TURNING BEAUTY INTO GRACE
This is a story of a profound and beautiful artist Anupama and her husband Dr. Anand Desai. There is a reason behind introducing Anand as Anupama’s husband, which we shall connect in later half.
Anupama met Anand during promotional event of her theater show. It was love at first sight for Anand when he met her, unlike Anupama. Even trees dazzled when she passed by, Anand was just a human. The journey of their destination commenced, and it was Anand who expressed his desire to marry Anupama, through a family route. Anupama belonged to a very subtle and extremely middle-class family with rich ethical values. Being eldest daughter, she was doing everything to contribute economically to her family. Anand was from a well renowned and so-called sophisticated background. He had everything, may be even more than he desired or deserved. Given a drastic difference between background of both the families, they faced few hiccups but ultimately got to the shore. Anand was supposed to go to England for his higher studies which implied Anupama to leave her first love, “Theater”. She absorbed this loss as she believed that she is going ahead with the person who loves her and not only whom she loves. An individual “Anand” was much more for Anupama than her own identity.
It was a dreamy world for Anupama for two months after their marriage. Anand had to leave for England now and Anupama was asked to go after a month, due to legitimate family reasons. After few days, Anupama suddenly found a white patch on his left leg. When she went through diagnosis process, it was revealed that she was suffering from Leucoderma. She was completely scattered. When this was brought to notice to her family to seek their moral support for advance treatment, everyone took their mask off from their face and showed true character. Sadly, from her own family too. Everything got disorganized within and for her. She wrote multiple letters to Anand explaining the condition, her pain, her loneliness, and her sufferings. As good as a wife, she trusted her husband equally as a doctor who would understand that this disease is not contagious and will not harm anyone else. She just quenched for her husband’s moral support in her tough time.
Anand succeeded as a doctor but failed as a husband and even human. He disowned her and the worst part being, he even did not have the courage to convey his decision to her. Anupama kept lamenting and waiting for his reply, just reply, not in her favor only. She missed to understand that no response is also a response carrying deeper meaning than words.
Days passed by and Anupama moved on just within herself. She learnt that she needs no one except her own solitude. She established herself again with her first love. She became active in theaters with her peace, with her silence and her wounds. Destiny gave her options to settle with genuine people who truly loved her, but she was not the original Anupama who aspired for somebody’s love. She was content within herself.
After few years, Anand realized (because of some incidents) how much injustice he did to Anupama. He found Anupama’s location to visit her and desperately expressed his grief, his sorry, his repentance, his own self, and his wish to reunite. But he had no idea that the lady in front of him was not HER and SAME Anupama. He was standing alongside a completely different individual who was born from circumstances this time and not by birth. She was born beautiful but made herself graceful during this journey. Anupama politely rejected his wish and parted ways, this time forever. Its never the darkness or night that makes sense to us, it is the silence or conversation we have under them.
Did Anupama rejected Anand’s wish as she no longer loved him? Did she not understand that Anand was really sorry for his deeds and genuinely wanted her wholeheartedly? The answer lies in the 30 seconds silence, we will inhale after reading this story.
This tale comes from a book “MahaShweta” written by Sudha Murthy, Chairperson of Infosys foundation. On one fine day, she received an invitation letter to attend a wedding reception with no name added to it. It was astonishing as how can one miss to write host name and specially when you are inviting a legend. One must write a name on it to let her establish a connection. She felt that this is something unusual so she should attend. She reached at the wedding reception, congratulated, and blessed the couple. The couple gifted her a fabulous silk saree crafted in their town. A few seconds later, a middle-aged man came to Sudha Murthy and said, “Madam, I am the father of this boy whom you just blessed. I am sorry for not writing my name on invitation card, but we personally wanted to see your eyes sparkle, after my next few lines. My daughter-in-law was diagnosed with Leucoderma after engagement. We had no issue with this but somehow my son was not ready to accept her. By God’s grace, your book MahaShweta crossed his path and he realized that he was wrong. He felt very guilty and changed his decision.” Sudha Murthy was extremely happy, and tears started rolling from her eyes.
Its HUGE when our little effort brings someone’s life from sunset to sunrise. It is called BEAUTY when things/people are good looking, it is GRACE when it touches our heart.
