As one grows up, in the Indian subcontinent, marriages are arranged. This story revolves around a boy, who was immature enough to get married, shoved into the rat race of work and earning money and before he could realise his goals in life clearly, he was put into an arranged marriage. As years go by, he though bodily matured, but emotionally still a boy gets involved into alcoholism, smoking, women, gambling. He took his arranged marriage as part of life's adjustments. I don't love you anymore is contradictory as he falls in love with his wife past 25 years of marriage, whereby he realises, friends who seemed friends actually, were enemies in disguise.He goes for rehabilitation, due to alcoholic tendencies but does not recover. He does not succeed in business world and feels all these bad things that are happening to him is because of his wife. She is the greatest bad luck in his life is what he feels. He never loved his wife, from the first day of marriage, took her just for sexual needs, made her his 24*7 secretary, beat her to pulp due to alcoholism and frustration. But she never left his side. As years go by, he sees his wife as the only strongest pillar of his life. So when at the age of 60, he thinks of telling her his true feelings for her, his wife says that she has moved on in life. Now that her children are grown up, she is tired of his bickering and fights. She confessed, I don't love u anymore and goes to enrol in an old age home, to live a life without any pain and emotional struggle. Even when you look at the book cover of two ducklings, here in this book, looking at opposite directions, this also has a lot of significance, as per the storyline. Both are in the same pail, as in marriage, at a young age, tied to the family, but both looking in opposite ways. One into family bond, taking care of in law's, children, daily grocery shopping, cooking and doing all household chores. The other has his life outward bound, partying around, drinks and friends, women, gambling, earning money and travelling distant lands, passports filled with visas of countries around the world, no strings attached to the family. As years fly by and things don't change in the scenario, the wife at old age walks out of marriage, to lead a life as per her choice, at 62 years, the man has now stabled up and looks forward to live his old age along with his wife, but here is the cliche, she simply walks out without looking behind to a life where she relentlessly always gave without any returns or favours asked. She walks towards an unknown voyage at old age where nobody expects anything from her and she does not expect anything from anyone, a house she would learn to call her home, an old age home..... This is my first attempt in weaving a story. I would appreciate for a genuine feedback from my supporters in the form of comments, votes and spirit stones. I was unwell for the past month and a half , so the speed has lessened, but I will not fail in weaving my thoughtsand pen them down at the earliest. Your genuine feedback will help spark my imagination.
It was fate
Like in all Indian marriages, if the parents of both the bride and groom agree to their would be son in law, or daughter in law, as in looks, temperament, status etc. the fates of their children were sealed.
N if you are lucky enough and find a partner out of love , either way you get the blessings of the elders in the family and the marriage is fixed.
Dev, an arrogant boy, rich and handsome, aged 28...marriage material type as seen in the eyes of his parents ,was in search for his would be wife.....
So in the regional newspaper, they gave an advertisement, that they needed a bride, good looking, ambitious, working , for an engineer groom, height 5'11", fair, handsome and witty. They were waiting for the responses and Dev's father was taking in notes, as his phone went on being constantly busy.
Dev had an elder sister Ika, who was eight years older to him. So he being the youngest in the family was pampered rotten. Anything he wished, his parents would bring in front of him.
His father was very powerful, in the coal industry. So everyone in the Indian business industry knew him and would not do anything to harm his pride. Dev's mom was a home maker. She was famous for her kitty parties and NGO projects. She did not give time to home, but when she did, it was mostly to scold the servants for not heeding to her son and his wishful tantrums.
Ika, seeing that the son of the family gets whatever he wants and she being shoved in a corner, decided to take the reigns of her life in her own hands and married off early, and settled far away with her doctor husband , away from her parents and brother.
Dev on noticing that his whims and fancies were being taken care of at the earliest, started getting influenced by many people. These people were generally his school mates, friends, seniors and his father's colleagues( junior staff) , etc
At the young age of eight when his mother was busy into kitty parties and father busy in earning money for the family, his butler, Thakurji, wanted to get into the good books of the young master. For this, he started to give him alcohol in small tea cups, saying the rich and influential are into these drinks, which give them the capacity of drinking and thinking.
To conquer loneliness, the neglected child, thought, to be able to be like his father, he needs to be a grown up man and think big, so to think big he started alcohol.
By the time he was 12 years old, he became used to alcohol. Bali, his father was unaware of it. So was his mother Gopi. Ika had seen all this coming and had tried to warn her mother, but Gopi did not heed her young daughter's advice and good intention. Gopi thought it was sibling rivalry.
Dev got very less marks in school and so as to improvise him, like in any traditional, Hindu family, of India, he was sent to a hostel for Rajkumar College, away from home.