Captain of Chennai bound Air India flight announced departure from Lucknow airport. Seat belts were fastened by the passengers and window shades were kept open. Rashmi got seat number 9A near the window. Sun and moon were sighting together in the sky. As the flight started taking off to touch the desired height, her thoughts were, too, taking a flight into past with jet’s speed. Rashmi and Rajnish were born and brought up in Gulistaan Colony at Lucknow City where their bureaucrat parents lived. Both were bright and good looking. Like other young boys and girls, they, too, fell in love with each other. Obviously, in the matter of heart, who waits for the permission of the world? Rashmi was recalling every moment spent in the company of Rajnish right from her first to the last meeting.
“Rashmi, I tried my best, but my parents did not agree. I will not remain happy , if I marry you against their wishes. I am sorry, Rashmi. I know that I have broken your heart. I am not a good man. Please forgive me. My parents have selected an IAS officer, two batch junior to me, and will marry her this month only.”
Hearing these heart piercing words, tears rolled down on her cheeks and nose also started running. She was crying incessantly, when she left the restaurant. Her handkerchief was drenched with tears. The pain was unsurmountable and no remedy was seen. She had lost the bait of her life. The cruel destiny was laughing loud at her. Knowing the parents’ wrath against this broken relationship, she was in dilemma to go home. Her legs were shaking. Cheated in love, Rashmi reached home late in the night anyhow. She fainted and fell in the bed like an oak tree.
Rashmi did not expect such a return gift from Rajnish for her unflinching love. Hell broke loose on her. She was entering into 35th years of her age and had already lost the prime of her youth. Could he return those ten precious years of her life spent in his wait ? What could be a worse tragedy than that ? Waiting for ringing marriage bells finally ended in eternal wait and broken heart . Such depressing thoughts were taking heavy toll on her health. One night she tried to commit suicide, but some invisible power stopped her. One day when her mother asked about the grief peeping from her eyes, Rashmi burst in the lap of her mother like a cloud in the valley. There was heavy rain inside her as well, the rain of shattered emotions and promise. Rashmi began to dance in agony . Her parents, too, realized her suffering without uttering a single word . After almost one year, she forgot Rajnish completely, yet could not erase his last words from her memory.
“Shouldn’t Rajnish have asked his parents before falling in love with her? Had he any right to spoil her life? Love might have different meaning for a man and woman. But love is not a weak thread which could be broken by a stroke of words. Love is the everlasting bond between two loving people in this world and, some say in the other world also. But why this did not happen to her?”
She was bogged down with such agonising questions. Captain of the flight announced the arrival. The Aeroplan stopped with a thud on air-strip. The string of grief laden memory was, too, broken similarly. She looked again out of window. Seeing that only sun was shining bright the sky of Chennai, Rashmi just smiled.
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Ram Kishore Upadhyay
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