United forever, or so they thought
With good wishes that elders brought
Together, cheek-to-cheek they sat
That was how the whole night passed
The first night together had ended thus for Nishakar and Purnasree who were made for each other. It was an arranged marriage; they both came from similar backgrounds; he was as much an extrovert as she was otherwise.
Nishakar was never a good student, always an excellent sportsman, jovial and popular with his friends. He was just a graduate holding a low-profile job in a government department. He used to dream of marrying an academically brilliant wife. He would raise her to the pinnacle of achievement and success, he had thought.
Purnasree fulfilled all that he wanted in a wife abundantly. She had a Master's degree in science, was a topper in the university and her mind was not closed -she was willing to learn further. In attitude and behaviour, she was the typical Indian girl, respectful to elders, always ready to help around the house, with drawn in company and loyal to her husband.
During their evening walks they used to go to the riverside, stand on the bridge and look at the reflection of the moon in the water. The water was still because the river was deep and there were no currents.
Purnasree would tell Nishakar, "I am happy with this life, with this house and above all a husband like you - let not a thing change now or ever." He was, however, not satisfied. He wanted her to go for higher education, higher achievements and success - the best in the world he used to say.
He was overjoyed therefore when he came across an advertisement in the newspaper announcing scholarships for deserving students who wanted to pursue higher education and research in the USA. The university would provide only the course fees, the living expenses could be managed by part-time employment, but the airfare would have to be borne by the students.
He was able to make her agree, reluctantly, to send her application. Side by side, he completed the formalities required for travel. He took a loan from a financial institution for buying the air ticket. The amount would be deducted in monthly instalments from his meagre salary.
When the confirmation from the American university came, they parted from each other, he with great expectations and she with apprehensions. It was agreed that they would exchange at least one letter per week apart from a weekly phone call which she would make.
Both these arrangements worked fabulously for one year. After that, first the letters tapered off and then the phone calls, till both these were limited to one per month. She must be busy with her studies and research, he consoled himself. And he was happy at that.
In the meanwhile Nishakar lost both his parents one after the other. In the absence of brothers or sisters, he was all alone in the house - very lonely indeed. In the evenings he would go to the riverside and spend some time there.
It was when the letters and phone calls from his wife stopped altogether that Nishakar got really worried. His letters to the university regarding Purnasree's whereabouts went unheeded and he even contemplated going to the USA to find out what calamity had befallen her. He had already applied for a passport. He became disinterested in his work and started absenting from office quite often.
And then it came. The final blow, the thunderbolt, the earth-splitting revelation. It was a letter from Purnasree which said she was in love with her research partner who was a genius in the field and who could help her in her future career. They were ideally suited for each other, intellectually compatible and they had decided to spend the rest of their lives together. It was a factual statement devoid of any emotions.
That evening, Nishakar went as usual to the riverside. There was an emptiness in his head, in his entire being and his legs had carried him mechanically onward.
He stood on the bridge absent-mindedly leaning forward on the railings, staring at the moon's reflection. Suddenly the reflection was marred by ripples and Nishakar, startled from his thoughts, leaned more and more forward till he lost balance and toppled over. He bobbed up and down a couple of times before he was completely enveloped by the water. All his sorrows ended there. Mother Nature had embraced him close to her bosom.
