The Lovely Smile of Uma

The word smile has a MILE in it and this is the mile which needs no efforts yet is hard to be covered by everyone. Not all have the potential to keep it on. 

     I know a lady not very charming for others but the most beautiful queen for her children. She worked a day in day out, shoulder to shoulder with her husband to make the ends meet. They had a small cottage industry of their own. The husband was a born fighter. "No! no!" not the fightercock type. He was a tough man, a hard-working, honest and the best. The wife was a woman of strength. She was very strong that's why she stood by him in all his difficult times.The smile she bore was just the supreme power between them both. A bond that made them strongly attached to each other. 

    Let me give a name to these wonderful characters. The husband was Pritesh and the wife, well her name is Uma. Let's go back to some years back the memory lanes. The marriage of Uma and Pritesh was fixed and still in her teens she was excited about her new world. She was nervous, she was shy and she was anxious as she entered into her new world with all dreams full of colour.

   The new journey was not an easy one. She entered the new house with Pritesh and among all the hustle and bustle of neighbours, of relatives and still trying to assemble all her feelings she was smiling to everyone who came and picked up her veil to see her face. Among all these, there came tiny little hands and two cute little children fighting to be on her lap. Uma was wondering who they were and Pritesh told her " meet my nephew and neice Sarika and Nilay." "Well they stay with us for their studies because my brother and his wife stay abroad and you know it is difficult to manage there."

   Uma was happy to meet Sarika and Nilay as she was fond of children, little did she know that they were going to be the reason for her life's most important phase. After all the rituals and adjusting into her new life, Uma settled down with everyone. Soon she became busy taking care of Sarika and Nilay, their uniforms, books, school bags, tiffins, and also taking care of her in-laws. 

After few days Pritesh had to go back on his job because he was on leave for a month. He was a learned man and a born artist that's why after completing his higher secondary school he had got the job of a draftsman at IIT Kharagpur. 

    Uma was sad to let him go but she dare not tell this to her in-laws. But you see the in-laws sometimes become too selfish. They didn't want Pritesh to take Uma with him because if she went away then who would take care of the whole house! Pritesh took his train and left for his office. 

   Uma was very quiet she felt that now there was no one with whom she can share her feelings. Then as days passed by she learnt to adapt to everyone's happiness with her smile. Pritesh used to come home every fortnight and stay for a weekend. Uma was now busy in all her work, cooking, cleaning and taking care of Sarika and Nilay. She was also pregnant! The happiness and excitement of the first pregnancy is something that no words can ever describe. Pritesh was also very happy. He planned to take Uma with him because now he was permanent in his job and had been allotted a quarter also.

    This news was a ghastly blow on the in-laws because Sarika and Nilay's parents did not want to come back. The mother-in-law felt that now she would have to take care of everyone. They all started to emotionally tell Uma to not to go to stay with Pritesh. They told her that life will be difficult there, she may even lose her child! 

   The international call from London changed Uma and Pritesh's life forever. Pritesh's brother told him strictly that he could not take Uma with him as his children were there and she had to take care of them. He even told Pritesh that if he loved his wife so much and couldn't stay without her then he should leave his job and stay with everyone at home.

   Pritesh was so hurt by all this, he didn't give second thoughts and he sent his resignation letter to his office. Uma convinced him that she would manage to stay there without him but he said that " in your such condition I can't leave you to stay here alone. so now even I will stay here "

Here started the happiness of others and the hardships of Uma and Pritesh. They now had to do some work for their living. Uma knew knitting so they decided to set up a cottage industry for knitting. They bought the knitting machine and Pritesh learnt the art from Uma. They started taking orders and a very good response was got. Months passed by. uma gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. There was so much happiness. Sarika and Nilay were happy to take care of their younger brother. 

   Years passed by Sarika and Nilay completed their schooling and went back to their parents. Pritesh and Uma left with their hardships. Uma never complained about the difficulty she was facing. Now they were a happy family of four, a son and a daughter with Uma and Pritesh was a happy family with their dreams and love and laughter. Not once did Uma or Pritesh make their children feel they were not rich. Both the children studied in convent schools and were given the best. The hardships were discussed when the children were in school. 

  Uma looked more than her age but yet the smile was never less. She used to smile with love at her children when they came home from school. Her smile for Pritesh when he was depressed was a soothing balm for him. They had promised to each other, be what they would never discuss their hard life with their children. The children grew up seeing the beautiful smile of their mother. It was not just a smile but a motivational strength for all three of them.

    The son joined the defence and the daughter became a Teacher. Just like their parents were standing as strong Banyan tree of strength even they understood the difficulties faced by their parents for them. The children also had learnt the art of smiling from their mother in all difficulties. 

   After some years Pritesh, who was not so strong could not face the strong pangs of all these depressions he got a stroke and got paralyzed. Uma would cry alone but never forgot to shower the smile of love. 

   Both the children are now settled in their careers and are very successful in their lives. But Uma who was so strong to face all the pangs of life, the dreadful situations was not able to see Pritesh in pain. One morning when she could no more bear the pain she left her body and flew away to make space for Pritesh in heaven. The smile on Uma's face was still as loving on her face. 

Now you will ask what about Pritesh? He was paralyzed, he had lost his mind and couldn't recognise anyone not also his loving son. He waited for 40 days and breathed his last to go to Uma. 

He missed her Loving smile so much.