The place did not seem strange to me anymore. When I had first come here, I had a deep fear in my mind. I was uncertain if my wife would feel comfortable there. But time played an important role to cast my doubts away. The doctors and nurses were very responsible and dutiful. I was happy that my wife was recovering fast in this mental hospital.
My wife had been suffering from acute depression for a long period of time. Recently she had become suicidal. She needed proper medication and regular treatment. Some of the top doctors had advised me to admit her in this hospital for some time. I abided by them.  
The term ‘mental hospital’ conjures up an image of a very filthy and unhealthy place in Indian minds because of incessant negative publicity in the leading newspapers. It seems to be a dark island infested with dangerous and insane persons – a destination for unfit, lesser mortals.
I possessed the same thought before taking my wife to the hospital. So, when I found out that the premises were very clean and the hospital authority did not compromise with the standards, my worries were gone. The doctors, nurses and even the ward boys were very helpful. They all assured me that my wife would get well soon.
Today I visited her cabin and spent some time with her ruminating the old days. She was looking very beautiful. Her eyes did not seem languid. She did not use lipstick, but still they looked pink and luscious. I could not remember if I had seen her more sprightly in the past few months.
“I feel affection towards the old woman in the adjacent cabin. She has a lot of scars that time could never heal. I can understand. She pretends to be very happy but her eyes can’t hide her inner pain,” my wife said.
“Oh! Is it that lady who waits for her husband every night and doesn’t go to bed until dawn? You had mentioned it earlier.”
“Yes, that lady,” said my wife, “Her husband died almost two years ago. But the hapless lady could not recover from the sudden shock. Her sons drove her away afterwards.”
“Oh my God! I did not know about this part. Her sons are very cruel indeed. Who told you about this incident?”
“The doctor told me. Even the nurses are aware of it. Do you want to hear some more about her life?”
Actually I never felt any curiosity about other people’s lives. I had no interest to get out of my comfort zone and know more people. There are billions of people on earth and each one of them believes that he or she has at least one interesting story to tell to everyone.
But I could not say ‘no’ to my wife. Her eyes were gleaming with a wish to tell me about the old woman. I told her in dismay, “Is the story interesting?”
“I don’t know. But I think I should tell you about her life. It will give you inspiration.”
Meanwhile the doctor entered into the cabin. “Did I interrupt your privacy?” he asked.
“No, not at all,” I said, “My wife was telling me about the patient in her adjacent cabin.”
He took his seat in the chair beside the bed.
“Doc, when will you discharge my wife?”
The doctor looked at me and smiled, “In a week. I have arranged everything.” I was very happy.
“Doc, it will be better if you tell him about her life. In fact you were the one who took her from the footpath and admitted in this hospital. Even the closest relatives don’t do it anymore for near and dear ones,” said my wife.
“No, Madam. Please tell your husband yourself. I have to go to another ward to visit a patient.”
After the doctor’s departure my wife started to tell the story, “The lady was brought up in a rich family. She had married a poor man in the same village. But she repented about her decision afterwards and came back to her paternal house. Her father arranged her grand wedding after a few years to a rich, urban family.”
“Did it go down well with the mindset of the orthodox society?” I asked.
“It did due to their money and influence. After her remarriage, she continued her studies and went to the college. His second husband was very helpful and supportive. She became a graduate in English Literature. She was one of the very few female graduates of that era.”
“The lady seems very progressive. Did she get a job after her studies?” I asked.
“She refused some of the prestigious jobs to look after her family.” My wife suddenly stopped talking.
“Why are you standing at the door, Doc? Please come inside.”
I was so engrossed in the story that I did not notice him. “Didn’t you visit the patient in the other ward?”
The doctor smiled embarrassedly., “I still have enough time in hand. I thought I would listen to it in your own words.”
“Please come,” my wife called him inside, “Please be seated here.”
“Correct me if I am wrong somewhere,” my wife continued her story, “The lady had sacrificed a lot for her family. After some years, their economic condition was not same as before. Her husband had lost his job. At that time she decided to rescue her family by working. She sent applications to various sectors for those jobs which she had denied earlier. It is said that the danger never comes alone; he takes all his brothers and sisters with him. The lady felt hapless to find that she was rejected everywhere. But she raised her sons and educated them well. Their socio-economic condition improved a lot after her sons got government jobs.”
“It’s strange that they did not look after her in her old age,” I said.
“Strange indeed. But the lady seems more astonishing to me than her life story. It never occurred to me that she was insane or loony. In her waiting for her deceased husband, I don’t find insanity. What I find is a true love that was never meant to be born in this material world. It is that celestial flower of the paradise that lost its way to descend upon the earth. I can see the evergreen rays of hope in her eyes to meet her husband once again. I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks about her,” said my wife.
The doctor broke his silence, “Would you mind if I add something more to the story?”
“No, not at all,” we said in unison.
“Ok. When I saw her sitting on the footpath, I felt agonized. Besides, I thought that I had seen her somewhere.”
“Do you know her?” asked my wife.
He nodded his head. “Yes. At first she could not tell anything. But after proper treatment and medication, she began to disclose her tales one by one. Her memory was coming back to her. At one point, I was certain about her identity.”
His eyes were glistening with tears.
“I am her first husband. When I had married her, I was seventeen and she was thirteen. She has not recognized me yet.”
“What?” we blurted, shocked.
“After she left my home, I was very unhappy. I had a deep hatred for her. But somehow it was a boon to me because I was determined to prove my mettle to her one day. I studied hard and beat the best of the best to get a chance to study medical science. After I became a renowned doctor, I for searched her in many places. But I could not find her until recently.”
“Does your present wife know about her?” I asked.

“I didn’t remarry. I always believed that she would come to me one day and repent for leaving me,” the doctor smiled. “As a doctor, I should always hope that she spends the rest of her life with her grandchildren happily. I should wish that her sons come to take her with them and see that she is mentally stable now.”

A narrow cascade of tears moved slowly down his cheeks. He tried to hide it with his hand, “But I can’t. I have a secret desire that she leads her life with me forever. I feel very glad to take care of her. I know that I am being selfish. It was possible that I had taken her to the hospital because she looked very familiar to me. Would I have done the same thing for a completely unknown person? I don’t know.”
I looked at my wife. Her eyes were also teary. She said, “Doc, do you know that you are a noble man?”
He didn’t reply. “I should get up now,” he said and started walking to the door slowly. “The patient is waiting for me.”
I too bade adieu to my wife. I felt a sudden mirth in my heart. I could see the sparkle again in her eyes which I had seen so many years ago while proposing to her. Who knows where she had hidden it for such a long period? Or maybe it was always in her eyes; I didn’t notice properly.