Stranger in the Train

An Unexpected Rendevouz

The girl's loud swearing had made him stumble and fall on his seat. But what really shocked him was the girl herself. Abhimanyu could not believe that the person for whom he was traveling from Delhi to Udaipur was sitting right in front of him. Was he hallucinating? He rubbed his eyes and pinched himself but he was definitely not hallucinating. Although she had turned her face towards the window and he could only see half her face, Abhimanyu was sure that it was the same girl. It was Akshara, the girl he was betrothed to, long before he knew what betrothal meant.

Abhimanyu was 16 when he got to know about it, and he was shocked beyond belief. He had only heard about it in movies, and he had believed that it never happened in real life. But in reality, it was happening in his own life. Living in Dubai, he had very little contact with girls of his own age. The school was co-ed but girls and boys were separated from the time they were in the 5th std. They had different classrooms and different timings. But that did not mean that he was immune  to them. Abhimanyu had a fair share of attractions and crushes growing up.

But one day he had accidentally heard his parents discuss a promise his father had made his dying friend. Abhimanyu was extremely close to his parents and had confronted them right then. With a voice laden with guilt, Harshwardhan had explained the circumstances that made him promise his best friend that he would get his son married to his daughter when they grew up.

"Abhi, I am sorry, I have no right to make such decisions for you. Your mother and I have always given you the liberty to make your own choices. But this is something I had to."

"But why Dad?"

"You remember Kartik Uncle?"

"A little bit. I remember that the last time we visited when he had passed away."

"Yes. He was my best friend from college. I was an introvert and under-confident guy, thanks to my own father. All through my school days, I did not have a single friend. But college changed my life, thanks to Karthik. He saved me from a bunch of bullies during the first week of college. He brought me out of my shell and stood by me through thick and thin. Today, whatever I have been able to achieve is because of the confidence he had given me," said his father with a far-fetched look.

"In fact, if your mother and I are together, it was because of him. I had fallen in love with your mother on the first day of her college. I was already in my final year. I would have never proposed to her if it was not for him. He was also the one who convinced your Nana to give me a chance and not get her married soon after her graduation." His father paused and Abhimanyu waited, although he had an inkling what was coming next.

"When Kartik has diagnosed with brain tumor, he was optimistic in the beginning. But as time passed, he knew that he would probably never recover. His biggest worry was his daughters. He had confidence in his wife and parents to bring them up the way he wanted - strong and independent. But he was worried about their futures, about the kind of husbands they would get married to, whether the men would be worthy of them."

"I had taken leave for a couple of weeks to be with him during his final days. One evening, he asked me if he would get you married to his daughter when the time is right. I was shocked because the Kartik I knew would never say such a thing. Kartik was the most practical and fair person I knew. He hated parents putting the pressure of their expectations on their kids. But what do I know about a person who is about to die? So, I gave in and made a promise to him."

There was silence in the room. Abhimanyu didn't know what to say or do. But before he could say anything, his father continued, "I know that this is the most unfair thing to you, and even Akshara. But at that time, I did not want to break his heart. But I promise you Abhi that I will not force you. You are young and it is possible that you will meet someone yourself in the coming years. If you fall in love with someone and want to marry her, I will not stop you. I will convince Kartik's family. But Abhi, if you do not find anyone by yourself, promise me that you will give this a chance."