FOUR

"Nanna, I will marry Ayaan." She decided.

"Roshu," Gautham whispered with tears. It's not how he wanted to get her married.

Saritha came inside the room and looked at her daughter. It's not how they wanted, but there wasn't any choice as well.

Roshni closed her eyes and the accident played in front of her. It's like she is reliving in another nightmare and wants to get out of it.

Only if she knew how much wrong she was!

Kaushalya and Ayaan were shooting daggers at each other. Kaushalya knew Ayaan would turn the table at the end of time and she had to take this drastic step.

Ayaan who had a peaceful morning till now hates the change of atmosphere. It's not like how he expected. He thought the marriage would be called off and now he can't even do anything as he was thinking of ways to cancel this marriage with Divya not with another girl.

He didn't know she had an elder sister as well. There's still an hour for the wedding, he needs to call off it.

"Ramesh, I want to know everything about the elder daughter of Dev in 10!" He had already ordered his pa when his mother declared her decision of getting him married to her.

"Amma, you can't do this. You can't change the bride like any random thing." He spat at her.

"But you can dig information about any girl like it's any random thing?" No doubt that he got the hypocrisy from his mother.

His tongue tied as he had no answer for her question. Dhanya came with a sobbing Amal in her arms. He immediately took Amal from him who pacified gradually.

"Ayaan, I will ask you three questions. Just three questions and answer them with sincerity and honesty. I will call off the marriage."

He nodded his head feeling loss of words. Did he just sell his bittersweet life for three questions?

"Do you love your son?"

"Yes." He didn't like to but other illogical thoughts and questions in the middle.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Could you imagine your life and childhood without me?"

Could he? She ran behind him to feed him when he refused to eat. She made him ready for the school and doing the house chores at the same time. She is the reason for what he is today. The personality he got and built was because of her. Could he imagine being lack of all that?

"No!" He whispered. It was hard to listen but the silence in the room made it audible enough.

"Then why are you refusing to give the same for your son?" Amal needs a mother's love but isn't him enough to shower him with both ways?

"My three questions are completed Ayaan. You answered the questions and I presume you know the answer then."

"When you answer the fourth question I will be ready with my decision." Kaushalya marched out of the room.

Amal snuggled into his warm chest with a cheeky smile which tugged his lips into a smile as well. Can he change his life and vows for his son? By doing this, was he giving up on his love? His marriage? His wife?

Difficult roads always lead to the beautiful destinations. They said it but the implied condition was to going through the difficult road to see the beautiful destination.

‹Here comes the law student in me 😎›

Can he? The words itself were trembling to come out of him vocal cords then how was he going to do that? The beautiful memory or the future which can be an horizon!

"You are my only hope. I will even give my life for you, so marrying a girl who can be your mother and raise you like a mother, just how my mother bought up me, it not tough but the death of my life. I'm giving my life kanna, just for you." Ayaan kissed his forehead when the tears threatened to roll down from his eyes.

His whole family (author is lazy to mention all of them ✋🏻) came into the room awaiting his decision. His teary eyes told them how difficult it was for him to accept someone else as his wife, as replacement of his lost love.

"Amma, I'm ready to marry her." He uttered the words with bitterness and coldness.

Thara took Amal from him and he gave her a hesitant smile.

"Kaushalya garu, our daughter is ready." Sujatha said knocking on the door and they nodded in reply.

"Ayaan would be down in a few minutes." Thara cleared the thick atmosphere.

There in London,

Divya and Aaryan checked into the hotel and freshened up. Booking another local car, they drove to the university.

"Why are we driving to the university now?" Divya asked looking into her phone. She has changed the sim card and was waiting for it to activate.

"To get the information about him." Aaryan answered with a hopeful smile. It was her last resort. If this fails, her hopes to get to him will be zeroed and no one can bring it back.

"Are you sure?" Divya was tired of the constant false hopes which always turned bitter.

"It took me four months, Divi. I don't think it will go in vain." Aaryan answered to build her hopes.

They reached the university and paid to the cab.

"Who will take us to him?"

"Professor Khan."

"Huh?"

"Yes, Professor Khan. He is a professor here and is reliable to get the information we need."

"Excuse me, Professor Khan?" He asked the receptionist who looked at schedule.

"He was expecting some visitors. I will inform him about the visitors you can wait in the waiting hall. It's the ground floor of the opposite block." She answered with a smile.

Muttering a quick 'thank you' they made their way towards the hall. After five minutes, an middle aged man came into the room. His grey hair, wrinkled face and mostly importantly, the badge on his pocket filled their hearts with hope and fear.

Hope to know the truth and fear of the truth who would turn the lives.

"Aaryan and Divya, I assume." The duo nodded.

"What do you want to know?"

"About her." Divya showed him a picture of a girl. He smiled seeing the photo after two years. It's not every day you can see your favourite student.

"Why?"

Divya explained her truth and Khan gasped knowing the truth. The chirpy and lively girl was now living like a lost person. The cruel way of punishing the lives for their unknown sins.

"And he doesn't know about all his?" He asked gaining from the shock.

"No. I don't know anything about him." Divya answered with tears.

"I can give you his residence in London-"

"But the place was now locked wholly guarded." Aaryan cut off his words in the middle.

"Ok, I might have his phone number. Let me check." Khan checked his contacts and fortunately his number was still there.

"Here, it's his number."

Aaryan dialled the number instantly with hope and thumping heart.

"The number you are calling is currently unavailable."

How does it feel when the teacher crosses the whole answer cause you didn't mention the units anywhere. Aaryan felt the same at that moment.

"Unreachable." His voiced faded slowly accompanied by the hope slowly.

There in India,

Ayaan was performing his rituals as a groom when he completed them, the priest asked to usher the bride.

Roshini walked down the aisle with her mothers and the other ladies accompanying her. She was dressed in a white saree with red border, an implied traditional bridal wear.

Ayaan never looked at her, not even once. He couldn't believe that he was cheating his love, for his son. Can't his life be normal and less messy?

The Jeela karra bellam ritual was performed by them which binded them as husband and wife for the seven births. How many times did he fantasize this with his love? Innumerable! In end, the numbers faded into the darkness and the fantasy turned into a blackhole.

He tied the thaali which bound them as husband and wife and the priest did the pravara ritual which completely bound them together, which converted her family. From today, she belongs to him and only him.

‹The last paragraph was difficult to write. Ignore the illogical thoughts of mine 🙂›

The families smiled in happiness of their children but were the children happy? Both of them were ready to give up their life for their loved ones.

Harikrishna held his tears realising how wrong he was for his elder granddaughter. But she has to understand the values as well.

He blessed the couple wholeheartedly when they kneeled in front of him for his blessings.

"This is for your best," He internally thought.

There in London,

"What? Unreachable?" Aaryan nodded with a dejected face. His hardwork for four months went out of the window like bee when shooed by someone.

"You have his address or photo in the registration time right?" Khan remembered about the photos of graduation.

And he showed the photo to Aaryan and Divya. They both gasped looking at him. What a game it has been!

"Ayaan!" They whispered at the same time.

"I ruined it Aaryan." Divya cried understanding the truth. She took his phone and dialled to her friend and her answer completely shattered her hopes for the nth time and this time they can't be rebuilt again.

•••

Outfits for the wedding 👀

Roshini

Ayaan

Roshini and Ayaan are married. You can have the desi-licious vegetarian food in your home as the feast given by them.

Divya ruined what? What did her friend told her?

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