You are the Best

Mr. Mehta walked into his room and noticed that Radha was already asleep. It was way past their bed time. He had waited for a call. As he moved towards his bed he stopped by the picture on the study table. It was a picture taken a couple of years ago, on diwali. “Radha looked lovely that day, as usual” he thought. All his sons were present-Sharat, his eldest son with his wife Mukta, Prerna, his beautiful daughter with her husband Yash and Rohit, his younger son with his wife Renu. All his five grandchildren were there too. And then he saw her. Like always she stood out from the crowd. Not only because she was beautiful, because she was special. “She did not call…even today.” said Mr. Mehta to himself as tears filled his eyes and his lips quivered. He was tempted to call her.

As he tucked himself into his bed, Mr. Mehta couldn’t help but notice his wife, sleeping like a baby. He was a lucky man, he thought. He had first met her when he was in college and right away he knew she was the one for him. He married the most beautiful woman he had ever known. He married the most beautiful human being that he had ever known. She had stood by him, like a rock, through thick and thin and had given him the most invaluable gifts of his life, his three children. His children were successful. He had had a very fulfilling work life. He was still very much in love with his wife. (“Our marriage is still young” he would always say planting a kiss on his wife’s forehead and winking at his sons). “I am turning 75 tomorrow and I have lived my life to the fullest.” Then suddenly, tears welled up again. He felt intense pain, like someone was ripping his heart apart. “Oh…she didn’t call”. His pain grew sharper as he was bombarded with memories. It was getting worse by the minute. He was sweating .He wanted to call his wife but he couldn’t. He slowly picked up a glass of water and gobbled it as fast as he could. In some time…the pain was gone.



The phone finally rang. It had been the call Sheetal had been waiting for the entire day. But yet her hands trembled as she picked up the phone. She looked at her watch, it was 10:00 pm. “Hello!” said the voice on the other end. “He sounds so different now” she thought. “Hello!” said Sheetal with her indelible smile.

As she felt years of love, tears, joy, fears, laughter, distress, flowers, moonlights, wines, sweet nothings, walks, talks and companionship coming crashing down at her like a big ball of pain , she could hardly remember the conversation that she had had a few minutes ago. But she knew, the verdict was out-He didn’t love her.



Mr. Mehta switched off the table lamp. He was tired. He felt the cold breeze blowing through the window. He held Radha’s hand and went to sleep.



The tears flowing down her cheek, asked Sheetal several questions, but she had answers for none. “But …we will still be friends.” He had said. Sheetal hadn’t uttered a word even though he had coaxed her to. “Why aren’t you saying anything…please talk…please”. Words wouldn’t come out of her mouth though she tried. She had blanked out, like every word that she knew was erased from her memory. “Can we be friends?” she wondered. Tears didn’t stop flowing though at some point of time they had lost reason, their purpose. As she slipped into sleep, the only word she uttered was the only word she could tell him…..“Thanks……”

The alarm rang at seven in the morning but Sheetal was still searching for reasons to get out of bed. A lot had happened in the past couple of months. Today she felt that her sacrifices were in vain. She picked herself and headed towards to the rest room. “Time heals everything…everything…every pain” she said to herself. But she knew she could never trust another soul, couldn’t trust any more good times, couldn’t trust any more promises, couldn’t trust any more assurances, couldn’t trust any more innocent eyes. She blamed herself for getting it all wrong. She was guilty, guilty of giving pain. She did not believe in love anymore. She looked at herself in the mirror. “This world if filled with frogs…and I seem to be meeting all of them…one by one!.” She smiled.



“Happy birthday darling!” Radha kissed her husband handing him the phone, “ Sharat and Mukta”. “Thank you so much Beta…yes, I am feeling much better now…yes, I will see the doctor…How are my little babies…I have sent them some books…sure beta…take care….love you too.”Mr Mehta winked at his wife as he put the receiver down. Radha smiled. She knew he was hurt and she knew why but she said nothing. “Ill fix breakfast for you dear” she said as she headed towards the kitchen.

Radha giggled when she heard the music. She knew her husband was up to something. Then she heard him whisper “Can I have a dance with my beautiful wife?”Radha turned around and blushed “Ramesh, you will never change. Sure u can.” He pulled her closer to him, his cheek touching hers, their body swaying to the music. But he couldn’t deny the fact that his heart longed for someone else…someone he loved more than his wife. He dug his head deep into his wife’s arms and sang along “Oh…my love…oh my darling…I hunger for your touch...”.A tear drop slipped through Radha’s eyes.



Sheetal couldn’t help but admit that she had never felt this uncomfortable in her life before and she wasn’t sure if it was because of yesterday’s phone call. “I hate being alone on a Sunday. Maybe I should get some fresh air. I would feel better” Sheetal decided, but she still stayed at home. That was the first time she was regretted not staying with her friend Raksha.She remembered the frantic phone call from the local booth a 8 months ago. “Shee, you can come here and stay with me. Everything will be fine” Raksha had assured. But Sheetal wanted to be alone.

“I should read something light” she thought. “Reading has always lifted up my spirits”. She searched frantically for a suitable book. Her hand landed on a red book. The same queasy feeling came back .She opened the book.

“To the one I love the most………YOU ARE THE BEST”

She started to realize what was causing the pain. This disturbed her even more. She realized she was missing him and she didn’t want to. “Coffee….Yes, coffee is what I need right now….”she shouted as she rushed into the kitchen. She picked up a coffee mug. “YOU ARE THE BEST. Happy Birthday” it read. Sheetal sank to her knees. She knew exactly what was happening and what would make her feel better. The door bell rang.



Mr. Mehta spent the rest of the morning receiving calls from his loved ones. “I am so excited about today’s party Ramesh. I hope everything goes well. I sent out the invitations a week ago. I hope everyone makes it.” said Radha all charged up. But Mr. Mehta was lost in his own thoughts. “Will she come? What would Radha say if she does? Oh! I miss her so much.”



Sheetal gathered herself and opened the door. It was the mailman. He handed her an envelope. She opened it. It was an invitation. She took a deep breath and said it again “Time heals everything…every pain...” She looked at the clock. It was Thursday, May 10th, 2:00 pm. “Its May 10th…May 10th…yes… yes I am going…I am going to meet him”. She picked up her handbag, shoved the invitation into it, reached for the car keys and left.



Mr. Mehta had started to feel really weak late that afternoon. “I should see the doctor” he thought. “Radha, I think I will get some rest. I may not be able to once the guests arrive” he told his wife as he maneuvered himself into his room. “Sure dear” came the reply. The door bell rang. “You go ahead dear. Ill get it.”



As she drove to her destination, Sheetal felt a wide range of emotions. “How will he react? How will she react?” she kept asking herself. She parked her car a little away from the gate, walked towards the gate, stood in front of it for a while. “I don’t care…I have to see him”. She opened the gate and walked towards the door. It was only a couple of steps to the door, but she felt like she had been walking for years. She took a deep breath and rang the bell.



“It must be the Banerjees.They said they would be coming early”Radha thought opening the door with a wide smile. The smiled weaned when she saw who stood in front of her. “Sheetal…” Radha looked almost shocked.Sheetal froze. “Come in. I will call him” said Radha, turning away. “It’s okay, I know where exactly to find him” said Sheetal dropping her handbag on the sofa and walking towards Mr. Mehta’s bedroom.

She saw him sitting on the rocking chair facing the window. He had fallen asleep. As she walked towards him she stopped by the study table. She picked up the framed picture on it. She remembered the picture was taken four years ago, on diwali. Everyone was there. “But he…he seems to stand out in the crowd…like always…maybe because he is such a special person…or maybe because I love him the most”.


Sheetal knelt in front of the rocking chair and held Mr. Mehta’s hand. The old eyes slowly opened. They looked at her closely. They didn’t believe what they saw. Then slowly they welled up. Sheetal took his hand, kissed his palm and said “Happy Birthday grandpa”


The party was a huge success. Everyone arrived one by one. First the Banerjees, then the Kumars, followed by the Krishnans, the Guptas, the Tewaris and the Shahs (they were late as usual).The house was filled with laughter and joy. Sheetal hadn’t seen her grand father this happy before. Everyone thought the food was great. They sang, they danced, remembered the days gone and hoped for a better tomorrow. Sheetal picked up her glass of wine and rose to her feet. “Toast” everyone yelled. “To the most handsome, kind, loving and wonderful man I have known…..to the one I love the most….Happy Birthday…YOU ARE THE BEST!” she said winking at her grandpa.


Sheetal was more than happy, for the bitterness disappeared, the fights forgotten, the wrong choices forgiven ,the tears shed, the hugs taken and given and the love revived. After the last drink had been served, the last guest had bid good bye, the last dish cleaned, Sheetal heard music again. She peeped through the kitchen door to look at her gradparents.They cuddled like a newly wed couple. Yes, her grandfather was right…their marriage would never grow old. As Sheetal’s heart filled with joy and sadness at the same time, she thought “yes, this world is full of frogs….but I am ready to kiss every frog that I meet till one of them turns out to be my prince, one who would love me forever, for who I am, just like my grandpa loves my grandma.”


Radha kissed Sheetal goodnight as she switched the lights off and left the room. She had done that for 22 long years. Sheetal was just 5 when her parents Rohit and Renu had left to the US leaving her behind with them. “Time really flies” Radha sighed. As she walked towards her room she couldn’t help but notice something sticking out of Sheetal’s handbag. She picked up the piece of paper. It was an invitation. “Dheeraj weds Kavya” it read. The date (May 30th) and Venue was given. With the invitation was a tiny note.


Dear Sheetal,

I am sorry……..

But always know this…….

YOU ARE THE BEST.

Dheeraj



The next morning Sheetal was awakened by a cry. He was gone. By the side of her bed there was a note-“No Dear, YOU ARE THE BEST”