Purely Coincidental

Raj was driving back from his friend Sam’s wedding reception, beside him sat his fiancée divya. Raj was thinking over and over about the reception. He asked divya “do things like this really happen..?” he paused, “i mean… what is the probability of things like this occurring in one’s life?” Raj was very surprised about what his friend told about the marriage. He couldn’t still digest the role, coincidence played in his friend’s life.  When divya and raj both asked each other at the same time “can anyone have such a coincidence in their life?”

So what really happened at the reception, that made Raj ponder so much about it… let’s find out.

3 hours earlier…

Divya’s phone was singing its ringtone for a long time. She was busy admiring her beautiful new saree neatly clad on her slim body. She was almost lost in her own beauty when a car honked outside her house. She immediately picked up the phone and spoke into it, “wait… wait… 5mins… will be outside… bye”. It was her fiancée Raj; they both were going to raj’s friend’s wedding reception.

Divya got into the car and looked at raj, expecting a compliment from him about her stunning looks but as always, like every other guy Raj failed miserably, when he complained to her that she was late. It’s a girl’s thing to expect and a guy’s thing to fail it.

It was a busy evening hour, so the car was swimming through the Jam. Although, it was about half hour late to the reception, Raj and divya had made it pretty earlier than the others. He held her hands guiding her to the people of his college life but she was going to meet them for the first time. It was a great time for divya to put a face to the person from the stories she has heard from raj about them. Some introductions made her laugh a little, just for the nature of funny incidents that had happened.

Raj then settled down with his friends, and started talking about the marriage, bride and groom. He and his friends knew Sam as their senior and bus mate during college. They knew about Sam’s love affair during college times and everyone were sure that was the same girl too. So raj was explaining to divya about Sam’s love story and how he used to act stupid at times, when it comes to love.

After a while, everyone started to go to the dais to congratulate the couple on their wedding. On the way to the dais, Raj met Sam’s brother David; he had a casual conversation with him, and asked    “your brother is lucky; he got the girl he loved… I guess it’s your turn next.” David replied “what? This is an arranged marriage raj; Sam wasn’t in any relationship for a long time now. This girl was chosen by my parents… he just nodded his head in approval… that all”. This version twisted raj a little. He had thought it was a love marriage but his brother seems to say otherwise.

Divya also got a little confused hearing the conversation, and while walking to the dais, she told raj “see raj, I thought so from the beginning, the whole setup seems like an arranged marriage, I don’t think it’s a love marriage”. Raj also a little perplexed, reaffirmed to divya “am sure divya, I’ve seen these two as a pair, although Sara was not from my college, these two used to hang out all over the city. Am sure this is the same girl.” divya questioned      “come on dear! The brother just said it’s an arranged marriage, maybe it’s just a coincidence that names match. This could be someone who looks quite like the other girl”.

Raj couldn’t hold his curiosity, when it was his turn to congratulate the couple; he went straight ahead and asked Sam “Bro… tell me one thing… isn’t this love marriage? I thought so, but it turns out to be different… what’s up with it?” Sam just couldn’t control his smile hearing this, his smile almost turned into a blush; he turned to Sara, who was smiling uncontrollably.

Sam answered to Raj “yes… Raj, it is an arranged marriage.” Raj thought he had got all of his memories wrong about Sam’s relationship, he was bit worried that he had told all his friends that it was a love marriage, when it was not, and as raj was leaving the dais with a heavy thought, Sam held him and whispered to Raj “dude, its kinda like a twisted story, let me tell it to you in detail after I get down from this place. You have your dinner and come back”.

Raj’s curiosity got bigger than before, it was like a blown balloon almost at the verge of bursting into pieces, all through dinner, and his mind was calculating all permutations about how twisted this story would be. He even went to extent of imagining a face change operation of that girl.

After dinner, Raj came back to the hall with divya; he was predicting his versions to her, who on hearing his crazy theories had a hearty laugh. Raj’s curiosity spread to a few friends and they also gathered to wait for Sam to come and reveal the secret. After a 20 minute wait, Sam finally came along with his wife Sara, he sat beside Raj in a chair and laughed. He asked Raj “so you thought it was a love marriage eh…?” he laughed again and said “you are right as well as wrong”. Raj had a very confused look on his face.

Sam then started his version of the story, the actual one; everyone around him listened to it keenly. He said “I and Sara were in a relationship for 2 yrs in college, but during final year due to many differences, we broke up. After that we never met or had any contacts, 2 years passed” he stopped and looked at Sara, who continued “ my parents were looking for a suitable alliance for me and when I was browsing through the matrimonial website for possible matches, I stumbled upon his profile. I told my parents that I liked his profile and they fixed the rest”.

Sam then said “my mom showed me her photo and told that they liked this girl a lot, I too accepted that I liked her, so they asked if they could talk to her parents to finalize the marriage.” Sam took a brief pause, a lot of crowd had gathered to listen to the story now. Sam continued “when we met at her place for the customary bride visit, we both talked for first time after 2 years, she told me that it was destiny that brought us together, and we were meant to be together. We both hadn’t had any other relationship after our break up and it seemed like we never really wanted to get over each other. Sara felt like this was a divine intervention to bring them together, a second chance for true love.

Sara interrupted “yea, it was my idea to keep our past relationship, a hidden secret; because I thought it might create a few rough patches in the arranged marriage, if the parents tend to believe it was a setup from us. So none of our family members knew about our love affair till now.” Sam and Sara both concluded saying “this whole thing was purely coincidental, no one knew this was coming, we ourselves still don’t believe this is happening”.

Everyone around them were so surprised and for some it was a shocker, but everyone had the same thought on their mind “Love does perform miracles”

Raj was now satisfied with his curiosity finally getting solved from the creators itself.  Divya just had a memorable experience which she could share with everyone she knows, a truly inspiring love story with a heavy role of coincidence. She wished for it to have happened in her life.

When Raj and Divya reached the home, the question “can anyone have such a coincidence in their life” appeared again in their mind, but now they had an answer “definitely not, this is a one of a kind experience. It is truly a divine intervention to make true love succeed.”

My Big Grand Indian Arranged Marriage !

“We need to talk, I have no interest in this wedding, it was all my mom’s idea … I don’t have any interest in an arranged marriage. I always wanted a love marriage and I am really sorry, if I hurt your feelings… very sorry”

These were the lines Arun was thinking again and again. The reason was simple, his mom had seen a girl for him, they were about to go to her home for the customary practice in India, for seeing the bride. Arun had just returned home a week back from his work in Boston, to visit his family, and now he’s getting married.

Arun was quite terrified with the concept of an Arranged marriage, living the rest of your life with someone whom u hardly even know, which seemed pretty odd for him. Since for past 6 years he’s been in the USA. And hardly, ever thought he’d do an old fashioned arranged marriage. So he decided, he’d confront the girl whom he’s going to get married to, into dissolving the engagement by which his mother probably won’t plan something like this again. So he was actually rehearsing on what to say in his mind the whole morning.

Later that evening, Arun and his parents reached the bride’s house. They were greeted by the bride’s parents, and welcomed in a very special way that Arun felt royal. Both the parents, started talking about things – past, present and future. While Arun was being bored with this conversation had his eyes surveying the entire house, even though he was in the living room and hardly could see anything. He was by now, very curious to see the girl whom he’s supposedly to get married to, but also whom he would be dumping  before he’d even get to know her.

Probably, the parents of the bride got some cue and asked their youngest son ,to take Arun to his sister, who happens to be the bride, for some moments of private talk. Arun got really nervous, his excitement was building up to see who this girl was… he had dreamed a lot about his future wife, so the walk to her room was a slow movie magic. He went to the door and knocked it, there opened a beautiful, saree clad angel.. His brain also put wings on her back to give her angel look..! He became speechless, like all men do when they see a girl as good as they imagined her to be, the girl introduced herself first before Arun could.. “ Hi, Am Padmini, you must be Arun”.

So, he started his moves of talking.. He started an unusual talk asking her about the saree first…  he sounded like some lady asking the other woman’s possessions. Then, she felt weird and changed the topic, the best thing women do.! So, they started talking about their respective careers. Arun was a production manager in a big pharmaceutical company in Boston and padmini was a Research scientist at Cancer institute, Chennai. Since both their field of works was quite similar, their conversation drifted towards technology and their respective work. Arun had always thought that science didn’t have much value in India and people who do their research here don’t achieve a lot. But he was proven totally wrong after talking to padmini.

Arun for a moment had forgotten what he had come for.. He was reluctant to start off the talk about dissolving the engagement, he started to feel, may be his mom was right.. May be she’d make a better life partner for him than his choice. But then without thinking twice. He started to talk about his plans. What he wants to do, why he doesn’t want this arranged marriage.

Padmini interrupted him asking why he hated the concept of arranged marriage. So Arun started to let out his thoughts.. He said “ you know, I’ve never been in love. I’ve still haven’t found anyone who would make me fall blindly into love. Run behind them, woo them till they accept. Sing ‘truly,madly,deeply’ to her, go on a blind trip with her.. Basically lose my body, mind and soul to her. You being a girl won’t understand it.. You won’t..”

Padmini then replied “ hey, I’ve had my share of male stalkers, who say they fell in love with me at first sight, with not even a stupid reason. There was this guy in college who was behind me for 3 whole years even though I never even was a friend with him, he was such a stalker, all you guys are..”

“Ok, this is becoming a little sexist talk.. Let’s stop it.” It was Arun’s counter. He didn’t want to start a fight with her. So then he tried changing the topic.. He asked “ so have you loved anyone or been in a relationship before?” even before he could possibly imagine the reply he would  get, she snubbed him saying “ just because you are a loud mouth telling me everything, doesn’t mean I have to do the same”.

This was getting a little bit embarrassing for him and uncomfortable for both. So padmini suggested moving out to the terrace. So Arun followed her. He was still having double thoughts. “ Trust his mother or make his own fate” his answer came quite soon, padmini said “ see I too don’t have any interest in this marriage, I just thought it would be unfair to hurt my parent’s wishes and I also thought I should see their selection before I get on with my life ahead.”

She told the same reason why, Arun had come to see her. Now, since both were out with their thoughts about the whole issue, the field of uncomfortably had broken, they felt quite free to talk to each other about a lot of different things from friends to foes, movies to fantasies, food and sports etc…

Arun started to like her a lot, her character and nature was pulling him towards her. He was actually falling in love with her without himself knowing about it. Padmini stood near the terrace wall overlooking the road below, her hair was loose and she had brushed it all to one side of her neck and it was flowing sensually across her left shoulder down to her breast, where his eyes wouldn’t dare to wander much. There was a bright moon light on a full moon’s day, and Arun felt that she was glowing under the moon light. The sight of her against the moon light felt so magnetic, that without realizing it, he said.. “Marry me… Be my wife.. forget what we talked about before.  I think I am in love with you, and please don’t say no”

Padmini smiled and asked “ what about the whole dream thing, you falling crazy in love, singing truly,madly,deeply to her??”

Arun was very excited, he went on his knees and said “ well, haven’t I fallen crazy in love with you… love happens .. It just happens, and I am ready to sing ‘truly, madly, deeply’ to you anytime you want..” and he also started singing it to her.

Padmini couldn’t control her smile, it turned into a blushing laughter. Even though she didn’t tell him directly, she too had fallen in love with him in their half hour talk. She said ‘yes’ to him. Their arranged engagement had blossomed into a beautiful love.

Arun and padmini got married a month later in a grand wedding followed by a even more grand wedding reception. Finally, his mother was right.. It couldn’t have been better than this for Arun!

 after all, the Indian Arranged marriages still work !