“Seriously, what
did you see in him?”
Radhika was not
being asked this for the first time. With those perfect curves, a beautiful
face which is no less than a delight to watch, and the smile which glows up the
entire room, she was an eye turner for sure. Nitin on the contrary was a sleek,
unattractive figure who seemed to have lived carelessly without the slightest
knowledge of muscles throughout his life. No matter how mismatched they looked,
it seemed like they were deeply in love.
“He makes me
laugh, I am happy when he is around”
Anybody who knew
Nitin would agree with this. He was the most hilarious person many would have
known, with humour flowing every minute of his presence. A humour devoid of
sarcasm, a humour devoid of tantalism, a humour so pure that it could hurt no
one but only make them laugh. In spite of his odd humour, people used to laugh
with him and never on him.
It had been a
decade since the two got married against their families’ wishes and were staying
in Mumbai without any children as per the Almighty’s will. Nitin worked in the media
industry as an analyst and was very happy with his job, no matter it was in his
nature to be happy about whatever he did. Radhika gave up her high paying job
as a senior consultant just a few years into marriage when she found it
becoming challenging and realised she wasn’t able to spend time with Nitin. She
was asked the same thing then, “What do you see in him?” And her reply was the
same, “He makes me happy”.
Yet with so many
hurdles and inadequacies they seemed to be the happiest couple around. People
envied them but never really understood why, for they had nothing which others
could not have.
“I think I will
never be a mother”, Radhika faced her worst fears one day as she buried herself
into Nitin’s arms, weeping.
“Mother Teresa
was never a mother, but none could have found a better mother than her. She was
the symbol of impartial care and love, immovable faith and hope, unfathomable motherhood.”
Radhika stopped
crying and looked at Nitin.
“You know why I
am telling you this?”
She nodded
gently wiping off her face.
“Because you
represent gentleness of that remarkable level. You take care of ME when I act
childish.”
She smiled
faintly.
“Okay, you don’t
believe me. You forgot our neighbour Padma’s daughter, she couldn’t let go of
you. And your friend Rekha’s kids, they were inseparable every time she left
with you to take care. And my Chacha’s son Bapun, your kaka’s daughter Simi, your
Hyderabad aunt’s nephew, my distant cousin Rita’s daughter, your own loving
sister’s kids….”
The tears had
vanished and Radhika very well understood what Nitin was trying to do but that didn’t
prevent her from smiling.
"… Also your
phuphere mama’s daughter’s son Kittu, our last landlord Shyamji’s daughter
Nippo, my friend Jessica’s brother’s kids Momo and Yoyo, oh yes and how can we
forget our old neighbour Radha’s twins Rock and Roll, how they used to dance
for you whenever you called them by these names that you game them. Rock ‘n’
Roll!?!? Seriously what were you thinking!”
“Well, I have
seen them grow and it was surprisingly funny that in spite of all the physical
resemblance, one wouldn’t move while the other kept on crawling, rolling all
the time. I can’t believe they still have these names on all their twin
clothes!”
And they both
started laughing so hard without stop for a long time and the room was filled
with laughter. All their worries and troubles had this secret passage made up
of happiness and laughter to guide themselves out of their lives.
Today that
passage was destroyed as was Nitin’s strength and Radhika’s cheer. Their
journey together had shockingly come to an unwanted end. People stood around as
the room was filled with what seemed like a never ending silence. There was
nothing anyone could have done, for it couldn’t have been a more tragic end. Radhika
was hit with a speeding car while coming back from the market and took her last
breath on the way to hospital. As she lied bruised motionless on the floor,
Nitin’s eyes were filled with deep regret and helplessness. Today was the first
time she hadn’t laughed, today was the first time he wasn’t trying to.
No one knew what
to say, it had always been Nitin’s job to comfort people, to cheer them up.
“How are you holding up man?”
He didn’t move,
tears rolled down and he couldn’t stop them.
“It will be
okay.”
He still didn’t
move. It was like end of world for Nitin.
Finally his
voice broke, “All I had lived for was to make her laugh.”
And people realised
what she saw in him.
Relationships are not about having, they are about giving.
One is only as happy and as lucky as the other half.
