musingsofaakanksha

Jyoti and Raj were in love with each other even they didn’t know since when. It was during a coaching class that they met each other and fell in love.

After a few months a job in army took Raj to a different city and Jyoti joined a job in her city only.

Today after a year of training Raj was coming back, Jyoti was so happy that finally Raj will speak to his parents and their dreams will come true. With much excitement she told her mother about Raj. Her mother said that she would tell her dad about him and they would meet Raj. Now she was just waiting for the day Raj would come to her house with his parents but she wanted to give Raj his time. She knew he has just come after a year and her parents would want to spend time with him so she was ready to wait patiently.

Days passed by and then weeks, now Jyoti could sense a problem in Raj’s behaviour. She realised Raj does everything for her but dodges the marriage talk. She sensed that he is not able to gather courage to speak to his parents but she was wondering why. Raj has told him that his parents have always been obsessed about being Brahmins and Jyoti was a Khatri Punjabi maybe that was a problem bug Raj was always confident about convincing his parents.

Jyoti – “Theek hai Raj mein samajh rahi hun bus mujhe ek date bataa do.”

Raj – “Next week on your birthday I will come to your home with my parents. Ok? Vaise bhi I am taking mummy papa to Rishikesh I will talk to them there only”

Jyoti – “Really, wow!! What a birthday gift it will be for me.”

On her birthday Raj messaged her birthday wishes to which she replied back that she will be waiting for them at dinner. She had asked Raj to come around 7pm. Clock had striked 8 and there had been no calls or messages from Raj, now she was getting tensed. Her mother sensed her tension and asked her if she wants to cut the cake, she said “mumma Raj aane wala hoga uske parents ko achha nahin lagega na agar mein cake pehle hee kaat lungi.” Seeing her sensibilities her mother smiled and went back to finish her chores.

It was 9pm now her mother came to her again and asked if Raj has messaged or called. To which she had no reply. Her dad could not take it anymore and said “Jyoti beta even now you don’t realise that he won’t come. If he would have to come he would have by now and if he was stuck somewhere he would have at least called, beta sach ye hai ki vo apne mummy papa se baat nahin kar paya aur mujhe nahin lagta vo kabhi kar payega.”

Jyoti – “But papa he loves….’

Jyoti’s dad – “Beta loving is easy but usko aage le jaana harr ek ke bus ki baat nahin hai. With all my experience I can say that vo nahin aayega and honestly beta ab vo aaya bhi toh I don’t think I can trust him enough for my daughter.”

Jyoti – “But papa….”

Her dad said he would have loved to give him another chance but he doesn’t seems worth it. Jyoti kept on calling Raj but no answer he wasnt even replying to her messages. When the clock stuck 12 in the midnight she lost all hopes and was crying inconsolably, seeing this her parents were furious now. They of course, could not tolerate someone hurting their daughter and more than heartche Jyoti’s reason for crying was the humility her parent’s must have been feeling seeing her daughter’s love being shattered.

Days passed by Raj didn’t call her and she also had enough of calling Raj, now she wanted to see how much can he do to their relationship. After few days when she came out of her office she saw Raj standing there but today she wasn’t happy. Raj stopped her and said that he knew she is upset and he had hurt her but his parents have not agreed and after listening about his affair his mother had fallen sick. He pleaded for some more time and told her that he loves her a lot and will soon speak to her parents.

By now Jyoti had realised what her dad said is true that not everyone can stand up to their commitment. She loves Raj and her heart was still with him but in her mind she knew Raj will never be able to speak to her parents and even if he does her parents who are so adamant about castes will never accept her whole heartedly. She remembered what her mother told her on her birthday night that in India its not just two people who marry each other infact it is two families who marry each other.

She stood up and told Raj that now it is too late and like him she also cannot now disappoint her parents again. Raj asked her to trust her that he will soon come to his house. To which Jyoti said “but you are leaving in 5 days for your posting which means once again you will leave with another false promise for me to wait for you. I am sorry Raj you please keep your parents happy and I will make mine proud.”

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My story is based on the prompt – “Zindagi k safar mein guzar jaate hain jo mukaam.”