the scooter and turned towards the hospital, after which my mind went blank and I do not know what happened.


It was only after a month that I woke up in the hospital ward to see the sad and pale face of my mother. Seeing me open my eyes, she immediately rushed out to call the doctor. Soon all of them were around me. I slowly started to recollect and looked around for Kirti. “Kirti……” I mumbled and caught sight of my mother stuffing her pallav into her mouth.


The news was gradually broken to me – Kirti had delivered a still born baby and had succumbed to brain haemorrhage. No one was prepared for it and try as they could, could save neither Kirti nor the child. It was a rude shock and the remorse I felt can never be adequately expressed. I could never come to terms that I would never be able to see my dear Kirti again. Our third wedding anniversary was just round the corner, and Kirti would not be there! My parents found it difficult to even look at me. 

I was discharged from the hospital and even as we were crossing the reception, Khushboo and Sukesh were walking in with their bundle of joy. I could not resist getting close to the baby to congratulate the parents. As I stopped to look at the sleeping angelic face, the baby wriggled in the bundle and took out her hand which grazed my face. I felt electrified and took her hand in my own. Tears welled in my eyes, but I controlled myself, wished them well and moved on.


Once back home, I had to adjust to a totally new routine. My parents had brought Ishwari, a distant relative to look after the house. Within a couple of days. I realised that Ishwari was a good find. Though Kirti’s sudden demise was difficult to overcome, I had to get back to work. Initially, it was not easy, but as time went by, I learned to live and cherish the fond memories of the happy times I had with Kirti.


Time and tide wait for no one and they say Time is a great healer. Nothing stops functioning simply because one of us is no more. Change is the only thing permanent in life and gradually we get to accept the changes in life, however cruel they may be.

My parents spent six months with me and the other half year with my brother. They even suggested that I should marry again, but I could not think so even for a moment. Years rolled by and I divided my spare time visiting seniors in Old Age Homes and helping small children in their school

work. I drew satisfaction in improving the lot of seniors in the Homes by providing whatever facilities that were lacking. At the same time, I would visit government schools and get the details of children who dropped out due to their family and financial background.


I got at least a dozen fathers admitted in Alcoholics Anonymous for de-addiction. Where I found that the parents of the drop-outs were in genuine hardship, I extended financial assistance to them. I set up a Trust for the purpose and engaged a few staff to look into its working with transparency. All this gave me a feeling of satisfaction and made me believe that Kirti would be happy to see me giving back my bit to the society.


As I was watching the deserted road bathed in the rain, I spotted a lone car coming towards our building. I got up from my recliner as the car looked familiar-and was in for a surprise! Soon I heard footsteps and the door bell rang. Ishwari got up to open the door but I beat her to it. Ketan and Ketaki were at the door. I hugged Ketan after many, many years. In fact after Kirti’s passing away, I had kept to myself and did not wish to mingle with anyone. It was, therefore, indeed a very joyous moment to catch up with old college-mates now.


Ishwari was up and about making tea for the guests and frying some fresh pakoras. I could see that Ketan was not his usual self and could also make out that he wished to say something, but the words would just not come out. Ketaki, on her part, tried to broach something several times and then finally broke down.


“Bhaiyya, do you realise that today you have been living without Kirti for fifty years? Both of us were contemplating whether we should divulge something which we have been guarding as a secret all these years.” “Come on, Ketaki, out with it – now that you have roused my curiosity, I am eager to know what the secret is. Yes, I did realise that it was this day, fifty years back I lost Kirti and the new born, though I never got to see them then”, I said words choking in my throat. In memory of my beloved, I had visited an orphanage, sat with the children and sponsored their breakfast. Seeing their faces contented, gave me joy.

Ketan told Ketaki that she should have waited till Sukesh and Khushboo came. All this made me even more eager to hear what it was all about. Just then the bell rang and Ishwari opened the door for Sukesh, Khushboo, Sukriti, her husband and daughter. I had only felt the touch of Sukriti’s hand nearly fifty years back and now seeing her happily married with her own daughter was simply wonderful. Sukriti and Kedar had come with the purpose of inviting me to the wedding of Suhani.

After tea was served, we sat at the dining table and all eyes rested on Ketan. It was Ketaki who broke the silence. “I cannot imagine how you will react after listening to what Ketan has to say,” she started. I was about to lose my cool when Ketan cleared his throat and said that he had a confession to make. All these years, he had bottled it up within himself and today, he had to get it out of his chest before it was too late.


He then made me recollect that fateful day when both Khushboo and Kirti were admitted in the hospital. He said that when I was returning from home with my mother’s medicine pouch, a water tanker coming from the wrong side hit my scooter and I was flung far away. Fortunately, the accident took place near Ketan’s Nursing home and I was admitted for treatment without much delay. I had lost consciousness and was in a coma-like stage.


That evening Khushboo delivered a still born boy and Kirti, a beautiful baby girl. In a most unexpected manner, Kirti suffered a brain haemorrhage and was declared brain dead. Khushboo had her earlier pregnancies terminated due to mal-development of the foetus and the gynaecologist had opined that she would not be able to bear any child further. 

Ketan took Kirti’s mother into confidence and after exchanging the babies, also decided to harvest Kirti’s heart and eyes to revive me. This was TOP SECRET with only both of them knowing about it. They had not breathed a word even to Khushboo or Sukesh or even to my parents.


The revelation now, after fifty years, was a rude shock to me and I did not know how to react. How could my friend do this? Was he right in doing it? Why did my mother-in-law be a party to this? I was denied my daughter for almost five decades and now I come to know that my sheer living was my wife’s gift to me! Why did Ketan come clean now? I had several questions in my mind, but looking at Ketan’s troubled face, I did not have the heart to object to all that he did.


Kirti’s mother had been ailing for some time after Suhani was born and had passed away even before Suhani’s first birthday. I had shut up myself from the rest of the world after I lost Kirti and so had not even condoled the death of my mother-in-law. Just a few days back, Khushboo, Sukesh, Sukriti and Suhani had met Ketan in the hospital. When he was first introduced to Suhani, Ketan jumped up from his chair, unable to hold back his surprise at how strikingly she resembled Kirti! “Oh my God! You look exactly like how Kirti was, when she was your age,” he had exclaimed. Khushboo had to tell him that she was Sukriti’s daughter, Suhani and reminded him that Kirti was no longer with us. Ketan then broke down and begged their pardon for having acted in the way he had. Ketaki, who too was a doctor in the same hospital joined them and when she came to know what Ketan had done in the belief that it was in the interest of everyone, she strongly felt that this should no longer be concealed from me.

My eyes were fixed on Sukriti and Suhani. Suhani, as Ketan observed, was a look-alike of Kirti while Sukriti’s mannerisms were very much like that of her biological mother! What a lot had taken place! I was living with Kirti’s heart and my eye-sight too was only due to her. None of us felt like taking Ketan to task for whatever he did. Khushboo and Sukesh were quite old and having derived the joy of having Sukriti for many years, were happy to let me enjoy Sukriti’s company for the rest of my life as her rightful father.


It was a great family union. Needless to say, our sprawling villa which hitherto had been occupied by two loners, was now filled with the laughter and cheer of three generations. All of us got out into the garden to dance in the rain! What other way to celebrate new found relationships?


That night after dinner we went on to the terrace as the rain had abated. A single star shone brightly down at us and I felt that it was Kirti telling me that she was Forever Mine.     



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