You and I, plus 2 years of marriage!

It is over…?

{9}

‘You were right,’ said Bhuvan sipping his coffee. Karthik frowned at him.

‘I am right most of the times. But under what context did you acknowledge it?’

‘About my marriage. You were right in saying that it was never too late to save my marriage.’

‘Wow! That’s great! I simply can’t believe that her memory loss could work wonders in your relationship. Anyway, what have you decided?’

‘About what?’ asked Bhuvan raising his eyebrows.

‘About the divorce. You have already forwarded the papers to your lawyer,’ he said biting into his chocolate cookies. Bhuvan froze hearing his words.

I had completely forgotten!

Karthik was surprised by Bhuvan’s reaction.

‘What happened?’

‘I didn’t speak to the lawyer after submitting the papers.’

‘Hmmm… alright then, I think it’s high time you made a decision. Do you want to live with her?’

‘I cannot live without her,’ said Bhuvan with determination saturating his voice.

‘Then, what are you waiting for? Just get rid of those divorce papers,’ said Karthik enthusiastically.

‘No Karthi. Before that I will have to disclose the truth to Uttara. I am not going to keep any secrets from her. We have given a new beginning to our relationship and I don’t want to break her trust. Moreover its killing me each day that I have not revealed to her the truth about our past.’

The next moment, his phone started ringing. Uttara’s name flashed on the screen.

‘Hi Utthi! Oh I am sorry, uncle. I thought it was her… What?... Where is she now?... Is she fine?... I am coming right away. Thank you so much, uncle,’ said Bhuvan hurriedly and instantly stood up.

‘Uttara is in the hospital. She complained of severe headache and Rajesh uncle, who stays opposite to our flat has taken her to the hospital. I should go now.’

‘Alright! You carry on, Bhuvan. I will handle today’s work. Call me after you see her.’

‘See you tomorrow, Karthi,’ he said and rushed out of the Cafeteria in his office.

Bhuvan reached the hospital within 30 minutes. He met his neighbour Rajesh in the corridor.

‘How is she, uncle?’

‘The doctor has already given her the medicines. She is taking rest inside. But nothing to worry.’

Bhuvan heaved a sigh of relief and managed to bring a hint of smile on his face.

‘Thank you so much uncle.’

‘Oh come on, young man! You both are like my own children. If I am not going to help you in time of need, then what is the point in being neighbours? Anyway kindly excuse me now. I have some work in Kormangala and I have to leave soon,’ he said politely. Bhuvan thanked him once again and bid him farewell. Since Uttara was still resting in the room, he decided to meet the doctor first.

‘Congratulations, Mr. Bhuvan!’ beamed the doctor, when he saw the young man. He gave him a look of bewilderment.

‘Your wife has regained her memory. That is what has caused some stress on her mind and given her the headache. I have already administered the medicines. Let her take the prescribed medicines for two more days and then she will be perfectly fine.’

Breath was knocked out of Bhuvan hearing the doctor’s words.

‘You can take her home now. If there is any other problem you can visit me,’ continued the doctor without paying attention to his expression.

‘Does she remember her period of memory loss?’ he asked weakly. The doctor smiled at his question.

‘I did not want to strain her mind when she was in pain. Once you take her home, you can patiently ask her about it. Anyway, she has recalled her forgotten past of 4 years, then what difference will it make if she forgets the past 4 months?’

These 4 months are the ones which actually made a difference!

When he reached the out-patient ward, Uttara was seated on the bed. Her face did not light up with the cute smile seeing him. His heart sank at her indifference.

‘I want to go home,’ she said flatly.

‘Okay. Let’s go,’ he said and led her out. They both did not speak a word on their way home. An uneasy feeling engulfed Bhuvan and it was nauseating. Tears were building up in his eyes but he strived hard to not let them show.

Once inside their home, he could no longer tolerate her silence.

‘Uttara…’ he called out slowly. She stopped on her way to their room and turned around.

‘What is it?’ she asked brusquely. He swallowed the lump in his throat and did not look up at her.

‘Do you remember anything about the past few months?’

Without answering his question she picked up some papers from the dining table and handed them to him. It was a summons from the court ordering them to attend the hearing about their divorce.

‘What could have happened in the past few months? Nothing has changed between us. Thank God for these papers! I remembered everything about our past.’

‘Our present has nothing to do with our past! Don’t you remember anything at all?’ he asked desperately. She glared at him.

‘You were the one who said that it was over between us. These divorce papers stand testimony to our ruined relationship. I don’t want to discuss any more about it! I am tired of arguing and fighting with you.’

Bhuvan strode towards her and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her and went to the balcony which were filled with plants.

‘Even now, you don’t remember anything?! After your memory loss, our life changed… we both are no longer the same. I cannot lose you…’ he said intensely. She looked at him as if she could not comprehend what he was blabbering.

‘What do you mean? We both have signed the divorce papers,’ she said coolly gesturing at the papers in his hand.

‘To hell with these papers!’ he growled and tore them into pieces.

‘I don’t care about what you remember or what you don’t. It makes no difference to me. I don’t know how to live without you, Utthi. I love you!’ he said passionately. For a moment they locked eyes with each other. Their plants swayed in the light evening breeze. Uttara stepped forward and instantly kissed him. Bhuvan was stumped. She stepped back and the smile, which stole his heart each time, was back on her face.

‘I love you too,’ she said ardently. He still had a look of bewilderment on his face.

‘You remember—’

‘Every single day and every single moment of the past 4 months,’ she said completing his sentence. He simply could not believe what he heard. Tears tricked down his cheeks and he closed his eyes in relief. She wiped his tears and planted feather light kisses on each of his eyes.

‘I am sorry for the jerk I have been in the past…’ he murmured.

‘I am sorry too.’

He pulled her into his arms and she melted into his warmth. After a few moments, he released her from his embrace looked into her eyes longingly.

‘Friends?’ she asked outstretching her hand. He held her hand and kissed it.

‘This was how we should have started our relationship the first time. Maybe we were too eager to start our life that we just rushed into it. No matter what, we should never stop being friends,’ he said lovingly.

‘And never stop being in love,’ she said wrapping her hands around his neck. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. The plants swayed heartily with the cool breeze. That was life! Had the plants been adamant on not bending with the breeze, they would have been broken.

Never say, ‘It is over.’ Sometimes there is a new beginning right at the place where you thought it was the end. All you have to do is take a deep breath and think for a moment.

It is over…? It never is! It will go on forever…

                                                The End