Love's Strange Ways *COMPLETED*

Introduction

Vishal is a fair-complexioned good-looking software architect, working in Concepts, a small prosperous software company in Bangalore. Like any unmarried guy in his mid-twenties, Vishal too leads a carefree happy-go-lucky life shuttling between his work, his social life with his friends and colleagues, and his empty apartment to which he returns at the end of every day. He's a very cheerful and amiable person and he has a good rapport with anyone and everyone who has come across him.

One day, Rhea, a chirpy girl in her early twenties, starts working in his company, Concepts, as his colleague. Rhea is very nervous and cautious at first as she is new in that company. Nevertheless, Vishal, being a friendly person, tells her to chill and assures her that she can count on him as a friend.

With time, Rhea develops a crush on Vishal. Some of their colleagues notice and warn Rhea not to harbour any feelings for Vishal since his thoughts on love and finding a life partner are a bit weird. Rhea finds herself irritated by the warnings given by their colleagues because Vishal is such a nice guy as far as she knows. So she decides to confront him.

One evening, as Vishal is leaving after work, he was opening the door of his car when Rhea walked up to him, saying, "Hey, Vishal!"

"Hey, Rhea!" Vishal exclaimed with a smile in surprise. "You haven't left yet?"

"Nope, I was waiting to talk to you."

"Oh, sure, what's the matter?" Vishal left his laptop bag on the back seat of his car and closed the door, before turning back to face Rhea and wait for her reply.

"Well, I... I think I've fallen in love with you."

Vishal was speechless in shock for a moment. He waited but Rhea remained silent. That was all she had had to say.

"I'm sorry, Rhea, but I've only considered you as a friend. Nothing more than that," clarified Vishal, after a moment.

"Okay, but you're not married, you don't seem to have any girlfriend and you're not in a live-in relationship with anyone. You seem to be interested in marriage, yet you've never had a girlfriend. No matter how many girls have proposed to you before, you've diplomatically turned them all down."

"That's because I am going to have an arranged marriage. I'm just waiting for my Grandma to choose my bride."

"Arranged marriage?" Rhea frowned in confusion.

"Yeah." Vishal smiled.

"But why? Are your family so strict that they want you to have an arranged marriage?"

"Nay, it was I who set the deal with my Grandma that she must find me a girl she likes, who's ready to have an arranged marriage."

"Why did you do that?" asked Rhea, puzzled.

"I've always dreamt of an arranged marriage."

"Nowadays, everyone wishes for freedom, they want to find the perfect partner for them. I don't understand why you want to have an arranged marriage. May I know why you've always been interested in having an arranged marriage?"

"That's a long story."

"Please, I really wanna know. Can you please tell me?" pleaded Rhea.

After much prodding, Vishal finally decided to explain the reason for his interest in having an arranged marriage, "My parents separated when I was a child. After their separation, I used to shuttle between my Dad's and Mom's house every month. Dad lived in Hyderabad, while Mom continued her studies in Chennai. So, I spent one month with Dad in his house for one month before going to my Mom's apartment and staying there for a month. Then, I would return to Dad's house at the end of the month and repeat.

But I hated that life. I knew both my parents loved me which was why they wanted me with each of them alternate months throughout the year. Whenever I reached my Dad's home, he was just a stranger to me. As the month passed, I got closer to him, but then it was time to move to my Mom's place. And the same would happen at my Mom's place. When I returned back to my Dad's place, he was again just a stranger to me and so the situation repeated every month. I hated it."

"Oh," Rhea uttered in surprise, hearing about Vishal's childhood.

"One day, when I was leaving my Mom's home to go to Dad's place, I ran away. I had had enough of shuttling between my parents' homes. I ran till I was tired out and fell asleep at a bus stop. My Grandma found me before it was too late. I told my Grandma that I didn't want to go to my Dad's and Mom's house every month like that. I pleaded her to let me stay with her as I didn't like this change of home, school and everything every month.

Grandma understood how difficult I was finding my life without having a constant person I could be close to. She tried to explain to me how much both my parents loved me and cared for me which was why they both wanted equal custody of me after their separation. Grandma resigned her job and promised to be with me every month I spent at my Dad's house and every month I spent at my Mom's home.

So, I continued shuttling between my Dad's and Mom's homes. But I was never alone. I had my Grandma with me. Being the only person with me all day throughout the year, my Grandma became my best friend, the only one who had left everything to be with me."

"Aww, that's really sweet of her."

"Now, I stay in Bangalore alone. Grandma went back to her home in Chennai. She comes to stay with me almost every one to two months. She is still my best friend. When I was a child, I asked her to tell me how she had met my Grandpa for the first time. She narrated to me how she met him on the day of her wedding as it was an arranged marriage. I had always been in awe of the respect and love she had when she spoke about my Grandpa. That's when I decided that I want an arranged marriage just like my grandparents.

My parents had a love marriage. Though I know that rarely love marriages lead to separation like my parents' did, I still wished for an arranged marriage like my grandparents had. When I told Grandma that I want to have an arranged marriage where I meet the bride of her choice only on the day of the marriage, Grandma said no way, arranged marriages like that are no more common. But I am firm on my dream to have an arranged marriage like my Grandma and Grandpa."

Rhea remained silent for a while after learning his story, before remarking, "It's really true. It's hard to find people who want an arranged marriage in this tech age. I hope you won't have to go to villages where the people may not be educated that much to find such a bride who'll agree to an arranged marriage without meeting at all. Anyway, are you really sure you'll be happy with whoever your Grandma's choice is?"

"No worries. I know my Granz will find me the perfect girl."

Rhea raised her eyebrow; her expression showed her uncertainty.

Vishal grinned as he asked, "I'm sure you must be thinking my Grandma is an old, traditional harried-looking woman, right? My Granz is not at all like that."

Vishal drew his phone from his pocket and showed Rhea a photo of him with his grandmother.

"Oh my, she looks young enough to be your Mom!" squealed Rina.

"She looks younger than my parents do! And she's more up-to-date with the latest trends and everything more than me!" chuckled Vishal.

Rhea smiled. "I like you and your Grandma. If your Grandma approved of me, would you approve as well?"

"There is no doubt. Granz will definitely approve of you. You are a nice person but it's my dream that I want to marry a girl, seeing her only on the wedding day. I want to feel the anticipation, guessing how she would be in appearance, before my wedding. I think that will be a different beautiful feeling. I know that not all of our dreams come true. I have always worked hard to achieve my dreams even though I was ready to accept if it didn't come true. But this dream is about my marriage. And I really want it to come true."

"I hope your dream comes true. Best of luck!" Rhea smiled.

"Thanks," said Vishal with a smile before he left.

To be continued...