Undying Love
“Mon Amour! My world revolves around you. But I have to learn to live only with your memories”, she said to her husband who lay peacefully in his bed.
Susheela was hopelessly in love with her husband. It has been like that ever since the prajapatis moved next doors when she was barely five. Even then Pratam was a handsome little devil.
She kept her feelings to herself as they were growing up. Pratam did not show signs of any special affection for her. One day, both of them were returning from some special classes late evening by auto. They dropped off in front of their society gate. It was drizzling lightly. Pratam looked at Susheela and reared back as if a thunderbolt had hit him. He said in a voice choked with emotions,” Susi, where were you all these days? Could it be that I have been blind till now?” Sushi sported a knowing smile.
Their romance bloomed slowly and steadily. Both of them went through their undergraduate and postgraduate medical studies. Pratam specialized in cardiology while Susheela was gynecologist. Their respective careers took off spectacularly. Both jhad their own clinics and practices.
In time, they were blessed with an angel of a girl and they called Prameela Ten years rolled in a jiffy. Pratam had picked up a habit of having one or two drinks in the evening after nearly 18 hours of hard work. Quickly he graduated to full-blown alcoholism. Under the influence he behave like Dr, Jekyll after swallowing his potion. Susheela was the subject of mental and physical abuse. When sober , Pratam would be contrite with remorse and try to make it up to her and the child.
During one of his sombre moods, Pratam volunteered to admit himself to a rehabilitation centre. After six months, he returned a changed man. They rediscovered their unbridled love for each other. Prameela had grown into a beautiful teenager, inheriting her good looks from her handsome parents.
It was raining heavily. Susheela returned after attending to a very difficult delivery. The living room was dark and deserted. All of a sudden she heard a shriek from Prameela’s room. Susheela rushed in to see Pratam, obviously drunk, assaulting her baby. She pulled her drunk husband off and with an inhuman strength dragged him to their bedroom and locked it up.
She returned to prammeela’s room to find her devastated. She embraced her and mumbled calming words in her years. After a tortuous fewhours, Prameela drifted off to a feverish sleep. It was a nightmare for Susheela. Her little girl would wajke upmscreaming now and then. By about 4 am, she had gone into a deep sleep.
Susheela gently extricated herself from the holds of her daughter and with determined steps to her master bedroom.
Pratam was on his back, sleeping peacefully. After a few tortuous munutes Sushhela looked at him.
“Mon Amour! My world revolves around you. But I have to learn to live only with your memories”
***
Author’s Notes:
This story begins with the last line of Gowri Bhargav’s Love Diaries—Beyond Fifty Shades.
Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!