Threads of Destiny

11-The unconventional choice

At the dinner table, Giriraj, Rekha, and Barun were quietly having their meal when Barun suddenly broke the silence. "I want to get married," he announced.

Rekha's face lit up with joy. Finally, she thought, he's going to confess his love for Ishita in front of us. But her excitement was short-lived.

"I want to marry Kali, that village girl," Barun continued, his voice calm but firm.

Giriraj and Rekha stared at him in disbelief. It took a moment for the weight of his words to sink in. Rekha's voice trembled as she spoke. "Are you joking, Barun? Yesterday only, we were discussing your marriage with Ishita."

"I didn't agree to that," Barun replied coldly.

Rekha's concern deepened. "What happened between you and Ishita? Did you fight?" she asked gently, trying to steer him back to what she believed was the right path. To her, Ishita and Barun were the perfect match. Kali hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Kali is the better choice for me" Barun said, his expression unyielding.

His mother's voice sharpened. "Look at yourself, Barun. You don't even love Kali!" she scolded, frustration and disbelief mingling in her tone.

"Kali is the better choice for me," Barun repeated, his voice cold and unyielding. "I want you to visit her Bua's house tomorrow and complete the formalities. I never liked Ishita in the first place."

Rekha pressed her palm to her forehead, the word "formalities" ringing harshly in her ears, as if marriage was nothing more than a business deal to him. She had always known that Barun didn't believe in the sanctity of marriage, yet here he was, suggesting marriage to Kali with a detachment that left her reeling.

"Then why were you spending so much time with Ishita?" Rekha pressed, her urgency rising.

"She's just a good friend. Nothing more," Barun replied, standing up. "I'll either marry Kali or no one at all." Without waiting for a response, he walked off to his room, leaving his stunned parents in silence.

Barun stood on the rooftop, a cigarette in his hand, lost in thought. The cool night air did little to clear the turmoil in his mind. He pondered the path he had chosen-marrying Kali. It wasn't that he couldn't find other ways to avoid marrying Ishita; he had plenty of options. But why Kali? The question gnawed at him, a puzzle he couldn't solve.

He knew he didn't love her. Yet, something about seeing her with other men stirred an anger deep within him. It made no sense. What was it about her that held him captive? Kali was both innocent and fierce-a rare combination-but that didn't explain his fixation.

Maybe it was desire, he thought, though the idea felt hollow even as it crossed his mind. He doubted it was that simple. It seemed more like he was trying to fill a void, to replace the concept of love with something he could understand. Whatever the reason, one thing was clear: no man seemed good enough for Kali.

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The morning sun filtered into Bua Ji's living room, where Barun and his parents sat on a small sofa. Across from them, Bua Ji and Ramakant settled on the adjoining one. Beena and Naveen had to take the chairs since there wasn't enough room. A modest table sat between the sofas, with an extra stool squeezed in to hold the overflow of glasses of water.

Ramakant broke the silence, recounting Barun's confession from the previous evening, trying to ease into the conversation. Rekha smiled and spoke up. "Since our son likes your daughter, we have no objections to their marriage." She fondly remembered the day Kali had helped them in the deserted village, an act that had won her heart. However, she insisted on speaking to Kali directly before making any final decisions. Giriraj agreed with his wife's cautious approach.