Her unwanted husband

Chapter 1 (Edited)

"I refuse, mother," said Aradhana staunchly, staring at her mother in her eyes, "do you know what kind of a person he was in college? I don't-"

"We know all that," interrupted Menaka, "but we need this marriage and you know it. Dad has had to amputate his hand since the accident in his factory. We have the employee compensation money in hand now. If not now, we can never see you married."

Tears filled Aradhana's big eyes as she saw her father, sleeping from an exhaustion brought on by pain killers that enabled him to sustain the mind numbing pain that his left arm, now a stump was giving him. It was not fair that such a vibrant person be brought down like this, she agreed, but that did not mean she had to sacrifice her life too!

"But mother, I could help. Also Lakshman-"

"He needs all the money he can get," cut through Menaka once more, "his wife is in the last month of pregnancy and if you love us even a little bit you would not protest anymore."

She got up with the cabbage she was cutting for lunch and walked away in to the kitchen leaving Aradhana with little choice over what to do. That was a hit below the belt. She knew Nandha since the day she entered college. He was her senior by two years and no, before you think he is the school hottie or the most sought after guy in the college, it is better to be set straight in the beginning.

He was very handsome, of that there was no doubt, but he was always involved in one form of violence or the other. Whenever she saw him, he was always beating the crap out of someone and it seriously bothered her. She was a soft person by nature, watches only romantic movies and even killing mosquitos bothered her. When they were not biting her of course. Oh and conckroaches should never have been created by God. He must have been in a merciful mood when they had approached him regarding their existence. Anyway cockroaches were not her problem right now. her problem was this guy in college who always came out of a fight clean, sometimes without even ruffled hair. They say that only cockroaches survived the nuclear blasts in Japan. Maybe they are related? Okay, this was not helping her current situation, what with having to marry him.

She pushed aside a image of a cockroach marrying her, standing on two legs with antennae twitching and returned back to her first concern. HIm. She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had finished his college and went on to do whatever it was that he did. Some rumoured that he had become a murderer. He could, she was sure that he was capable of it and he would get away with it too. He was smart, the entire college knew that and so did the district when he came first and grabbed the university's gold medal.

If she were given a choice, she would have married the lowliest of beggars but she did not have one, did she? She tried imagining herself holding him, kissing him and retched as another image of a cockroach with his grinning face filled her vision. It pouted its lips welcomingly at her and she groaned. Oh Lord, why me? If there was a God in heaven please stop this marriage.

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"Aradhana," called Priya from across the corridor, making Aradhana look up, startled. Was yelling allowed?

"Why were you late today?" puffed her friend as she finally caught her breath.

"Well," shuffled Aradhana, playing for time, "I missed the college bus due to an argument with my mother."

"That is the silliest reason ever," scoffed Priya while playfully poking her in the shoulder.

If that was silly, then Priya would probably find marrying at 18 even more silly. Hmm. They entered the class together, settling down in the third row as they usually did.