The Unsaid

Chapter 6 - Marriage

Chapter 6 - Marriage 

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Terms and Meanings: 

Mandapam: A pillored area, where a marriage is held. 

Muhurtam: An auspicious time selected for starting or performing an important event/action in life. 

Chapter 6

A soft sound disturbed Surya from his sound sleep and he sat upright. Under the dim night light, he noticed his wife missing by his side.Where did Vijaya go? He rubbed his eyes and checked the time. Two am. "Vijaya? Where are you?" he called out softly so as not to wake everyone. His son, daughter in law and grandson were sleeping in the upstairs bedroom. With Pallavi's marriage only two days away, relatives will be starting to arrive anytime and they badly needed to rest. Couldn't she sleep and let him rest in peace? He walked over to the living room and found his wife sitting on the floor surrounded by several photo albums open. His anger melted away and he walked over to her, swept an album aside and sat on the floor by her.  She bent her head on to his shoulder and held his arm.  They sat in silence for a few minutes staring at the pictures of their daughter in all her growing stages.  

Her warm tears soak his shirt and he wrapped his arm around her, his heart heavy.  

"What can we do Vijaya. Such is the system. Daughters have to leave one day." He managed to say.  

Vijaya wiped her eyes with her sari edge. "I have been hard on her the last few months, thinking that she will learn how to survive. Now, I wish I had let her be free. After marriage, a girl is burdened with responsibilities. How will she live away from us? How can we live without her?"  

Surya took a deep breath and patted her back. "She will be fine Vijaya. I know my daughter; she will brighten up any home that she steps in. It is we who need to figure out how to handle the vacuum that is inevitable in this house."  

Vijaya glanced up at her husband. "Atleast she won't be living on the other side of the world; she can visit us often; Nellore is only three hours away from us."  

He nodded. They both arranged the albums in silence, then halted briefly before Pallavi's room before walking into their bedroom.Pallavi sucked in her breath until her parents shut their bedroom door. She allowed a tiny whimper to escape. 

~  

A  thin man wearing a dirty pant and nothing else led atribe of goats on the muddy road by the back of Prithvi's house. He used his stick to keep the few goats that were creative and bold enough to think of walking away from the group. Prithvi observed the goats, reconciled to their life and the path that they had taken. Just like him; he was no different than these animals. His life and his decisions were planned; any changes to them... not a possibility. He glanced down and wondered at how easy it would be to jump off from the terrace and end it all. That would be better than dying the excruciating slow death that he was undergoing, few cells at a time.Just one step and he would have eternal peace of mind. No pain, no joy, no anger, no self pity. Just peace of mind. But of course, he was not free to do that either. He was trapped in an invisible prison from which there was no escape but to suffer this slow painful death. His heart grew heavier as seconds advanced towards the time of his wedding. There was no doubt in his mind that it would be an injustice to Pallavi. There was a chance that his life be brightened by her cheerfulness and positivity but then, her life would be engulfed by his dark, brooding one. "Try TryPrithvi. It's all in your hands." His conscience shouted.He swallowed, turned his feet towards the stairs, knowing that everyone must be waiting for him to get started with the ceremonies.