text: She lay there in front of him, shock evidently seen in her eyes. Life had left her body, but the shock and dread did not leave her eyes. He had always heard there was peace in the eyes of people who leave us, but this was not peace! She was there in a pool of blood with *Maa Kali*’s photo in one hand and it felt like someone had offered a sacrifice to the goddess and bathed her in the blood of his wife. A cross had been nailed in her other palm, an offering to *Jesus* as well. A final nail in the coffin? A void filled his eyes. A void like never before. He could not see anything; his bloodshot eyes were wide open but nothing was visible anymore. Slowly the voices around started to sound like noise and then it faded away. This could not be the same woman he had seen that morning before leaving to work. His heart was about to give up on him and suddenly, he felt a blow at the side of his head as fell down next to her and fainted. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- The sun had just begun to retire for the day, shining its last bit of glory for those eyes of mankind who would witness the beauty of it. Shresht sat by the shore and looked at the sky as it changed its colours. It was golden yellow at first, which slowly turned into crimson red and finally hues of green entered the picturesque display. It was magnificent in every possible way. As time passed, the beautiful full moon was out. Its light made the waves look like series of diamonds, rising up and descending with the waves only to finally kiss his feet softly. “*Devi maa* and her beautiful creations”, he thought as he got up to return home and that is when he first saw her. Short hair that shuffled swiftly with the cool night breeze, wearing a white sleeveless T-shirt and a blue denim. With flip-flops in her hands, she was walking along the shore, smiling and looking at one of nature’s most inconceivable beauties. It was almost love at first sight for him. Almost! It was when she got a little closer that he had observed the cross pendent in her neck. He smirked, touched the *rudraksh* around his neck and walked away from the scene. But even as he walked away, he could not forget her perfectly peaceful face and the radiant smile. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- “Shresht! Shresht! Wake up! You cannot fall weak now. Raunak will need you. Pull yourself together”. It was his friend Nakul. Shivering and still dizzy he manged to slowly sit up a little and found a wall to support himself. He felt weak in his legs with absolutely no strength to move anymore or look anywhere else. Him fainting and falling on the floor next to her had smeared a share of her blood on his face and hair. The blood, mixed with his sweat, was now dripping drop by drop from his chin. It was as though it was her holding on to him for a little bit longer not ready to let go so soon, not sure whether to drip and fall on the floor or to push ahead this journey just a little longer. Raunak! Their 5-year-old son was still at school. He mustered as much strength as possible and asked Nakul to pick up Raunak and take him to a hotel and stay with him in a room. He would contact Nakul and let him know where to get Raunak. He knew he could not sit there forever. She had left him and he would have to make arrangements for her final rites. Looking at her body again made him nauseous. The peaceful and radiant face he had seen for the first time was nowhere now to be seen. He felt a throbbing pain in his head and a hollow cavity in his chest. It was too much to take in and Shresht broke down and started to cry loudly, screaming at intervals until his throat dried up and just a screeching voice was left. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - “Hey there! Someone loves watching the sunset a lot”, Shresht looked up to see whose voice it was. There she was, the beautiful angel like face. Shresht’s voice gave up on him at the wrong time. His mind went blank, but squeaked out ‘Say something you idiot!’. At last he just smiled and looked away, not wanting to stare anymore. She sat down next to him and the wind playing its devious role carried her lavender like fragrance straight to him. He pulled down the sleeves of his pullover to make sure his Goosebumps were not seen. “Anika Sebastian”, she introduced herself. “Hi. Shresht Kashyap” “Ah, Kashyap huh” “Ah, Sebastian huh” Both smiled and continued to look at the beautiful sunset. There was something serene about the moment. It felt like everything had paused for the time being. The vendors selling various snacks and toys could not be heard anymore, the noise from vehicles nearby fainted away, people and their cheerful laughter muted, and his gaze was fixed at the sunset. There were just the waves, the sunset, her fragrance and also the desire to turn around and look at her once. Life was going on, but their moment had paused. The colours of the sky were seen to be more elegant than ever. The gods seemed to be extremely happy and all their cupids were released to make hearts meet. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - “We need to take revenge! They have killed our people. Let’s wait till Sunday and during the mass we will burn down their churches”, people were speaking. Shresht looked around and there were just people he did not recognize. But, revenge? Whom will he kill? His own family? Make others go through what he is going through? All for what? A set of Gods he can’t even see! God was the reason that people used, to do this to his Anika. It felt all meaningless. Why were they all here? Shresht looked at Anika again, slowly pushed himself towards her and pulled her up and hugged her. It did not matter that she was in a pool of blood, it did not matter that there were people around. He just closed his eyes and embraced her. The moment paused again. The voices and screams of people muted and everything faded. He could just feel her body, it was cold, warm blood dripping around. “All of you get out of here!! Out now!!!”, he shouted. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - Their love had bloomed for over a year, life had now become quite dependent on each other. Going against everyone and their wishes they first said “I Do” to each other and then in a small temple event with *mantras* echoing everywhere, Shresht tied the knot. It was happiness everywhere. Irrespective of the weather, be it hot sunny days or gloomy rainy days, both of them knew how to make each other smile and love. Love like they never did before. They were warned of the consequences every now and then, from both sides of family. However, it did not bother them. They had created a small beautiful world for themselves. Celebrating life and festivals from both religions. They attended the Friday *Devi pooja* and also attended the Sunday mass together. People would gaze at them like a hunter at his prey. But all this never daunted them or their love. Soon Raunak was born and they instilled the same values in him. Love and respect are all the 3 of them knew. Every evening, the 3 of them would sit by the shore, watch the sunset, laugh, embrace each other’s warmth and retire for the day with the Sun. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - With the few friends they had, he completed her final rites. In ways followed by both the cultures. He had looked at her face for as long as he could, held her hands in the hope that she would wake up again with the angelic smile and kiss him, may be if he had delayed enough he could hear her voice just once more, sit down by the shore one last time. He had left a bouquet of lavenders at her grave and kissed the grave. As the bus moved away from his village his feeling of emptiness just continued until finally Raunak held his hand and looked up at him with teary eyes. Shresht hugged him and kissed his head. There it was, the same warmth and the beautiful lavender fragrance. “*Baba*, where is *ma*?” “In a better place dear. Where there is no God or religion and where happiness prevails. One day you will grow up to understand why you are not associated with any religion”.