Shreya looked around and all she
could see was emptiness in a room full of clothes, jewellery and decorations. The
bed which sat at the centre of the room was full of expensive sarees that her
parents had lovingly picked up for her. The dresser on the side was full of red
and blue boxes of jewels. The wind chimes hanging from the windows made cooing
sounds while the mini lights twinkled around. Everything around her spoke of
hope and of new beginnings; everything around her spoke of joy but all she felt
was unbearable pain.
She would be married off in a day
but she looked nothing like a bride-to-be. There was no glimmer of hope in her
eyes except for grief. Those beautiful eyes seemed to be searching for someone.
She walked towards the wardrobe and took out a wooden box which was tucked away
in a corner. Caressing it she moved towards the chair in her balcony and sat
there; all the while staring towards the horizon in the distance. The sun
seemed to be setting, its job over for the day, to rise again at dawn but the
sight seemed to bring out a flurry of emotions from within her. Tears rolled
down her khol lined eyes carving dark
lines on her cheeks. Carefully she opened the tiny latch on the box while
rubbing away tears in between. There it was infront of her everything that was
precious to her. There it was in her lap everything that she held so dear.
There it was the picture of Ashish, the man she so loved. She picked it up so
softly and held it in her hands as though her entire life was in it. Longingly she
looked at his picture; heart full of questions and eyes full of tears.
Ashish!
Tomorrow is the day I had been dreading all along. I will be dressed up in the
finest of clothes and married off to another man. No he is not a bad man at all!
But then he is not the man I hoped to take the vows with, holding hands around
the holy fire. Remember that afternoon in the rain? We were so happy, weren’t
we? You were wearing the blue shirt that I had given you with my first salary
and I the green cotton saree that you so loved. Remember the ring that you had
given me that day saying that you would replace it with a bigger solitaire on
the day we got married? I still have it you know, I still wear it and I am
hoping against hopes for you to replace it. But where are you? I look for you
even today in the bus stand where we spent nonchalant hours together; in the
cafe where we spent our evenings faking work at office; in the movies that we
watched just to spend some time together and in my life where everything
reminds me of you. It has been over six years that you are gone but it seems
just like yesterday. Why, why did you leave me alone?
Read the complete story in Storizen Magazine's May 2013 Issue
Click here to read more.