I sat in front of the counsellor and waited for Amit to arrive.

"If he is doesn't show up in another five minutes, I am afraid we will have to reschedule." The counsellor, Sapna, told me.

I nodded and waited.

"I am sorry I am late." Amit said as he came in.

"It is alright, take a seat." Sapna said pointing to the chair beside me.

"Thank you, I was caught in traffic."

"Oh. Well, since we are here I would like to hear about what went wrong in your marriage."

I spoke to her about everything that happened with Rishi and there on.

"Would you like to say anything Amit?"

"Actually no, I admit it was entirely my fault."

"Okay, what makes you feel the differences between you are irreconcilable?"

Before I could say something, my phone rang.

"You are required to switch off your phones during the session Kavya."

"I am sorry. I would just do it."

I saw it was Karthik. He was probably calling to ask how it was going. I disconnected it and was about to switch it off when it rang again.

"I think it is something important, I'll make it quick." Sapna nodded. I rose from my seat went to a corner of the room and attended the call.

"Kavya, you need to come to Sanjeevani hospital immediately."

"What is wrong Karthik? What happened?"

"It is dad. He has had an attack."

I turned to the two people in the room who were looking at me.

"I have to go. My dad is in the hospital."

"I will come with you." Amit said.

"No." My voice rose without me realising, "I mean I can go alone."

As I left the building, tears came out of my eyes. I kept the key in the engine, rested my head on the steering wheel and cried. This was pure torture. First, it was Rishi, then Amit and now dad. Why was all this happening to me so soon?

I reached the hospital, found a parking spot and then rushed inside.

"Mr Shashank Gupta." I asked the receptionist.

"Are you family?"

"I am his daughter, Kavya Gupta"

"He is in the sixth floor ICU. You can take the lift."

I saw Karthik and Gunjan outside the room and rushed to them.

"What happened?"

"He was in the office as usual. We have no idea what happened, he just fainted." Karthik informed me.

"I want to see him."

"We can't, at least not yet"

"Please let me see him." I begged. Gunjan came to me and held me.

"Calm down Kavya. He will be fine. We need to be strong for him now and hope for the best."

"Bhabhi, why is all this stuff happening to me all of a sudden?

"Be strong Kavya, we can overcome this together." She was trying to calm me down, but it was not helping.

A few minutes later, the doctor came out.

"How is he doctor?" I heard Karthik ask. I rose from my seat and went to stand next to him.

"I am afraid, his condition is critical. We have tried our best to stabilize the situation; I think you should meet him."

Karthik went first and Gunjan accompanied him. It took them a good five minutes. I went in as soon as they came out.

"Dad, you cannot do this to me."

"I am sorry beta, I am sorry."

"Please don't leave me."

I saw his heart rate fluctuate in the machines attached to his heart.

"I love you beta." he said.

"Doctor..." running out, I called for help

Karthik and Gunjan rushed to my side.

As we waited for the doctor to come out, I could not stop the tears from flowing.

"I am sorry, we did our best." The doctor said coming out.

"Noooooooooooooooooooo."

All I could do was stand helplessly as Karthik performed the 'antim sanskar'.

I sat in front of my dad's picture crying while the neighbours and other acquaintances paid their respects to him.

"I feel sorry for his daughter. She lost her son, and then her husband abandoned her. Now with this, she might be totally broken. Poor girl." I heard one of the neighbours say.

I did not want to react to any of that stuff. The woman next to her said something about me being able to listen. Well, I did not want any of their fake concerns. A few months back I was content with my life, I had everything anyone could ask for. Everything had changed in a very short span of time teaching me the very big lesson, 'nothing is permanent'.

Someone approached me. I was about to ask the person to leave me alone when I realised who it was.

"Amit..." I was shocked to see him there.

"I am sorry for your loss."

"Me too."

"How are you?"

"You know the pain. You tell me, how would I be? I am an orphan now Amit."

"Never again say that. You are not an orphan, not until I am alive." Karthik said coming next to me.

"I wouldn't ask you to leave Amit, we have our manners." My brother told him.

"Please don't take it for granted. Thank you for coming."

People left one by one and soon it was just the three of us. Dad had left a huge void in my heart. I guess it was just voids now, with everyone leaving me one by one.

Time flew quickly. I was now officially a divorcee. The court had granted our divorce after the counsellor submitted the report that our relationship was beyond repair. I needed to turn over a new leaf, start afresh and I needed a job for that.

Gunjan bhabhi got a transfer to Delhi and Karthik was trying for one too. Both of them did not want to leave me alone in Mumbai, but I did not want to leave. They knew they could not force me. Hence, Karthik had set me up a job interview for the post of an assistant in a legal firm in Mumbai. I knew I had to nail it in order to reform my life and I was willing to do anything for that.

PIC: Gunjan