Getting to
a place of comfort can be uncomfortable who would have known, thought Rashmi. It
was the same place where her life had started some 40 years back. The memory
was quite vivid in her mind even after so many years. She had worn a red sari
as customary even for a church wedding. She had told her mom that she hated
sarees and wanted to wear a blue dress. Sarees had never been her thing. She
had always been in love with long fitted dresses. How pretty her friend Cherry
had looked at her wedding she had thought. But obviously who would have listened
to an 18 year old then. She had worn the red saree and the heavy makeup, against
her wish. She was told what to do and she had done it. Everything had gone as
planned. She didn’t even remember looking at Prateek during the whole wedding
ritual. It was not important. Where she was looking was important. She was told
to look down, so she had looked down. When she was leaving her parents house,
she was told by her mom to follow her husband’s orders like she had followed
her parents’. She was told that the house she had grown up was not hers anymore.
She had soaked up every word like a sponge.
That is
what she had believed for next 22 years. She had a good marriage. She had followed
Prateek like a shadow; hardly ever did she speak up. They had a picture perfect
family, till the day of the accident. Prateek was crossing the road when the
truck came from the wrong side. He had no chance. He had left behind a
successful business and two kids who were living abroad. They had come and left
within a few days.
Suddenly Rashmi
was all alone for the first time in her life. She was 40 years old and she had
never stepped out of her house alone. It was a tough fight after that. She took
her time. Of course she was scared. Everything was new but everything was
exciting. She took charge of the business. People around her were surprised at
her business acumen. Within a few years the business was making more profits
than ever before. She had wings. She was flying. And that’s how she met Raman.
He was working with one of the competitors. They met during one of the pitches.
She immediately liked him and had her HR poach him to her company. This was
some 12 years back. They had been working together since then. She didn’t
remember exactly when she fell for him, especially because he was 11 years her
junior. Only thing she was sure was that they were perfect together; like two
pieces of a puzzle who belonged together.
And after
living together for a decade they had decided to take the leap of faith. Now she
was standing at the altar, waiting for her cue. Soft breeze was blowing; it felt
like heaven was singing for her. The white of orchid around her was filling her
with a sense of tranquillity she had never felt before. Her fitted, long, blue
dress was something she had fallen in love with at the first sight. It was just
right. Everything was just right. It didn’t matter if her children were against
her decision. They were living their lives and she was living hers. It didn’t
matter if more people were against it than in favour of it. It didn’t matter
that she was 58. Nothing mattered except what she felt in her heart. She knew
this was just the first day of the rest of her life. And suddenly the church
band started playing “here comes the
bride....”
This was her cue. Her cue to get busy living
or get busy dying!
