Love you more

54: Beggars can't be choosers

I returned home to find my street covered with canopy and loudspeakers blaring. Some rich fool was throwing his money. The foolish act came from nowhere but my house.

It is a prerogative of a girl's maamaa to throw a function for menarche. And my maamaa was a show-off and hosted a noisy party for my sister Saranya's menarche. 

A stage was erected on the bare land near my house. I know my maamaa, he was cunning as a fox. Party halls cost a fortune, even a small one. But putting a canopy on the street and bare land doesn't cost much.

My mom was simply glowing, the reason was my aunt had come and apologized. It didn't bode well at all. My aunty never did anything if she didn't see what's in it for her.

I started missing Ananya already. Every passing girl looked like Ananya to my befuddled mind. I looked up to see Ananya giving me a radiant smile. Ignoring my imagination, I turned. It took a while before I blinked a few times and turned to find her marching off with paati.

"My angel you are giving me a hard time, what I would give just to smell you now," I mumbled to her retreating form.

"Senthil, maamaa wants to hold your engagement with Saranya's function", said my mother cornering me.

"What!" I shouted.

My mom chose to ignore my response as she continued, "I agreed. it's economical to hold two functions at once."

"I am not marrying Priya."

"Don't shout, people might hear."

"I don't care. I am not marrying Priya."

"I am not asking your opinion, you will marry her."

"I won't."

"Don't be a fool, your maamaa has agreed to pay for your college and you can help your maamaa with his business. All he asks in return is to get married to Priya. Unlike your aunt she is a good girl."

"I am not selling myself."

"Don't be a fool," my mother repeated. "Is there any reason not to marry her?"

"She is like a sister to me," I said angrily.

"She may be like a sister to you. But she is not your sister. Beggars can't choose, Senthil. This is our only way out of this miserable poor life."

"I won't marry her even if maamaa writes off his entire fortune to me."

"You want this to get ugly? Fine. You should stop chasing Ananya. She will leave you eventually, even if she is all smitten by you now. Do you think paati or Ananya's relations will let her marry the likes of you. Wake up from your dream and look at yourself. We are one step away from becoming real beggars."

"How do you.." I couldn't complete my question. Were my feelings for Ananya that obvious?

"How do I know? You have been acting like a love-sick fool for the past months. Having that stupid grin all day. Senthil, you may think I am harsh. She is not for you son. I don't know whether you know it, she owns half of the SA hospital."

"What do you mean? Doesn't Ananya's maamaa own the hospital?" I asked in shock, forgetting I was in the middle of a fight.

"Apparently her dad was the one who gave the initial funding for starting the hospital. Do you think a millionaire like her will marry the likes of you? You would just be an embarrassment to her. I beg you as your mother Senthil, please stop this nonsense and learn to survive."

"I don't care whether she is rich or not. I don't want to survive, I want to live. I will be with Ananya as long as she wants me."

"I will kill myself tomorrow if you don't marry Priya."

"Fine, let's die together because I am never accepting this engagement."

"When I see that girl again tomorrow, I will beg her to release you from her clutches."

"I am not marrying Priya and that's final." I stormed out.

I need to stop Ananya from coming here and meeting my mother at all costs. I hastily typed, "Don't come tomorrow," and sent it to Ananya.