Complicated Relations
Updated: Jul 1
I: Her Marriage
It has just been a month since Preeti graduated. Rather than applying for an engineering job, she preferred to take the bank exams, as she had not been placed in a multinational company. One morning, her father said, “I haven’t told you, but I have been wanting to get you married, and finally, I found a boy who is completely suitable for you.”
Looking at her shocked face, he continued saying, “The boy is attractive and earns around ninety thousand a month in InfoTech, a software enterprise.”
Preeti was terrified as she listened to her father. She had many fears ever since her adolescence, but the marriage wasn’t just fear. It was terror. Her father paused for a response as she digested what she had just heard. He understood that she was unprepared for his proposal.
However, since he considered it to be his responsibility to get her married, he continued, “I know it is hard for you to accept getting married. However, considering the circumstances, you must get married someday. So I have taken utmost care in selecting this boy, and so I assure you that every aspect of him is perfect!”
Preeti could do nothing but nod her head. She firmly believed that she couldn’t share her problem. Even if she tried, she knew her parents would not be supportive, as it is taboo in India. She also knew that even if they agreed to her request, people in their neighbourhood would look down on their family for the rest of their lives.
Unable to express her problem, Preeti replied, “Father, I have never thought of marriage. I would need some time.”
That afternoon, after lunch, Preeti and her mother were chit-chatting about various family issues when her mother randomly brought up marriage. She wanted Preeti to accept it and assured her that the boy was well disciplined and fairly religious. She thought that he was the perfect groom for her.
Preeti was a bit taken aback after the chat and wanted to confess, unable to hold it in any longer. However, just before she started, her mother continued, “Your father’s health is deteriorating, and in the recent medical tests, it has been confirmed that he has both diabetes and high blood pressure. Moreover, your marriage issue is making him tense.”
Listening to her mother, Preeti didn’t utter a word. Realising that her father hoped to get her married at any cost, Preeti decided to share her problem with the boy herself at their first meeting. After planning her course of action, she agreed to get married, and her father’s happiness knew no bounds.
Within two weeks, both families met. After an hour of formal talks, Preeti and Rahul were given some privacy. Both of them went to the lawn, and Rahul honestly admitted, “You look beautiful, more than you did in the photos.”
This made Preeti slow down in her confession. However, since it was her only chance, she ignored all the consequences before spitting out, “Rahul, you are handsome, but I have always been only interested in girls!”
II: Deal!
Preeti felt Rahul was subdued and stood still, silently, for a few minutes. Immediately afterwards, he said, “That should not be a problem. Even after marriage, your freedom will not be curtailed. Your girlfriend can keep visiting you, and I will not touch you until you give me your consent.”
Preeti could not believe what she just heard. She expected he would make a scene of the issue and would reject the marriage at any cost.
Soon enough, Rahul walked back to the drawing room before interrupting all of the family members by declaring, “We want to get married as soon as possible!”
While being congratulated, Preeti could not quite understand where Rahul was headed. Without a clue or a proper justification for his actions, Rahul married Preeti. However, Preeti tried many times to convince Rahul not to marry her, but he assured her that everything would be fine.
After marriage, as promised, Rahul did not touch her. However, he was no different from any husband. He was, to Preeti’s surprise, a good cook. They often hosted parties, watched movies late at night and visited the beauty parlour every month.
As days passed, Preeti felt bad for being unfair to her husband. She could see that Rahul was chivalrous, while she was clearly not even satisfying his needs. Soon, she started thinking more about him, and as the days passed, she made slight changes to her course.
As a first attempt, she wanted to make lunch for him and presumed it would be their date. Travelling to Rahul’s office the next day, Preeti enquired of the receptionist about Rahul’s chamber. After inquiring who she was, the receptionist soon called Rahul, but got no response. So Preeti waited for a while before asking the receptionist for the room number.
Failing to disobey, knowing who she was, the receptionist gave her the room number. Preeti first visited the washroom to freshen up, then, with great enthusiasm, reached the room.
She adjusted her dress and hair before opening the door without knocking. She was awestruck witnessing Rahul kissing another man. That very moment, she understood why he always kept saying, “It is alright!”
III: Confession
Looking at Preeti, who just opened the door, Rahul yelled, “Shit! She saw us.”
As he glanced at her, Preeti stormed out. Rahul followed her and finally caught up to her in her car. Just before she opened the door, Rahul stopped her. He could see the sheer disappointment in his wife’s eyes and knew her heart was shattered. He acknowledged to himself that it was time to confess his motive for marrying her.
So he got into the car with her, and on the way back home, Rahul said, “Preeti, let me tell you what happened.”
Preeti was driving the car, paying him no heed. Presuming silence as a partial acceptance, Rahul continued, “It all started three years ago when I first met Arvind.”
Observing his wife’s eyebrows raised, Rahul hesitantly continued, “For about two years, our relationship was a secret. However, when we graduated and started working, our families started pestering us to get married. Unfortunately, not with the ones we wanted. I was scared.”
Realising he was no different from her, Preeti slowed down as Rahul confessed, “However, six months ago, I came up with the idea of marrying you and Arvind marrying Manisha. We presumed that by doing so, we would neither be social outcasts nor would we betray two girls.”
Hearing him, Preeti hit the brakes and looked at Rahul, stunned. For her, it was way too much to digest in one day. She was stuck, unable to respond, since she could neither curse her husband nor agree with what he had just said. The rest of the journey and the date Preeti had planned finally happened, but in silence.
When they finished their lunch, Preeti broke the silence, declaring, “I understand that you were trying to do us both a favour, but I presumed you meant your marriage vows. Now that I know you didn’t, I am going to find my lover back.”
To her surprise, Rahul was relieved. He even said, “I knew you would understand. Win her back, and let’s have a happy life. I’ve always believed that both of us were destined to get married.”
IV: For Society
Two days later, Preeti left to meet Manisha and, on her way, spent hours thinking about how they met and how Manisha had first proposed. Preeti smiled as she recalled rejecting the proposal, even though she admired her greatly.
For about four months, Preeti didn’t agree, but after that, she couldn’t stay away any longer. Preeti liked the way Manisha fondled her while showering her with more love than her husband even showed after marriage.
When she reached her hometown, it was 8 pm, and though it was late, Preeti did not even call Manisha. She wanted to surprise her, but found the house locked. So, she ended up calling Manisha, but she did not answer. Not wanting to return home to the other side of the city, Preeti called Manisha’s mother, but the call went unanswered.
Not wanting to give up, Preeti called Riya, their mutual college friend, and, to her surprise, Riya answered. Soon enough, both of them met in her home, which was three lanes behind Manisha’s house.
Preeti asked Riya as soon as she got refreshed from Manisha’s absence. Riya was shocked to know that Preeti didn’t know what happened. Until then, she presumed that Preeti had come to support Manisha’s mother.
Facing each other in the drawing-room, Riya said, “I don’t know how to say this... but Manisha has recently... killed… herself.”
Preeti didn’t believe it. She stared at Riya, who sat silent for a moment before saying, “What…?”
Before Riya even spoke a word, tears flooded out of their eyes and before long, she didn’t realise, but she collapsed to the floor. With the help of Riya, a few minutes later, Preeti was back to her senses to hear Riya shouting for the fourth time, “Are you alright?”
Preeti nodded, indicating yes, but tears continued to pour out of her eyes. Riya was also consumed by grief for the last three days, and she cried so much that her parents were worried about her. They even stopped her from going to the funeral, but for Preeti, her life took a huge turn in the past few days. She could no longer remain silent any longer.
Leaning back in her chair, Preeti shouted, “What the hell happened?”
Controlling herself, Riya said, “Just a week after your marriage, Manisha returned from the United States. As soon as she returned, the first person she asked for was you. When her mother informed her that you got married, Manisha couldn’t believe it. Even though Manisha’s mother supported your relationship, she advised Manisha to move on. Manisha disapproved of the suggestion, stating that you would in no way live staying away from her.”
Preeti couldn’t feel any worse as Riya hesitantly continued, “In order to prove her point, she travelled to your city. It seems she stalked you for a few days and was taken aback when she found you enjoying movies and beauty parlours with your husband. Later on, one night, she came here after returning to tell me everything. She cried while saying that she was replaced and that you hold no more of your feelings towards her.”
Riya looked at Preeti, who still sat weeping. Observing her shattered, Riya said, “I’m sorry, Preeti. Even though I understood that Manisha couldn’t accept the change. Never did I think that she would kill herself in the pain.”
The following day, Preeti went home. As she arrived, she could find her father in the living room, watching television. Surprised, he rose to hug her, and after embracing each other, they sat on the sofa. Preeti asked him about her mother, and he told her that she had gone to the temple.
Not intending to hold it within her, Preeti confessed everything that had happened in the last few days, alongside informing him about her sexuality. When she finished, Preeti’s father wasn’t surprised.
Holding her hand, he replied, “A few days ago, I got a call from Manisha’s mother. She cursed me as my actions claimed Manisha’s life. I wasn’t informed until then, and Manisha’s demise will always be on me.”
Recalling her, Preeti started crying, and her father continued, “Though I knew you were attracted to girls even before your marriage to Rahul, the reason I asked you to marry him was that he was himself attracted to boys. I knew he was gay, and I gave in to the pressure of society without accepting your choices and not valuing you or your relationships.”
Observing her father’s eyes, almost teary too, Preeti heard him say, “I’m sorry, Preeti. I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you. Though I did want to be respected by everyone around me, even after your marriage, I never knew the price of it would be the death of a child. Forgive me! Neither did I think of the consequences nor could I imagine that a parent would lose her only child for my pride and respect.”
Credits
The story was written by R. S. Chintalapati, edited by R. K. Chamarla, & Tarun Chintam and photographed by Nikhil Narayanasa.
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