Love after Marriage

by Chandra, Bhagya

  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.

  Oh no! Deepak had hurt both his brothers’ feelings. What should he do?

  Deepak frantically paced in his room, talking to himself. “What have I done? Why did I have to say what I said? What should I do now?” He clenched his fists. He was angry at himself and continued to walk back and forth, rubbing his forehead and occasionally stopping to run his fingers through his hair.

  Karen and he had not talked; he was unsure of a relationship with her – then why did he make such statements. This was completely immature on his part, and in the bargain, he’d caused suffering to both his brothers. It was futile to argue about this, and he went to Sashank’s room and knocked at the door.

  “Deepak, come in.”

  Deepak hugged Sashank. “Pardon me, bhaiya. I had no intention to ruffle you.”

  Sashank returned his embrace. “Both of us spoke what was right for us. I thought it was my responsibility to find you a girl when you said you were ready for marriage.” Sashank walked closer to him. “But you are free to marry whoever you want to marry, Deepak.”

  “Sashank bhaiya, please don’t say that. Would I marry anybody without your approval?”

  Sashank looked at Deepak patiently and waited for him to finish.

  Deepak took a deep breath. “Okay, bhaiya, I am ready to meet Roshni. Please communicate this to Prashant uncle, but–”

  “But what?” Sashank interrupted with a sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

  “Do I have the freedom to say ‘no’ if I am not interested in her?”

  “Absolutely, both of you have the freedom to say ‘no’ if you don’t think this is right for you.” His answer satisfied Deepak. “Of course, keep in mind that I have known this girl long enough to say she is the right person for you.”

  Deepak nodded. “So…if I like Roshni, do I have to marry her immediately? Assuming she is okay with this alliance, can we get engaged and get married at a later date?”

  “Deepak, if you lived in India, yes…that would be possible. However, with you being in the US, you tell me…is this feasible? Can you come back in four to six months to get married?” He continued after a pause, “More importantly, when will you take care of her VISA formalities? These do take time, don’t they?”

  “Okay, okay, shall we discuss these details later, please.” Deepak was hoping to buy some time.

  “Yes, so shall I call Prashant and tell him we’re coming?”

  Deepak smiled and agreed, being respectful of his brother. He left feeling comforted; his bhaiya was not upset any more.

  Chapter 3

  Deepak meets Roshni

  Sashank and Deepak arrived at Prashant’s house. Prashant asked a few questions of Deepak as a bride’s father, at which time Roshni walked in with chai, biscuits and hot pakodas for the guests. She was dressed in a simple salwar kameez, and her long hair, braided, draped down on her left side. She greeted Sashank bhaiya and turned towards Deepak, and their eyes met. Roshni had seen Deepak’s picture, and indeed, he was good looking and handsome. His clothes, his composure – all was perfect for the occasion. Deepak had he
ard that Roshni was tall, good looking and very simple. There was no overdoing on her part for dressing, jewelry or makeup; she perfectly fit that description. It appeared they were made for each other. Their gazes met for a few seconds when Sashank introduced Roshni to Deepak.

  Roshni offered chai and snacks to the guests, and as they relished the hot pakodas, Roshni and Deepak talked about their work and their jobs.

  “Deepak bete, would you like to talk to Roshni in private?” asked Prashant.

  “No, Uncle, this is fine. Sashank bhaiya gave me all the details.”

  Roshni, on the other hand, wanted to meet him in private. She wanted to know his expectations, his interests; being educated and civilized, she certainly did not want any incompatibility either.

  Sashank looked at Roshni. “Roshni bete, do you want to talk to Deepak?”

  Deepak watched in disbelief; he had not expected this from his brother, but waited for her response.

  “If Deepak does not mind.”

  Deepak had heard she spoke her mind, and now he experienced it. He was a little apprehensive. “Sure! How about tomorrow? Are you free?”

  Roshni nodded. They decided to go out to dinner, and Deepak agreed to pick her up after work.

  Roshni turned to her father. “Babuji, is it all right if I went out with him for dinner?”

  Deepak appreciated this gesture of hers, being respectful of her father.

  Prashant nodded. He took this opportunity to invite Sashank and Akash for dinner at his place while Deepak and Roshni went out.

  ~ ~ ~

  December 2nd

  It was 6 p.m. Akash, Sashank and Deepak came over to Prashant’s house. Roshni arrived a few minutes early from work and quickly freshened up. She was dressed in a turquoise and pink salwar kameez with light embroidery (coincidentally this happened to be Deepak’s favorite color). She looked gorgeous!

  Deepak admired Roshni, for that color looked good on her. Roshni engaged Sashank and Akash in conversation, and Deepak was amazed – she was so comfortable with his brothers.

  While Sashank and Akash remained at Prashant’s house, Deepak and Roshni left.

  Deepak led Roshni to the car and opened the door for her. She was impressed at his gentlemanly behavior and a little nervous, for she had never had any male be so close to her. He took the driver’s seat, and after some discussion, they decided on an Indo-Chinese restaurant.

  With Roshni giving directions, they arrived at the restaurant. Roshni noticed Deepak had a hard time driving on Mumbai roads – too many vehicles and too much honking! After parking, Deepak sighed. “Thank you for navigating. I am so not used to driving here.”

  Roshni smiled and acknowledged his comment.

  They walked inside the restaurant, and after a few minutes, the waitress escorted them to a table in a corner. Deepak had never tasted Indo-Chinese food, so he relied on Roshni to help him with the menu as they ordered.

  While they waited for the food, Deepak looked at Roshni and said, “So, what do you think?”

  Roshni had a questioning expression on her face. What was Deepak trying to ask?

  Deepak shrugged his shoulders and looked at her. “What do you think of all this? Sashank bhaiya and your father, I mean Uncle, have already talked about this alliance. They, or at least Sashank bhaiya, feels that we will make a good couple. What does your father, I mean Uncle, think?”

  “I think he agrees.”

  After a few minutes of casual conversation, Roshni felt comfortable enough to ask Deepak about his job, his company and a few other things. Deepak gave her all the details – the school he graduated from, his degree, job – and Roshni listened without interrupting.

  After he was done, Roshni asked, “Would you mind if I asked you one more question?”

  Deepak nodded.

  “What are your expectations of your wife?”

  Deepak was caught off guard. He never expected this question from her. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Roshni with an expression as to why she asked this question.

  Roshni jolted a little and wondered if Deepak was offended.

  She continued, “Forgive me for asking this, but as we discussed, our elders agree we make a good couple. However, it is important for me to know your expectations of your life partner. And the same is true with you, right?”

  Deepak could not deny it but was impressed with Roshni’s openness. He got a glimpse of her personality: respectful of elders, good family values, very open and very assertive.

  This may be a good opportunity for me to talk to Roshni about my ideas on arranged marriages, and depending upon the conversation, I could talk about Karen, he thought.

  The food arrived, and as they ate, Deepak shared his ideas of what he looked for – education, independence, family values – and then he talked about his worries regarding compatibility. Roshni felt comfortable since she fit these ‘requirements’. She knew she was extremely flexible, so compatibility was not an issue for her. The discussion continued for some time, and unawares, he got distracted and talked about his brothers, the family history and how Sashank bhaiya and Akash bhaiya had little respect and regard for most women. Roshni was aware of these details since her babuji already talked to her, but she listened patiently. Both were at ease with each other. They discussed various topics, and it was 9:30 p.m. when they decided to leave.

  The return drive was better, with less traffic on the road, and Roshni navigated him back to her house.

  As they entered, Sashank asked, “How was the dinner? I hope you both had a good time?”

  Roshni and Deepak looked at each other and nodded ‘yes’.

  ~ ~ ~

  As Sashank drove the brothers home, he was restless. “So what do you think?” he asked.

  Deepak was startled that Sashank asked this question so soon. He gathered himself. “About what?”

  “C’mon, Deepak, you know what I’m asking about.” He turned and smiled at Akash behind him in the back seat.

  Deepak looked at both his brothers. “She seems like a nice girl, as both of you mentioned, matured and good looking, and she seems to be very respectful of elders.”

  Sashank waited for a few seconds. “So…shall we assume you like her and would like to move ahead with this alliance?”

  “Oh no! Not yet. I knew this was coming. Please, Sashank bhaiya, shall we talk about the details later. Give me some time to think about this, please,” Deepak requested.

  “Okay, how about tomorrow evening? I want your answer by then.”

  Deepak looked at Sashank bhaiya and nodded. Unbelievable!

  ~ ~ ~

  At Roshni’s house, a similar discussion was taking place.

  “Roshni bete, what do you think? Do you have any questions or concerns about Deepak?”

  “Babuji, let Deepak respond first. I need some time to think about this.”

  “Sure, how about tomorrow evening? Will you be able to tell me by then?”

  “Yes.”

  And both retired for the night.

  Roshni lay on the bed and thought of her conversations with Deepak. He was handsome, good looking, well educated and had a decent job. She thought of his views of his wife and involuntarily smiled to herself. I think I fit those requirements. I think he will be a good partner for me, she convinced herself and dozed off.

  ~ ~ ~

  December 3rd

  Deepak’s residence

  When Sashank and Akash returned from work, Kaki made chai and brought some biscuits along with it.

  Once the brothers had gathered around the table, Sashank asked, “So, Deepak, what have you decided?”

  Deepak was annoyed that this topic was still being discussed. He asked, “Is it regarding my marriage?”

  “Yes, you met Roshni, talked with her for some time, so what do you think? You mentioned you liked her, so…?”

  “Sashank bhaiya…can I make a suggestion?”

  Sashank motioned for him to continue.

  “Assuming R
oshni is also okay with this, can Roshni and I get engaged now, and I will come back in six months or one year and then marry her. Like I said before, I am not comfortable agreeing to this relationship at this time.”

  “Again the same subject!” Sashank rolled his eyes.

  “Deepak, what is your problem?” Sashank came to him and placed his arm around Deepak’s shoulders. “Listen, I have already explained that if you lived here in India, engagement now and marriage later would make sense. However, you living in the US does not leave us with this option. There are VISA formalities that need to be addressed. This means Roshni cannot join you for six months or even a year, right? So, this adds up to the time you have been talking anyways. If you delay now, there will be a further delay with her VISA formalities. Don’t you agree?”

  Deepak agreed.

  “If you are not interested in her, then that is a separate issue. But if you like her, then why delay?” Sashank added, “Moreover, it will give Roshni an opportunity to interact with us after the wedding, understand our family traditions, and Kaki is here to train her!”

  Deepak raised his head and glanced at Sashank bhaiya with wide open eyes; something he said made a lot of sense suddenly. Deepak would like the girl to accept him and his family and traditions. Sashank bhaiya was right. This would give her an opportunity to interact with his brothers and learn their family traditions. This would also give him an opportunity to know her better while he was away in the US. All this made sense to him, but somewhere there was this inhibition, a hesitation…he was not sure one hundred percent that he could give in to a stranger.

  After more conversation between him and Sashank bhaiya, Deepak felt pressured, and he agreed reluctantly to the wedding.

  Sashank was relieved. “Roshni is the right girl for you. You will never regret it,” he said and hugged him. “So shall I call Prashant and ask him about Roshni’s approval?”

  Deepak nodded. “As you wish.”

  Akash congratulated Deepak and hugged him. “Deepak, I have never seen Sashank bhaiya so happy in the last few years. He deserves this happiness. Thank you!”