"I married for money.
I don't feel ashamed of my choice.
After all, marriage is a legal contract between two people who are afraid of dying alone and wish to perform their biological duty of procreation."
Aanandhi has always been an independent woma...
I took my car and left as soon as I had breakfast. This marriage deal was fucking with my head and I needed an escape. I had a rude wake up call this morning. Amma wanted to go shopping for wedding clothes. I told her that I needed a day off and ended the call before she could start scolding me about putting things off till the last minute. I knew she would soon send the cavalry in search of me so I had to escape soon.
There were many places in Chennai where one could get lost, tiny streets branching off from the main roads and leading to interesting locations. One of my favorite places was a scenic area which was about a 45 minute drive from my house. The farmers there grow rice paddy and the air was fresh, unpolluted by the smoke and dust of the city. It was my secret spot to escape to when I got too frustrated with my life.
The locals there knew who I was. They were suspicious at first, thinking that I was a government official who would steal their land from them and force them to vacate. Once I assured them that I meant no harm, they left me to my own devices.
I sighed as I entered my little slice of heaven. I parked my car underneath a huge banyan tree and looked up to see where my preferred seat was, completely safe and sturdy. I climbed up the tree using the thick roots to hoist myself up there. Once I settled on my comfortable nook, I gazed around at the green shoots of paddy. It filled me with a sense of calm.
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What I gathered from yesterday's circus show, the wedding would happen soon. I don't understand the urgency, however. Appa was walking with his head in the clouds. Honestly, it made me question if he was the one who was going to get married. Weren't brides supposed to be excited at the prospect of marriage? It was such a silly stereotype.
After Gayathri burst in on that strange situation with Vignesh, she decided it was her sole intention in life to annoy the hell out of me by her endless teasing and ribbing. Blocking her out gave me an immense headache. As soon as everyone left, I changed clothes and flew back to the safe and quiet of my own apartment. My parents were disappointed I didn't stay for dinner and discuss wedding plans with them. Why did they even need my input? It's not like I had a choice in the main aspect of the wedding which was the groom himself!
I rubbed my forehead and lay back against the solid rough bark of the tree. They did say that the road to hell was paved with good intentions. In my case, the devil himself was waiting for me at the end of the road. It was a good thing I had the contract though. No unnecessary kids or other icky aspects of marriage to worry about.
The news of the wedding had overshadowed Appa's stupid scandal. Maybe that was his plan in the first place. Clever old man. But did he have to throw me under the bus to achieve his goal?
The smell of hot, boiled rice filled the air and I checked my watch. It was time for lunch. I wish I had the forethought to bring some food with me. I wouldn't have to leave this beautiful place then.
I jumped down and slowly got into my car wondering if I should come back here after lunch or if that too much of an effort. Decisions. Decisions.
