THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

     The show must go on. If someone had told her this five years ago, she would have killed that person right away. Five years ago doorbell of their house rang loud. When she walked in the lounge from her father’s room, her eyes met with a box placed on their table. It was bright yellow with red inscription for the name of shop and it held sweets in it. Everything about the box and its contents was representing happiness and life; bright yellow as sunshine, red as rose and sweet as sugar. The box was all about glee and bliss in itself. These sweets were distributed by their family friends to celebrate the birth of their grandchild, her mother told her. She embraced her mother tightly and told her about the death of her father. It all happened in seconds. But these seconds were so long that they appeared to span a lifetime. Her dear father breathed his last breath on his bed. She was helpless as she saw her king leaving for eternal journey. That was one moment when her soul crushed, her heart broke and her strength gave away. But she still was breathing.

     Zara often joked that her father would be the only man of her life. He was her guardian angel. Like all other parents on this planet earth, he loved his child. She was always a kid for him. Though she grew in years but for him Zara was that little pinkish baby he held in his arms for the first time. He brushed her teeth, braided her hair, and took pictures of her when she wore a new frock. And by each passing day Zara knew no one could replace him as the King of her Heart.

     But it is not called life if it goes as we plan it to. Zara felt amused how ironic life was. Passing time was both pain and cure. With time she accepted her father’s death but with time she wanted his presence more than before. Her father used to drop her at office. After his death she went there all by herself. She felt more vulnerable than ever. She had to guard herself from this world. Before that, she never cared about any glance reaching her. She was protected then but now she was not. When Zara came back, she cried all evening. She knew her tears could not bring him back in this world. It was a single moment but she missed him every second. Her father was her driver, her chauffer, her teacher, her protector, her friend, her provider, and above all, her King. But her King was no more. The throne was empty yet her father’s essence held the seat. Zara never laughed on any death anniversary of her father. That day always brought huge heartache for her. She would shun the world on that day, never attended any call or talked to anyone. She would only breathe because she had to.

     The day of her marriage was the hardest. Zara married the guy of her father’s choice because she knew even after his death, he wanted her best interest. She wanted him to give her away. Zara hugged her mother because she saw her father in her. Surprisingly she saw that yellow sunshine box flashing in front of her eyes. She remembered how enigmatic that moment was. Two homes had two entirely different stories at the same time. Where one family was celebrating new life, the other was mourning the loss of one.    

     Days went by and she kept her love for her father in her heart. She thought her life ended with him. She was only living it because God had planned to keep her alive for predestined years, she thought. She never listened to any word of consolation. She always remarked that these words were useless to lessen her pain. But after five years, she smiled on her father’s death anniversary. She smiled her most beautiful smile lying on hospital bed in delivery room. She had held her son in her arms for the first time. So she beamed with happiness. And there she realized that the show must go on!