A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 14. Happy Diwali

  Previously, we saw that Shahina became pregnant, and both Arvind and Shahina visited the hospital. After work, Rishi visited Arvind and Shahina. During that visit, Arvind asked Rishi to keep him company while he had alcohol. Then came the 15th of September, which was Rishi’s birthday. After work, Rishi was surprised by his friends and Deepa, who celebrated his birthday at an orphanage. Let’s see what happened next.

  It was October 21st, just a few days before Diwali, a festival celebrated across India with joy and love. Rishi was working in his office, with one hour left before the end of his workday. He received a call and said, "Hello, uncle... The train will arrive at Kalyan station? Okay, I’ll come now. The coach number is B3, right, uncle?... Hmm, okay." After the call, he packed his things and, while leaving the office, told Arvind, "Hey Arvind, I’m heading out." Arvind asked, "Did they reach Thane station?" Rishi replied, "No, buddy, they’ve only reached Kalyan station." Arvind then asked, "Does Deepa know about their arrival?" Rishi answered, "Nope, it’s a surprise for her." Arvind said, "Hmm, okay. Bye, buddy, take care." Rishi said goodbye to him and his colleagues before leaving for CST station. After 15 minutes, he reached CST station.

  When he arrived, the train hadn’t yet reached the station, delayed by 10 minutes. He went to the B3 coach position on platform no. 2 and waited. After 10 minutes, the train arrived, carrying Jayraj, Parvathi, and Ashwin. Rishi received them, and they all headed to the parking area where Rishi had parked his car. After they reached the car, they placed their luggage in the trunk and began driving toward Rishi's house.

  While driving, Rishi asked Jayraj, "How was your trip, uncle?" Jayraj replied, "It was fine for me, son-in-law, but your mother-in-law didn’t like the train journey because of the AC coach." Rishi then asked Ishwari, "Is that true, aunt?" Parvathi replied, "Yes, I felt like I was going to vomit, but I managed to control it." Rishi said, "Oh, that’s normal, aunty. Don’t worry. You can rest once we get home." Then he asked Ashwin, "How about you, Ashwin?" Ashwin responded, "It was fine." Jayraj then asked, "Son-in-law, I heard that Dadar station is closer to your place. Why didn’t you ask us to get off there?"

   Rishi then replied, "It's very simple, uncle. I could have asked you to get off at Dadar station, but there are two reasons I didn’t. First, the schedule for the Dadar stop—Nagercoil Express stops there for only 3 minutes, and a large number of passengers get off at that station, so it might have been hard for you to unload your luggage. The second reason is that CST station is close to my office, which is why I asked you to arrive here. Don’t worry, uncle; we’ll reach home in 20 minutes." Jayraj then asked, "Hmm, does Deepa know about our arrival?" Rishi replied, "No, she doesn’t know yet. I followed your plan exactly. But why did you want it to be a surprise, uncle?" Jayraj responded, "I didn’t want to disturb my child while she’s studying. Plus, I wanted to surprise her." Rishi acknowledged Jayraj’s response with a smile and continued driving. After 17 minutes, they arrived at Rishi’s residence.

  When they got there, Hemant wasn’t present because he had gone to his native place to celebrate Diwali with his family. Instead, Raghav, another watchman, helped them carry their luggage to Rishi’s residence. He dropped the luggage in front of the door and left. Jayraj knocked at the door, and Deepa came to open it. She was surprised to see her family standing there.

  In shock, she asked, "Dad, Mom! What a surprise! You didn’t tell me you were coming!" Jayraj replied, "We wanted to surprise you, which is why we didn’t tell you." Deepa welcomed them inside the house. As they entered, Rishi gestured to Deepa with eye signals, asking if she had placed her things in his room, and she signaled back that she had. They both then entered the house.

  Inside, Rishi was putting their baggage in Deepa’s room, with her helping. Meanwhile, in the living room, Deepa asked Ashwin, "Hey Ashwin, couldn’t you at least have told me that you were all coming to Mumbai?" Ashwin replied, "I was the one who planned the surprise. How could I reveal it?" Deepa smiled and said, "Okay, but why this sudden surprise, Dad?" Jayraj answered, "Deepa, we came because we want to celebrate Diwali with both of you. This is your first Diwali as a married couple, so we wanted to celebrate with you as per custom." Deepa replied, "Dad, instead of coming here, you could have invited us to our native place. We could have celebrated there." Jayraj responded, "Deepa, I understand, but I didn’t want to interrupt your studies. Plus, we had already planned to visit Mumbai one day as a trip."

  Deepa was very happy at that moment and decided to cook dinner for everyone without any help. When she revealed her plan, Ashwin responded, "Sis, don’t joke that you’re going to cook." Deepa replied, "I’m serious, Ashwin," to which Ashwin said, "Don’t you remember what happened on Dad’s birthday?" She responded, "That’s in the past. I can cook well now. Just ask my husband." Rishi chimed in, "I can at least guarantee you, Ashwin, she can cook well." In the middle of their conversation, Parvathi added, "She says she can cook well, so let her. I’ll help her if she makes any mistakes." Ashwin shrugged and replied, "Fine, I won’t interfere." With that, Deepa went to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

  After some time, Deepa finished cooking, and they all sat down for dinner. Ashwin was nervous as he tasted the dish, but after his first bite, he was pleasantly surprised. He asked Deepa in shock, "Sis, did you really cook this by yourself?" Deepa replied, "Yes! Did you like it?" Ashwin said, "It's amazing!" Jayraj then asked, "When did you learn to cook, Deepa?" She replied, "My husband taught me. All the credit goes to him." Jayraj then said, "Hmm, so, son-in-law, we three are planning to do some Diwali shopping on Sunday. Do you have any major work that day?" Rishi thought for a moment and replied, "No, I’m free that day. But instead of shopping on Sunday, we could go on Saturday and have a tour of Mumbai on Sunday." Jayraj agreed, "Hmm, that sounds good. Are you okay with this plan, Parvathi?" Parvathi gave her approval, and Ashwin agreed as well. However, when Jayraj asked Deepa, she gave a different response, saying, "Dad, I have my study plan on Sunday, so I can’t come with you all, but I can join you for shopping on Saturday." Jayraj replied, "Alright, Deepa, whatever works for you." They then continued their dinner.

  After dinner, they all retired to their respective rooms to rest. In Rishi’s room, Deepa was reading a book while Rishi watched a movie on his phone. As Deepa was reading, Rishi asked, "Hey Deepa, have you finished your book?" She replied, "No, I’ve got a few pages left." He said, "Okay, let me know when you're done. I can’t sleep with the light on." Deepa agreed, "Fine," and continued reading. Once she finished, she called Rishi, but he didn’t hear her at first. She called again, and this time he responded, "Did you finish your reading?" Deepa replied, "Yes," and Rishi started to get a pillow and bed sheet to sleep on the floor. As he was getting ready, Deepa asked, "Rishi, are you going to sleep on the floor?" He replied, "Yes," and she said, "Hey Rishi, instead of sleeping on the floor, why don’t you share the bed with me?" Rishi replied, "No, I’m fine sleeping on the floor." She then said, "We’re just sharing the bed, nothing more. I feel weird sleeping on the bed while you’re on the floor." Rishi responded, "Deepa, there’s nothing weird about it. I just think it’s not appropriate for us to share the bed." Deepa then said, "Rishi, I know you’re not the type to take advantage of any situation. Plus, I noticed you seem uncomfortable sleeping on the floor."

  Rishi thought for a moment and agreed to share the bed with her. While in bed, Deepa said to Rishi, "But Rishi, I want to tell you something—you’re very good at acting." He replied, "You too. I couldn’t even tell you were acting back then. But we have to keep this up until your parents leave for their native country. I don’t want anyone else finding out the truth." She responded, "Hmm, if your mom didn’t know the truth, she’d also be here to celebrate Diwali." He replied, "What’s done is done. We can’t change it now. Let’s just sleep," and they both went to sleep.

  The next day, they got ready for their respective plans. After breakfast, they both left for their separate destinations.

  In the evening, Rishi came to pick them up for shopping. After collecting everyone, he drove to the High Street Phoenix Mall in Lower Parel. By the time they arrived, it was 7:28 p.m. They began shopping, roaming the mall for about 15 minutes. Afterward, Jayraj suggested that Ashwin and Rishi go shopping together, while he, Parvathi, and Deepa would shop together. Ashwin objected, saying, "Dad, why should we shop separately? We can shop together." Jayraj replied, "Ashwin, I’m just asking the two of you to go shopping for casual outfits. We’ll all shop for traditional clothes together later." Ashwin reluctantly agreed, "Fine," and they split up to shop.

  While Parvathi, Jayraj, and Deepa checked out sarees in various stores, Rishi and Ashwin went to some casual clothing shops. Throughout the shopping, Ashwin didn’t say much to Rishi, almost as if he were avoiding him. Rishi noticed the coldness.

  After they finished shopping, Ashwin was engrossed in his phone while Rishi browsed more stores. Finally, Rishi turned to Ashwin and asked, "Hey Ashwin, can I ask you something?" Ashwin replied, "Yep." Rishi then asked, "Do you have any kind of grudge against me?" Ashwin answered, "Nope." Rishi pressed, "Is that so?" Ashwin affirmed, "Absolutely not." Rishi then said, "Then why are you acting like you hate me?" Ashwin hesitated but replied, "It’s not like that. We haven’t talked much before, you know?" Rishi responded, "I don’t think that’s the reason. Come on, say what’s really bothering you. I won’t take it personally."

  Ashwin, slightly nervous, eventually confessed, "Actually, I used to be angry with you, but not anymore." Rishi asked, "Hmm, can I know why you were angry?"

  Ashwin sighed and explained, "See, it was during my sister's marriage. I was already upset because she was getting married against her will, pressured by society and our relatives. I felt helpless, like I couldn’t do anything to protect her dreams. My frustration kept building up. At the same time, you weren’t really talking to her, which made things worse. I started to resent you. I kept thinking, 'What kind of man doesn’t even talk to the bride?'"

 After hearing this, Rishi looked at Ashwin with a slight smile. Ashwin added, "And after the wedding, my sister told me you were a nice guy, and that you supported her for her UPSC exams. That made me realize you were a man of virtue." Rishi nodded and replied, "Hmm, you’ve shared your side, now let me explain why I didn’t talk much with your sister before the wedding. You see, I’m an introvert. I struggle with communication, especially with women. I used to get nervous around her. But after marriage, I began to understand her, her problems, and her dreams."

  Ashwin, feeling reassured, said, "Hmm, I guess I was wrong." Rishi then responded, "But honestly, your sister would have applied for the UPSC exams without my help. The day after we arrived in Mumbai, she started looking for jobs. She was motivated from the start." Ashwin smiled and said, "That’s my sister—once she sets her mind on something, she’ll accomplish it no matter what."

  Rishi, shifting the conversation, asked, "By the way, are you an atheist?" Ashwin nodded, "Yeah, I don’t believe in God or religion. It’s due to what I’ve seen happening around me and some unresolved questions I’ve had."

  Rishi, intrigued, asked, "What kind of questions?" Ashwin explained, "It’s like—why do people believe in someone who isn’t there to help them in times of crisis? There are so many people suffering without food, or being abused in the name of caste, religion, and race. Women have been treated like slaves in the name of religion. Then you’ve got godmen, politics, and all that. How can someone let these things happen in His name? All of these unanswered questions turned me into an atheist."

  Rishi thought for a moment and replied, "Hmm, I’ve had similar questions, but I’ve never been sure whether to blame people or God. I think it’s up to us to decide what’s right and wrong. But I do have one doubt about your atheism." Ashwin raised an eyebrow, "What’s your doubt?"

  Rishi smiled and asked, "If you’re an atheist, does that mean you don’t enjoy celebrating festivals either?" Ashwin shrugged, "Yeah, even today, I only went shopping because I needed new clothes, nothing more." Rishi chuckled, "Hmm, playing the reverse card technique, I see."

  Just then, Rishi received a call from Deepa, asking them to meet her on the third floor when they were done shopping. So, they headed up, did some shopping for traditional outfits, and then made their way home.

  The next day, everyone except Deepa was getting ready for a tour around Mumbai. Deepa stayed home to study. After they left, the house was filled with silence, but it didn’t bother Deepa. Her focus was solely on her studies, like a plant sprouting in heavy rain.

  In the evening, the group returned home, tired from their day out. Deepa welcomed them with tea and joined them for a chat. Ashwin excitedly began narrating their tour, "Sis, you should have come with us today! We had so much fun—visited Chowpatty Beach, Bandra Fort, Byculla Zoo, the Gateway of India, and even the Elephanta Caves." Deepa smiled, "Sounds like you all had a great time."

  After tea, Deepa headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. The next day was October 24th, the day India welcomes the festival of lights—Diwali, a celebration filled with joy and happiness all over the country.

  At Rishi’s house, Deepa and her mother were busy arranging things for the morning puja. A few minutes later, when everyone gathered in the hall, they began the rituals. In the hall, there was a large photo frame featuring Lord Shiva and Parvathi, alongside statues of Lord Murugan, Lord Ganesh, and Rishi’s family deity, Mariamman. They had placed the newly bought clothes and sweets in front of the altar. During the puja, everyone prayed with full devotion—everyone except Ashwin, who stood with his hands folded behind his back, not participating with the same fervor.

  Once the puja was completed, the family had breakfast together. After breakfast, Deepa went to Rishi’s room to resume her studies, while Parvathi began preparing lunch in the kitchen. Ashwin, meanwhile, was watching a movie in Deepa’s room. In the living room, Rishi and his father-in-law, Jayraj, were sitting together, watching a TV show. As they were engrossed in the program, the show cut to a commercial break.

  During the break, Jayraj turned to Rishi and said, "Son-in-law, do you know something? It’s been over a year since I’ve seen her smile. The last time she truly smiled was the day before I asked her to accept the marriage proposal. That day, she sacrificed her dreams and her happiness. I always wondered how any parent could force their child into marriage, yet I ended up doing the same thing. I still can’t believe I did that—how could I?"

  Rishi listened intently before replying, "Uncle, if Deepa had declined the marriage proposal back then, what would you have done?" Jayraj sighed and responded, "I don’t know." Silence lingered between them for a few moments, until Rishi finally said, "Alright, let’s leave the past behind. What’s done is done." They both nodded and resumed watching the show.

  The next three days in the house were filled with joy and celebration, but soon, the time came for Jayraj, Parvathi, and Deepa to return to their hometown. At the train station, Deepa and Rishi stood outside the train, while Jayraj, Parvathi, and Ashwin were seated inside. They all exchanged a few words before the train honked, signaling its imminent departure. Parvathi leaned out and said, "Deepa, take care of yourself, and look after Rishi too." Deepa smiled and replied, "I will, mom. You take care as well, and don’t forget to take your medicine."

  As the train pulled out of the station, Rishi and Deepa watched it disappear before heading back to the car. Rishi started the engine, and they drove home in silence.

  And with that, this chapter comes to an end. Let’s see what unfolds in the next chapter. Until then, stay tuned!