Rehaan Deol or as his parents still call him "Chetan", the boy who changed his name for the love of a woman.
The woman who left his heart shattered in pieces.
He says he is ready to marry Ishleen and give love a chance while his sister-in-law, Sama...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I stand in the balcony under the sunrise over the lush green fields, smoking a cigar as I stare on my phone screen. I look at the old photograph of Aisha with her head on my shoulder sitting in the college campus. This was taken around two years ago, and all I could think was how life was always carefree, back then. Not that, I do anything now.
The phone in my hand, displaying our picture suddenly rings and I look at the unknown contact, waiting for internet to work and the app in my phone to show a name for the international number.
"Chetan... The rituals for..." mom says entering after me and scoffs.
"Of course." She says and grabs the cigarette out of my mouth. I let her. She has done this before so many times, but the first time she did this, she almost burnt her hand, so now I don't struggle to avoid harming her.
"You are getting married today." She says and I look at her.
"Mom, I'm not high enough to get through the day yet." I say as I shrug taking out the pack, planning to arrange weed after this and she snatches it as well.
"Chetan, Not today. Don't you dare.You cannot take the holy vows of matrimony when you are..." she goes to say as my phone rings again.
"Excuse me mom. I need to take this. And please no more rituals, I'll just get ready for the wedding now." I say trying to dismiss the conversation as I pick up the call from the unknown number trying to appear busy.
"Hello." I say on the phone as I hear heaving from the other side.
"Babe... Thank God, you picked up..." she says and the familiar voice gave me goose bumps. I turn to look at mom as she leaves the room, frustrated.
"Aisha?" I ask in a whisper to confirm as I rake my fingers through my hair.
"Yeah. I just... I'm so sorry but I had to call you... I just... I'm divorcing my husband and I... I need some money..." she goes to say as I couldn't help but mutter.
"You got married?"
"Yeah, it's been a few months and... and he doesn't treat me right and he's so rude. I can't live with this man. He takes hold of all my income and my..."
"You got married?" I ask again.
"Babe, I had to... I wanted to be a Green card holder in USA and that was the easiest way... Look on the bright side. I got your number, and you can come here and be with me." She says and I couldn't help but wonder if this was a sign from God. But the fact that all this time, I thought she was in a job at a city in India, when she had moved halfway across the world was a shock, that I was still trying to process.
"Where are you now?" I ask as she whispers.
"I'll send you the address, send me $5000 on it and then I'll come back home to you. Then we can come back together here." She says and I swallow a big lump in my throat.
