That Indian Woman | √

Chapter 25

Three updates in a day?

Yes. That's because right now I'm filled with a lot of ideas.

❇❇❇

Anvesha:

"What?" I asked him in a mere whisper.

Rajeev looked startled. Of course I wasn't meant to hear him, but I did.
"I--I have to go." He said in a rush and tried to walk by me.

"No wait!" I called out to him, catching the attention of a few passers-bys.

He stopped and turned around. With a sigh he looked at me. "I have a university to attend Anvesha."

I glared at him. "I do too. That is why, I am requesting you to meet me under the big banyan tree beside Queen's road. I want to talk to you."

His eyebrows shot up and for the umpteenth time, his eyes widened. "No!...I mean, uh, that is not possible. We shouldn't be meeting each other anyway. If anyone see us, then it won't be good for our families." He looked away.

I resisted rolling my eyes. "No one comes there. It is a secluded area."

"That is worse..." He muttered to himself then shook his head. He stared at the ground and seemed to be having an inner battle with himself. Then he looked up and sighed. "Okay, I will meet you at four there."

I nodded at him before turning away and walking towards the college. I was definitely late and the teachers didn't accept unpunctuality. I was going to get a lecture.

❇❇❇

Rajeev:

I walked towards the big old banyan tree. The warm rays of the sun had made the afternoon a bit bearable.

I looked around, searching for any signs of nosy village people. But the fields around the roads were empty.

As soon as I neared the tree, I saw Anvesha sitting there, staring at the sky.

I took a deep breath and wished myself luck. Anvesha was intimidating, independent woman. She was one of those people who weren't born for the current century. Maybe for the coming time, but not 1899.

I admired her. The step she took when the British decided to impose taxes, was brave of her. And I hated myself for retreating when she needed us. And when I saw her now with her unafraid, deep eyes, I just couldn't meet them. She was everything I was not.

I stood beside her but she didn't took notice of me, she was busy glaring at the sky. I cleared my throat and her face snapped towards me, any sign of daze wiping off her face.

"You're here." She said and then patted the space next to her. I was confused and then realized that she was asking me to sit beside her.

I hesitated as I did not want to ruin my clothes, but if she being a woman wearing a pure silk sari can ruin her clothes for the sake of comfort, the so can I.

I didn't say anything as I sat. She yawned and a soft smile erupted on my face which I wiped away just as quickly.

She was so unladylike, that it was almost like she was making her own meaning of how a lady should be or rather, can be. It was amazing.
"I want to study. And then I want to teach the children in the village. It's probably bizarre to you, but it's my dream you know?" She said softly out of nowhere.

I nodded and stared at her profile. She didn't look at me. She was looking out in the distance, as if deep in thought.

"And so, I don't want to marry anyone. Only for two reasons, one, I don't want to leave my father and two, I want to study, and no one wants to marry a woman like me off to their son." She said the last sentence with gritted teeth, as if she wished that it wasn't true.

I gulped and looked away from her. I wish I could tell her that my parents will accept her as she is, that they will allow her to pursue her dream.

But I would be lying.

They both belonged to the most orthodox masses here in India. They wanted a daughter-in-law who did all the house chores, who beared healthy baby boys and did as they wished.

To convince them that I want to study abroad and they had to let me, even let me take my bride with me was a very tough task. I had to emotionally blackmail my parents by not eating food, and then my mother having a typical mother's heart, allowed me to do both things.
But there wasn't anything I asked her about letting my bride study. It was hard to find someone like Anvesha anyway. No woman would want to leave India in the first place and studying? It was an absurd idea. But not with the woman sitting beside me.

I admired her so much that I almost felt something for her. And if it was possible, if she wanted to be with me, I'll take her to Britain and let her study...even if I had to lie to my parents.

I heard a gasp beside me and I turned towards Anvesha to find her looking me with her eyes wide and mouth dropped open.

"What?" I asked her, confused

She closed her mouth and turned away with an indecipherable look in her eyes. "You said you would lie to your parents for me..."

Oh my God! I said everything aloud!

"Yes, you did." She said with a small smile on her face.

I felt like banging my head against the wall. I literally wanted to.

But as I looked at the beautiful woman again, with a small smile on her face, I felt like there was hope that she wanted to be with me too.

There was silence between us.

Then she got up and I took that as a sign as I got up too. She was picking her things and ready to leave, and I waited.

But before leaving, she said something that filled me with a warm feeling in my chest. "Rajeev? I want to tell you that...I'm not saying no to my father."

That was her acceptance to our father's decision, twisted in her own way.

❇❇❇

Alexander:

I watched her leave and watched the man follow, leaving me with a searing pain in my heart.

❇❇❇

A/n-

Thoughts? Do you think I'm doing justice to show you what the characters might be feeling with my writing?

Do tell me, so that I improve when I'm done with this book and rediting it.

Thanks for reading.
Love,
Me ♥.