World, it has different meaning for different people. For some people it means earth, for some their property but for me the meaning of world is my family, my wife Sujata and our daughter Surangana.
I met Sujata in college, we were just friends at first and our friendship slowly turned into love and finally after a few years we got married. We had a very happy married life. I used to wake up early in the morning and prepare our breakfast. After the breakfast was ready, I used to wake her up. When she rubbed her eyes, stood up, stretched her arms and smiled, the sun of my life rose up to brighten my life. We used to leave for work together but she used to return home earlier than me. When I returned back from work, the dinner was already ready. Sujata used to decorate dishes so well that when I looked at them, they would reflect me her smile. After four years of our marriage, Surangana was born. That was the most beautiful moment in our life. The birth of Surangana made us realize that the depths of love is far more deeper than we had thought it to be. The feeling of seeing our love physically was unexplainable. When Surangana smiled, I could see Sujata in her. Day by day Surangana started to grow up, she was an angel. Whenever we brought her a new dress, she used to wear it immediately and asked me,”Daddy! How am I looking?” Sujata and I then looked at each other and smiled, “You are looking like a princess!”, we used to say. Surangana and I, we loved to irritate Sujata but when she got angry, we both went up to her, kissed and told her sorry. Sujata then smiled and hugged us. Everything was going on smoothly, until one nightmare.
Surangana suffered from a very high fever. We took her to a doctor and a lot of tests were done. We bought some medicines and brought her home. After dinner we gave her the medicines and she fell fast asleep. Sujata leaned on my shoulder and started to cry, I hugged her but couldn’t say a word because tears were already in my eyes too.
The next day, I woke up and saw Sujata sleeping on my shoulders. Our princess was still sleeping. I slowly tried to put Sujata’s head on the couch but Sujata woke up. I told her to sleep and I went near Surangana to check her body temperature. My heart felt relaxed, she had no fever. That morning, the three of us had our breakfast together. We were watching tv and there was a news that said an indian celebrity had died. The pictures of the celebrity were being shown just then I got a call from the office for an urgent meeting. I wanted to stay with my family but I couldn’t. I got ready and when I was about to leave, Surangana called me and I went up to her and kneeled down. She kissed me and said, “I love you Daddy!” I hugged her tightly, tears were already in my eyes but I controlled myself. Sujata noticed that and hugged me. “I love you”, she said. “I love you, please smile for me” I replied. She smiled and I waved a goodbye to her and our princess.
After the meeting was over, I got a call from Sujata and she told me that Surangana is suffering from fever again. I rushed down the office stairs but in the middle, my leg slipped and I fell down. I couldn’t stand up for about a minute, but missing my Sujata and our dear princess I somehow got up and reached home.
There were a lot of people outside of our home. A cold chill ran down my spines, I was very scared. I quickly ran inside, I saw Surangana quietly watching cartoons, “Thank God!” I said to myself. I thought something had happened to her. But again I got scared because I had not seen Sujata. “Where is your mommy?” I asked Surangana. She was so busy in watching cartoons that she didn’t hear me. I could hear voices of people so I followed them and found Sujata along with our neighbours. She was crying and the neighbours were just sitting beside her. “The body has arrived!” one of the neighbours said and all of the neighbours got up and left the room. I went up to Sujata and asked her, “What happened?” She just cried and cried. I heard Surangana screaming, “Daddy!” With a fear in my heart I rushed towards her and there was a dead body in front of her, I slowly walked closer to it. I got a shock, the biggest shock ever. That dead body was mine. I cried a lot. My daughter and my wife had become like a lifeless body and the neighbours were trying to help them. I went up to my daughter and tried to hug her but I couldn’t even touch her. The neighbours brought Sujata near to my dead body, I tried to stop them but I couldn’t. Sujata cried a lot, I couldn’t bear it and ran towards her. I tried to hug her but I couldn’t touch her. My daughter was lying on the floor, Sujata was like unconscious. I begged God to make me alive again, but God didn’t do anything. I was there with my Sujata and our princess all the time but neither they could see me nor hear me. My world was completely destroyed.
After a few days, Sujata somehow made herself strong and looked after Surangana. I could just sit and watch like an audience. Sujata was lost in her thoughts, Surangana came wearing a dress that we had brought for her. Looking at my photo she asked, “How am I looking?”
Sujata was in tears, I felt a sudden burst of pain in me. “You are looking like a princess!” we said together, but this time my voice could not be heard. I couldn’t tolerate the pain and went outside to the nearby beach from our home.
I just sat there and watched the sea. Suddenly a girl came and sat by my side, I couldn’t see her face as she was wearing a shawl on her head.
“I know what it feels like. I am suffering through the same Reman.” she said.
I was totally confused.
“Life is precious because it ends, love is precious because it lasts forever.” she said and slowly turned towards me.
I was shocked.
“DIVYA BHARTI!”
WRITTEN BY REMAN BALA
