THE LADY IN THE RAIN

EPILOGUE

Kalimpong
6 years later
            ‘Ritz!’
A girl comes running with a Havanese. She is a young girl of twelve. She is wearing a pink and white fusion jogging suit. The dog is following his younger master. He is barking and running behind her. The girl comes and leaps on Ritwik  and gives him a tight hug. The dog tries his best to push the girl away so that he could get a cuddle from his elder master.
‘I won this time, Koko. You lost.’
She takes her tongue out and playfully teases Koko. The dog continues barking indicating his displeasure and protest. Ritwik  runs his fingers on Koko's hairy body.
‘No need of fighting now. I love you both.’
The girl again hugs Ritwik  tightly and the dog jumps on his lap.
‘So, how was the walk?’ Ritwik  asks.
‘Awesome! The drizzle made it more exciting you know!’ the girl quotes.
‘You like drizzles?’
‘Yep!’
‘Okay, the breakfast is ready. Go and help yourself.’
‘But I thought that we would enjoy it together.’
‘But Pari I’ve fasted today.’
‘For Mom’s birthday?’ she raises her an eyebrow and asks.
‘Hmm.’
‘You know Mom missed us in her life.’
Ritwik  looks at Pari. Her eyes were filled with tears.
‘Hey, you okay?’
The girl wipes her tears and pretends a forceful smile and looks at Ritwik .
‘I always say this because I want Mom to regret. She needs to regret the fact that she deliberately ended her life for the sake of her stupid husband. You know I wish I died the very moment when I was born. I wish I never knew my Dad.’
‘Pari, just shut up! I don’t like all these now. I have already lost Emma. I can’t afford to lose you now.’
‘Me too. I don’t have anyone left in this world except you, Pri.’
‘When did you learn to speak all these mature sentences?’ he playfully teases her.
‘My life did not gave me the permission to be a child of my age. Its steering has driven me quite far away.’
She looks at Ritwik , expressionless.
‘Could you tell Mom HAPPY BIRTHDAY from my side?’
Ritwik  does not speak a word ahead and hugs her.
‘Wish that Mom, too, was in this frame!’
Pari says and looks at Ritwik . He gives a gentle smile to her.
‘It is always not necessary for a person whom you love to be physically around you. Connection of the hearts and intense feelings are all that matters. Your Mom may not be physically among us. But she is always with us. Remember that. She is that star which you find to be the brightest in a clear night sky.’
Pari listens to each and every word of Ritwik  carefully.
‘But why is she the brightest, Pri?’
‘It is because she has always shone before the evil. The brightness from her inside was too intense that the evil failed to withstand it and ultimately surrendered itself to the Hell.’
Ritwik  says each and every word with emotions. His eyes turned blood-red due to anger which he has buried and is still carrying it in the form of pain with himself. Pari looks shockingly at him.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Yeah! You go and have the breakfast now.’
‘I also want to fast today. Even I also want to pay tribute to her.’
‘No, you can’t Pari. Emma would have never liked this. My dear, when the time will come I will tell you to keep the fast. And it’s a promise!’
‘Okay, I agree. I also want to follow this ritual someday.’
‘Ritual...?’, Ritwik  pauses. ‘...yeah...ritual!’ he forces a fake smile.
Pari gets up and goes inside with Koko.
‘It’s not any ritual, my dear. It is my love for Emma. She was having her lunch that time and she left it incomplete because of me. I still remember... that day it was her birthday coincidentally,’ he says to himself.
Ritwik  looks up at the sky. It is still drizzling. When the raindrops touched his face, he starts breathing heavily.
‘I know it’s you, Emma! You don’t worry. I’ll take care of your Pari all through my life. My life is dedicated to Pari now. She is as important as you, my love. I know these raindrops are the tears of your love and sacrifice. You may relax. I will let nothing happen to Pari till the moment I am alive. I find you in her. How could I let anything wrong happen to her? It’s a double promise, Emma. I would take care of your daughter.’
The rain stops suddenly. The clouds clear slowly. Sun starts shining, intimating new rays of hopes and happiness in his life!
‘Pri, your book is on #trending1 in online today,’ Pari happily announces and comes out of the house. Hearing this, Ritwik  looks at the sky, smiling.
                                *THE END*