The Withered Rose Which Bloomed Again

"I don't remember him anymore," said she

But the withered rose in her diary told another story.

Melinda was dusting the books in her bookshelf with a cloth duster. A bibliophile that she was, she had quite a big collection of books. The love for reading which had started when she was a young girl had blossomed and grown with her. Books were her sole companion and they provided her the much-needed solace and escape away from the harsh realities of the outside world.

Hidden beyond the collection of classic novels lay a dusty brown leather-bound diary.

Melinda caressed the cover wishfully and opened it. Pressed among its pages was a beautiful red rose. The dried rose did not bear any fragrance but was enriched with memories. Memories of Shekhar, her only love.

Melinda was in the final year of her degree in Literature when she first met Shekhar in the library by chance. She was in the reference section looking for a particular book. All of 5 feet, she had stood on tiptoes to pull out a book from the topmost rack. In the process, she had dislodged the entire arrangement of books and they had tumbled down like an avalanche. Melinda was so flustered and embarrassed. She hurriedly bent to pick up the fallen books when she found another pair of hands helping her pick up the books. That was Shekhar with his charming smile. She had mumbled a thanks but Shekhar insisted on being treated to a cup of coffee.

This was the first of the many coffee dates that followed. Sweet simple Melinda had charmed Shekhar. Shekhar was doing his Masters in Psychology. The shy and quiet Melinda was the perfect foil to his extroverted nature. They soon became the most talked about couple.

A year later on Valentine's Day, Shekhar had proposed to her, going down on his knees holding a single long-stemmed red rose. Melinda had blushed crimson and accepted his proposal. Shekhar was overjoyed and wanted to inform his parents about his decision to marry Melinda. He decided to travel to his native place that weekend. He had hugged her long and hard before boarding the bus.

But destiny had played a cruel trick. A few days later Melinda got the news that the bus in which Shekhar was traveling fell into a gorge and he was one among the few who had lost their lives. Melinda was devastated when she heard the news. The shock of Shekhar's death had pushed her into depression. With the constant care and help of her parents, she managed to recover. She was advised a change of scene and she had taken up teaching in a boarding school in Ooty. Melinda had immersed herself completely in teaching and spent all her free time reading. They had helped her to heal she had thought.

But the sight of the withered rose had stirred up all those buried memories. She pressed the diary to her bosom as tears coursed down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, somewhere in a beach in Goa, Shekhar was sitting and watching the waves crash. His mind was recollecting the time spent with Melinda.....his only true love who seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth after his accident. The accident where he was very seriously injured with multiple fractures. He recalled being taken to the hospital before passing out. He needed to stay in the hospital for 2 long months to recover completely and be able to walk again. 

He had immediately gone in search of Melinda. Nobody seemed to know her whereabouts. He was heartbroken. He knew Melinda originally hailed from Goa. So he had shifted here with the hope of tracing her. But he had been unlucky so far.

Melinda's mother saw her crying holding the rose. Her heart bled at the sad sight of her dear daughter. She came and announced that they would be going to Goa the coming weekend to attend the wedding of her niece. Melinda initially was reluctant but later agreed.

Shekhar who rarely socialized had received an invitation to attend a Christian wedding of his colleague. With nothing better to do Shekhar decided to attend. He carried a bouquet of red roses to wish the new couple. He entered the church. The ceremony was almost coming to an end with the bride and groom exchanging rings. The guests rose and clapped. 

It was then that he spotted her. His heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be Melinda.... he looked again and made sure. He ran across like a man possessed shouting 'Melinda'. She turned and looked at him. She was dumbfounded and stood rooted. She couldn't believe that it was her Shekhar, who was supposed to have died, coming towards her in flesh and blood.

They hugged tightly immune to the stares of the people around them. Tears were streaming down their cheeks as they held each other. Shekhar went down on his knee and gave her the bouquet proposing to her. Melinda happily agreed with a promise...... never again would they part.

Shekhar had lost his wallet in the accident and it was found near the mangled body of another person. The authorities had assumed that the dead person was Shekhar. This cruel twist of fate had kept the two lovers apart for two years but in the end, true love reigned supreme and the withered rose had bloomed again.