I've Come Back! The Last Chapter

Chapter-7

"Life is too short, you never know when you are holding your dear ones for the last time"

As soon as I opened my eyes to a new dawn, I saw some wedding cards placed on the table, while my father was having his tea.

I asked him, “Baba whose invitation cards are these?”

He said that those were sample cards and I had to select the design.

I was so happy to select my wedding card that I gave a call to Parth.

“Oh my sleeping beauty wake up now, guess what!”

“Hey Trisha, let me sleep for five more minutes, please.”

“No you cannot sleep, guess what I am doing,” I asked playfully.

“Obviously I cannot guess that I am making love to you in my bed,” he replied impishly.

“Stop it! I am selecting the design for our wedding card!” I was bashful with his mischiefs.

 “Cool you carry on, till then let me sleep. I know you would be selecting the best one.”

Giving up I hanged the phone and selected the card myself.

And then the wedding preparations started. I was being applied turmeric on my face and hands, the ladies were wishing me good luck for my new life. My hand had the best mehendi design, the name of Parth in it made it more special.

Finally the awaited day of my life my Wedding day arrived. We both had worked very hard to see this day; in fact Parth had worked harder for it. We both were very eager to have each other in our lives with all the traditions and rituals; it was an arranged love marriage for us.

I was dressed up like a princess for my prince. I wanted to send him some of my pictures dressed as a bride but as per the rituals we could not talk or see each other until we exchange garlands, so I restrained my excitement.

I was sure that he would be also dying to see me; it had been a day we had not seen or spoken to each other. I was missing him a lot as if I had not seen him for many years.

Just as we were about to leave for the wedding venue my father got a call from my father-in-law informing him that Parth was called to the US urgently to join his office and he had to leave immediately.

I could not believe it! Parth had left me alone on our wedding day leaving all my dreams shattered! My parents were devastated as they had to face embarrassment in front of all our relatives. I tried to call him but got no response. Already my parents were against this marriage and after all this they kicked me out of their house as they had lost their so called reputation because of me.

I begged in front of my in -laws but they also refused to accept me. I had no option but to start working.

Parth came back to me after six months. But in those six months I was completely crushed. I could have accepted him, if he would not have run away without informing me. I agree that it was important for his career, but he could have taken me into confidence, I would have let him go. But no, he was selfish, he just thought of his life at that moment, but what about me. I had to start my life from scratch without any support from anyone. He had not contacted me even once during this time to find out if I was alive or dead. In future he could repeat the same, I couldn’t trust him anymore.

“But Trisha you both loved each other.” Maharshi intervened my narration for the first time.

“It’s not love if you are selfish enough to dump your partner without thinking about her future. I could not love him anymore.”

“So you thought you could survive without him?”

“Yes, I learnt to live without him Maharshi. Parth killed me and my dreams.”

“Yeah he killed your dreams and he got his punishment for that. Parth is no more with us Trisha.”

I was dumbstruck. I could not believe this news.

“When did this happen?” I asked.

“Almost a year passed.”

“I don’t believe you Maharshi. Go and fool someone else.”

“I leave it to you to believe or not Trisha. But I heard about his accidental death few months back.”

“Oh no, that’s sad Maharshi! Parth did not deserve such a horrible death! Even though he cheated me I always wished good for him.”

“That’s true. But one cannot do anything in front of fate. So after that day, how did you manage yourself?”

“Maharshi, you know when god gives us problems he opens the door of many opportunities for us. I got a call from a Pharmaceutical Company and it was the starting of a new life again after Parth. I was lucky to find such a good job with the annual package of ten lakhs, almost one third more of Parth’s annual income. With this much of income I was able to set up my life. I got my own home near the sea shore, my dream to have a home there. And then I met you,” I said my eyes glittering with new tears as I held his hand again trembling with emotions.

“Trisha finally you set up your life successfully, but what about your poems and stories?” he asked softly.

“I don’t want my past with me; I don’t want to be reminded of Parth.”

“But Trisha, I think you must give it a chance, start writing again. Well I would not promise you like Parth for getting your stories published, but now you are much more capable of getting it published, infact you can give a try for self-publishing if you don’t want to approach any publication house.”

“Maharshi stop talking like Parth! I am happy that you came in my life; I have found a meaning to it. I don’t want anything else.”

“Trisha look into my eyes and say if I am playing with your feelings. Do you think that I would be another Parth to you? Can’t you see that I love you truly?”

“I don’t believe in love anymore Maharshi. I just know that I would spend the rest of my life taking care of you and your house.”

“Okay! What if I kiss you now like your sun and ocean philosophy would you think that I am faking it?”

“What do you mean Maharshi?”

“I love you since we were in fifth standard.”

“What the hell are you saying? Fifth standard! We were not in the same school.”

“We were Trisha, you don’t remember, wait I’ll show you the proof.”

He opened the photo gallery in his cell and figured me out and all the other students, and yeah he was my class mate. I was shocked to discover this after one year of our marriage.

“It’s okay Trisha if you could not remember, after all we were kids and my memory is a little sharper than yours. You could have known me if I would have continued to be in the same school. But after fifth standard my parents changed my school. I wanted to be in the same school with you, but I couldn’t do anything about it. But I’m glad that destiny made us meet again after seven years.”

“Howcome?” I was bewildered with his disclosures.

“Trisha we were in the same college!”

“Oh my god, now please don’t say that we were in the same class! I have never seen you in the college.”

“No I was not your class mate, as you were in the field of computers and I was in auto mobiles.”

“Thank god! This time I didn’t fail to notice you as you were in other department.”

“You did Trisha!”

“Really! How?”

“Do you remember that one day you were called for coffee in the college canteen?”

“Yeah I do remember in fact it all started with the coffee only. Was it you, please don’t say yes that you were the one who called me for the coffee?”

“Yes dear it was me, but when I saw you with some other guy I thought not to disturb you and I just sat behind your table and kept listening to your sweet voice.”

“You could have told me that before, Maharshi. What a big fool I was. But I am happy to have finally found you!”

“Trisha, do you believe in destiny?”

“I never used to, but now I think I do,” I replied.

I really could not believe that it was possible for Maharshi to follow me from my fifth standard until we got married.

“Were you present at my marriage with Parth?” I asked not believing the co-incidences which fate had played in my life.

“Yeah since I was your distant relative my mom had called me up to be present at your marriage. Later I found out that you were thrown away by your family after Parth left you, but I was scared to come in front of you. I wanted to help you, so I contacted your best friend Rose to take care of you. I tried to arrange a job and a home for you. I wanted to take away all your pain and help you. Destiny made us meet as kids and we kept crossing our paths in college and at work. I truly love you Trisha and always wanted your happiness even if it was not with me. So when I saw Parth coming in your life in college I had taken a step back, silently following you and being there for you whenever you needed me.”

I just kept quiet too shocked to speak anything.

Finally I said, “I’m so sorry my dear. I did not realize the depth of your feelings for me. You have been with me always since my childhood helping me unknowingly in my bad times. I love you Maharshi! Love you so much!”

“Love you too darling, Now enough of remembering your past life, let’s go out to celebrate our first anniversary,” Maharshi said in a loving tone giving me a mysterious smile.

I could not understand the meaning behind that smile. I wondered why Maharshi looked so different today. Something was different about him but I could not point out at that moment.

Maharshi pulled me gently out of the bed and led me towards the mirror to adjust my hair which had got messed.

I stopped in my tracks as I reached the mirror. I could not believe what I saw.

There on the mirror was written boldly…

“Trisha my dearest… my love for you is so immense I cannot leave you alone even after leaving this world. I shall always be with you forever… I’ve come back for you!”

As I read those ghastly words I looked besides my reflection in the mirror to check the response of Maharshi… but his reflection in the mirror was missing!!

I realized with a shock that souls could not be seen in the mirror… and collapsed on the ground unconscious.

******The End******

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