Weds swathi loves netra

Swathi was happily shopping at Inorbit Mall. She always loved to live like a free bird doing the things the way it pleased her. She wore modern outfits and loved to party. No wonder many boys were after her since school days. Swati did enter into a serious relation with a college friend but she felt restricted after it. She no longer could enjoy life like she did and felt commitment to a person was a burden. Swathi could never believe that she could marry until she could find a man of her dreams who would just stand aside and let her do the things she wanted. Swathi knew that it was a man’s world. She lived in an orthodox family with two sisters younger than her. Swathi had just joined a job in a private company and her parents had already started thinking of her marriage.

“Swathi, do not move around. Reach home by 7 pm. You have two younger sisters and need to be responsible now.”

Her mother started giving instructions and soon she was put to all sorts of restrictions.

Swathi did not like to be married as per her family’s wishes.

How could she be so sure of a person, who sees her for a few minutes, questions about her likes and dislikes and yet expect her to give consent to marriage.

Swathi never believed in arranged marriage but never fell in love, as she felt the boys around only had sex in mind.

She craved for a man of her dreams who will come riding along and takes her far away.

Swathi felt so angry but also felt helpless.
She was raised freely in a metropolitan city, had the best access to education, enjoyed life independently but in the end was to enter into a marital world full of formalities.

It was no surprise that alliances came thick and fast for Swathi as she was quite beautiful, intelligent and earned handsomely.

Swathi felt disgusted as she saw her sisters going crazy over the photos of the prospective grooms.
She had her choices but they were so narrow.
Horoscopes were brought out, grooms belonging to the same caste and of respectable families were sought by her parents who were sweating over their efforts as if life meant doom for Swati if she did not get engaged in the next six months.

Her sense of dressing became a subject of close scrutiny and her father did not speak to her joyfully as before.

Her marriage had suddenly become like a duty for her family and she hated this.

Finally, a boy that her family approved did come to see her. Swathi’s father was very happy as he happened to be the son of his office colleague.
Swathi began to feel more and more nervous as her family had fixed the date and the boy’s family was to meet them.

Her parents could not make out Swathi’s nervousness
and attributed it to her shyness.

The boy’s family came, they saw, and fixed the marriage.

Swathi went through everything just like a ritual.
Her groom Deepak was soft-spoken and worked in a good company.

Swathi prayed silently that Deepak will be the man of her dreams that she wished for.

She tried calling Deepak to know more about him.
Deepak was too formal.

At Deepak’s house, it was like a festival atmosphere with all his relatives looking forward to the marriage.
Deepak’s fingers were crossed.

He had just got a call from Swathi.

She was certainly beautiful and had a charming voice.
He was indeed a lucky guy.

Had Netra not been in his life, Deepak would have happily married Swathi.

Netra was his friend since college days, and they were thick friends. No one suspected their relationship as they were always part of the study group.

Life went smoothly for them till last year, when they started getting intimate and began meeting secretly.

Till one day, Deepak’s elder brother spotted him getting cozy with Netra at a park.

All hell broke in his family. His father could not tolerate that Deepak was in love with a girl.

They had never in their wildest dreams thought that their son could ever hang out with a girl and were further shocked when they came to know from Deepak that the girl is from a Maharashtrian family and he intended to marry her.

‘If you marry her, you can only see my ashes. We have nothing to do with that girl and I do not even want to know about her’ his father threatened him.
Deepak had no choice but to avoid contacts with Netra.

He got resigned to his fate and hoped that marriage would rid him of all his painful memories of his love with Netra.

He was very happy to see Swathi and felt that she was the right girl from him who can act as a balm for his pain of separation from Netra.

Yet he could not see Swathi eye to eye as he still could not forget Netra.

Deepak wanted to move on with life.
He was not in touch with Netra since last three months but could not just forget her.
Deepak wanted to meet Netra for one last time.

He took the phone.
“Netra” he whispered.
“You bloody, where have you been? Why did you not meet or call me even once.” Netra started shouting.
Deepak could hear Netra crying at the other end.

“Listen Netra, please understand. I still love you, but I should have thought about my family. I know I have hurt you but now things have gone too far. I am engaged. I also want you to settle with some deserving guy in your life.”

“How can you be so mean?” shouted Netra.
“Netra, please listen to me. I have bunked office today. Shall we meet for a cup of coffee.”

Netra was silent at the other end. She could not check her tears.
Even her family had started discussing marriage for her.

Netra cared a damn for them and was willing to even run away with Deepak.

She felt that her meeting with Deepak will be the one last chance to convince him.

Else, she won’t allow any other girl to marry Deepak.
Netra was determined and left her house in a huff.
“Hey, where are you going?” asked Netra’s mother
“I am going to die. I am not a small kid Ma, I know what I am doing” said Netra as she took an auto.
Deepak and Netra sat quietly in Café Coffee day for an hour. Only few words were exchanged as Deepak was not ready to run away and secretly Netra. He could not even dare to think of it.


Netra was getting very angry of Deepak with each and every passing second.

“Does that girl Swathi look so beautiful.” Netra said.
“No, Netra.”
“Have you stopped loving me.”
“No, Netra.”
“Tell me honestly Deepak, do you love me or Swathi.” asked Netra.

“I love you”
“What are you waiting for, either marry me or we shall both die.”
“Netra, are you serious. Don’t be mad.”
Deepak and Netra spent nearly three hours at the Café.


Deepak could never think of marrying Netra against his parent’s wishes. He also started feeling sorry for Swathi.

But he could not ditch Netra either.
“If you think, that our death is the only solution, so be it.” He said.
“Come.” Netra got up.
“Where?”
“Look Deepak, unless we marry, life will be hell for us. We should not think much. I am ready to die for you” said Netra as she walked ahead.


Deepak was in a daze, as he followed Netra.
They just walked without uttering a word and came across isolated railway tracks between Juinagar Station and Sanpada.

It was 2.00 pm by now and there was not much activity around.
Deepak and Netra sat near the railway tracks under the scorching sun.

In a few minutes, they could hear the sound of the train speeding towards the spot near which they sat.
Netra held Deepak’s hand and took him to the tracks.
She kissed him passionately. Deepak closed his eyes. He could hear the sound of the train so near and everything went blank in a few seconds. Deepak lay died due to the impact of the train. The local people around gathered to see the dead body of Deepak and reported to the Police.

Meanwhile, Swathi was sitting, rolling the paperweight in her office, thinking about what awaits her in life.

She thought of Deepak. He appeared to be a nice guy, soft-spoken and may be the right person God may have chosen for her in life.

Swathi was feeling much better now, when her cell phone rang.
It was her mom.

Swathi took the phone and just froze in disbelief.
By now, her family had got the news that Deepak was run over by a train and is no more.
The Police were clueless as to how Deepak happened to be in that spot. That was an empty rake going to the yard. There were no eye-witnesses to the incident.

They declared the case as a case of suicide as no more clues were forthcoming.

Deepak’s parents were inconsolable. They did not ever expect Deepak to commit suicide for the sake of his lover and repented for forcibly arranging his marriage.

Deepak’s father did not say anything about his affair with Netra as he did not want the prestige of his family to be tarnished by this.

Netra returned late night to her house and headed
straight to the bathroom and had a quick shower.
“Hey dear, where have you been.” shouted Netra’s mother from outside the bathroom

Netra did not lend an ear and went to sleep.
Next day morning, Netra’s father went near her and took her in his lap.
Netra loved her dad very much and always found comfort sleeping in his lap.


“Look darling, we have got a good alliance. The boy is from a well to do family and you will like him.
Netra did not reply.
“You lead your life freely. I have no objection. But now, you are going to get married. So you should know your limits.” Her father advised her as he took out the photo and showed it to her.

Netra looked at the photo checking her tears. The boy looked quite handsome.
“What’s his name, Dad?”
“Deepak!”

Netra could not control herself. She took the photo and rushed to the balcony and started crying in a corner.
“What happened” said Netra’s mother.
Netra’s Dad stopped his wife and said, “She seems to have liked the boy. Let her admire his photo privately.


Netra thought of her boyfriend Deepak. She had given him a choice – either marry or die. But he chose to die. She did not want to see him getting married to some other girl. That girl cannot be so lucky. She could not forgive Deepak that he could move on so quickly and accept a girl of his family’s choice after being in an intimate relationship for over a year. Deepak did not deserve to live. As she hugged him, Deepak got scared of the train rushing towards them. It was still at a fair distance. He started feeling giddy.
Netra got rid of his embrace and fled from the spot and did not look back.
It was a closed chapter for her.

 

hi friends

thanks for your comments
This is a common story involving three people
The real story lied in the climax,
We all live in the trappings of the society
that makes us think about what others would say
rather than act as our hearts say.
Women are more vulnerable in this equation
Netra may be projected like a villain, but in hindsight she was the real victim.
Deepak had no right to be intimate with her if he had no guts to marry her
Swathi could have landed in trouble if Deepak had double crossed her.

Warm Regards
Suresh

 

thanks akila
for your comments

cheers
suresh