The Nuptial Knot

Sudha's eyes brimmed with joy as her son Vishal slid a ring on Avantika's dainty finger. It's, of-course, one of the happiest moments in every mother's life. Sudha fed sweets to her son and her soon-to-be daughter-in-law with a wide smile. Then she passed on the tray of sweets to all the guests at the engagement ceremony as exuberance maddened her. As she made her way through the crowd, her gaze collided with a pair of soft, dark eyes that had always made her heart skip a beat. Pratap stood leaning against a pillar, looking at her with those agonized eyes of his that tore at Sudha's heart.

He had the same look in his eyes when Sudha saw him for the first time when she was a girl in her late teens. Pratap had lost his mother a few days ago and was still bereaving the loss. He was her father's best friend Kedarnath uncle's son. Pratap was twenty at that time, a couple of years older than her. Sudha was so touched by his gloomy eyes that she was ready to do anything just to make him smile. Sudha's friendship aided him a lot in getting over his grief. Gradually, Sudha taught Pratap's hurt eyes to smile again.

Their friendship bloomed into love as years passed by. It was the most precious moment in Sudha's life when Pratap sat down on his knees and held her hand before saying those magical words that Sudha was craving to listen. But as always, the path of true love is never that smooth. Turbulent tides of fate hit them and they were thrown apart. It was at her marriage with Suresh when Sudha saw Pratap's wailing eyes for the last time. Now they were back again in her life, urging Sudha to make them smile again.

Sudha walked straight towards Pratap and ushered the tray of sweets she was holding towards him.

"Congratulations, Pratap," she said as she shivered a bit while looking into the mysterious depths of his riveting eyes.

"Finally, we are a family, Sudha." He said as he took a sweet from the tray.

"Yes, it's a new beginning for us," Sudha said and quickly moved away from him as she felt a lump building up in her throat.

Sudha was happy that her son was going to marry Pratap's daughter. In a way, she was able to fulfill the promise of a nuptial knot that she had made to Pratap, years ago.