Sheela looked at her husband, Major Raj. He was still sleeping with his arms around little Anjali. Peaceful and relaxed. It's been about a week since he came home and he has been sleeping as if he hasn't slept for days! Raj was on leave for a month and one week has already gone by. This time she saw him after a year. More than a year actually! He could neither make it for their daughter's birth nor for her first birthday. The little one was already walking and talking when he saw her for the first time. Anjali had seen her father for the first time since birth although she did hear his voice over the phone. Internet ban in the Valley meant no photographs and no video calls! The first few minutes she refused to go near him, thinking he is a stranger. But the moment she heard his voice calling her, Anjali ran to him. Father and daughter have been inseparable since then! Sheela remembered how they met and got married. Typical Bollywood story! Thankfully without the villains and vamps! Sheela had gone to Delhi to attend her best friend's wedding. It had been difficult to get leave for a week but she had managed to finish all her work well before the deadlines! Boss finally signed her leave application. Her best friend Sonya was getting married to an Army Officer and a lot of his colleagues were there for the wedding. The one who caught her eye was the one who she caught looking at her. She felt someone staring at her and locked eyes with him, till he finally smiled and looked away. His dimpled smile made her smile too. Soon they got talking. Major Raj was also in the Army. Both he and Sheela were Fauji brats, which made conversation much easier as they could relate to a lot of things. They had a lot of common places they had lived in and even some common friends! Studying in Army schools, field postings, separations- they had seen and experienced a lot! Needless to say, they clicked with each other and before returning to their respective jobs, they decided to keep in touch. As luck would have it, Raj was posted to the city where Sheela lived. They met as often as possible and finally so did the parents. Before the year ended, they got married. Sheela continued to work but finally decided to be with her husband. She was expecting their first baby when he got posted to the Valley. No matter how much she prepared herself for the separation, it was difficult to accept... Now that he is here, they intend to make up for the lost time and make beautiful memories together. This one month would be special and she wanted to make every precious moment together count! Watching father and daughter bonding was a treat! The young Major was like putty in Anjali's tiny hands and totally under her spell! Sheela didn't miss recording even a second of these moments. One month passed by so quickly! Standing with Anjali in her arms,screaming her lungs out, Sheela watched Raj leaving for the airport till the cab couldn't be seen anymore. Anjali was tired of crying and finally slept. Sheela was staying with her parents for the time being. She kept shuttling between her parents' home and that of her in-laws'. Anjali had turned 2 and it's been quite a while since Raj left. Things in the Valley were going from bad to worse and Sheela was trying hard to stay calm for the sake of Anjali. But the little one was asking a million questions a day and by the time she was tucked in for the night, Sheela was exhausted! It had been days since she last spoke to Raj and she hoped he is fine. That fateful morning, the family turned on the TV to watch the news. An encounter was on since the previous evening and all but one terrorist had been killed. Unfortunately a young officer who killed the last one, received injuries himself. A day later he left for Elysium - the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the pure. Sheela's world came crashing down. So many dreams they dreamt together and plans they made for a beautiful future came to a naught. As if a light had been switched off, her world turned pitch dark and all the colours disappeared from her life! His memories are all she has now..., carefully preserved in albums and CDs, all the moments captured in photographs and videos....The short but wondrous life they shared, the love, the laughter and joy, the excitement of looking forward to the next meeting... Everything came to an abrupt end. The loss, the emptiness, the vacuum in her life is probably here to stay... She was sinking into a bottomless pit of grief and despair.... As the mortal remains of the young braveheart was brought home, his old parents were distraught with grief. Sheela was silent and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. The heart wrenching sight of little Anjali trying to wake up Papa made many lose their composure. For the sake of Anjali, Sheela smiled and spoke in a steady voice,"Anjali, Papa is so brave. Even God wants brave people in heaven and he chose your Papa! Aren't you proud of him? And guess what? You can see Papa as the brightest, biggest star in the sky! " There wasn't a single person who wasn't moved by the stoic and dignified wife's touching words.
Loved it..
Very touching....