Finding the Lost Souls (Watty 2018)

2. UNWANTED RELATIONS

Life is a series of shocks and surprises. It's fitting to describe life as an unpredictable book, with chapters that are difficult to understand. No matter how hard you try, you can never predict the surprises life has in store for you.

The best way to live is to embrace the present.

Raman decided to bury himself in work after the shock of his sudden engagement. The weight of the new relationship and the unnamed emotions it brought was too much for him to handle. He furrowed his brows, focusing on the statistics of his new project, when the quiet of his cabin was disrupted by a familiar voice singing loudly from outside:

"Dost... dost na raha...
Pyar... pyar na raha...
Zindagi mujhe tera...
Aitbaar na raha..."

Raman sighed in frustration. "What is this, Mihir?"

Before Mihir could respond, he continued with another line, completely lost in his world:

"Dushman na kare, dost ne jo kaam kiya hai...
Umar bhar ka gham mujhe inaam diya hai."

Raman clenched his fists. "What the hell, Mihir? What's your problem?"

Mihir, oblivious to Raman's irritation, stepped inside. "What's your problem? How could you hide something so important from me?"

Raman, unwilling to engage, returned to reading the file in front of him. Mihir, however, wasn't ready to let it go. "First, you don't inform me about your engagement, and now you're giving me attitude. What kind of friend are you?"

"Our friendship has nothing to do with my fate," Raman replied coldly. "What happened yesterday was because of my parents."

"So, you didn't know about your own engagement?" Mihir asked, his eyes wide with shock.

Raman's grip on the file tightened. His mind raced. Another shock... how many more will life throw at me?

Mihir interrupted his thoughts, holding out a newspaper. "Look at this."

Raman snatched the paper and stared at the headline on page three-a joint statement from his father and Mr. Vishwanathan Iyer, announcing the engagement and upcoming marriage of their children.

"At least you got to know beforehand," Raman muttered bitterly. "Who knows, they might inform me about my wedding on the same day."

Mihir's breath hitched. He could sense the pain behind Raman's words. Despite having parents, Raman was left in the dark, constantly striving to prove himself from the first light of dawn until the world drifted into sleep. Yet, even in the face of ignorance, he carried on, determined not to break.

"I'm sorry, Raman," Mihir finally managed to say, his voice low with guilt. He sat beside him and unfolded the newspaper, where two pale, resigned faces were captured alongside four enthusiastic and excited ones.

"Do you know anything about the girl?" Mihir asked carefully.

Raman's jaw tightened. "What do you think? That I'm joking? I'm not interested in this bullshit called marriage." He flung the newspaper aside, his eyes blazing with anger as they landed on the platinum band encircling his ring finger-a symbol that only fueled his frustration.

"But she's going to be your wife, Raman. Maybe you should talk to her. Marriages don't work without-"

"You call this a marriage?" Raman snapped. "A marriage happens when two hearts belong to each other, not when contracts are signed as a formality. She's just walked into hell."

"Raman-"

"Yes. She'll share my cursed fate. The curse of being born with a golden spoon." Mihir shuddered at the bitterness in Raman's words, though he could sense the hidden pain behind his anger.