Last Letter

 

We reached home at eight. The lights were out as I unlocked the door. I reached out to the switchboard. The tubelight flickered and we found her lying down near the table. She was cold and pale. Undoubtedly she was no more but I called her out for the last time before the three of us could break down at her demise and find her letter under her arm.

‘Abdul,

The sight of my demise might strike you hard but I know that you are strong enough to control our children. When they might be playing in the giant wheel, I had started coughing out blood. When they might be blowing baloons, my breath had started puffing up. But your love and support had made me strong enough that could spare my last minutes to write my last letter for you.

Jolly were those days when we first met in the Masjid and fell in love. Then, days got their new schedule which included our regular visits to the holy place for just a sight of each other. If you remember, our first conversation was at my college gate where you gifted me your diary which you had written for me and I thanked you for that. Honestly speaking, I used to read that diary again and again every night before I slept.

Hard times came when you were forced to leave the city for joining army. Your departure had pained me a lot and I used to cry. My days had become longer and I had lost interest in life. Ammi recognised this and I told her about us. She talked to your parents and in a few years were infront of each other separated by a screen and our ‘Qubool hai’ had changed our life and brought us together in one frame.

Life with you felt like that it was just a second that we spent together. Today, when I look back to our past years, I see that you gifted me twelve beautiful years to take away with me to my deathbed…But fate…I think I hate that word now. It is the fate only which didn’t give us more than twelve years to spend together.

Zara, was our first surprise three years after our marriage and Ashwin followed her after four years. Furthermore, these two surprises of our life sketched a happy-go-lucky family.

After two years, when the doctor detected cancer cells in my body, I remember you didn’t have money for my medications. No one but I have seen you work hard for money, heard you weep over nights and felt your increased heart beats everytime I coughed out blood.

Today I wish I could have talked to you before you left and hugged my children before it was too late. I wish I could have at least breathed enough to complete today. But your wife wasn’t strong enough that she could wait for some more time before she closed her eyes to take birth in a new life. I wanted to grow old with you…but I shall have to go. Take care.

With love

Suri.’

The letter read out, I looked at her face which had the same calmness in it and for which I had fell for, twelve years before. Our engagement ring shone in her beautiful hand with which she had one held out mine. But it was cold too.

It was then when I ended the story of my marraid life as she ended her last letter. She left me with twelve beautiful years and two of our surprises… she shall remain in my heart forever.