PRIDE |All She had was hope All he had was Love| RaYa

Chapter 2

Priya was the most beautiful and educated girl in Pravadh, a little hamlet in central India. She was the only daughter of the sharma’s, a humble couple who owned a small sweetmeat shop. With a comely figure, saffron complexion, and kohl-black eyes, Priya was gorgeous, like a painting of a goddess brought to life. Priya was pure and kind hearted, and she had dreams of opening a school for girls in Pravadh. Educating girls was not as important as educating boys, which had bothered her since childhood. Priya was home educated by her father, while boys had the privilege of going to the local school. The peace-loving Priya, although strong willed and intelligent, would never go against her parents’ wishes out of love for them. Their happiness meant the world to her, even if it meant crushing her own dreams. Pravadh was known for its emerald-green fields, and one would often hear the yip of wolf cubs break the dawn quiet, from the woods bordering the town. Fluffy, white clouds would glide across amethystskies, releasing warm, incessant rain that snapped and crackled like bracken pods in a bush fire. The rain descended as little drops of silver, to cleanse the land and banish the silence of winter. In the village, dirt pathways wound, providing direction, and travelers would often stand in awe at the beauty of such a scenic place. A turquoise stream called the Vimala provided water and was the pride of Pravadh. It wound its merry way along the edge of the town, murmuring and gurgling as it sprang over pearly white rocks. Pebbles glittered, hurried along by the current made of water that tasted like the nectar of the gods. Most mornings, streaks of soft light beamed from the heavens, washing the stream in pure silver, while dragonflies glimmered and danced. The hedgerows along the dirt roads were pregnant with berries, engaging the inhabitants with their pleasant scent. Despite its beauty, Pravadh was a primitive community, where the wealthy convinced the rest of the townspeople that a woman’s only job was to take care of her family and stay at home. Although Priya’s parents loved her dearly and wanted to support her dreams, they had succumbed to the extreme pressures of the village elders and had begun to search for a man to wed their daughter.It was Priya's big day. Her parents, the sharma's, had left no stone unturned in the search for a worthy groom for their beloved daughter. Although Priya was against marriage, she had never openly expressed her own feelings on the matter out of respect for her parents’ wishes. Secretly, she hoped to continue working towardsher dream of opening a school for girls in Pravadh, even after her marriage, and she fervently hoped her future husband and his family would approve of the idea. It was with a somewhat heavy heart that Priya finally agreed to marry, although she never expressed any displeasure. She wished her parents would come to understand her true feelings and her dreams; she would have preferred them to change their mind on their own, rather than going against their wishes. In Pravadhi culture, children were expected to respect their parents’ every word, even if it meant going against their wishes. The sharma’s were so pressured by the Pravadhi community that they wanted to arrangea marriage for Priya before people started gossiping. They forgot that marrying their only daughter to a man without her consent would mean sacrificing Priya’s happiness, just to maintain their own social status and dignity.Meanwhile, Ram, who was the son of the Sayan’s, was the most eligible bachelor in Pravadh. His parents were the wealthiest and most respected couple, and the children were expected to carry on the family name. The Sayan’s owned thousands of acres of farmland, several herds of cattle, an ancient temple, and lived in the most sacred and revered home in thecommunity. A tulsi plant, in the center of their front yard, was said to have been planted by Lord Brahma himself, while he was disguised asa beggar to destroy a Rakshasa in ancient Pravadh. Many parents of young daughters wanted to arrange a marriage with Ram, and dozens of families would line up daily outside the Sayan home to offer marriage proposals. Guru Tai, Ram’s stepmother, was waiting for the largest dowry, and each day, hundreds of girls were humiliated and rejected when their dowries did not meet her expectations. Her insults were always subtle and only understood by the person whom she had insulted. Like a snake slithering in the grass,she would creep up on her victim without anyone else noticing. Money and pride were all Guru Tai cared about. Meanwhile, Ram’s father, Sumedh Rara, was never at home and avoided the hustle of wedding proposals. He would often visit neighboring towns with his guards, to confront his brothers over ancestral land, which didn’t belong to him. While he was away, Guru Tai ran the Sayan household.When the sharma’s approached Guru Tai with Priya, they had very little hope that the marriage proposal would be accepted. Ram had so many beautiful Pravadhi girls to choose from, and the sharma’s were not wealthy enough to offer a dowry. However, when Ram saw Priya, he was instantly infatuated by her radiant smile and deep black eyes. She was nursing a wounded puppy, and the sight of her caused a sharp pain in his heart. Without understanding why, he ran to Guru Tai and immediately expressed his desire to marry Priya. He wanted to own her from the very instant he saw her because that was how he had been brought up—he had always been given everything he hadever wanted. Guru Tai had been a protective mother, who had constantly told him that everyone else was inferior. As a child, playtime for Ram was sitting on the riverbank of theVimala every evening and watching golden fish swim by, with guards standing watch. During theday, he attended the local school, under the supervision of Sumedh Rara’s guards, because his father feared that his stepbrothers might hurthis son. Due to Ram’s protective upbringing, he had never fully understood how toshare with or care about others. To him, love meant to own something and never let it go. The way women were treated around Ram had given him the impression that they were no morethan pretty objects who took care of household chores, without any life of their own.When Ram saw Priya, he wanted to own her and have her to himself, and he thought that, maybe, she could lend a hand in the Sayan household. Initially, Guru Tai rejected the sharma’s proposal, but at Ram’s request, she reconsidered