Eighth Heaven

When Ravi first saw her during his visit to the neighbourhood bank’s branch, he couldn’t resist noticing her poise, grace and beauty. He had not seen her before and presumed that she was a new addition to that branch’s staff. Unlike his earlier experience of dealing with at best disinterested counter employees, she was a delight to talk to, extremely courteous, understanding and pleasing.

Ravi couldn’t help visiting the branch repeatedly under one pretext or the other, the main objective being to meet that irresistible personality, whose name he didn’t yet know. He was extremely anguished to not to see her during one of his visits. On enquiry, he was told that the employee’s name was Riya and that she had been unwell for the last 2-3 days. Under some pretext, Ravi managed to obtain Riya’s mobile number and gathered his nerves to call her. Riya sounded even more sweet over the telephone and was rather moved by this kind gesture of Ravi to enquire about her welfare. She invited Ravi over to her house for a cup of tea.

Ravi, who had a flourishing business and all the means of luxury at his disposal, reached Riya’s flat in a dilapidated building in a none-too-posh area. He was greeted by an old rather fragile lady, who happened to be Riya’s mother. Riya was in the other room lying on her bed. The ailment, malaria to be precise, had failed to take its toll on Riya’s divine beauty that glowed even brighter in spite of her ragged bedclothes, uncombed hair and no make-up. Ravi felt totally mesmerised by her simplicity and grace. He couldn’t wait any longer and proposed to Riya’s mother for Riya’s hand. Riya could only blush. 

Of course, Ravi’s parents expressed exasperation at Ravi’s choice on hearing his description of Riya and her background. They had big plans for Ravi’s marriage and were receiving proposals from very affluent families. 

This is not a rich boy meets poor girl story, but a story of unbounded love. When Ravi with his parents visited Riya’s house upon Riya’s recovery from her illness, they were in for a big shock. Riya brought water glasses in a tray and she was limping heavily. Riya had suffered an attack of polio in her infancy that had considerably weakened her left leg. 

Did Ravi still go ahead with her proposal? Of course, he had loved Riya the person and not her weaknesses and her deformity mattered a little to him. Even Ravi’s parents had to bow down to their son’s wishes. Expectedly, Riya was in seventh heaven, feeling blessed! More surprisingly Ravi was in the eighth heaven - if there could be something like it- superlatively speaking!