Immortal Love_True Love Never Dies

by Shreya Suravajhala

  WAR & PEACE

  I lay on the bench as though it was a bed all through second half of the day. When I woke up it was totally dark and I checked my watch which showed 10 : 00 PM sharp. I tried calling both Raghav and Aunt Simi but none of them picked up the phone. My heart beat rose , hands were shaking and head was spinning. After four hours my deadline would lapse but there was no sign of the possibility of my victory so far. My stomach made weird noises because I didn’t eat anything since morning. I cursed myself for feeling hungry at this stage of my messed up life. At about 10 : 25 PM , I saw an Audi parked outside the Malhotra Mansion and I stood bedazzled to find Aunt Simi step out of the car dressed in a stunning yellow saree. I rushed towards the gate in a hurry and hugged my aunt out of sheer excitement. Raghav looked at me with a smile of contentment which made me a normal person again. The three of us entered into the magnificent living room and sat on the splendid sofa. A few minutes later Shashi Malhotra came walking down the stairs wrapped in a sparkling chiffon saree. Aunt Simi and Shashi finally met after a long time post breaking up their friendship. They would have never thought in their wildest fantasies that a day would come when their own blood relatives will be the cause of their encounter. “ You haven’t changed Simi.” Shashi was standing inches away from Aunt Simi. “Neither did you. In fact , you have become worse than the last time we met.” Inception of the ‘cat fight’ seemed super exciting and age was definitely not a factor. Raghav and I were just helpless observers in the intense confrontation between the Lady Titans. “I came here to ask your son’s hand for marriage to my niece.” I could understand how painful it was for my aunt to take such a drastic decision when she wasn’t at all happy about it at first place. “What made you think that if you would insist then I’ll say yes ? Have you forgotten all the insults that you hurled at me outside my house ?” , Shashi yelled. “ I’m not ashamed of it even today if not for my niece’s love affair with your son.” To be a silent spectator was the most disgusting part especially when the problem keeps getting complicated. “I think it’s time to reveal the truth.” Shashi uttered those words glaring at me with a smirk. “What truth ?” , Aunt Simi questioned in a nauseated manner. “Your niece knows about it. Sia , would you do the honours ? Or shall I spill the beans ?” , she wanted me to disclose the secret deal between both of us. But why now ? I was totally confused. I lost all my patience. “ Mrs. Malhotra challenged me to accomplish a list of tasks in order to assure her that I was the best choice for Raghav.” Aunt Simi and Raghav were shocked to hear about it. “ My final task was to convince you to allow my marriage with Raghav to happen. Mrs. Malhotra wanted me to convince you in 24 hours. If I didn’t do so then I would have had to leave Raghav forever.” Raghav couldn’t believe my words. He stood heartbroken after learning that his beloved mother would stoop to such a low level just to satisfy her ego. “Mom how could you ? I mean playing with a person’s emotions is not what I expected you to do. To me you were the ideal woman. Someone who supported my father during his good and bad times and the goddess who brought me into this world and treated me like a prince.” Raghav had tears running down from his eyes. I saw him crying only once and that was on the terrace at the hotel where we acknowledged our love for each other. “Raghav listen to me. Look I didn’t mean to hurt you. Trust me.” Shashi tried to put her hand on his shoulder but he shoved it off in vexation. “ I went to meet Ms. Simi to the apartment and she welcomed me with great warmth. She just asked me one question which was , ‘What made you fall in love with Sia ? Just answer me in one sentence.’ I replied , ‘ Sia’s extraordinary passion for life is what swept me off my feet.’ That’s it and Ms. Simi realized that I love her niece for the right reason.” I was astonished to learn that this one liner was enough for my aunt to agree. But the question that popped in my mind was the long duration of their arrival. “Ms. Simi and I talked almost half the day about Sia’s childhood , college and hobbies. And I felt lucky to have fallen in love for the second time and that too with the perfect woman.” I got my answer and also my smile back. Raghav called me a perfect woman while I was always accused by my teachers , neighbors and Aunt Simi as the most imperfect person in the entire universe. “Mom I knew that you were unhappy with our relationship from the very beginning. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t smell that before or else Sia wouldn’t have had to suffer so much in the process.” Shashi made a guilty face to draw his attention but the hatred within Raghav simply could not take a back seat. “Raghav I’m really sorry. Please try to understand.” Shashi grabbed his hand but he pulled it out in frustration. “Sia , just because my mother doesn’t approve of our relationship it won’t mean we cannot unite.” Raghav held my hand by locking fingers. “Let’s go. Ms.Simi come on. I won’t stay here anymore.” Shashi was weeping like an infant unable to watch her son leave. “Raghav stop.” She came running in front of us and blocked the way. “Mom clear our way.” Shashi began apologizing to all three of us in real. I could read a person’s eyes and say whether he/she is faking it or telling the truth. Shashi’s eyes were filled with pangs of conscience. At least , she wasn’t lying this time. “ Simi , I know that I hid my relationship with Nikhil from you but I swear it was just because I didn’t want to lose you.” Aunt Simi tried to console her. “If Nikhil would have said yes to you then I would buried my feelings for him immediately.” Shashi put her head on Aunt Simi’s shoulder and went on sobbing. “Shashi look at me. Shashi ! please stop crying.” If old friendships can last then why not broken friendships be mended ? Aunt Simi and Shashi proved it that reconciliation is always on the cards even if you made vows not to meet ever again. That’s the magic of destiny. If it separates two people then it also brings another person into their lives. “I forgive you. Whatever happened then was an immature act plus we were young , delicate and confused souls.” Aunt Simi wiped Shashi’s tears which smudged her mascara all over the face. “Raghav I think you must also give your mother another chance.This time she means what she is saying.” Shashi came near me and held both my hands. “I know a sorry is not a compensation for all the emotional torture that I inflicted upon you. But believe me it’s just my ego that ruined my friendship with your aunt and also rejected you as my daughter-in-law.” “I’m glad that you have realized your mistake. Actually , I loved your challenges. They gave both courage and confidence to fight for my love. It’s a rare thing that happens to any girl. But I consider myself lucky coz endurance has only made me stronger.” Shashi embraced me with a golden hug since it was really a large hearted gesture after all the conflicts that we had in the past. Raghav had no option left after Aunt Simi and I absolved her. “Mom tell me honestly , do you want Sia to be your daughter in law ?” , he wanted a genuine answer. “Yes. I admit that all I did earlier is unpardonable. But I wholeheartedly welcome your decision to marry my best friend’s niece with a big smile.” I thought that this moment should be preserved since everyone resolved their differences. “Okay guys , time for a quick group selfie. Come on , come on”. The four of us posed for a perfect family selfie.

  BIG FAT WEDDING

  I loved reading fairy tales as a kid but never really thought that my life would become a fairy tale itself. I was getting married to The Raghav Malhotra , the healthiest , wealthiest and sexiest man in the world. He came into my life like the cool ocean breeze that developed into storm and eventually poured soothing rain drops on my arid heart. I went shopping for my wedding dress in the most popular Indian designer boutique at downtown. My aunt chose the lehenga for my wedding as she had excellent taste when it came to selecting traditional outfits. I bought an antique jewellery set that would match the lehenga in a pitch perfect manner. Since Raghav had a series of meetings lined up he couldn’t accompany me. But we somehow managed to hang out for a coffee date weeks before the wedding. Although our engagement was a low key affair due to Raghav’s busy work schedule but we decided to invite America’s elite to our marriage. On that day , Raghav would break a billion hearts after enterin
g into wedlock with me. Hence , I was gearing up for the curses that would be thrown at me but with a lot of enthusiasm. Amid this pool of happiness I felt something missing. It was none other than Gustave , the most precious gem of my life that I lost a few years ago. I didn’t know whether I did justice to his love by travelling this far with Raghav. But one thing was certain that I officially moved on in my life. Still there was a part of me that wanted to hear Gustave’s voice. He no longer appeared in my dreams in the past two months.

  On the eve of my wedding , I couldn’t meet nor talk with Raghav because it was a tradition that the bride and groom won’t have any conversation until the wedding day. I was getting bored inside the room and felt like a prisoner. I didn’t even feel like watching TV , reading a book or listen to music. Maybe it was the restlessness before the big day that every woman goes through. I had butterflies in my stomach all day imagining my future with Mr. Hottie. It was a long journey though. Love ain’t that easy as it seems in novels and movies. It requires a lot of patience to win a person’s heart and loads of luck to end up with the same person. I fell asleep after dreaming the entire day about life after marriage.

  “My darling will be married tomorrow. You have been through a lot since childhood. I’m glad that I met you , fell in love with you and also danced with you. At least , I died while being in a relationship and that too with a cute Indian girl. Life isn’t rude to us every time so it sent Raghav. I’m sure he’s gonna love you a thousand times more than I did.

  It’s time for me to depart from your dreams so that you will be able to begin your marital life sans any emotional baggage. Kiss your past goodbye and kick-start a new life with Raghav.

  Sia , I love you !!!

  The last time , last dream , last words …. I wanted to hug him and beg him not to leave. I saw tears in his eyes which totally made me crumble. I won’t even find him in my dreams tomorrow onwards. I felt awful. I couldn’t even share my pain with Raghav at this moment. I didn’t wanna cry before my wedding day because it is considered unauspicious. But to even dream about not having Gustave’s dreams was like letting go of a portion of my heart. After sometime I thought about how Raghav burnt Roushni’s belongings upon my insistence without any hesitation. I wiped my tears and tried to control my emotions like a brave girl. If I aspired a happy and fulfilled married life with Raghav then I would have to bid adieu to the past. And I was mentally prepared to do so.

  The next morning was refreshing like never before as I was all set to walk around the fire with my husband and complete the Saptapadi. The wedding took place in Millenium Hilton located near the famous World Trade Center which made headlines during 9/11. It was an Indian wedding filled with guests belonging to diverse races which included people from all the seven continents of the world. All of them were dressed in Indian traditional attires. It was a clear picture of “Unity in Diversity” where people from various ethnic backgrounds joined to celebrate along with us. I saw Aunt Simi and Shashi stand next to each other dressed in gorgeous silk sarees and diamond jewellery. While I confidently carried a red lehenga , Raghav sizzled in a striking sherwani and a beautifully designed Pagri (turban). He came riding on a horse holding a sword in his hand like a warrior prince. The ‘band , baja and baraat’ made New York swing it to its tunes. After one day I made an eye contact with Raghav on the mandap (covered structure with pillars). We were smiling all through the wedding , performing rituals with a pure heart and pristine mind. The media broadcasted the wedding live all over the world. It was airing live on Youtube too with over 12 billion views as informed by my aunt. I suddenly felt like a celebrity , courtesy Raghav.

  We exchanged garlands which was great fun because both of us were lifted by a group of friends while placing it on each other. The Kanyadaan was conducted by a distant relative of mine since my dad wasn’t alive. I missed my parents terribly at that moment. The time for the most sacred ritual arrived when Raghav apllied Sindoor (vermillion) to my hair. Seconds later , he tied Mangalsutra around my neck with ease and whispered “I love you” in my ear which was pretty romantic. Finally , we took the Saat Phere (Seven Rounds) around the Agni (Fire) in which each phera (round) comprised of a vow which the bride and groom take with sheer sincereity. We formally became husband and wife after the completion of the ‘Saat phere’. The paparazzi clicked our photos with great zeal.

  “OMG ! We’re married. I can’t believe it.” I giggled. “I will tell you another thing which you won’t believe.” Raghav talked to me but his eyes were looking at the crowd as a mark of respect. “What ?”. “You don’t have to your title.” He shifted his sight to me. “Really ? I can remain Sia Walia even after marriage ?”. Which husband says that in a wedding to his wife ? Only Raghav Malhotra would have the chivalry to say so. “Yes. Nothing should change except our love for one another. You know why ?”. I stared at his lips. “Why ?”. “Because I’m gonna love your more every passing day.” He locked fingers with mine. “Me too.” Without wasting another second we went on a “French Kissing” spree and became the prince and the princess who lived happily ever after.