The story is about a woman who loses her husband, how she copes with the loss and emerges out as a strong woman.

 

The phone rang.

Sabitha who was in the kitchen came rushing towards the phone.

Wiping the sweat from her face with her sari she answered the call-“Hello Mrs. Rathore speaking. Who is this?”

The voice at the other side answered in a melancholic way-“I am sorry Mrs.Rathore, Mr. Rathore passed away in the military attacks that happened yesterday”.

Sabitha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The phone slipped from hands. 7-year-old Raji came playing with a ball towards her mom. However, she sensed something wrong. There was sadness written all over her mother’s face.

In a very devastating voice, Sabitha hugged her little daughter saying-“He hasn’t kept his promise. He left us” and started crying. Raji didn’t understand what her mother was saying. She was too little to understand the pain of losing loved ones.  But seeing her mother crying was enough for her to feel sad and cry.

His body arrived. He was paid an honorable last respect at his funeral. He indeed was a great soldier who died protecting his motherland. Everyone was in mourning, some for the loss of a great soldier, some for the loss of a great person, his mother for the loss of a great son but nothing could surpass the feelings of anguish Sabitha felt. She loved him, loved him truly. Every little thing reminded her of him and the very thought of him being no more in this world, of not being able to listen to his voice, not being able to talk to him crushed her to pieces. After the funeral was completed, she entered their room. She looked at their photo on the wall, took it and hugged it and let out a loud cry she was holding in. Settling at a corner in the room, she reminisced the first time they met, of the times they spent together.

She belonged to an orthodox family with two girls. She was the eldest. Her father loved her but never encouraged her for further education. She wanted to pursue higher education but he was hell bent upon marrying her off. Dejected and unable to oppose her father and with no support from anyone she decided to agree with the marriage. The guy who came to see her was Aakash. They talked very little and she was not even remotely interested. Marriage plans were finalized and things happened fast. She became Mrs. Aakash Rathore.

Finally, when they have been left alone Aakash told her –”I will encourage you if you want to pursue higher education. I shall also take care of the expenses”.

This was a new beginning for Sabitha who lost all hope of ever studying further. The bond between them only strengthened with time and very soon they were like one soul in two bodies.

She believed he was the reason for her to become an independent woman.  Raji was like a beautiful gift that entered their life to make it brighter. But now everything has become dark.

“My world has fallen apart. I neither find any strength nor any point living in a world without him”, she thought to herself.

But then little Raji came running towards her and tugging at her sari said   “Mamma! I am feeling hungry”.

Sabitha snapped out from the rush of thoughts she was having until then.

She looked at Raji lovingly thinking-“How could I ever think of leaving my little child alone in this world. I have found my reason to live and live I shall, as a strong woman who my daughter can look up to”.

She hugged Raji and kissed on her cheeks while hot streaks of tears rolled down from her cheeks.

Thus with a new ray of hope and rekindled faith in life,Sabitha moved on to start a new phase in her life.

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