THE Strange Marriage

THE Half Truth

Aarthi, Bunny, and Ridhima are now at the entrance of the hotel. The time was 4 p.m. Ridhima went towards the receptionist and started speaking to him.

"Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?", The receptionist asked Ridhima with a smile.

"Our friend Arun has already taken a room. May I know his room number? I need another room as well. Make sure both the rooms are nearer."

"Yes ma'am. Arun sir took 206. Whenever he comes here, we will allocate him the same room.", the receptionist said.

Aarthi is a hell of confused about why will Arun stay in a hotel when he has the orphanage where he lived for 15 years at a walkable distance from here.

"Here ma'am. These are the keys to room 207.", the receptionist while handing the keys to Ridhima. They went to the second floor and Aarthi knocked on their room's door while Ridhima and Bunny were opening their room.

Arun opened the door and saw Aarthi who was smiling.

"Are you okay?", she put her hand on Arun's forehead taking him off guard.

"I'm fine. It's just a headache.", he said and went inside. Aarthi entered the room with her bag.

"Did you eat something?", she asked while taking clothes from her bag.

"No. I slept after coming. And I'm not hungry."

Aarthi felt Arun was nervous. She went after nodding her head. She freshened up and asked Arun while applying moisturizer.

"The receptionist said you always take this room whenever you visit your orphanage. Why don't you stay with Lakshmi Aunty and Ravindra Uncle?"

Arun's palm started sweating. He doesn't have any answer fit Aarthi's question.

"I.. I. Generally, .... You know...", his stuttering session is disturbed by a knock on their room's door.

"I'll look who's there.", Arun said and hurriedly opened the door. He was taken into a bone-crushing hug by two men as soon as he opened the door.

He saw the faces and a smile made its way to his face. Bunny and Ridhima, were also standing outside. Bunny pushed everyone inside.

Aarthi is confused about who they could be. Arun saw Aarthi and signed her to come near him.

"Aarthi, he is Rohan and he is Aditya. They were my roommates for 6 years in Mumbai. They went to different cities to work after our graduation. And guys, she is Aarthi. My wife."

Aarthi shook her hand with both of them
and soon all of them were immersed in deep discussion. Rohan and Aditya found Aarthi so lively.

"You were a grump and you still found such a lovely lady as your partner.", Aditya said to Arun making Aarthi chuckle.

"Yeah. That's true.", Bunny said.

Arun just smiled looking at them. They were discussing how they spent their lives.

The orphanage has a rule. Every person by 15 should find a way to accommodate themselves. Hence, Bunny was the first to come out as he was three years older than Arun. Bunny got his scholarship for his studies but not for his stay. So he took a part-time job in a library. He used to work for 4 hours every day at night from 11 to 2. He started saving some money by the time Arun was 15. Bunny was roommates with two other elder men who were working in the metro station. By the time Arun is out of the orphanage Bunny made sure, Arun will not work part-time like him. So, initially, he helped Arun with the necessary stuff. Soon Aditya and Rohan became their roommates. All four of them were in the same room for almost three years and then Bunny was placed in a MNC from his college. He left the room and went abroad. But he made sure Arun always had enough money for his needs though Arun never used Bunny's money. He used to always send them back saying he should save them because he would soon get married to Ridhima.