FIFTY YEARS LATER...

"What's that, Mom?" was the first question Mayur Ahuja had asked when he saw his mother Advika Ahuja with a humongous, purple leathered book that looked heavy enough for a seventy-five-year-old to carry.

"Where's Dad?" Advika asked in her wobbly tone, her eyes pregnant with longing and love.

"Inside," replied Ryka Ahuja— Mayur's wife— as she looked back at the room with the door left ajar.

"Did he have his dinner?" Advika shot the question at Ryka, who looked back at her and nodded a yes.

Advika trudged towards the room with all might, her gaze shifting to and fro from the heavy book and the room. Her steps reduced to zero as she entered the room, seeing her husband Ishaan Ahuja seated on the wooden rocking chair near the open window that was cushioned with Ishaan's favourite The Beatles merchandise printed cushion which he received for his birthday ten years ago from Mayur and Advika.

She went near the bed that was opposite to him and sat on it, placing the book next to her. "Ishaan?" She called him out, receiving a warm look from him.

"Hi," he greeted back at her, his heart attempting to pull off a smile in order to not disappoint her.

"Guess what I brought for you!" She exclaimed with a merry smile as she carried the book in her hands. "Ta-da! So, I was cleaning our room this morning and found this book. And, I thought, why not show this to you?" She rambled as she looked down at the first page of the book, which had a picture of a motichoor ladoo stuck on it.

"You remember this?" She looked at his misty eyes and looked back at the picture after receiving no response from him which she anticipated. "Anyhow, you can't, right?" Letting out a bitter-yet-funny chuckle, she continued, "This was the laddoo you made to impress my parents. I still remember that day. It was the day after we reached Lucknow and it was in front of this laddoo that we had that initial conversation of convincing my parents. God, I still remember my dad's reaction after hearing how I met you. My mom, she had the most priceless reaction of the rest of them. She thought you were the human version of God. But, that was not all. One year of fervent attempts to convince my dad. And, finally, we were here!"

She showed him the second page where a picture of young Ishaan and Advika in matching pastel blue wedding dresses, looking at each with eyes that were reassured of love evermore with the pink evening sky as the witness of their love. "This is my favourite pic of us. After convincing our parents into our unconventional wedding since conventional ones are practically impossible, we got married with platinum rings and signing in a bond created by our parents with Aarvi and Aadya essaying the roles of our wedding priests. I was twenty-five and the most afraid one in the entire room, fearing what if the marriage breaks in the worst way. I mean, even people who get married traditionally end their married life for stupid reasons. What was the guarantee that we would survive all of the obstacles? Little did we know that we would be as strong as a rock for fifty years. People should take notes from us, huh!"

Turning to the next page, the corner of her eyes softened as her eyes fell on two pictures: one was the pic they captured at their honeymoon at Kanyakumari— of Ishaan's world— under the sunlight that had exposed itself while the other one was the picture of the couple with the four-year-old Mayur and seven-year-old Ryka, along with her parents Ved and Mehak.

Pointing at the last picture, she spoke up, "This picture was shot during Mayur's first birthday after adopting him from one of the orphanages of your world. You were so afraid that he wouldn't be able to accept us as his parents for all those holy love stories about us. But, he did accept us. He would still tell me that our love story was his favourite bedtime story ever since he heard them for the first time when he was twelve. Look how Ryka's eyes are full of heart. Ved and Mehak were so proud that someone had finally managed to maintain their legacy. We didn't know back then that she would be our daughter-in-law. Also..." Gripping his right hand with hers, she whispered, "Thank you for accepting the responsibility of taking care of Mayur while telling your world that you're single and that you're a guardian."

Though she expected a reply from him, his empty and misty eyes didn't reply to her. Looking down at the next page while letting out a lopsided blow to wipe her tears, she kept explaining the context behind those pictures which explained their happy times better than a dictionary of words.

As she reached the end of the book, she looked at him and his rainforest green eyes— getting lost in it for yet another time with him unaware of the power his mere eyes hold— and concluded, "I know you can't remember anything now. Dementia does that to you. But, I have always wished you remembered all of them. I wished you would call my name the way you used to with all the love from your heart. But..." She paused midway, trying hard to swallow the emotional lump that was developing in her throat. After managing to swallow them down, she coughed twice and continued, "Give your love that blessing yet again, love. Please!"

Then, out of nowhere, Ishaan replied, "Uh... I know I can't remember anything. I know I don't know anything. But, I'm sure of one thing: whoever I was, I was worthy of the immeasurable love you're pouring. I wish I could remember everything for I could pour my part of love for you. Thank you for that!"

Though her words didn't respond to his words, her eyes glistened at the realisation that that was his way of displaying his love for her. Then, she shot her last question, "Shall I sleep here tonight? With you by my side?"

Shooting a smile that did things to Advika's heart as though she was the same twenty-year-old, Ishaan replied, "Yes."

***

TWO HOURS LATER...

Mayur and Ryka tiptoed on their way to Ishaan's room with his favourite blueberry cake on their hands upon Ishaan's eightieth birthday. "Aunt had set the alarm to midnight," whispered Ryka. "She will wake up, somehow. And then, she will wake Uncle up. Okay?"

As Mayur nodded a yes, they heard Ishaan mumble, "Advika," making the young couple freeze in the middle.

"Was that Uncle?" Ryka whispered, looking at Mayur with her eyes wide out of surprise and astonishment. Hearing Ishaan mumble Advika's name again, Ryka whispered, "Wait, I will record this. This could be the best gift for Uncle."

By the time Ryka recorded the video for around a minute, Ishaan muttered Advika's name— with the amount of love intensifying every time— only to stop muttering the name that was the cause of his existence.

Two silent minutes later, the alarm ringtone reverberated through the silent room with Ryka already next to Ishaan to wake him up.

"Uncle," Ryka called him out with a considerably low decibel, trying not to ruin her father-in-law's sleep in the worst way. Receiving no movement or response from him, Ryka called his name yet again in a louder decibel.

As there was no response yet again, it made Ryka's and Mayur's hearts beat ominously faster. Mayur placed the cake on the table near him, went up to his father, and called, "Dad!"

Following his instincts, Mayur placed his hand near Ishaan's nostrils and felt his heart reaching up to his mouth as he couldn't feel breath— of any temperature— at the back of his hand. "Dad!" Mayur yelled with his voice croaking out of sheer fear. "Ryka, wake Mom up. Fast!"

Nodding a slow yes, Ryka tried to wake Advika up as well, only to receive a similar response from her— which was no response. Placing her hand near Advika's nostrils, she felt no breath on her hands as well.

"I think..." Ryka couldn't speak much as sorrowful sobs took over words.

Mayur, standing still, couldn't help but tell his head and heart that Death had finally managed to pull apart his parents away from each other. The couple who had been the epitome of love in all the universes— Ishaan and Advika— were together for fifty years.

Till Death did them apart.

***

I didn't know whether I have done the epilogue part well, but... This is all I could manage for now, peeps. I would be happy if you guys loved it already.

With that, the tale of Ishaan and Advika is done (for real). Read the Endnote as I have some things to ask/tell you all.

See you soon, peeps!