The Rose Garlands

It was just three days down to my marriage with Abhilash and the two garlands that we exchanged amidst our wedding rituals, hung royally from the hooks in our living room. Gazing at it fondly, I starting recalling my background story.

Roses have always been my favorite especially those with those rich red petals and the ones with that extra fragrance. I have often pictured myself amidst a garden of roses, all smiling to glory in bright sunshine.

When I got introduced to Abhilash, the roses just got an added admirer. He sensed my love for roses and our courtship days were of roses all the way. Life was beautiful!

As days passed, I started noticing the rose plants in it's entirety; there were thorns too; there were seasons when not much bloomed and times when a lot did bloom. There was always watering to be done, soil to be nourished, trimming to be done to continue to get a healthy bunch of roses.

Sometimes, the plants needed to be transported from pots to the ground soil to help them grow to their best. They needed to be out in the open to get sunlight, air and natural nutrients and companionship of other plants. They needed space....

I also understood that not all take out time to admire another however beautiful they may be. The roses had to be content with just being themselves for themselves.

The fragrance of roses that otherwise filled my nostrils, I could no longer sense until I tried hard and longer. Yet, the roses were ever in their best elements.

Roses bloom better when cared for and spoken to; spending time amidst them, admiring them, pampering them and handling them gently; they don't deserve more thorns!

Collecting the softly fallen petals for my pooja was my daily ritual. It was as If I didn't want the joy to go out of my life. I offered it to the Gods and Goddesses as if handing them over to their care and fate.

Years passed and so did my altered yet habitual way with roses continued unabated. I now loved roses for what they were for themselves, not associating them with what they meant for me for I knew that my life would continue to face changes and challenges and I might not be able to give the rose plants the time and attention that they deserved.

My gaze returned to my husband and my new home and I was prepared for my new journey.....be it of petals or of thorns. I was all set to make my new world my own along with my mutual admirer of roses.