Everyone yearns for a love story that will put the most legendary tales of love to shame. But in an age where people, places and relationships are replaced easily, it is hard to find one.
Ever since I was a teenager, I was a firm believer in love and the modern re-invention of it troubled me growing up. The breakups, cheating, polygamy etc made my beliefs weaker. However, time and again, we come across love stories that instill our faith in true love and its power. This real-life account published on Humans Of New York explains it better.
Narrated by the daughter of the couple, here is how it starts. “He had five daughters. And whenever he came home from a work trip, we’d all line up to give him a kiss. But he always kissed my mom first, because she was his ‘first love’.”
In the post, she talks about how he would sing to his wife on road trips and dedicate old romantic numbers to her at parties.
“On weekends we’d all pile into the car and take these long road trips. We’d drive for hours, and the whole way he’d be singing to my mother. It was a normal thing for us, because we were used to it. But that kind of affection wasn’t normal in our culture. We used to have these karaoke parties with our extended family, and everyone else would sing normal songs. But Papa would choose these old, romantic Bollywood songs. And he’d sing directly to Mama.”
She further goes on to narrate how her mother loved these sweet little gestures and dressed up for her husband. “She’d put on her brightest red lipstick. And she’d do her hair just as he liked it—even after she got sick.”
Her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour and after every surgery, more and more of her would slip away. “When she couldn’t walk properly anymore, she grew embarrassed of her limp. So Papa held her hand wherever they went. He’d sit next to her bed, and stroke her cheek, and recite the Quran until his lips went dry. Some nights he’d fall asleep sitting up in his chair, but then he’d wake up, and begin praying again,” she adds.
She then goes on to talk about her mother’s final moments, when her dad leaned close to her and whispered, ‘You won’t be alone. I’m coming with you.’
“It seemed selfish to me—as if the rest of us weren’t worth living for. But all his children were grown. Most of us had our own families. And I guess he felt like there was nothing left for him.”
He visited his beloved wife’s grave every single day and applied for the plot next to her. The daughter shares how he had become obsessed and would enquire about the paperwork every few hours.
“When the paperwork finally arrived— I rolled my eyes. But he got very quiet. For the next two days he barely said a word. Then on the third morning, he walked in our front door and told me he wasn’t feeling well. I bent down to help him with his shoes, but he collapsed on the floor. There wasn’t time for him to suffer. Because by the time the ambulance arrived, he was already gone.”
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There are very few stories that we come across in our lives that touch our soul. This one, the story of true love, the one that holds on to the vow of ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ is that story.
Featured Image: Instagram
