Anju was the class mate of Reena who s cousin Ajay often used to come to pick her from her Government girls school in class 10.Ajay was tall slim fair and brown mustach adolescent teenager with greenish blue eyes and curly hair and at 15 years age too, a street smart boy with motor bike driving skills and the prime shopper of groceries and essentials for his house. Anju was a very cute and pretty looking sister , 8 years younger to her 2 elder brothers and a darling princess daughter of her father! Both Anju and Ajay were extremely poor in their academics and just managed to clear their 10th boards with minimum pass percentage marks.Anju often visited bright student Reena s house who s cousin too often use to come to take her guidance in studies! Slowly the glances ,smiles and secret admiration of Anju and Ajay turned into exchanging love letters ,land line phone numbers and secret park visits.Anju s  brother was extremely strict and hooligoon charactered boy and once when he got to know his sisters meetings with a boy ,he threatened her to crush Ajay under truck aswelll convinced his parents to send Anju out of station for finishing her graduation .Anju was sent to her Bhabee s parents house in Lucknowfrom Delhi! In those days without mobile, pager ,watts app ,insta and few land lines p.c.o( public phone availability once a week) was Anju s only way to connect with Ajay once a week on Saturdays at 4pm when she was allowed to go to shani temple alone! As they say distance makes hearts go fonder and it was an year Anju and Ajay ever met .To surprise her Ajay went to the other town with 20 b.day cards on Anju s 20th b.day and reached her college aswell threw a samosa pepsi party at her all girls college! Anju was on seventh Heaven when Ajay gifted her Titan Raga watch from his first income as an interior decoration contractor! In 1995 p.ops and digital sign boards was a new concept and with India opening its arms to m.n.cs ,visualization and marketing being taken over by product ,packaging and placement with bright neon signs made Ajay ( though academically a below average) ,a market giant within 2years! His passion for his work and love for Anju made him financially independent and very comfortable to ask his own parents to ask for Anju s hand in marriage! Anju as usual on the weekend just before Ajays parents were to go to her house with a diamond ring and silk tussar saree called as usual on Ajays land line to be shocked to know that Ajay had met a fatal accident 6 days back and had already gone 2 plastic surgeries and was on life support system of Delhi s Safderjung hospital! As if Anjus dreams crumbled and she was in daze for some time gasping for breath! She prayed and prayed and prayed and fasted,,visited temple each day  even stopped talking to God for some time for how harsh could he be? As Destiny would have it  after 6 months in hospital, 8 plastic surgeries of re grafting his nose and chin and a long lag in his business a not now as attractive Ajay again rose up for his Anju! Even with fractured legs,bandaged face and slurred speech he each week walked to the pco of hospital and talked to the Princess of his dreams assuring his love and trust in her! Both Anju and Ajay were 22 summers old by now and between extreme opposition from family tied a wedding knot on Anju s 23rd b.day in a humble wedding where Anjus brothers and mother were swollen faced,her only solace was her dad who dotted on her and dint want his daughter s eyes to have a single tear too! As Anju became the first daughter in law of Ajay s house she was showered with lot of love ,blessings and gifts which came with lot of expectations and restrictions too! As they say ,love can strengthen you as a being and make u crosss many hurdles ,Anju and Ajay worked really hard to be on their 10th wedding anniversary to Europe with 2 healthy kids aged 8 and 4 and a lovely 3 storied house with foreign cars a 24×7 house help and driver to take them for shopping and restaurant eating at their will! Seeing Anju so happy and Ajay always helpful in taking care of Anjus parents in health crises ,Anju s brothers accepted the alliance too and started welcoming the couple and her inlaws regularly for family dinners! On one such morning when Ajay was away to Bombay for a professional commitment he called Anju from the pool of Oberoi hotel saying how blessed he felt having her in his life and would soon give her and the kids same holiday experience he was having at the luxurious hotel soon.By this time Ajay and Anju both had mobiles and texted each other b.fast ,lunch and dinner each day if they were physically away! That day lunch time passed and Anju received no sms from Ajay ,mobile network issue she thought when Ajays name flashed on her mobile.

 

  • She picked the phone and a panicked auto driver informed her that he had just admitted Ajay at a Govt Bombay hospital with a rod going through his chest ( hanging from back of a truck to which Ajays motorcycle had slammed into when he rode his worker s bike) ! The only words Ajay had asked with pierced rod in his chest boarding the auto were…bhaiya mujhe mere bachon ke liye  bachaaa lo!        What Anju brought back with her in evening was a coffin containing Ajay s body!!!!