Samriti

Samriti belongs to a middle-class family. Her parents work as daily wage workers and they had to struggle to keep their bellies full of food. Samriti was the eldest child. She had a younger brother and sister. Once, there was a tour organised by the school, she wanted to go but her parents couldn't afford it. She listened to their conversation. She felt really bad. But, she pretended as it was normal. It was just a normal tour. So what, if she couldn't go, life would give her other chances. But, that thing remained in her mind. She didn't want her siblings to feel the same. 

Samriti had unique intellectual memory, just like a photographic memory. She remembered anything she saw, for a long period of time. Even her teachers appreciated her. Although she was studying in a government studying in a government school, it was like she could defeat any student from a private school by her speaking skills, Academics and co-curricular activities. Altogether we can say that she was an all-rounder.

 This continued till the age of 15 when she cleared her 10th class. Her parents wanted her to continue her study but her relatives, they become an obstacle. They kept poisoning her parents by saying that ' your daughter is growing now. She needs to get married. Even you gonna get relief after she is settled otherwise she is just a burden on you.' But, they didn't listen to them. Samriti filled a scholarship form and appeared for the test. She prepared hard for two months and then she got selected for the scholarship. Even her parents were relieved from the fees, books, etc. and other expenses.

Even that scholarship helped her siblings. Her parents paid fees for all of them and brought Samriti a computer so that she could study better.

She was doing well with her studies. But her relatives were not happy with her success. They always thought she is studying, she is doing the wrong thing, she will surely cheat her parents one day. 

But Samriti wasn't that girl that they thought of her to be. But, she proved all of them wrong. It was the time when the results of the senior secondary were yet to be announced. Their family and friends started pressurizing them to get her married. Even once, her parents were distracted. They started searching for a perfect groom. Some rejected her because she was studying. They doubted her character. She must be some wrong ....and all.

Then she met Vicky. Although she was not interested. She had to ... because her parents wanted her to meet him. They were left alone to talk. Vicky was 2 years elder than her and was mature. Samriti liked him but she told him the truth. 

"I m just 17. I want to pursue my studies. I want to make my parents feel proud of me. I want to travel around the world. I want my siblings to be well settled in their lives. Telling you the truth, I really like you but I don't want to marry right now. I don't want my ambitions to be killed so soon. Please say no to this marriage. Let me live my life. "

"Just calm down. " He just said this much and left. 

While their families were talking, they both came outside and he told his mother something whispering in her ear. All she could do was she just said that they need to rethink, and they need some time. Her father felt disappointed but he couldn't do anything. 

After two days, they called her father and told her that they like Samriti very much. But they couldn't go for marriage.

Her father couldn't understand anything.

 

They continued, "Samriti is really a nice girl. We all liked her. She is just 17 and you know very well that marriage before 18 is illegal. We can't do that. She had her ambitions. We don't want to kill it."

" What are you saying?"

"Yes. You are right. She is just like a shining star. Don't snatch her shine. All we can do is wait for her."

"What?"

"Yes, we are ready to wait for her. My son really liked her simplicity. We want her to be our daughter-in-law, only when she would be ready. These are just kids. Waiting for some years won't affect it. Please rethink this. And inform us."

His father was confused. He was talking to his wife about this when he got a call and came to knew that she had topped this year too. There were newspaper interviews and many more.....

Even some institutes provided her free education and scholarship. She got some other scholarships too- from the board, college, state government, etc.

Her relatives felt ashamed. She made them shut their mouths. Her father asked her what she wanted to do now. She felt really happy when she was asked about her choice. She could not trust her ears for once. She said studying tourism. Her father allowed her and went with her for admission. Even her father told her about Vicky's proposal. She said nothing. Her father said that anything she would choose, he was with her. She then accepted that she liked him too and wanted to marry him only. Both families were happy. 

Soon, she went to a hostel for her studies. She did exceptionally well in studies. She came to know about places, that she always had a dream to visit. Once there was some tour. She asked her father's permission to go. Her father was not in the mood but still, he said yes to her. She went for a tour. Every day, she talked to her parents and told them about her well being. She even sends some photos to Vicky. They were in constant touch. It was like she got a chance to make her dream reality. 

After her course was completed, she came back to her hometown. She told her parents about her plan to visit new places. Her parents were not happy with this decision. But she managed to convince them. She took her parents on a small India tour. They went to South India. They stayed in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Her parents couldn't believe their luck. It was a parent's right to make their children go on a trip. But, here, Samriti managed and took her parents for a trip. She got a job in some travelling company. They offered her a high pay scale. She accepted it.

Then, she needs to travel as they wanted her to write blogs about travelling. She had to cover India for her first project and one year was given to her. She started in North India. She went to Kashmir and stayed there for about 10 days. But that weather didn't suit her. She covered other North Indian states in about 2 months. She collected information about their culture, festivals, traditions. Time passed. She had completed her project within a year and came to know about India, her own country which she couldn't have if she hadn't chosen tourism. 

She always thanked her parents to let her live her dream. That company gave her a break. Meanwhile, her parents wanted her to think about her personal life too. Her parents asked her will for engagement and she said yes. After a week, both were engaged. It was a huge celebration. Everyone envied their compatibility. She asked him whether she could continue her job after marriage?

He said yes. Even his parents had no problem with it. After two months, they had their destination wedding. She was beautifully dressed in a red Lehnga and he was wearing a cream shade Sherwani. After performing all the rituals, she was sad that she would have to leave her home but Vicky assured her that she won't be alone with her new family. Vicky fulfilled his promise too. She got much love and affection from her in-laws. The couple went to foreign for their honeymoon. She even got several offers for a job. But she said no. She wanted to enjoy her personal life. She maintained distance from a job for about a year.

 But, after that, she persuaded her work. This all went for about 2 years. One day she came to knew that she had conceived. Her parents, Vicky and his family, she herself was surprised. She was trying to conceive from the past one year and it happened. She left her career behind and started planning for her baby's future. She dropped her idea for a world tour. But, she almost covered half the no. of countries already. She was satisfied with that only.

When they were living their perfect life, she got an imperfection. She came to know that she had third stage cancer. It was when her daughter was just 8 years old. The doctors told them that she had very less time with her, probably six months, maybe less. Everyone was shattered. But she managed to take things lightly. She wanted to live her life to the fullest, the time she had left with. Her husband and family supported her. But, she was worried about her daughter only. She asked permission for travelling again. All agreed. She went for a world tour with her husband and daughter. Every day, while going to bed, She wrote something on paper. 

He always asked her,"what are you writing and why?"

She always had one answer, "you will come to know soon."

Four months passed and her health started deteriorating.  She knew it was her end. Just two days before her death, she asked for some promises from everyone. Most no. of promises were taken from Vicky. He gave her promises. She gave a book to Vicky and told him to give that book to their daughter on her first birthday after her death. Until then, he could not even uncover it.

She died a peaceful death. It was five in the morning when they realize that she had died. Everyone was teary-eyed, whosoever came to know about her death. Vicky felt a wound that nobody could heal. Even their little daughter was crying. 

On her ninth birthday, Vicky gifted the book to his daughter. When she opened it, it was named 'Samriti '

(Samriti means memory and she had collected all her beautiful traveling memories in that book. Although she travelled a lot in her life, her last tour was an exception in one or the other way. She would be alive in her daughter's memory.)