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Dressed in a beautiful red colored Saree with black borders Rashmi was sitting in front of her small vanity table. She looked at herself once in mirror and smiled. She picked up the Eye liner from the drawer of vanity table and applied it around her black eyes. Her eyes had a twinkle in it. She quickly put on her red lipstick to match with her beautiful red saree and put some sindoor which signified her suhaag.
She moved her head towards the wall clock and saw the time to be six thirty pm. She quickly put some powder on her face and wore the necklace set that her husband had gifted her on their first wedding anniversary. Then she put on her wrist watch and picked up her mobile phone from the table and stood up.
She checked herself in the mirror and did a twirl around happily. She was looking very pretty just like a new bride.
She went to the living room and sat down on the couch and switched on TV. She kept glancing at watching every second. Today her husband Aakash was taking her to dinner to celebrate the soon to be addition off a new member in their family. Doctor had confirmed this morning only that they were going to have a baby. Both of them had been excited and beyond happy.
After three years of marriage their wish had come true. Aakash and Rashmi had been not only man and wife but best friends and soul mates. They shared each others problems, stood by each other all the time. Though there marriage was arranged by their parents but love had blossomed between them after marriage.
Rashmi loved Aakash's understanding quality and how he stood for her all the time. Even when people blamed Rashmi for not having children even after three years of marriage Aakash had closed their mouth. She knew their love was unconditional and eternal.
She put her hands on her flattened stomach which soon would become rounded and smiled.
“Mamma is so happy that you are coming in papa and mamma's lives. Just come soon, you know Papa has already planned what he will do with with you. He is going to buy you lots of toys then he said he is going to teach you walk and talk. He said he is going to give you everything in this world. But you will not be naughty ok? Papa and mamma loves you”
She was happy to talk with her unborn jelly bean.
The sound of door bell made Rashmi look up and she again said to her stomach “Look, papa arrived”
She happily stood up and went to open the door.
“Aakash, I am---” Her sentence was cut off when she saw some police officers standing in a serious posture.
Most families believed that Police arriving was a bad news and in this case it was.
“Mrs.Rashmi Verma?” Inspector asked
“Ye-Yes, I am Rashmi Verma” Rashmi face had acquired fear.
“I am sorry Rashmi ji, your husband got in a car accident, he is no more.” And the inspector pulled out his hat from his hand and showed his condolence.
Rashmi could not believe what she heard. It was impossible. Aakash had promised her that he would not ever leave her alone. He couldn't break his promise, no he culdn't.
“Wha-what? No, no this is not possible, Aakash cannot die” Rashmi quickly put her hand in the beam of door to support herself. Dangerous amount of tears accumulated in her eyes, and slowly a tear slipped away.
“I am really sorry madam, we have informed Mr.Verma's parents and they would be soon arriving. The body has been sent for postmortem and you can take the body tomorrow morning. I am sorry “ Inspector informed sadly. It had become a practice to him to deliver these type of news. It was hard when his job was new but years of experience had hardened him.
“Don't you dare call my husband a body” Rashmi shouted angrily and pulled the collars of the Inspector.
“Rashmi!”
Rashmi's parents arrived and quickly they pulled her away from inspector. Her mother envelped her in her arms tightly while Rashmi poured out her heart.
Once again the inspector said sorry looking at Rashmi's parents and left with his men.
Her parents moved her inside the house and made her sit on the couch. She was still in her mother's arms. Her mother was crying herself but still trying to comfort her young widowed daughter by softly brushing her hair.
Rashmi was sobbing, her body was shivering from the intensity of it. Her father who had only once cried when he gave away his daughter was now crying again. He put his hand above his daughter's head.
That night no one slept but there was no eery silence but Rashmi's heart breaking screams and sobs.
The next morning Police brought Aakash's body to his home. A white cloth was draped over him hiding his bruised face.
Rashmi quickly pulled away from her mother and hugged Aakash's body lying on the floor. She cried for Aakash. She asked him to come back, not to leave her and their baby alone in this cruel world.
Soon Aakash's parents arrived and they were also sobbing hysterically. His mother quickly snatched away the cloth covering his face and took his face in his hand and asked him to come back. His father also sat by Aakash's feet and cried hugging them.
Soon the time came for the ultimate departure of Aakash. His soul had left now it was time for his body to return back to mother Earth.
Rashmi's brother and father, Aakash's cousin and his father pulled up the bamboo cot on which Aakash body was lying on their shoulders.
What a game of god it was, father was carrying his son's dead body when it should have been the son carrying his father's body as for Hindu's custom.
Rashmi was protesting against them. She didn't want them to take away her Aakash, her love, her soul mate away from her. Same was the case with Aakash's mother who could not give up on her son, her life.
But nobody could stop this departure and so the journey to the grave began leaving behind the women.
Soon after an hour, Rasmi's mother in law looked at her angrily.
“You! You killed my son! You are a evil witch who took away my son's life” She shouted at her daughter in law who was in no state to reply back.
“Samdhan ji, why are you saying all this nonsense? Don't you see, my daughter also lost her husband, her everything?” Rashmi's mother questioned.
Rashmi couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to drown herself in her sadness. So she ran away inside the bedroom and locked it from inside.
She slid down to floor and put her head on her knees and cried. Her mother and relatives banged on the door to open but she didn't.
At night, when everyone was sitting in the living room holding each other silently, the door to bedroom opened and there was Rashmi standing in the doorway but it was complete opposite of her character.
The girl who used to dress up in red saree was now dressed in complete plain white and her hair was completely down and messy. Gone was the necklace and the bangle. There was no make up on her face and no glaze on it. It was like she had aged in a night and gone was her sindoor forever.
The once beautiful girl had transformed into a depressed widow. A widow who had to now face the inappropriate behavior and remarks of society and raise a child alone in this harsh world and to fight for her and her baby in every step of life.
Gone was Mrs. Rashmi Verma, here now was standing widowed Rashmi Verma.
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Have a nice day! :)
