The Arranged Marriage

Meeting and apology

Anaya had been waiting anxiously at the airport for her daughter Riya, who had gone on a school trip to Delhi. She had missed her so much and wanted to hug her and hear all about her adventures. She scanned the crowd of passengers, looking for Riya's familiar face.

She spotted her soon enough, walking hand in hand with a boy. Anaya felt a surge of curiosity and protectiveness. Who was he? Was he Riya's friend or something more? She noticed that Riya was smiling brightly, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Anaya felt a pang of joy and sadness. Her daughter was growing up so fast, and she had missed so much of her life.

She pushed aside her thoughts and waved at Riya, calling out, "Riya, here baby." Riya saw her and ran towards her, letting go of the boy's hand. She threw her arms around Anaya and said, "Mumma. I missed you so much." Anaya hugged her back, feeling her warmth and love. She kissed her cheek and said, "I missed you too, sweetheart."

She looked over Riya's shoulder and saw the boy standing awkwardly, his eyes wide with shock. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. He seemed to recognize her, though. He opened his mouth and stammered, "Yo-you?"

Anaya felt a jolt of recognition. She knew him. He was Arjun, her ex-husband. Her first and only love. The man who had broken her heart and left her alone. The man who had no idea that Riya was his daughter.

Riya turned around and saw Arjun's expression. She said, "Buddy, you know my ma?" Anaya felt a wave of panic. She had to get out of there. She had to explain everything to Riya and Arjun, but not here, not now. She said, "Arjun, Riya, let's talk about this at home. Come on."

She grabbed Riya's hand and pulled her towards the exit, ignoring Arjun's protests. She hailed a cab and told the driver to take them to her house. She hoped that Arjun would follow them. She had a lot to say to him.

They reached her house and got out of the cab. Anaya paid the driver and led Riya inside. She saw Arjun's car parked outside. He had followed them. She felt a mix of fear and hope. She opened the door and ushered Riya in. She said, "Riya, go in please. I need to speak with your buddy." Riya nodded and went to her room, sensing the tension in the air. Anaya closed the door and faced Arjun.

He looked at her with disbelief and anger. He said, "Riya is your child?" Anaya nodded and said, "Yes, Riya is my child." She braced herself for his reaction.

Arjun asked, "Who is the father, Anaya?" Anaya said, "She is your child, Arjun." Arjun was shocked. He felt a rush of emotions. He was angry, hurt, confused, and curious. He said, "How? When? Why?"

Anaya said, "The day before I left the house, I found out that I was pregnant. But you didn't give me a chance to tell you anything, because we were fighting. You accused me of betraying you and your family. You said that I had sided with my brother, who had exposed your corruption and fraud on the news. You said that you hated me and that you wanted a divorce. You threw me out of the house and told me to never come back. You didn't even listen to me. You didn't even care."

Arjun said, "Anaya, I didn't speak ill about your brother on the news and humiliate them. It was a video released by someone. It was edited and manipulated. It was a trap. I was framed. I tried to tell you, but you didn't believe me. You trusted your brother more than me. You broke my heart, Anaya. You left me alone. You took away my child from me. How could you do that?"

Anaya said, "I didn't know what to do, Arjun. I was scared and hurt. I didn't know who to trust. I didn't know if you loved me or not. I didn't know if you wanted me or not. I didn't know if you would accept me or not. I didn't know if you would accept our child or not. I had no one to turn to. I had no one to help me. I had to survive on my own. I had to raise our child on my own. I had to give her a name, a home, a life. I had to be her mother and father. I had to be strong for her. I had to protect her from the world. I had to protect her from you."