Woman, her love

It was an unexpected call. The voice sounded feeble but oddly familiar.

"Hello " She said.  

No reply. Maybe the other person was unable to talk.  

"Hello". She replied again.  

" Hello" came a slow, faint reply. She recognised the voice in a fraction of a second. It was him. "What? What happened? Are you alright? Why are you sounding so low? Where are you? "Her voice was choked with emotion and she could barely talk. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. Gone was all her anger and her hatred in a moment. All she wanted was him to be safe and alive, wherever he was. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing else mattered anymore! 

Theirs had been a great relationship or so she had thought but sadly, it turned out to be a total disaster after few years of marriage. She had realised it was a wrong number. It was always being  portrayed the other way. The unrealistic expectations of in laws, no domestic help, big joint family, lack of privacy, limited conversation, financial constraint, the entry of a third person all took it's toll and finally they had separated. For Anu, it was the end of the world for she had invested her whole soul into it . Her children were her only blessings from this emotionally and physically draining relationship. Once they separated, she never looked back. Neither at him nor his family members but she never stopped her children from meeting them, because that was in the best interest of both.  

And now after so many years this call. Immediately, the boys went out to him and got him admitted into a hospital. He was down with Corona and had to be put on the ventilator.  

She remembered the humiliation and despair she had gone through because of him. The hell the kids had been through. The depression she had sunk into. For no fault of hers. Just because he had fallen out of love, rather fallen for someone else! That was the worst part but slowly it had sunk in. In fact, it helped her get over him a little faster.  

But now was not the time to think about all this. Immediately she picked up her purse, adjusted her dress and moved towards the door. To go to the hospital. All was forgiven but not forgotten. Strange is the way a woman loves and stranger is her way of forgiving.