It was the season where pride blended with love in the wintery December in foggy Delhi. He pursued Mrinalini, a painter, whose life revolves around her art and the secluded existence she led was a hard nut to crack.
He was everything Mrinalini was not. After all, he belonged to a conservative Hindu family who inherited a fortune and took over as the director in the software company his father built from scratch. She was liberal, a free bird, thinker, independent and a fiesty woman who believes in soaring to reach escalating height in life. She was an atheist while he doggedly believed in God and bowing to the wish of his parents to lead a pious life. At least, he puts a pretense in front of them but revere them like God.
It took him two years wooing Mrinalini, not revealing his identity and sending him hand crafted perfumed love letters, expensive gifts, flowers and gold. She rejected all of them. It took him a great deal of courage one day at the art gallery when he revealed his name, Amar when she ignored him. It took him a fair amount of hard work to prove himself and coax her for a coffee date. They dated for another six months and started living together.
All hell break loose during Amar's parents surprise visit to the flat owned by Mrinali and they insisted that they should tie the knot. Mrinalini was furious at her prospective in-laws scorn for a live-in couple and their dogged religious beliefs in rituals. Finally, they married in great fanfare, something that Mrinali despised.
In the start, everything went well but Mrinalini started to become uneasy at the interference of Amar's parents in her marital bliss and their insistence on her performing rites which lingered on the ludicrous state. Finally, she blew her top and told Amar that she will not tolerate such interference. At first Amar pleaded with her to pander to the wish of his parents but gradually became red with anger that he will not tolerate any disrespect to his parents. It led to ugly fights between the two, One day, Mrinali packed her bags not before calling her husband a coward who reeks of double standard that can only do well living under the shadow of his parents.
Years passed. Mrinali was settled in New York and becoming a famous painter and art critic. On the other side, Amar was growing unhappy, living with his parents who made his life hell by fixing matches for him and insisting to choose a good Indian bride who believes in respecting their culture. He was getting suffocated and became so furious that he told his parents that it's high time that they stop interfering in his life. He realized that his wife was right. He has been a coward who lacked the balls.
Amar had a heated argument with his parents telling them that he cherish his independence and has never been able to grow in such a suffocating environment that killed his self belief right from childhood, to growing up and getting married. They called him an ungrateful son who will reach nowhere without their blessing and that he is still under the spell of his ex-wife. He lashed out, "At least, Mrinalini has courage. It's not just about both of you as my parents. If today you are feeling bad, just imagine what she is going through. She also has parents."
He started his own business venture to live his life on his own terms. The free bird was able to discover himself and his freedom, which he enjoyed every single day. He couldn't apologize to Mrinali and was ashamed for tolerating the unfair treatment meted out to her.
It was an evening filled with glitz where the young business man of the year was awarded to Amar in digital business. He walked to the dais where the Delhi Chief Minister felicitated him. As he walked down, a feminine silhouette touched his shoulder gently and spoke in a subtle voice, "Amar, will you marry me..again?" His heart was beating frantically. It was Mrinalini. She spoke calmly, "No need to justify anything. I came to know about everything. We are humans and we do err in life. Our love has and will always triumph." They hugged like during the old times. A new Amar and a more understanding Mrinalini were born on that day.
Vishal
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