Arranged Love Marriage

Chapter 13: The Letter

Sandhya POV

It's Friday, 9 am. I had a very long and deep sleep. Marriage followed with a reception to acknowledge warm greetings and wishes from our well-wishers; we all were exhausted. It's our new house, and I am happy to start this new life with Sanjay. Equally, I am sad that Sindhu is not with me. But, it's a temporary sadness. You know what? Sindhu will live with us as soon as her college reopens. Not sure, though, but it's easy for her to commute from here! This is the very first time I have seen our house. It's a single-bedroom independent house. I leave the house to receive the sun's rays and gain freshness and energy for the day. I was surprised to find a neem tree and some space for a small garden. Sanjay wishes me a good morning as he walks with a briefcase and my handbag. He is unpacking our luggage from the car. I walk up the stairs to find a room and immediately think of Sindhu. Yup, Sindhu can use this room. There are a few pots with flower plants. Oh man, this house is beautiful... I love it! A small place that managed to find some space for gardening.

"Easiest breakfast of all, Upma. Shall I cook that?" Sanjay is standing near the stairs and asks me so. I pout my mouth to look sad, making a dramatic disappointed face saying, "Upma? I don't like it."

"That's the only option we have, Sandhya."

"Fine, I'll eat."

I also get down with Sanjay. He goes to the kitchen, and I carry those bags to start unpacking. I begin with my handbag. As I open the innermost zip, I find a letter. I see Sindhu's handwriting. It reads:

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"Akka, you have an interesting fact to know. Sanjay has been in love with you for three years. This is a Love- Arranged marriage. Sanjay's mom observed Sanjay fall in love with you and spoke to dad. Idiot Sanjay couldn't gather up the guts to propose to you.

Akka, I am upset that you didn't let out your fear with me, the fear and doubts you had about Sanjay during those initial talks. You didn't say that he secretly took your picture, so you doubted him to be a flirt person. I would have questioned and clarified all your doubts. I would have given you a more accessible and reliable way to fall in love with him. Sanjay read the story and said, "This works as a love letter and a complaint letter to me."

And stop blaming yourself for misunderstanding him. You were right, Akka; he did take your picture secretly. But he isn't a flirt. I still confidently argue Sanjay is perfect for you. He is a good person with a beautiful soul.

You probably are good at maintaining secrets from me, but I am not Akka. The day Sanjay confessed that he did take your secret pictures and did have a crush on you, I realized you did have a man behind the story you wrote. And I was so disappointed that you lied to me about the same.

That was the same day Nikki Akka and Rekha Akka explained how you were hurt for manipulating his love into an arranged marriage. I know Akka, love marriages are very different from arranged. You find more comfort and freedom with your partner in love marriage and wish for the same. In arranged marriages, you accept the person and then try to fall for him. But when it is a love proposal, girls get more chances to study the guy before the acceptance. Almost all guys go crazy to get that acceptance, and that craziness is what we girls enjoy. That craziness makes us believe that he can do anything for us.

I struggled; I struggled to hide this fact from you. Look how we sisters were trapped to the extent of maintaining secrets from each other! Idiot Sanjay. He not just hid his secret love but also made you and me have secrets. I felt a lot of guilt- one, for having a secret, and two, for not being able to say a very important fact to you! I speak all unnecessary and necessary stuff to you, but he snatched that freedom from me this time! In my life, no one can be your replacement Akka, and with whomever I share anything- it doesn't give me the stratification of having that shared with you!