Metro Diaries: The Last letter ~ Part 3 (Final)

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In continuation Part 1  | Part 2

Sarayudevi stifled a sob as she wrapped that letter with trembling hands and kept it back in the mahogany box. It had been 65 years to that day and still her wait had not got over. After few months of that last letter she had been blessed with a baby girl who resembled her in every aspect. She stared at the walls that lay before her adorned with various family pictures. She and the years, her daughter when she was 3, growing up memories, her marriage “Time just flew by…” she reminisced smiling to herself. 

Time had actually flown by. It seemed like yesterday that she was hugging Manu for the last time in that fort, and just few moments when she had held her own daughter for the first time in her trembling hands. The wheels of time stop for none. They just go on and on. And today her daughter was going to become a grandmother. What a moment of pride to be relived again! Sarayudevi was going to be a great grandmother soon, a moment which somehow did not make her as happy as she should have been. 

She looked up at God and asked what she asked Him always “How long do I need to wait before I meet my Manu? Why did you have to make us fall in love when we could not be together? To have a moment with your loved one just to say how much they mean to you, is it too much to ask for. Yes, I have done it all. Loved, dreamt, had my heart broken, fallen down only to get up again, faced storms and then learnt to dance in them, broken hearts, cheated, collected broken remnants and started all over again, given birth, taken birth each time with them, cared, played, smiled, cried, succeeded, got wealthy, lost money, lost loved ones and friends too, met people, made best friends, met some wrong people, created families, built homes, moved countries, travelled across the globe and through all this lived my life to the fullest. So much so that if tomorrow I were to meet my maker I would proudly claim “I used all that you gave me in the best possible manner that I could.” And yet today my maker seems to add onto my time. What is that is remaining to be seen except this endless wait which will end perhaps with my death…..” Day and night her heart yearned for a moment where she could be with Manu and live a thousand lives in that one moment. Somewhere deep within the confines of her heart, she just refused to believe that he could have died in the battle. She still very strongly felt that he was alive somewhere in some part and would be looking for her. 

She remembered the times when he would be hurt and she could sense it without even knowing about it. The bond that they shared was truly unexplainable for its defining its depth was beyond words. She knew her heart would know the day he was no more. The door bell broke her chain of thoughts reminding Sarayudevi that her daughter was back from the hospital. Before she could her call for her, she came rushing into her room. “Mom, Shital has given birth to a baby boy.” Hugging Sarayudevi tightly her daughter began crying out of joy. 

Rummaging through her purse she took out her phone, flipped through some buttons before opening one picture and showing it to Sarayudevi, “Ma see this is how he looks….” Sarayudevi took the phone from her hand and narrowed her eyes, bringing the phone a bit closer to see her great grandson. For a moment she went into deep thought as she kept staring at the photo and suddenly her tired old eyes began to gleam. Her daughter had a baffled look on her face for she kept looking at her mother waiting for her reaction. “My wait is finally over, he is here….. “ Sarayudevi could just manage to whisper. 

“Ma, what happened?” “Nothing… I loved his eyes; they have a spark in them.” 

Not knowing how to react her daughter just smiled and left the room with her mobile in hands. Sarayudevi had a strange look on her face. There was a sense of calm mixed with joy which was reflecting in her wrinkled eyes. Though they were old, the shine in them was pretty much evident. “He is here… my Manu is here… and my wait is finally over. Now it is time for to me to go and come back again to meet one more time and never to part this time. “ 

She kept saying this to herself and fell asleep on her bed. Generally she was a light sleeper who kept getting up many times due to restlessness. But today was different. She slept like a child, undisturbed with a divine smile on her lips. Her face was glowing as if she had found answers to all the questions she had till now and the riddle was finally solved. That night Sarayudevi passed away in her sleep. 

Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They are in each other all along. - Rumi

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