Arranged Marriage ✓

Chapter - Eleven.

[Darshan]

The second I thought that I should let Anita know everything about all this, I dialed her number. But, it constantly said that she was on a call with someone else.

It was making me more furious. Because, I was unable to tell her about her best friend. After waiting for minutes, while holding onto patience and not destroying things around me into pieces, I finally was able to contact to Anita.

The moment she answered my call, I barked, “The fuck where you?!”. “Sorry, I was talking to Nishita.”, She said. “Nevermind, I need to tell you something. Something about me and Nishita”, I said. “I know, Nishita told me about all that is going on with the two of you”, She said. “Does she know, as well?”, I asked.

“She just got to know today, actually a few minutes ago”, She said. “Same”, I said, “Was this some kind of plan of our parents’ about telling us about all that shit, on the same day, time?”. “Maybe, I don’t know. But…”, she let her voice trail off, as she cried, silently. “What now, Darshan?”, she asked me, softly. “What do we do, now?”, she added. I had absolutely no answer to her.

It was an undeniable fact that, I could never fall in love with Anita, even after passing nine years with her. I never loved anyone else, as well. But, it was just, I never felt that Anita was the right one for me.

She fell for me. Long back. She still loves me. No matter what.

“Darshan?”, her voice emerged. “Huh, yeah?”, I asked. “Marry her, please”, she requested. Her words had left me numb. I had never expected something as such as this, from Anita. “What?”, I said, in sheer disbelief. “Look Darshan, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Only utter a word, when I would be done”, she said. “Okay,” I agreed.

“I know Nishita for a long time, she’s a genuine and amazing person. You know her well, also. But what matters the most is — me. Yes, Darshan. It’s me. You have never been in a serious relationship with anyone apart from me. Means, you have felt nothing for any one excluding me. Your parents do not like me that much. And they like Nishita, a lot. If you get married to someone, then I would be the saddest. Because, somewhere, you too know that we both belong to each other. You also wouldn’t like getting hitched to someone whom you barely happen to know. And suppose, you get married to someone. Someone you don’t know. And even if you want to get a divorce, your wife wouldn’t agree on getting divorced. So, here’s the trick — You will get married to Nishita. Spend a month or more with each other and even if the relation between the two of you remains good, you have to pretend to fight with one another. And your parents will definitely be aware of this and same will be Nishita’s. After a sudden period of time, everyone will give up and give you both the permission to separate ways. And thus, both of you would be free”, she narrated.

Her plan seemed absolutely foolish. Yet, I don’t know from my voice came, “What’s the guarantee that my parents won’t force me to get married once again?”. “Well, they will not, at least not for few months. And if they start it once again, I’ll get married to you, no matter who accepts and does not accept our marriage”, she said.

“Will this work?”, I said. “It should”, She replied, her voice now sounded normal. “I don’t know, it’s just— I think you should talk to Nishita”, I said. “Okay, I will”, I heard say. “Can you meet me at our same café, within twenty minutes? I’ll coming along with Nishita”, she said. “Okay”, I agreed.