Savitri

Savitri got out of her apartment while straightening her hair and sat in her car.

She rents near Microsoft’s Redmond campus.

She works as a program manager in a nearby building.

As she started her car, her roommate Nikita came and asked.

“Where are you heading, Sabs? “

Since Savitri was born on Savitri Amavasya day, her parents gave her a beautiful name. Her friends call her Sabs because Savitri is an old-fashioned name.

“I am going to Amar’s apartment.”

“Keep working, Sabs” Nikita said teasingly.

Savitri felt embarrassed and said: “You always tease me — ok, see you then.”

Her friend Amar lives in an apartment complex about two miles away. Amar works as a data scientist in a Startup. Three years ago, Amar worked as a consultant for Savitri’s group. They have been close friends ever since.
Amar is a brilliant guy.

He plays in a Cricket league and plays the guitar in an orchestra.
Amar is one and a half years younger than Amar Savitri.
Savitri feels she is in love with Amar.
Can race, religion, and age stop the stream of love?

Savitri feels that Amar also loves her, but he keeps it to himself.

For the past three months, Amar has been in poor health.
He has lost his appetite for food.
He has uncontrollable abdominal pain.
Despite restrictions for Covi19, Savitri comes to Amar’s home after her work.
She cooks for him, and sometimes, she helps do his laundry.
She drove him to the hospital several times last month. Savitri was at first thinking — while staying at home for Covi19, Amar had some mental illness. Seattle’s cloudy weather creates a lot of depression here. Seattle residents use the most antidepressants in the United States, and Covid19 has worsened it. Amar has always been an outgoing guy. However, now cricket and orchestra are all closed.

For some reason, Amar was very sad last night. He called in the middle of the night and said, “Sabs, I’m not going to live longer.”

After that, Savitri tried to call Amar multiple times, but he did not pick up the phone. He later texted, “Don’t worry, I am fine. I was feeling depressed because I had severe stomach pain.”

Savitri texted her, “Good weather tomorrow — let’s go to Space Needle tomorrow.”

Savitri could not sleep at night.

“Will you kill me?” screamed a pedestrian, and Savitri got back to her senses.

Savitri stopped the car. She was distracted and was crossing the red signal. Luckily, no car came from the other side. Savitri was shocked and hurriedly reached our apartment. She saw that Amar was wearing his shoes.
“Are you ready, Amar?”
“Yes”
“Why are we growing a beard like Devdas?”
Amar asked without answering Savitri’s question, “Will you drive? Or should I take my car”
“Your car is filthy.”
The two sat in Savitri’s car; Savitri drove to the nearby Starbucks drive-through and ordered coffee for the two.

Savitri handed over the coffee to Amar and started driving.

“Why are you so sad?”

“Nothing at all.”, Amar replied while sipping coffee.”

“Hiding something?”
Amar nodded and refused to say anything.
“Are you still having a stomachache?”

“It’s a little less now — it was unbearable at night.
“You are being too formal.”
Their car is speeding on Lake Washington as if it is tearing through Corona’s emptiness.

Seattle looks beautiful when it’s sunny.

“Look how beautiful Mount Rainier is.”

However, Amar has gone silent like Lake Washington lake.

Savitri didn’t talk much before.
In her program manager job, she has to speak to many people.

Today, Savitri talks incessantly like Amar,
as if she got infected with a talking disease staying with Amar.

It is not easy to pretend to be Amar.

Savitri said dramatically.
“Look, Amar, the skyscrapers of Seattle welcome us by nodding their heads.”

Space Needle is empty.

“Everything is closed here — what will we do?” asked Amar while sitting on the grass lawn.

“Picnic — Savitri replied dramatically.

“Have you ever thought you would get the Space Needle just like your property?”

Then she shouted, “The owner of this space needle is Amar .. Amar.”

It echoed, “Amar .. Amar.”

Amar was thinking, “I have never seen Savitri like this.”

“Sabs, I’m not going to live long.
Why did my parents give my name Amar?” Amar means immortal.

“Why are you talking nonsense like this since yesterday?”

“My test report came in last evening. I have stomach tumor. I have to undergo surgery within a month. How am I going to tell my parents? I am the eldest son. Everyone has high hopes on me.”

Amar couldn’t say anything else.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Savitri also became speechless. She tried to gain mental strength and said
“You don’t worry, Amar; everything will be fine. The medical technology is very advanced now.”

“You know, Sabs, our company’s insurance isn’t that good.
It won’t cover the surgery at the UW Medical center or Swedish hospital. There will be little chance of survival if I undergo surgery there.
And if I can not work, I will be out of status on my Visa, and I cannot stay in the US.

He couldn’t talk more and started to cry on Savitri’s shoulder. Savitri was trying to console him by caressing Amar’s back.

After about a ten-minute silence, Savitri said
“Amar, let’s get married. I know you love me.”

Amar got shocked. “What the heck you are talking about, one of my feet now in the cemetery? Love doesn’t mean that I will be so selfish. “

“I am very serious and thought about all repercussions.
If we marry, I’ll add you to my insurance.
You know the insurance of our company is excellent.
You will have surgery in the hospital wherever you want; you will be fine.”

Even though Amar’s mind has a glimmer of hope, his conscience says he has a selfish desire to live.

“But Sabs, why would you waste your life for me?”
Said Savitri
“I know Amar; it’s a very long and arduous path.
You have to undergo chemo after surgery.
I have seen my aunt suffering.
But I have complete faith that you will recover.
Otherwise, I will think it’s my misfortune.
As long as you live, we will be together.”

Amar sits quietly, and tears welled up in her eyes. Are the tears for the sadness, love, or gratitude?

“I have been doing your laundry, cooking for you, and taking you to the hospital as if I am your wife. If we marry, I’ll be able to live with you, and it’ll be convenient for me. I don’t have to run from between our apartments.”

Amar thought — Sabs is right.

When his illness started, neither his friends, his cousin, nor her husband came to meet him.

They made excuses about Corona. Sabs loves him very much.

Amar broke his silence and asked, “And your Dad, Mom?”

“It’s my responsibility to tell them; you tell me, will you marry me?”

Amar thought, “ What materials are Savitri made from?”

People break up at such times.
She is building a new relationship by willing to sacrifice her happiness.

Amar quipped, “I love you so much, but ..”

Savitri picked flowers from the nearby flowers plant.

She opened her purse and took out tooth flush.

Then, she stitched two garlands using the flowers and the thread from the flush.
Then came to Amar and said — “Now I consider you my husband using the Space Needle as a witness.”

Then she shouted like a child.
“Hey, Space Needle, you are my witness.”

With that, she put one of the garlands around Amar’s neck.

“Hey Universe, note it down; Amar is my husband from today.”

There were echoes of Savitri’s words all around.

“We will go to Bellevue court and register our marriage there, then I’ll add you to my insurance.

You will have surgery at the best hospital.

I’ll see who will take my husband away from me.”

Then she kissed Amar on the cheek.

Amar hugged Savitri and kissed Savitri . Savitri’s willpower was turning her fears into a smile on her face. Amar thought that even if he was not Satyavan, he was lucky to have Savitri with him.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

The two lovers were becoming one.

The Space Needle was smiling and blessing the newlyweds.

The tears of joy began to flow from the eyes of the sky.

A rainbow, painted in the color of love, was dancing in the sky.

(A characters in the story are fictional and any resemblance to persons living and dead is purely coincidental)