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It was a sunny afternoon. Le Cafe had just been open and soon it was full. Aunt Lucy, just brought in a fresh batch of freshly made cookies. The customers who were mostly college students were in all praises. After all the delicious cookies were everyone’s favourite. Within no time, it was all gone.

Aunt Lucy was a synonym for happiness, laughter and containment. Who ever knew her, was in all praises of her. After the death of her husband, she single handedly took over the management of the cafe. She would also take home tuitions and was successful in making her children self dependent. Both her sons passed out as software engineers. They finally settled in the US and got married there after taking up the US citizenship.

Aunt Lucy could never agree to their terms of leaving her own country. She couldn’t imagine being uprooted from a place where eve the plants, animals and every human being recognised her. Aunt Lucy was the agony Aunty of the society. Everyone came to her with their personal problems and she came up with solutions. With every passing summer, she lost a little bit of energy due to her age but her smile never faded away. Her sons who used to visit her twice a year, now found it difficult to even meet her once a year. Slowly but surely, a kind of monotony and loneliness had set in her life but Aunt Lucy never let anyone know about it. After all it was her reputation at stake!

Mr. Fernades was her regular customer and one of Aunt Lucy ‘s good friends. He would spend long hours at the Le cafe reading his daily Newspaper and describing every news to Lucy.

Though no one knew anything, but he had discovered that something was wrong with Lucy recently . He many a times caught her faking a smile which was very unlikely of her.

He was a widower who lived with his daughter and son in law. Over the years both Lucy and Mr. Fernades had developed a bond that was quite strong. They were each other’s confidant and each other’s biggest critic. They felt a connection but there was no name to it. The society had such stringent rules that it was difficult to have one.

One fine morning when Mr. Fernades had just arrived at the cafe and asked for his morning tea, Lucy collapsed while bringing the cup of tea. Rushed to the hospital by Mr. Fernades, it was known that she had just suffered her first cardiac arrest and needed round the clock care. Mr Fernades could not leave her bedside. That night was critical where a second attack was very much predicted. But constant care and affection by Mr. Fernades resulted in avoiding any such damage.

Both the sons called up their mother and expressed their concerns but they were too busy to come and see her.

After a lot of thought in the hospital , Mr. Fernades proposed to marry Lucy. Lucy did not know what to say. The limitations of the society, their own children and their family members would surely attack them for such thoughts. It was only after much persuasion from Mr. Fernades that she agreed to the proposal.

Aunt Lucy’s Sons were shocked to hear the news of their mother’s second marriage. They refused to be a part of the celebrations. However, Mr. Fernades’s daughter was their biggest supporter who not only accepted the relationship but along with her husband made all the arrangements.

The whole neighbourhood was in a joyful mood for this grand wedding. Everyone wanted to be a part of this unusual occasion. It was love and affection of many years by Aunt Lucy & the reputation of Mr. Fernades that made people understand that a human being is free to choose his or her own lifestyle at any given age.

That day, standing at the altar of the Church, Lucy looked into the eyes of Mr Fernades, her future husband. There was a love that was beyond any lust or wanting. It was a love which was pure and above all selfish expectations. A drop of tear ran down her cheeks. From the day she was married till today, Lucy had forgotten what it was to love oneself. It was like always taking up the responsibility of her house, her husband, then her cafe and finally her children. The same children for whom she sacrificed everything, today had no time to be with her. She for the first time had taken a decision for herself. She did not want to spend the rest of her life in bed in loneliness. She was finally going to get a beautiful family. She smiled with tears in her eyes when Mr Fernades held her arms. She knew it was time to love her own self.

That evening there was a beautiful rainbow in the horizon which symbolised that white light can have multiple meanings and perceptions. The beauty was mesmerising.