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The Veteran

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The party was going on with as much hustle and bustle as one expects from any gala. And why shouldn't it be crazy, for the party was toasting to a happy and fulfilling life for the newly married couple. The atmosphere was absolutely boisterous, the band playing all sorts of party classics,the proud parents of the married couple trying to know their new relatives, the children running helter-skelter with their games, the uncles vociferously discussing politics, always having something to say, the aunties seemingly admiring the other lady's adornments and busy indulging in speculative cheap talk about the others, the young couples busy waltzing on the dance floor, oblivious to the happening around them and some others committing gluttony by the buffet despite complaining about the food to others. Overall, it was typical Indian wedding party. 

The guests were seated at varying distance from the bride and the groom depending upon their closeness to the hosts. On one such table,Varsha & Vikrant were seated.... Varsha was chatting away about love and life and next to her sat Vikrant quite unconcerned about both the topic and the company. 

Varsha - " The bride & the groom make a great couple don't they ?"

Vikrant while fidgeting with his phone and impervious - " what? oh yes..." and goes back to his phone.

Varsha looks at Vikrant with a stern expression.... Vikrant stares back at the all too familiar look which has always meant the same thing ' WHAT ARE YOU DOING'.

Vikrant puts the phone away for now and gets back in the conversation though completely irritated now.

Varsha carries on rambling to the young couple, Asha & Ravi at their table about how she met Vikrant, - " When we met we were not much older than what you are now, we were in college, I was doing architecture and he was in mechanical. We met a party and..."

Vikrant cut in - " do you really have to tell them everything ?"

Varsha - "why not ?"

Vikrant - " okay okay, go on"

Varsha - " So we met a party and he was a friend of my classmate's. He asked for a dance, I didn't want him to feel bad so we danced. We danced to some catchy tunes and before long the music turned romantic and before you know it we were waltzing."

Vikrant meanwhile had gone back to his phone.

Varsha continued ignoring him - " His hands were on my waist and my hands around his neck and we just swayed to the music. I felt a strange feeling of security in his arms and he said...."

Vikrant jumps in - " Not too shabby for mechie am I ?" 

Varsha clearly surprised albeit pleasantly looks at him.

Vikrant - " Im just bored... the number of times and the people you have told this to"

Varsha turns her gaze back to the young couple - " I replied, not too bad, not too bad at all. Needless to say we dated and here we are married.... " 

Vikrant grunts.

Asha taking advantage of Vikrant's distraction asks Varsha - "I'm very sorry, I don't mean to be rude but are you still in love ? His (Vikrant) mannerisms don't reflect it".

Varsha deliberately raises her voice so that Vikrant hears her - " Well after marriage you have a lot of things to worry about and some times though not always, the people don't appreciate what they have and the little joys of life like one appreciating his/her better half or a simple 'I love you' don't happen as often as one would like it to and over time stops altogether but that doesn't mean the love is gone...... Its just hiding somewhere in that heart" and with that Varsha pokes Vikrant on his chest.

Vikrant clearly disturbed by Varsha's answer, puts his palm on hers.

Varsha tells Asha - "but we have never danced since our marriage and nor has he appreciated me since then...."

Suddenly a tall man walks in from the shadows to their table and introduces himself to Varsha - "hello madam! I'm Vishal, would you give me the pleasure of a dance ?"

Varsha surprised replies - " If my husband allows it, then yes" looking at Vikrant who just grunts his approval and goes back to his phone.

Varsha & Vishaal move to the dance floor where they waltz which reminds her of her first dance with Vikrant and says - " Vishaal, thank you. You don't know what this means to me".

Vishaal leans and whispers in her ear -" I'm the lucky person here... who gets to dance with such a beautiful lady". Varsha throws her head back and laughs.

Varsha and Vishaal return to the table after dancing and he pulls a chair for Varsha who quips at Vikrant - " a true gent". Vishaal then bends and plants a kiss on Varsha's hand and thanks for the dance and departs.

Vikrant clearly sullen, derides Varsha - "you seemed pretty happy!"

Varsha mockingly answers - "Why shouldn't i be ? when was the last time you made me feel special  ? Why, is my Khadoos husband feeling jealous?"

Vikrant - " No no!! Nothing like that" and gets busy with his phone again.

Varsha - " Don't worry, I still love you and why wouldn't i, after 47 years of being together, i really can't look elsewhere at this age" and plants a kiss on Vikrant's forehead.

Vikrant blushes but does not shift his gaze from the phone. Varsha inquires - " What is with you and that phone today ?"

Vikrant does not answer.

In another corner of the hall, Vishaal picks up his phone to find a message - "Beta, Thank you very much. It was very noble of you. Ever since i lost my leg during the war.... I was not able to provide her with the small joys in life and to compound matters further, i fell into depression and PTSD. I love my wife and will to anything for her. Thank you". It signed off Maj. Gen. Vikrant.

Vishaal messages him back - " Anytime uncle.... anytime".

Vikrant reads his reply and then gazes at Varsha doling out details about their love story. For a moment, Vikrant is seized by a vision - He is on his feet waltzing with the only love of his life, the same way they had done many years ago... For a fleeting second, he felt whole again,  a man....... 

Vikrant shakes the illusion away, his hand clutching the stump where his leg once was and looks longingly at Varsha. She notices him and they look at each other with the same intensity and passion as they had when they met.

He asks her - "Not too shabby for a mechie am i ?" with a rustic smile.   

She replies - "Not too bad, not too bad at all".


THE END       


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The Veteran

21 Launches

Part of the Love collection

Published on January 20, 2017

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