Re-Marriage

Chapter - 1

Divya was in her room all dolled up, waiting to be summoned before the groom. Typical arrange marriage in India, where the bride's parents never want their daughter to have a boyfriend or even look towards the direction of a boy, let alone a stranger, one fine day they give their daughter's hand to a stranger and expect them to have a child.

Divya was born in a family where pride and money matters the most, its expected out of patriarchal family to arrange a marriage, purely based on groom's family's worth. To their expectation, who-is-who in the town, known through their family priest has come today to see their only daughter. The to-be-groom's mother saw Divya in a temple function, impressed by her calm and composed nature felt she would be right match for her son. How does mothers know just by looking at a random girl in public, next moment feel they can invite that strange into their family?

"Unna keela kopuduranga, come Divya", Divya's cousin barged in.

Divya, felt like she is in a museum, only this time, everyone was seeing her and commenting among themselves.

"Naa unna anniki kovila pathen, romba porupa, elderly people uh comfortable vechikutu irrundha. Its rare to see girls like this", Santha, groom's mother had this reaction like she found a gem in dirt yard.

"Naa unga ponnu kita konjam peasanum", announced Karthik, that's when Divya knew he is the groom.( I know its 2021, but marriage like this happen too). Divya never had any hopes in marriage, what can she hope for, when her own family doesn't listen to her nor any women in the family. misogyny in the family so deeply rooted, all she could expect was her life was going to end up like her mother. Her first impression was, he looks handsome, and she heard they he was in US before returning back to India.

"Karthik, do you really have to do this, I know what you are going to talk to her. This like 11th girl I am looking for you, I know what happens next. So just shut up" Santha kept her voice low, so that only they could hear.

"Paiyanku peasanum na okay, garden la peasalam. Thambi, neenga garden ku poonga, Divya pinnadi varuva", father of the bride broke their conversation.

It was a beautiful evening, the garden was maintained with atmost care, for someone who likes nature Karthik was impressed with it. But he isn't here to enjoy the beauty of the garden, is he?

"Naa straight uh solluren, I was in a relationship for 5 years, a year back we broke up and I moved to India unable to with stand my mom's emotional drama, its been 6 months I am in India, and you are the 11th girl I am seeing" Karthik told her with straight face.

Surprisingly this didn't shock Divya, what can she expect out of her family? She never dreamt of love let alone to have a dream guy. She stood there listening what more he has to say.

"I don't want to give you any hopes, Enna kalyanam pannuna, I can't be that ideal husband to you", he added.

Divya might be Calm and composed when looking from outside, but she has her own individuality, with whatever freedom she has. Having listened to such stories from her kith and kin, how a guy can say something like this, and they expect the girl to refuse there hand, so that girl has to have earful conversation from everyone around her, about compromise, its guys thing, one has to adjust.

"If that's case, then why are you here? US lam poi padichenganu Kelvi paten, but unnagala, unga decision uh unga Amma kita solla dhairiyam illaya?", Divya spoke quickly to her surprise and equally surprising Karthik, who has never met a girl in the arranged marriage setup, speaking back at the groom.

"See, if you ask me why I am here, I will definitely say, I have no expectation and its imbibed in me, that I am going to marry someone at my parents will and today that someone is you. You knowingly are here that you won't marry, yet giving room full of people an expectation that will never be met according to you ". Divya stopped knowing she has spoken more than what she would normally speak to a guy who is a stranger.