Love after Marriage (3 page)

Lakshmi aunty was already in the kitchen getting ready to make chai for her and Kaki. “Deepak beta, why did you wake up so early? You could have slept longer.”

“Lakshmi aunty, until I get used to the time here, I will wake up and eat at irregular times.” The aroma of cinnamon and cardamom in boiling water in the kitchen drove him closer to her. “Are you making chai? Can you make some for me, please?” He took a deep breath and inhaled the aroma that was emitting from the boiling chai.

“Certainly, do you want to eat something?”
She smiled.
“
Bhabhi made some special snacks for you. Do you want to try them?”

Before Deepak could reply, Kaki entered the kitchen and was also surprised to see Deepak awake so early.

While waiting for breakfast, Deepak walked into the family room and flipped through the channels, hoping to find something interesting to watch on the TV, but most of the channels showed some divine chanting or yoga, and he was not interested. He turned off the TV and returned to the dining table and started a casual conversation with Kaki as he sipped chai
and enjoyed the snacks. A few minutes later, Sashank joined Deepak at the table, and they started chatting about Deepak’s lifestyle in the US while Sashank glanced over the headlines in the newspaper.

“What do you eat for breakfast every day?” asked Sashank.

“Usually cereal on weekdays, and I very often go to Indian restaurants during the weekend.” He smiled. “We get a lot of variety at the Indian restaurant, like idlis, dosas and medhu vadas.” Deepak paused and looked at Sashank. “Bhaiya, do you remember Vivek and his wife, Vaishali?”

Sashank nodded, still holding the newspaper and reading an article.

“They invite me over quite frequently.”

“Haan
,
Vivek, how is he doing? Doesn’t he work for the same company?”

“Yes, but for a different department.”

“Does his wife work too? She is a very sweet girl.”

“Yes, bhaiya, she is a very nice girl, and both of them are very happy with each other. Vaishali works for a bank,” replied Deepak.

The morning sunlight through the window made the room brighter and warmer. Akash joined both brothers at the dining table, and they all enjoyed the time together with chai. A few minutes later, Deepak brought the gifts from his room and distributed them to everybody. All were happy and acknowledged the gifts.

~ ~ ~

A week passed, and Deepak enjoyed the wonderful food that Kaki and Lakshmi aunty cooked; he relaxed and spent time with his brothers. Deepak waited for an opportune time to discuss Karen with Sashank, while Prashant and Sashank had a few conversations regarding the right time to talk to Deepak about his wedding with Roshni.

The following Saturday, November 30
^th
, Vivek's parents visited Deepak. They enquired about Vivek and Vaishali, and Deepak gave them all the details. Vivek’s parents were pleased to hear their son and daughter-in-law were happy, since they went through an arranged marriage a year ago. They had a good visit, and after they left, Sashank took this opportunity to ask Deepak about his wedding plans.

“Deepak, you expressed interest in marriage. When do you want to get married?”

“Yes, bhaiya, only if I find the right person,” replied Deepak. He shrugged his shoulders. “Bhaiya, you know after all the experiences we had with badi bhabhi, I am not inclined for an arranged marriage…I prefer to find somebody, get to know that person for some time, and then marry.”

“What do you mean by ‘right person’? How do you know if she is the right person before the wedding?” Sashank smiled. “You know, Deepak, no matter how much you know a person, it is still an unknown until you have lived with them…and our traditions do not promote this dating concept.” He continued, “Yes, if you get engaged, you can date your fiancée until you get married.”

“Sashank bhaiya, I do not believe in arranged marriage.” Deepak was worried. “And how can I be obligated to living with a girl whom I do not know? This is dangerous. What if there is no compatibility, what if the girl does not want to come to the US…there are so many what ifs? I am not comfortable with the idea of giving in wholeheartedly to somebody I do not know.”

“Look at your friend Vivek; is he not happy with Vaishali? Theirs was an arranged marriage. She is such a nice girl, and Vivek’s parents are also happy.”

“Bhaiya, Vivek was lucky that he got Vaishali.”

“Deepak, if the boy and girl are devout and steadfast, they will work together to live happily and–”

Deepak interrupted his brother, “And what if only one person is devoted? Again problems and separation! No, bhaiya, this is a scary thought. Why take the tension when it’s not necessary?”

“There are compromises in life, in every relationship, and marriage is no different, Deepak. Agreed, one partner may have to compromise more than the other, but…look at our own bhaiya; do you think he does not know of his wife’s weaknesses? He probably knew long ago, but he compromised to avoid any rifts, and over time both of them accepted each other, and they are happy.” Sashank continued, “It is the responsibility of both partners to compromise and live happily.”

Silence followed.

“I have selected a nice girl for you, and I want you to meet her,” Sashank said.

“What!” exclaimed Deepak. “What do you mean you selected a girl for me? You did not mention anything to me when I was in the US.”

“You revealed your plans just before you came here, so I did not have an opportunity to discuss it with you.” He looked seriously at Deepak. “By the way, what was that dialogue about understanding, dating, etc.? I hope you are not talking about dating somebody, are you?”

Deepak was nervous; he never expected this reaction from Sashank. He hoped to convince him so he could pursue and get to know Karen, but this remark…his heart sank. He struggled for words to communicate that he was not interested in marrying somebody he had not met.

He gathered some strength. “Bhaiya, would you mind if I said something regarding my marriage?”

Sashank looked at Deepak and waited for him to continue.

“Bhaiya, I do not believe in arranged marriages. The girl is a complete stranger; there is no love and affection. Even after marriage, there are misunderstandings and arguments.”

Deepak was concerned and ran his fingers through is hair. “What if I like a girl, whether Indian or an American, and I would like to pursue my relationship with her? Would you approve?”

Deepak waited anxiously for Sashank’s reaction.

“Why do you ask me this question? I have already told you that I selected a girl for you, a very nice girl indeed!”

Deepak was puzzled. He wanted to discuss it with Sashank bhaiya, but the telephone rang, and their conversation was interrupted. Akash was quietly listening to their conversation. He picked up the phone, and it was Prashant. After greeting Prashant on the phone, Akash handed the phone over to Sashank.

“Hello, Prashant, how are you?”

“I am good. I have not spoken to you since Deepak came from the US. Did he arrive safely? How is he doing?”

Sashank glanced at Deepak. “Yes, Deepak arrived safely. He is relaxing and enjoying his stay here.”

“Good,” Prashant replied, “I am happy. Please let me know when he is free; I would like to come meet him.”

Sashank agreed, and after enquiring about Roshni, both hung up the phone.

~ ~ ~

It was Sunday, December 1
^st
, a bright morning with sun rays piercing through the windows and birds chirping, welcoming the new day. Deepak had gotten used to Indian time. It was 7:30 a.m., and he was still asleep. Sashank was in the dining area, having chai
and reading a newspaper. While Akash waited for Kaki to make more chai, he flipped
through the newspaper, getting a glimpse of the news. Both brothers were at the dining table, quietly engrossed in their own activities.

It was around 9 a.m. when Deepak joined his brothers in the family room.

“Deepak, what is your plan for today?” asked Sashank.

“Nothing much, Sashank bhaiya, why? What do you have in mind?”

“I want to take you to Prashant’s house to meet him and his daughter, Roshni. She is the one I selected for you.”

Deepak felt the pressure and was about to say something when Sashank interrupted him. “Deepak, Prashant is a very good friend of mine; I have known him and his daughter, Roshni, for a very long time. Roshni is a very sweet girl, good looking, well educated and responsible. I think she will be a very good life partner for you.”

Deepak patiently listened to his brother while Sashank continued, “When father passed away and we went through several emotional problems – sadness, anger at bhabhi, fear and uncertainty – Prashant was always there for me. I could count on him and his wife for any support until Kaki came along to help us. Even today, although his wife passed away, Prashant is always there for me and Akash. There is nothing that he does not know of our family. He is a very nice man and has done a fabulous job raising Roshni. I have watched her grow into a beautiful young lady, very responsible and mature.”

He looked seriously at Deepak. “When you talked to me about your plans to get married, Roshni came to my mind instantly, and I did not care for anybody else.”

Sashank smiled; he was satisfied that he’d found the right girl for Deepak. “And I have discussed this with Akash, Kaki and Lakshmi. All of them have met Roshni, and everybody agrees that she would be a good partner for you. Only then did I approach Prashant and discuss this with him. Prashant was appreciative but wanted to discuss this with Roshni before he accepted; he also wanted to verify that you were agreeable to this.”

Sashank felt very confident. “I was certain you would honor my judgment on this.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Deepak. “I hope I did not make a mistake, Deepak.”

“What about the girl, I mean Roshni?”

“Deepak, Roshni is a very educated girl; she has a Master’s in Computer Engineering but is very cultured. Do you know what she said when Prashant talked to her about this alliance?” Sashank responded with pride.

Deepak raised his eyebrows and waited eagerly to hear Roshni’s response.

“She trusted her father and his judgment.”

Deepak was dismayed at this response from an educated girl like Roshni.

“Deepak, it has already been ten days since you arrived. I want you to meet Roshni, and I would like to take you this evening. What do you say?”

“Sashank bhaiya.” He sighed. “I am not comfortable going through these formalities. I worry regarding our compatibility, and I don’t want to… Please try to understand me,” he pleaded. Deepak was fighting a losing battle. He turned towards Akash. “Akash bhaiya, can you please talk to Sashank bhaiya? He does not seem to understand my point of view.”

“Deepak, I will stay out of this business.” He patted Deepak’s shoulder. “I have met Roshni a few times. She is certainly a very nice girl. In this age and time, it is very rare to find a girl like her: very educated, financially independent and yet full of family values. By the way, she is good looking too! If you agree, you will never regret it,” added Akash.

“That is not the point, Akash bhaiya. I cannot imagine pledging my entire life to a stranger, in this case, Roshni. Why don’t you both understand me?” He was frustrated and blurted out, “What if I like somebody else in the US?”

There was complete silence. Everybody’s eyes were on Deepak, and Deepak recognized he’d said something very abruptly.

He corrected himself, “I mean…what if I want to find a life partner? I would know her better – her background and her devotion and responsibility to marriage. At least she would not be a complete stranger to me.”

“Deepak, why do you think arranged marriages are a failure?” asked Sashank, trying to better understand him.

“I am not saying arranged marriages are a failure.” He sighed. “What I am saying is it is difficult to compromise if that person is a complete stranger. I do not know her likes or dislikes, and then where do we start?”

“Deepak, I am amazed at your concerns. Have you imagined the stress a girl goes through? She surrenders to you and your family with complete faith. How worried should she be?” Sashank faced Deepak. “The girl comes into your family; she has to adjust not only to you but to your entire family. Can you imagine her struggle? And…and you believe you will know all this if you went with a love marriage?”

Sashank nodded his head and continued as Akash and Deepak listened to him. “I agree…initially there are ups and downs between husband and wife, but over time, with all the understanding, compromise, sharing and loving, there is a stronger bond.”

Deepak was not sure yet. He started rolling his eyes upward, unable to sell his rationale to Sashank bhaiya.

Sashank noticed this, and he was frustrated trying to rationalize with Deepak. “In a love marriage, partners will either make it or break it; it does not matter which country.”

Deepak and Akash noticed Sashank was troubled, and Deepak was not happy about it. Past experiences flashed in front of him: all the sacrifices Sashank had gone through, a brother who doted on him and loved him, whose eyes lit up when he saw him. How could he disappoint his brother!

Silence prevailed.

“Deepak, I have given my consent to Prashant, but it is not necessary you should marry Roshni. I can only say that Roshni is a very nice girl, and she will be a good companion for you.” Sashank came closer to Deepak. “Your concern regarding compatibility is understandable, but these issues will occur in love marriages too.”

It was obvious Sashank was disappointed.

“All I can do is to find a good girl with a good family background for you. If you choose not to marry Roshni, that is fine. I will call Prashant and let him know.” He looked at Deepak with a disappointed face. “But…but…if you believe so strongly in love marriage, then don’t bother asking me for my approval…and by the way, it does not matter to me who you marry.” Sashank walked away.

Deepak had offended his brother, and he was disturbed. Akash was unhappy because Sashank bhaiya was sad, and he walked away in silence.