LOVE OF MY LIFE

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8:

Arjun's pov:

After the discussion I was thinking about it and I felt pity for her. I decided, I should provide her a good life and replenish all the happiness and love that she lost all these years. I went Aditi's room to see her. Adithi and Nethra were playing chess. I pulled up a chair and sat next to Adithi and said, "Hi Nethra, how are you feeling?" She said, "Better" I said, "Please don't ever try to do like this again what so ever. I know you're grieving and your heart is bleeding but death is not a solution for anything. I just thought what if your attempt had succeeded. The thought of losing you made me wild and that's why I behaved badly. I didn't mean to hurt you but I meant what I said. I'm very sorry if it had hurt you in anyway" She didn't say anything but silence. I asked, "Shall we go out for a drive and get some fresh air? Aditi said, "Okay, let's go to ice cream parlour I need triple sundae. What do you want Nethra?" I said, "Let me check with mom if I can take you out and if you can have ice creams" I asked my mom and she said, "Okay do not buy Nethra a sundae but maybe a scoop if she can take it. Don't stay out for a long time. Come back soon" Adithi, Nethra and I went to the nearby park and were watching the people around, the children playing etc. A swing was free and Adithi said, "I wanna swing" and ran to the swing.Nethra and I were sitting in a bench and she asked, "Can you do me a favour please?" I asked , "What is it?" She said, "I wanna see Mithra, can you take me to her? She is studying 9th standard in St. Ebenezer School, vizag" I said, "Let me check with mom and if your health cooperates we shall go this weekend" I checked with my mom and dad during dinner. Dad said, "Let us all go and visit Mithra this weekend. Anyway we were planning for a family outing; let's combine it together"

As planned we all started. On seeing her sister both of them hugged each other and cried. We didn't know what to do and how to react on seeing this. Soon they became normal and were talking about their classes, studies, teachers, hostel and lot more. We had lunch with Mithra, during lunch Mithra said aloud to everyone, "Arjun is the only person Nethra has ever introduced as her friend till now and I'm very happy that she has someone to share. Thanks a lot, please take care of her. She is very reserved and will never tell anyone what she feels" I said "Don't worry Mithra we'll take care" and we started back to Hyderabad. On the way back Nethra said to my dad, "Thank you for organizing this trip uncle, I'm very happy" Dad said, "Please don't say thanks a make me a stranger. You're happy right, that's what I wanted child" Just to divert the topic I said, "Adithi is also studying 9th standard now". Looking at Adithi, I asked, "Is Mithra's syllabus same as yours?" Aditi said, "Yeah, Same CBSE syllabus" Overall the trip was good. She was happy and I was happy too.

Days passed on like this and I did not discuss with Nethra about my love for her and her opinion about me except for the hospital incident. I tried to talk to her sometimes but she avoided talking about it. We completed our under graduation and went abroad for MBA and my dad helped her in getting an educational loan. After MBA I took up my dad's business and Nethra joined a company. Adithi and Mithra moved to 12th standard. Everything was fine and I asked my parents to ask Nethra's mother for her hand in wedding. As Nethra's parents are divorced, her mother took up the responsibility of settling them. Her father remarried and had a son. Nethra felt very ashamed and awkward.

When my parents asked her mother, she was not much interested in the wedding. My parents were very keen on the wedding and later she accepted. Our wedding was fixed. Before the wedding I wanted to ask Nethra if she was happy about the wedding because there was no love proposal, no acceptance and we were not lovers but good friends. I called her and asked,"Are you happy with the wedding?" She said, "I think you're ruining your life" I asked, "Why do you say that? Don't you like me?" She said, "It's not about like or dislike but it's because of me, my behaviour, attitude etc. You'll have a tough time with me because I don't know what a family is, what a wife and husband relationship is or how to build it. All I know is arguments, quarrel, hatred, tears, pain and grief. Since I didn't have any pleasant memories during my childhood, I hate having children and I hate myself too. I hated being a symbol of sympathy and shame among my friends and relatives. I hate divorce. I think it's the more cruel than any cruelty ever existed in our society. Divorce is worse than "Sati (A practice in the olden days where a woman would be burnt alive along with her husband in his death funeral)" No man can live a peaceful life with a woman with an attitude like mine. It will lead to divorce and I will become the apt example for the saying "Like mother, like daughter" I said, "Nethra, You don't have to worry about the past and its negatives. All I wanted to know is if you like me or not? Give me a straight clear answer yes or no"She said, "Yes as a friend, but" I interrupted and said, "Thanks, I don't want any "But". We can be friends even after marriage" She said, "To be friends we don't need a marriage" I said, "Very true, anyway my parents will get me married to another girl and she will become possessive and will ask me not to talk to you or meet you. I can't listen to that and she'll ask who is important Nethra or I. I'll say Nethra and she'll quarrel and my life will become more miserable. I prefer to share a life of dissension with you than to share it with someone else" She said, "Thanks for saying that I'm important, but still I have an aversion towards marriage" I said, "You'll get over the aversion soon. Be ready for the wedding and I'll take care of the rest" I was happy to know that she likes me and I said to myself, "I have to make her love me too. Hmmm interesting task"

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