Together - Today and Forever

Together: Today, tomorrow and forever.

‘It’s finally over.’

 Rekha smiled to herself as she sat down on her favorite chair by the balcony door. Cool morning breeze blew.  She felt the light net curtains wave towards her bringing with them the fragrance of the faraway lands where happiness reigned.

Happiness, that had eluded her for such a long time. She felt beautiful after a very long time. She always knew that she had been blessed with attractive looks but the trauma she had endured had drained all her will to look or feel her beautiful.

It was a wonderful day. The sky was clear with few white clouds over the horizon. The birds sang beautifully and golden sunlight flowed freely into her life and home. Was the day breathtaking, or was it her joy that made the day so, she wondered. Rekha decided not to worry about theses petty details. “I have spent the entire last year worrying and questioning -  now I will start living again”  she told herself. She was seeing things she had not noticed for ages and each discovery made her heart leap with joy. The sun playing hide-n-seek with the clouds, the green grass, the squirrels playing on the trees, the birds carrying twigs to make their nests, faraway sounds of kids playing somewhere and the rich aroma breakfast being cooked in the kitchen next door. Yes all this seemed to mark a new beginning for her. A new life which was prefect for her and carried no regrets from the past. She vowed to keep the past where it belonged and build her life anew with Satyam. A smile broke on her lips as he walked in to the room. Her Satyam, the man who had loved her and stood by her all though. Any lesser man would have left her but his love had proved strong enough for anything that life chose to give them.

Satyam stopped halfway. He looked tired and very restless. He stared at Rekha for a very long time and then said, “ I am sorry the things had to end this way.” Then he turned and picked up a suitcase that Rekha had missed noticing and walked out softly closing the door behind him.

Rehka was too stunned to make out anything. She was wondering how did that suitcase materialize besides Satyam. She had watched him climbing down the stairs and slowly walk towards her. She was waiting for him to come and take her into his arms. It had been a very long time since they had made love. It was not that Satyam and not wanted to �" he had made it clear numerous times that he  loved her and needed her in his life both emotionally and physically. It was just that  It did not happen, instead the suitcase had materialized and Satyam had walked out of the room, their home and her life.

Rekha had gone to a Kitty Party at her Friend’s place. She was totally devoted to Satyam and his life so had never bothered to do anything much without Satyam’s participation. However her friendly and ever helpful nature had won her many friends and got many invitations to get-togethers and parties. As Satyam was out for the night, Rekha was among the last ones to leave the party. It was evening when Rekha finished cleaning and arranging the house after a really wild party. She was driving her car daydreaming about Satyam’s arrival the next day. Their three years of marriage had done nothing to their still young love. It had been raining for some time when Rekha noticed the water droplets. Mentally scolding herself for being so absent minded she paid more attention to the road. She noticed a man trying to wave down the passing cars. She saw that he was well dressed and obviously in some kind of trouble as she slowed down. “My old mother is very ill and needs to be taken to a hospital.” said the man “can you give me a lift till the taxi stand?” To save the time Rekha had taken a not very familiar shortcut and hence was not aware of any taxi stands in the vicinity she told the man but if he knew they way she was ready to be of help. The man seemed very grateful and explained that his own car had broken down. As his friend lived in the area could she drop him there so that he could borrow his car?  

Rekha had drove on silently as the man gave her the directions. When they came to a very deserted place he asked her to stop. Her foot pressed the brake automatically as she looked at her passenger questioningly. There was no building in sight and if she was not mistaken they were miles away from the nearest house. All she got from her passenger was a sinister smile as he moved forward to grab her. She shouted for help even though she knew there would be none and fought him with all she had. She tried and failed as the man forced himself on her. She knew that his smile and the cold touch would be the memories she would carry to her grave.

Rekha remembered nothing about her journey home. She reached home late in the night and did not wonder why was the front door open. Her first thought was how warm Satyam’s arms felt and that maybe now it was all over.

She woke up the next in a strange room and a stranger bed. Suddenly all the memories of the previous night came back and she attacked the first male to enter the room. She fought him all over again and knew that she would loose all over again. Then she recognized a voice filled with pain calling out her name repeatedly and saw Satyam’s face come into focus. She felt strangely calm and allowed herself to be lowered into the bed and given some injections. Satyam held her hand and repeated over and over again that it was over. She wanted to tell him everything but only tears came out. She cried as if her tears could erase the events of the previous day but as she felt Satyam’s tears on her hand she knew anything was possible but that.  

Satyam had loved Rekha more than anything else. He knew what had happened the moment she had staggered into his arms. He knew that the society they lived in would not allow them to continue their life as before. The man had not only raped Rekha but had also raped their marriage. Satyam decided to stay beside his wife as he had promised her to do so ‘in sickness or in health’ and he would stand by his word. He was a simple man and made simple, straightforward and honest choices in life.

It was Satyam’s love and the understanding, which gave Rekha her extra ordinary strength to live through the ordeal that followed. To get justice she had to fight a system which was bent on proving otherwise. In the days that followed she wanted to give up so many times, forget everything like a bad dream and live her life. But Satyam was always there, urging her to go on. “You have to fight for yourself and for us,” he told her every time. The man got imprisoned and a trail which for some unknown reason caught the media’s fancy followed. If Satyam and Rekha thought that the worse was over they could not be wrong. Each reporter wanted a different edge to his story and in the process forgetting that they were dealing with real people. The press printed many stories of their life, some good and some bad but all wrong. Then eight months after the fateful evening it ended. “ The lone warrior has won her war.” The press declared as the most powerful industrialist of the state was found guilty.    

The morning changed into noon and soon the sun made way for the darkness for the night. The world moved on. Only Rekha seemed unaware of the time moving on, the only thought that captured her mind was, ‘why?’ They had won against all odds; they had faced difficulties which no couple could have survived. They had eagerly waited for today to start a new life. Satyam had even got himself a transfer to a new town so that they may leave the painful memories behind. Then why had he walked out? He said that he would be there for her and was there and so why did he leave her alone at this point of time?

The night became morning marking the shortest twenty-four hours of Rekha’s life. She was still in her chair thinking and wondering why. There was something which was trying to tear her from her trance back into the reality. The phone kept on ringing and Rekha made an effort to move. She just wanted the horrible ringing to stop. She held the receiver to her ear not trusting her voice as the caller identified himself. “Mr. Kaushal?” he asked. “No” Rekha replied as she recognized her doctor. “ Mrs. Kaushal you had an appointment with our consular today” the doctor said trying unsuccessfully not to sound worried. Then the pieces started to fall into place, Satyam was to receive her blood report for the HIV test the pervious day. He could live with her and rebuild her emotionally but another fight with AIDS was something their relationship could not endure.  Satyam was a simple man, he had always made simple choices.