To Love or Not To Love

Chapter 58

Rishi Gupta was the youngest of the three Gupta siblings. The unplanned child, born ten years after his sister Madhumati and seven years after his brother Shashi. When the child was born, the Gupta patriarch's sweetmeat business in Lucknow took off and the family that was once struggling to make ends meet was now living comfortably. The surplus revenue allowed the entire Gupta family to relocate from their native village to the bustling city of Lucknow. The Gupta patriarch was hailed a success in his village. Their youngest son had brought the family a lot of luck.

Even as a child, Rishi was adored. His cute little eyes, dusky complexion, and enticing smile made him an instant favorite. With his antics and loving nature, he brought joy and laughter to his entire family. His 10-year old sister Madhumati raised him as her own, helping her mother with feeding and bathing the babe. When Rishi was 5, Shashi insisted on walking his younger brother to school. Holding Rishi's hands, he taught his brother to maneuver the tricky mud roads that led them to their school, without getting his white school uniform dirty. The siblings doted on their younger brother; the parents felt blessed.

Months turned to years, and the siblings grew up. Madhumati was married off to a distant relative - Nandkishore Agarwal - a car mechanic who was settled in New Delhi. Shashi, now married to Garima, had taken over their father's business. The couple was expecting their first child.

They all worried about Rishi. Although the boy had a college degree and was considered brilliant, he still whiled away his time doing nothing. He had outrightly rejected working for their father's business and had tried working numerous jobs, only to quit within the first six months. Madhumati and Shashi were concerned. The parents were worried. The family concluded that his behavior was a result of a lack of responsibility. The solution was marriage. A bride search began in earnest. All relatives, near and far within their community were sent photographs of Rishi along with copies of his horoscope.

*****

Rishi Gupta was in love with Hema Sharma, daughter of a local Union worker whom he had met in college. Right at the start of their relationship, both Rishi and Hema knew the challenges that lay ahead of them. Hema was from a different caste and Hema's father enjoyed a lot of political clout. Despite that, the couple continued to meet secretly. When Hema got pregnant, they were left with no option but to elope and get married.

The Guptas welcomed their new daughter-in-law with all the love in their heart. Hema's father, on the other hand, was not happy. By marrying someone of her choice and from a different caste, it seemed to him that his daughter had effectively tarnished his reputation within the political circles. Armed with an army of hooligans, Keshav Sharma threatened to kill his daughter and his new son-in-law. Fearing for their lives and that of their unborn child, Rishi and Hema Gupta relocated to New Delhi to live with Madhumati and Nandkishore Agarwal.

*****

Khushi's birth was a moment of great joy for the family. Madhumati and Nandkishore, who didn't have any children of their own, felt blessed that this child had taken birth in their house. The girl was doted upon and showered with love.

As Khushi grew older, thoughts about her future plagued the couple. With Rishi constantly in and out of jobs, the couple barely had any savings. How could they support their daughter's future without having the money that it required? It pinched them to no extent when Khushi was clothed in hand-me-downs. Madhumati and Nandkishore were generous, but lately, his brother-in-law's car shop wasn't doing too well. Rishi felt like a parasite for not being able to monetarily contribute towards the running of the household. His inability to help his sister out constantly gnawed at his soul, leading to arguments with Hema on inconsequential matters. While Hema understood his desperation, she didn't have a solution. And so she prayed hard to Devi Maiyya for help.

A job offer from a construction company in Dubai presented itself as a solution. The couple figured that if Rishi worked there for five years, they could save up enough for Rishi to come back and start his own business. The money would also give Madhumati and Nandkishore a respite from single-handedly running the household. Taking the blessings of his older sister and brother in law, Rishi decided to go to Dubai. The company sponsored flight was from Mumbai.

Hema insisted on going to Mumbai to see Rishi off. The couple, with their daughter Khushi, traveled to Mumbai by train, three days before Rishi was due to leave. They stayed with a distant relative and visited all the tourist spots of the city, relishing its culture, enjoying its glamour. Hema was a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan and so on the day before Rishi's flight was due to take off, the three of them took a bus to Juhu Chowpatty to see the actor's house and visit the beach.

*****

Flip flops in their hand, hair sticky from the salty air that brushed against it, Rishi, Hema, and Khushi enjoyed their time near the sea. Khushi ran around in the sand, built castles, splashed salty water around, her activities punctuated time and again by street delicacies that Rishi bought from cart vendors for the family to share. Khushi's excitement doubled as Rishi bought her a paper windmill that looked like a rainbow when it spun around in the breeze. The family was having a great time, but as dusk settled and the street lights came on, a sadness overcame Hema. Rishi was leaving the next day and Hema didn't know when she would get to see him next. She willed the moment to stretch as far as it could. So they continued to walk around the beach, holding hands, taking turns carrying a sleepy Khushi till the food vendors started packing up.

They could delay the inevitable no more. Supporting his sleeping daughter with his left arm, who's head was comfortably nestled in the crook of his neck, he took long strides to cross the road while simultaneously trying to hail a cab by waving his right hand. A cab pulled over. Hema got into the back seat. Placing Khushi's sleeping head on her lap, Rishi sat next to the driver in the front, so Khushi could continue to sleep comfortably. They had a long way to go, and a longer night ahead of them.

With bright prospects of the future and thoughts of separation at the forefront of their mind, the family began their journey towards their temporary home in Mumbai. They had merely reached the intersection on the Juhu -Chowpatty Road, when a speeding truck driver, broke the red light and crashed into their taxi.

20 minutes later, when the paramedics arrived, the driver, Hema, and Rishi were declared dead. The only survivor was eight-year-old Khushi Kumari Gupta, who was laying down in the back seat.