FF: Humesha Saath 1 - Link to 2 pg150

The sun had set hours ago, taking with it the light of the day. It was now well past 9 in the evening as a couple walked hand-in-hand down the secluded streets of Amritsar. The day had started off on one note and ended on one that no one, not even the couple themselves, thought it would. The sequence of events that transpired that day couldn't be helped in any way. What had to be done was also what needed to be done.

Before taking any steps he had asked her to think over her decision because he didn't want her to have any regrets later. She hadn't even given the statement much thought, there was only one thing on her mind that morning – how far would she go for love? This wasn't just some school girl infatuation; this was love…real love. It was a love that had passed the test of time, discrimination and pain.

This was a love that had started 13 years ago in the school yards of a local school in her home town of Amritsar. She was the quite spoken and introverted 5 year old in the kindergarten class of the school. From the first day she started she had been teased and picked on relentlessly by a few of her own class mates, but also by many of the boys in the higher grades. She did have three older brothers who could easily beat up any one who teased their baby sister, but they were much older than her so they no longer went to the same school. It was one day during the play period that two boys had began to tease her about her pigtails and the oil in her hair. After their taunts she scurried away to a corner of the play yard where no one ventured. She sat there and cried until the bell rang for class to resume. Just like any other day, as she walked back to class, the boys found her again and this time, instead of just teasing her they pulled on one of her pigtails hard. They were about to pull another one when suddenly they stopped.

This is where a day like any ordinary day turned into an extraordinary day.

She looked up to see another older boy standing next to her, with his hand on the hand of the boy who was about to yank her hair. He pushed away the hand and stood in front of her. In a very authoritative tone he said that from this day on if anyone teased her, they would pay – from this day on if any one made her cry, they would answer to him. She hadn't expected the warning to affect the monstrous boys but it did. Almost immediately they shrunk back and disappeared. But not before her savior warned them that if anyone touched her again, he would see to it that each and every one of their fingers were broken. Once the boys were gone, he gave her a smile and went off to his own class. Later on that day she had found out that her savior was the new 7 year old boy who had just joined the school. It was that day she knew she loved him.

From that day, their relationship had grown from acquaintances to friendship, and from friendship to love. From that day they had been inseparable, whether it was him at her side saving her from something, or if it was her at his side helping him with his homework after school. They had celebrated many first together – first Valentines Day, first time holding hands, first hug, first kiss, even their first heart break. When his mother had died he had broken because once she was gone, he had no one left in this world. She had then reminded him that she was his and his only, until the end of time. Unashamedly he had cried on her shoulder as she held him. It was that day he realized he could never love any one more than he loved her. 

As they evolved into maturing adults, so had their relationship. He made her a stronger woman and she made him a caring man. They were their love and their love was their lives. Many had tried to break this relationship but nothing worked. Their trust and faith in each other was like nothing anyone had ever seen. Their love knew no bounds; their love is what made them who they were.

When her family refused to accept him because he was not of their standard, it broke her heart. She was shattered at the thought that they wouldn't accept the one good thing in her life. It broke her because they wouldn't accept the man she loved. It tortured her because she was given the ultimatum of choosing the family she adored or the man who she held in her heart and soul. She didn't know what do to. However, when she found out about her engagement to some big time business mans son, she knew what she had to do. Her heart and her mind told her the same thing.

That is why, she was here now – walking down the street with the man she loved; her hand in his, her head resting on his shoulder, and her heart one with his. She was dressed in a simple red churidar outfit; her hands done with mehndi, her wrists hidden by her chuda, her neck adorned with the sacred necklace of gold and black beads, a flowered garland resting over her arms as she walked and the parting in her forehead was the color was blood red.

He had asked her to make sure she had no regrets about what she was doing. She had just married the man of her dreams, she would never regret that. She was now a happily married woman, she could never regret that. She saw a bright future for herself and her husband, she could never regret that. She had trusted her heart and her love, she would never regret that.

"Paata nahin mausam ko kya hua hai. Lagta hai ke koi tufaan aane wala hai," he said.

The winds had suddenly picked up and were swirling around them as black clouds huddled over head.

"Kya sooch rahi ho?" he asked, as he nudged her with his shoulder lightly, when he got no response.

"Kuch nahin," she replied coyly.

"Kahin tum yeh toh nahin sooch rahi ho, ke tumne bohot badi ghalti ki hai iss garib admi se shaadi kar ke?" he teased.

She looked up at him and gave him a look – a look he understood too well.

"Aare baba, aaise akheen maat dikhao. Main toh baas mazak kaar raha tha," he said as he drew her hand up and kissed it. "Aab bata bhi doh, kya sooch rahi ho?"

"Main sooch rahi hoon ke…" she said as she snuggled closer to the warmth of his body, "…ke main tumse bohot pyaar karti hoon."

"Woh toh main jaanta hoon," he said arrogantly.

"Aur tum? Tum mujhse pyaar nahin karte?" she teased.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead before saying, "Iss duniya mein saab se zyada toh main hi tumse pyaar karta hoon."

She smiled and hugged him with all her might. She was married, she was happy and she had the love of her life with her forever. No, definitely no regrets.

The sun had set hours ago, taking with it the light of the day. It was now well past 9 in the evening as couple walked hand in hand down the secluded streets of Amritsar. They had started off on one note and ended on one that no one, not even the couple themselves, thought it would. The sequence of events that transpired that day couldn't be helped in any way. What had to be done was also what needed to be done. Little did this couple know that the sun had taken the light from their lives with it. Little did this couple know that the winds and the rain of the on coming storm would wash away their happiness.