A Love unspoken : An Unseen Affection

chapter:5

Aarish sat on the cushioned divan in the living room, flipping through the pages of a novel he'd brought back from his school library. His mother, Arundhati Devi, entered the room with a purpose, her bengali tant sari swishing as she moved. She settled beside him, a small black-and-white photograph clutched in her hand.

"Aarish baban always in the book, put the book down for a moment," she began, her tone gentle but insistent.

Aarish sighed, reluctantly setting the book aside. "What is it, Ma? Another lecture about marriage?"

"It's not a lecture, beta," she said with a faint smile. "I just want you to understand why this is important."

"I've heard it all before, Ma. 'Great-grandfather's wish,' But I'm only eighteen! Why should I be thinking about marriage now? I have my studies ahead and then my career."

"And nobody is stopping you to continue your studies,Aarish. Beside that most of your classmates from the village are married already and doing good in their life. " He knows it.

Arundhati placed the photo in his hand. Aarish frowned and held it up to the light. It was an image of a little girl in a silk frock, her hair tied into two long braids. Her wide, mischievous eyes sparkled with youthful energy, and a playful smile graced her lips.

"What is this?" Aarish asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This," his mother said proudly, "is Aparajita Mukherjee, your bride-to-be."

"Ma, this is absurd!" Aarish exclaimed, tossing the photo onto the table, "You can't expect me to agree to something like this. At least show me a recent picture, not one from her childhood." a funny glare on his face.

Arundhati looked at him with a mix of affection and exasperation and then laughed. "Beta, this is recent picture of your bride to be."

Aarish stared at her, his jaw tightening as if storm blow him away. "Bride-to-be?So, what you're saying is, you want me to marry a kid?Aarish blinked, incredulous. " Ma, she is a child! Are you seriously planning to marry me off to a girl Half my age?" Aarish asked again.

"Baban She's a child now, but she won't be forever," Arundhati explained patiently. "The marriage will only formalize the bond between our families. You both won't live together as husband and wife until she's of age to handle the responsibilities of marriage."

"Wait around for her to grow up while sacrificing my career, my dreams?" Aarish scoffed.

"No one is asking you to sacrifice anything, Aarish," his mother said firmly. "You can continue your studies and pursue your ambitions. This arrangement is just to ensure that neither of you looks elsewhere. You'll have a picture of each other as husband and wife from childhood, a bond that will only grow stronger with time."

"This is ridiculous," Aarish muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Ma, but I can't agree to this. Please don't bring it up again."

Arundhati sighed deeply, recognizing the determination in her son's voice. "Alright," she said softly. "But think about it, Aarish. This is not just about you,it's about our family."

---

The train screeched to a halt, jolting Aparajita to stir in her sleep. Aarish smiled and gently patted her cheek as she sleeping keeping her head on his shoulder "Wake up, Aparajita. We've arrived."

Aparajita rubbed her eyes and sat up, still groggy. "Already? That was quick."

"You slept through most of it," Aarish teased. "I had to endure your drooling on my shoulder for hours."