The Pretended Blindness of Love
- “O Veer! How will you manage to walk alone now? You are blind! All these years, your wife, Priya, was your support; she guided your every step.”
- Ravi Ila Bhatt
In the historical city of Jaipur, known for its vibrant culture and beautiful people, lived a merchant named Veer who was deeply in love with his wife, Priya. Priya was famed across the town for her exquisite beauty and gentle nature.
Their happiness was soon shadowed by misfortune. Priya developed a rare and progressive skin disease that slowly began to mar her stunning appearance. Veer watched helplessly as she gradually started to lose the beauty that had captivated so many.
One fateful afternoon, as Veer was returning from the market, he met with a serious accident and, tragically, lost his eyesight. The doctors confirmed that his vision was permanently gone.
Their married life continued, but with a profound change. Priya kept losing her physical charm, yet her blind husband never knew the extent of her condition. There was no shift in their affection; Veer loved her just as deeply as before, and Priya, touched by his unwavering devotion, loved him dearly, caring for him meticulously as his eyes to the world.
Decades passed in this quiet, shared love. One sorrowful day, Priya passed away. Her death caused Veer immense, heartbreaking sorrow. He completed all the funeral rites and, unable to bear staying in their house without her presence, decided to leave the town.
As he walked toward the city gates, leaning heavily on a walking stick, a concerned neighbor, Kaka Suresh, called out to him.
“O Veer! How will you manage to walk alone now? You are blind! All these years, your wife, Priya, was your support; she guided your every step.”
Veer stopped and gently lowered his stick. He turned his face towards the neighbor and replied calmly, his voice steady:
“Kaka Suresh, I am not blind. I haven’t been for years. I was only pretending to be blind.”
The neighbor was stunned into silence.
Veer continued, his voice filled with tender memory, “When Priya’s disease began, and her beauty started fading, I feared that if she knew I could still see her condition, it would shatter her spirit and hurt her pride far more than the disease itself. I did not love her only for her beautiful face. I loved her kind heart and her loving, caring nature. That is why I acted blind—I just wanted to keep her happy and shield her from pain until her last breath. Now that my eyes are no longer needed to protect her, I can finally see the path ahead.”
Veer wiped a single tear and walked on, leaving the astounded neighbor to ponder the depth of true love.
Moral
When you truly love someone, you are willing to go to any extent to keep them happy. True love accepts everything – imperfections, discomfort and the passage of time.
