A LOVE STORY.

Rani never used to sit on a window sill waiting for her prince charming to take her to the promised lands of bounty and beauty. She was aware of her limitations in life.God had been unkind to her since birth.She had Polio. Both the legs were flaccid and limp, Life had been cruelly drained out from them. She had, only her crutches, for support in the walk of life. Her family of rich parents were supportive but used to get exhausted with her ambitions and dreams of leading an independent life. God had clipped her wings, a long time ago. She had passed her matriculation exams and called it a day as she was not able to face the constant unconcerned sympathetic stares offered to her by the normal crowd. Much parental persuasion compelled her to take a correspondence course. Studies was never her primary concern in life, she was too busy, fighting her inner battles of struggled existence.

She met Raja on the net and an instant liking developed between them. They could connect to each other on various topics in life. He could understand her curiosity and excitement. He even came to know of her crippled status but never waivered from his decision of marrying her much against his parents' wishes. She was overjoyed and thanked her lucky stars. God had decided to paint a smile on her sad face. Raja truly loved her regardless of her condition.
Such true love is indeed hard to find nowadays in this age of arranged marriages of convenience.

Raja married her with a great pomp and celebrations, they even had a honeymoon in a nearby hill station. He treated her like a normal lady without any pretence or sympathy. She was his true love and his source of pride. He looked after her, well. He never cried when the doctor told them that they could not have a baby. Rani cried for months, suffered in silence. Raja was made of much sterner stuff, though. They decided to go for an adoption and soon their house was filled with smiles and laughter. The little angel brought back the charm in Rani's life. They lived happily ever after.
A couple of years later, Rani left them, off to her heavenly abode after a brief illness.
The adopted little angel felt lost in the big house and required a mother for his upbringing.
Raja could not think of remarriage as he still remembered Rani fondly. He decided an easy way out, he left all his work and concentrated on the upbringing of his child. He was a rich person who could feed the next seven generations. The child grew up to be a handsome man.
On the day of his son's marriage, a crippled beggar came hunting for left overs of the marriage feast, she was shooed by the workers but Raja saw her and offered her food and also packed a box of sweets for her.
As he retired to bed, he saw the box of sweets on his bed! His dead wife Rani's spirit had eventually come, to bless his child. He could not control his tears.
Next day, they found Raja on the bed, lying peacefully with a smile on his contented face.
He would be reunited with his wife soon.