By Kavita Dar
Amidst the auspicious wedding bells, the laughter and the mirth,
Echoed the fateful call for the valiant soldier at the hearth.
The ruthless time, to the horror of all, did stand to tear apart
The blissful rendezvous of the blushing bride at the very start!
For duty called, and the bleeding motherland beckoned.
The braveheart was sedate, sublime—yet with a smile, he reckoned
It was his glorious moment to save the nation's pride;
He would march ahead, even though he must forsake his bride!
Though torn between love and duty main,
He wore his uniform with aplomb again,
To pursue the task he was born to do—
Then, to his wife, he bid adieu.
A promise to return sealed her quivering lips,
Moistened her eyes as tears did trip.
With her heart like lead, she indoors fled
And knelt on the holy spread.
A rendezvous she begged, and skipped her bread,
Till the duty-bound made home his tread.
The intervening time she knew must be endured in solitude;
As a soldier’s wife, she must show fortitude.
Praises showered on the duty-bound,
And it was surely ironical he found—
His own love, battling emotions, he failed to recover,
And her turmoil within, no one did ever discover.
Her pangs and pain, her joys in vain—
Her famished youth stood numbed in despair and disdain.
No bells and bangles, no necklace, no dress, no frill
Could charm the frozen heart as she turned tranquil and still.
In the room she slipped and delved into his closet.
Then, to her bosom, she clutched his drapes and the locket.
Being her only refuge, this around her neck she wore—
And as it caressed and decked her bosom,
Her heart caught the rhythm once more.