One Life For The Two Of Us

Aditi came home after picking her daughter Akshi from school. They sat for lunch together, eating with her made Aditi realize that Akshi resembles her father Akash so much. A father whom she has never seen, and is never going to get a chance to see him alive. Her husband was a major in the Indian Army and he passed away a few months after Akshi was born. Now Aditi was playing the role of both, a mother and a father.

After finishing lunch, Aditi dropped Akshi for music class and returned to her office. Today she couldn't focus her mind on her work, thoughts about past, about Akash, were coming in her mind. 

Aditi and Akash were friends since childhood. As soon as Aditi learnt the word love, the only person she had loved the most was Akash. But only after the age of nineteen Akash has realized his love for Aditi too. They were in their nineteens when they came into a relationship. The world seemed like a dream for Aditi then. Lying together on the soft grasses of the veranda of Akash's house, they had created millions of dreams.

"Akash you will go to the office, and I will manage the house and take care of the baby."Aditi had said.

"Sure, and I will pick and drop our baby from school and music class" Akash added.

"Music class?" Aditi asked placing her head on her hand with resting on the ground and turning towards Akash.

"Yea, music class. As you know, I was always fond of music, but never got a chance to learn due to family conditions. But I have decided that my baby will definitely learn music" Akash said smiling.

"Okay, and we three will have dinner together, and after dinner, we will tell our baby to sing a song for us," Aditi said excitedly.

Akash smiled and said, "And I will sing with the baby".

"And I will read a bedtime story to both of you" She added caressing Akash's head with her hand.

Every day they used to meet at the same place and discuss about themselves, they had plans for everything, from curtains to mattresses, from colours of wall to chandelier. They had a small world created between their hands, both of them had extended one hand each to protect their small world between their palms. Soon after their marriage Akash joined Indian army and got posted in Kashmir. But whenever he got a holiday, he and Aditi designed their house exactly as they have planned. 

Before their dreams could come true, Akash passed away.

In the evening picking Akshi from music class, Aditi stopped by a mosque, It was Akash's favourite mosque, despite being Hindu, he used to visit here at least ones in a week. She went inside prayed and came out. They went home, the home which still had the same furniture and decoration as they have planned.

After dinner, she told and Akshi to sing a song and sang with her too. At the bed, she read a bedtime story to Akshi, soon Akshi slept. She touched the place where Akash used to sleep. "His smell is attached to the place," she thought.

She switched on the radio, the clock ticked 10:00 pm. At this time every day, a song on demand show comes. She heard the R.J. say "A song requested by Aditi for her husband Akash". She used to post a demand of Akash's favourite songs and listens to it herself. While listening to it she slept.

Even after Akash's death, Aditi had managed to hold the world they have created, between her palms. She was living as if Akash was living with her. She was living one life for both of them.