1949 - A Love Story ✅

Part 3

"Chai.. Chai.. Chai.. Chai Garam Chai..", the tea seller boy walks with a kettle and few earthen cups.

Sidharth: Vidhyadhar ji, Would you join me for a tea?

Vidhyadhar: Sure Mitra (Friend), It would be great to hear your story sipping cup of tea.

Sidharth: (signals the tea boy) 2 cups please.

He pays the money and sips on the tea.

Sidharth: These Britishers have left us with this tea. Who knew until few months back that even common man like us will have this tea. It's so addictive.

Vidhyadhar: Just like your story, Mitra. I am eager to know what happened next?

Sidharth smiles and continues the story.

Flashback:

Sulochna: I liked the girl, she is doing her matriculation and a very simple, sober and sweet girl. What do you have to say son?

Sidharth: Whatever you say Maa.

Sulochna: (to Station Master SM) We liked the bride. So when do we get them married?

SM and his wife were happy.

SM: Ari Bhaagwan, muh meetha karao sabka.. {Wifey, get some sweet for everyone} I was wondering if we can wait until she completes metriculation. Just a matter of 6 months.

Sidharth has a short discussion with his mother before Sulochna puts her point forward.

Sidharth: Maa, I don't want to visit this village again to stay at Dayanand chacha's house for marriage. So ask them to arrange for marriage before we leave itself.

Sulochna: But son, marriage requires lot of planning and arrangements. You can't get married overnight.

Sidharth: No need of extravagant weddings. We are not landlords. We can marry in temple infront of God.

Sulochna: Okay. Let me ask them. (To SM) Bhaisahab, we want the marriage to happen tomorrow or day after itself. We aren't expecting any dowry or grand wedding. So we can get them married in temple as well.

SM: I am very much impressed by your thinking and appreciate it. However, I just wanted my daughter to complete her schooling. If we get her married, she will lose whatever efforts she invested in last 6 months. Marrying is a responsibility as well and she may never be able to study in future if she has child of her own.

Sidharth: I assure you that I will just marry her and not even see her until next 6 months. She will stay with you in Lakhanpur and once she has done her metric, I'll take her home.

SM discusses with his wife and they agree. They eat sweet as they congratulate each other. SM checks for the auspicious day between the two days and they decide that day after tomorrow will be fine. Sidharth and his mother were suppose to leave in the evening, so they plan for marriage in the morning.

The next day they do immediate shopping of clothes and other necessary things required for marriage.

The next day, Sidharth gets dressed up in a nice silk kurta and dhoti. They reach the temple where all the arrangements were done for the wedding by the priest. The Station master along with his wife and two daughters were already present.

Sidharth tries to look at his bride, Sunaina sneakily but she was wearing a long veil like every other bride plus he had also promised that he won't see her face until she completes her metriculation.