𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬: अनुरागी

❀.1

 A car was stuck at a crowded place for half an hour and the man sitting in it was tired of blowing the horn.

“Now it's enough Ajay. Stop it.” Ajay, our story' main character, sat back quietly but he was sucking.

“Look maa, where are you gonna marry me? It will take me whole to reach there with my wife. Then you will say my son is now under control of his wife.” Ajay said while rubbing his head with his finger.

“We didn't see a girl and you already accepted her as your wife.” Her mother said and laughed.

He mimicked his mother and made a weird face. “I was telling you the real truth, that's why we should go back. You should leave this marriage thought from your mind.” 

“Pagal” her mother hit him on the head and laughed. He smiled while looking at his mother's cute face. After his father’s death her mother stopped smiling. Now she is so happy because he is ready to marry.

But inside Ajay, there was a storm. He didn’t want to be here, visiting a girl for an arranged marriage. Yet, the sight of his mother’s smile made it hard to say no. 

After all, she had been through enough—losing his father years ago and then watching him stumble through two failed relationships. This meeting wasn’t for him; it was for her happiness.

He sighed, pushing away the thoughts that kept swirling in his mind. His heart felt heavy, but he kept reminding himself that this was the least he could do for his mother. 

She had always been there for him, supporting him even when things went wrong. Today, it was his turn to give something back, even if it meant doing something he wasn’t sure about.

“We’re almost there,” his mother said, her eyes shining with excitement. “Shobha’s family is very nice, you know. Her father is an old friend of your uncle. I’m sure you’ll like her.”

Ajay just nodded. He wasn’t interested in liking anyone, not after what had happened in the past. He had loved before, twice, and both times it ended in disappointment. He wasn’t ready for marriage, and especially not with someone he had never met. But seeing the happiness in his mother’s face made him stay quiet. He couldn’t ruin this moment for her.

They arrived at Shobha’s house, a modest home with a well-kept garden. As they stepped out of the car, Ajay felt a knot form in his stomach. He followed his mother inside, where they were greeted warmly by Shobha’s family. Her father, a kind-looking man with glasses, led them to the living room where the introductions began. 

Everyone exchanged pleasantries, but Ajay’s mind was elsewhere. He was lost in his thoughts until his eyes caught something, or rather, someone.

There she was—Shobha.

She was sitting quietly, her eyes lowered in a shy manner, wearing a simple yet elegant light green saree. The color suited her, highlighting her delicate features. 

Her long hair was tied back, and there was a quiet grace in the way she held herself. She wasn’t wearing too much makeup, just a light touch that made her natural beauty shine.

 Ajay felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn’t expected to feel anything, but there was something about her that stirred something inside him.

She wasn’t just pretty; there was a softness about her, a calm aura that surrounded her. Ajay could feel his heartbeat quicken, but he composed himself quickly, reminding himself why he was here. He wasn’t here to fall in love. He was here for his mother’s sake.

“Ajay, why don’t you and Shobha have a little chat?” Shobha’s mother suggested after a while. The elders smiled at each other knowingly, and soon, Ajay found himself walking out to the garden with Shobha.

They sat on a chair which was kept in garden. The air was cooler here, and the sound of birds chirping in the distance filled the silence between them.

Ajay glanced at her, unsure of how to start. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “I should be honest with you, Shobha,” he began, his voice steady but serious. “I’ve been in two relationships before, and neither of them worked out. I wasn’t sure about coming here today, but my mother insisted. I just thought you should know.”

Shobha listened quietly, her expression calm. There was no judgment in her eyes, no sign of surprise. She simply nodded, her fingers playing with the edge of her saree.

“I appreciate your honesty,” she replied softly. Her voice was gentle, with a tone that put Ajay at ease. “We all have pasts, don’t we? But that doesn’t define our future. I believe in moving forward.”

Her words surprised Ajay. There was a quiet strength in the way she spoke, a maturity he hadn’t expected. For a moment, they sat in silence, and Ajay found himself looking at her again. 

She was calm, composed, and there was something about her presence that drew him in. It wasn’t just her beauty—it was her aura, the way she carried herself, with grace and simplicity.

“I didn’t expect to meet someone like you,” Ajay admitted after a while. “I came here because of my mother, but now... I’m glad I did.”

Shobha smiled, a soft smile that reached her eyes. “I came here because of my family too,” she said. “But now that I’ve met you, I feel the same way. Sometimes things happen for reasons we don’t understand at first.”

They talked for a while longer, about life, their families, and their thoughts on marriage. The more they spoke, the more Ajay realized how easy it was to talk to her. She wasn’t just calm and polite—she was thoughtful, understanding. There was a depth to her that he hadn’t expected. And the more they talked, the more he found himself drawn to her.

By the time they returned to the living room, something had changed. Ajay no longer felt the weight of doubt hanging over him. 

He wasn’t sure if this was love, but there was a certainty in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a long time. His mother’s eyes were filled with hope, and when he glanced at Shobha, he saw the same hope reflected in her eyes.

“I think we’d like to go ahead with this,” Ajay said, surprising even himself with how confident he sounded.

Shobha’s smile grew wider, and Ajay could feel his mother’s happiness radiating through the room. It wasn’t the most conventional love story, but it was theirs, and it felt right.

Soon, the preparations began, and before they knew it, Ajay and Shobha were married. Starting a new life together wasn’t easy—there were moments of confusion, hesitation, and the lingering fear of the unknown. 

Ajay wasn’t sure how to navigate this new chapter of his life, but every time he looked at Shobha, he felt reassured. Her calm presence grounded him, and slowly, the confusion in his mind began to fade.

Shobha, on the other hand, was filled with quiet joy. From the moment she had met Ajay, she knew he was the one. There was something about him that made her feel safe, and with each passing day, that feeling grew stronger.

And so, they embarked on their journey together, not as strangers, but as two people who had found something special in each other—something that was worth fighting for, even when it seemed unexpected.

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