The Secret Love

"Maa, do you remember every time when there used to be Parents Teachers Meeting, I used to question you regarding my father. His absence invited a lot of curiosity in my mind. You used to tell he is faraway. As a kid I believe that. When I grew up to be a teen, my question didn't change, instead your answer got more precised. I realised that your faraway meant death. But Maa, I'm neither a kid nor a teen now. I am grown up now. You have to tell me. Because just knowing his name- Raman and the fact that he's dead isn't enough now. I want to know. I want to know " cried Rishabh.

         Meera was listening to him calmly, with a smile she began, " I know my son is so stubborn. He has so much of curiosity..." 

"Maa, please don't beat around the bush, come to the point." Rishabh interrupted.

"One day or the other I had to tell you this. I couldn't keep you in dark about this all your life." Meera retorted back.

"Then tell it at once" spoke Rishabh excitedly. "I know its hard to recall the death of your beloved. But don't I have the right to know about him? " he said cupping his hand over mine with a blend of sympathy in his voice. 

         "It was a love story, to be precise one sided love."

There were a lot of questions, Rishab's face said. His mother read that.

          "He was my classmate. I realised I had fallen for him. I had engraved our names together everywhere, on my books, in my heart, on my lips, just everywhere. The only place it was to be written together was our wedding card. That too was going to be done soon. I was truthful to my parents. I had already spoken to them about Madhav. It was a blessing that my parents were open minded and thus they supported me for a love marriage. I was not a typical girl. I was bold and straight forward. If it was me, who fell for him, then it should be me the one to confess and propose. It's foolish to Love someone and wait for them to propose you. What if that person never develops feelings for you, will you keep waiting the whole life for that one proposal ?" 

"Does that mean, that Madhav loved somebody else?" asked Rishabh.

"My son, Love Triangle isn't necessarily a synonym for one sided love" further she added,

"I'll tell everything. Promise me you won't interrupt now. All your questions at the end."

Rishabh noddded a yes.

 Meera began, " I was resting in my lawn when my mother informed me that there was a call for me. I took the telephone. It was Madhav on the other Side. He talked about the notes which were mere excuses and at last he came to the point and asked me to meet me in the college the next day."

     I decided to confess everything when we would meet. As decided I reached the spot and waited for him patiently. More than an hour passed. He was nowhere to be seen. Jassi his best friend approached me in a very great hurry. He came up to me. He was panting. I asked him about Madhav. He said what had happened. I couldn't believe my ears. Madhav had met with an accident. somebody called the ambulance and was shifted to hospital. We both ran to the hospital.

The doctor returned from the 0T with a " I am sorry" on his lips. I was broken and burst into tears. I hugged his corpse before bidding adieu to him for his final rites. I said him, confessed, proposed him. But it was way too late. 

Jassi told me "come with me, I should hand over something to you" with this he took me to the boy's hostel and handed over some letters and a diary that belonged to Madhav.

   After reading that, I came to the conclusion that he too loved me. Probably that day he was going to propose me. Though the two hearts loved each other, destiny didn't bless our ears to hear those love vows from each other's lips.

I said it is one sided. Yes it is. Though he isn't present here I still love him. One sided love is more easier.There are no trust issues, no misunderstandings.You don't need a body, you need the soul to love. The body decays but souls are immortal. keep on loving. It's that simple.

But that was my ideology. The society always needs a marriage factor in order to get settled in life. Everyone advised me to get married, have children and get settled.

I considered myself as Madhav's widow and continued to love him and as far as there was a question of having children, I adopted you when you were still a little baby. Yes Rishabh you're adopted. You know my child, a woman's heart is a river of motherhood.

Now you must be wondering who that Raman is? Whom you have known as your father. Madhav's true name was Madhav Raman. I kept Madhav for myself and kept loving him. Raman was given as your father's name in every official document."

There were a lot of questions in the beginning in Rishabh's mind. But then he smiled out of satisfaction. Now somewhere he got an answer with a full stop to all question marks of curiosity.

Meera showed him Madhav's photograph on which was engraved "MeeraMadhav".

"How can I forget Madhav that you can't be in my fate. Cause I am your 'Meera'. All I can do is love you and wait for you." She said passionately with tears in her eyes.