The unread letter

As I was standing before the mirror and admiring myself, Fauziya and Saira came in laughing and giggling, and I fused into them as they again picked up teasing me, after all I was not the only person on earth getting married. Yes! You are right; it was my wedding, my big day. And how can I forget to mention how much Ram and I have fought for this. Well I first met Ram in London when he came for his business tour and before I could even dip my eyelashes I was in love with this tall, dark and handsome Indian guy. Although today when I looked into his eyes through the mirror during the wedding, as wedding was conducted in both ways, I could still feel the same love in his gaze. I, being a Pakistani girl born and raised in London, fell madly in love and hence agreed to settle down in India with my beloved's lovely family. Every day of my life started turning to be the best days of my life. Everyone in the family also liked me or rather they loved their son's choice. Even I quite liked them but from the first day I felt something different and weird in the way Laxmi Bua looked at me. Her teary stoned eyes and frozen look said as if she had been waiting for something. She had so many questions in her eyes. In the initial days of my marriage, I thought maybe she hasn't accepted me yet but by the passing days I realized there was some other worm eating her from inside. Ram said he had seen her this way since his childhood. He also told me that she was adorable but no one really knows why she refused to marry anyone. But still she had something in the way she looked at me and that used to make me shiver, and it was weird and breathtaking. I never really spoke to her in person as she talked very less. She used to stand in front of the mirror and look at herself for hours. That day when I went to call her up for lunch in the rainy afternoon, her painful eyes were also pouring down and her wrinkled face was covered with sadness. Before I could prepare myself to ask some question I heard something. She said -"It was raining like this that day". I asked Which day?" for which she replied "The day when he left me promising that he will come back and take me with him." I was awestruck and I felt as if my tongue froze. I was standing there amused and confused and I suddenly felt a pang of glum inside. She gave me an envelope and said "I

know you can understand me and I can trust you." I took it from her and started observing the ancient aged torn envelope that dated 27 June 1948. To my amusement the envelope was unopened. I opened the envelope and found a letter inside. The tears rolled out again she looked in my eyes again and with pain she said I can't read. Her eyes begged me to read that and I started reading the letter. It said, Dear Laxmi, It seems like I had not seen you for ages but my love for you is still pure and true as our new country. Things seem to be settled down and I am coming to take to from there. If you are waiting for me there then write back. I thought fighting for freedom is everything but you are the one who had bounded me. You mean everything to me be it my life or freedom. Nothing seems important as I can't even see your smiling face and all I want is to tie myself to you forever. So freedom here I come. Waiting for your reply Your love Shazad " That small letter said it all. I asked her why she never opened the letter she could have replied to him and he could have taken her away with him. Again with those stoned eyes which were bleeding by now she answered with lump in her throat "I was so scared that I kept this letter hidden for years. I could not trust anyone or they would have killed him. When I saw you I always knew I could tell you". She was quiet after that, maybe fighting with herself inside. I left from there as I could not see her pain. She was like a broken submarine that she did not even realize when she sank while floating. I left thinking was she victim of the circumstances, or of love or victim just by herself. Life gives you so many questions when Laxmi got answers for her questions that were changed by then.