Marriage is beautiful ending of a love story. A love story just starts with marriage and continued till eternity. These two are very popular phrases regarding marriage and love. Some believes in first one others believes in second one.

I believe the later as I saw the love story of my parents which started with marriage. Today I am writing final chapter of their love story with my siblings Janki and Kartik.

And who am I?

I am Akshita daughter of Smita and Akshay Ranawat. I can't believe fourty years passed away. It felt like yesterday when I was a kid who used to throw tantrums to my parents. Now I am bearing tantrums of my ten years old son. Time just flies away. Memories of Dad taking me to Lodi garden every Sunday is still fresh in my mind. How I can forget tradition of monthly picnics which we broke only once when I was nine years old. Mumma was expecting Kartik and Janki at that time. Mumma looked very cute with all her fat and dad used to tease her with nick name 'panda' at that time

How cruel of him?

Janki and Kartik born on my birthday and that's the best birthday gift I ever received. They completed our family. I used to feel alone before them but now I have two siblings to quarrel, tease and love. I brought so many dolls for Janki. On the occasion of Rakshabandhan I prepare Rakhi for kartik with the help of Mumma . We still watched the videos of our childhood which mom captured.

Every year we went to family vacations. We have seen every corner of India. We have saw snow falls of Shimla, Gulmerg, san dunes of Jaislemair, ran of katch, peaceful beaches of kerala, party kingdom Goa, temples of Hampi, Tea plantation of Aasam, ancient temples of Tamilnadu,Caves of Ajanta-Elora, sun temple of konark.... list goes on. I feel so lucky to have parents like them. They raised us with so much love and care. They were very calm and patient with us specially with Janki . She was very stubborn and outspoken in adolescent time.

Once Kartik joked that " Dad if it weren't arranged marriage, a guy like you never be able to asked out mom. You were done on first date."

I don't know from where mom came out and said "Then I have asked him. A guy like him is rare." she was full on appreciation for dad.

"Easy mom, I was just kidding?" kartik defend himself

"Then start kidding about your singing crush. What was her name.... Whatever. No need to say rubbish to love of my life" Mumma was very protective towards dad at that time.

"and he is my dad too."

That argument continued to hours and ultimately Kartik apologised to dad. Same is the case with dad. We learnt a lesson that time, they are very serious about each other after years of marriage. They never tolerated insult or jokes cracked on them although they used to crack joke on each other. Its their space which no one is allowed to enter. There is one more place where we weren't allowed, that is anniversary celebrations of them. I never knew how my parents celebrated their wedding anniversary till date. Whenever I asked there is universal excuse "Its our day to cherish and we will celebrate in our own way."

I fell in love with Arjun and married him. Its a love cum arrange marriage. When I compare my bond with my parents. Their pair weighed high. Their bond has something very special which we lack . I can't pin point what it is? I asked about Mumma about it and she said" our relationship was tested with time. We did so many efforts to be with each other."

I never asked again although I didn't learnt much. They were each other's first priority but that didn't stop them to compete with each other. There were food challenge in our house between Team Smita and team Akshay. I used to judge their dishes. Dad learnt this habbit from mumma. She used to experiment with food and dad learnt the habbit over the years. Sometimes its horrible to taste but that atmosphere made Kartik a hotelier. He grew a passion towards food and hospitality.

I choosen Mumma's path and followed my passion towards academics and research. I love the greetings and gratitude Mumma received from thousands of her students. No money can give that kind of satisfaction.

Janki became lawyer and currently appointed as chief justice of Guvahati highcourt. She married to her high school sweetheart, Gurprit who is serving as ambassador of India in Australia. They are maintaining a long distance relationship and according to them "wait is worth it."

We all are settled in life and Mumma & dad was content with it.

"Di, its time." Kartik's voice bring me to the reality. We are standing on the bank of river Ganga with ashes of our parents in hand. They are gone from this world few days ago but stay alive in our memories forever.

"We miss you Mumma. We miss you too dad but that doesn't mean I forgive you. I am so angry with you. You leave us so early. Mumma was ill but you were healthy. You followed her like always. You said you love me the most but actually you loved Mumma the most.You followed her path. "I said and we let the ashes flow in the river.

Mumma was suffering from dysfunctional kidney from a long time. She was taking medicine for a while and wasn't in the favour of transplant. Dad convinced her to do that for his sake. I still remembered he hadn't sleep on the night of her surgery. He took sigh of relief when she gain consciousness. Two years was good and illness reappears. Her body start rejecting the donar kidney.

"You should look good oldman. I can be off at any moment." she used to say and "I'll follow you" was Dad's usual reply.

That was monday and Mumma was terminally ill. Dad sat with her whole day,holding her hand. She requested him to sing a soulful bhajan (prayer) which they used to sing together. There were peace and contentment on her face. Dad noticed this the time, her breaths were shallow, she is going. That doesn't stop him to sing, with the completion of bhajan, her journey also completed. She is gone forever. Dad hadn't utter a word nor cried. He just stay as such, keep looking at her lifeless figure.

Mumma was dressed up like a bride who is ready to complete her last journey. We made her wear her bridal dress,her favourite ornaments. She loved hina so we applied it on her palms. Someone asked dad, is he wanted to apply sindoor on Mumma for one last time. Dad comply him and bring that silver box, he gifted her. He opened the box and applied it cautiously. He caressed her face and fall on her lifeless body. I ran towards him and felt something is wrong. Kartik called the doctor and what he said broke our heart. "He is no more."

Within few hours we lost both of them. Dad actually followed her. Dad used to say, your Mumma is my lifeline, I can't function without her. We laughed at his statement but today it became reality.

The love story which started with sindoor, ended with sindoor.