[*] We had known each other since we were kids. She was my neighbour and classmate. We played together and grew up together. That made us fall for each other. Initially, it was just a relationship and desire to be with each other, but over time, we were into each other and became inseparable. Those teenage years, those fruitful love affairs, we did it all. These were other girls who could have relinquished their clothes for me, but she was my catch. Probably, because we had known each other for a long time.
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[*] There were difficult days too - days when we used to fight with each other and have a conversational gap of a day or two. But then, there were good days as well- days when we bunked classes to walk through the park, when we skipped sleep to talk each other ; days when we exchanged love letters and confessions. Those were the good days! It seemed that they'd last forever.
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[*] We were deeply in love and wanted to get married, but marriages in India are never simple. It doesn't work the way you want things to work. The girl and the boy, they are mere spectators to the customs and traditions of Indian culture
[*] I, being Punjab, was expected to follow certain rites and rituals. My mother wanted me to marry a rich girl who would bring a lot of dowry, and probably set high standards in the society. When I told my mother I wanted to marry Taani, it was like the beginning of Mahabharta. That meant my end, definitely my end. She could never accept a Bengali girl as her daughter-in-law, and more importantly, a girl who could not bring dowry. Taani was not type of marriage material my mother would have ever dreamt of.
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[*] "Ma, I love her, and I will marry her. What will it take for me to explain this to you.? It's pretty simple. I love her, she loves me and we want to be together. What's your problem with that..?"
[*] I asked her, looking straight at her face. Arrogance was in our genes. My mother used to talk to my father like she would rip his head off and I never failed to give her the taste of her own medicine.
[*] "Beta, she is a Bengali girl. What will Rita aunty, Nani and everyone in the family think of me? Do you want your mother to be embarrassed? Do you want me to stand with my head bent low in front of them.? What have I done to deserve such insult? Don't you love me?"
[ ] She went on and on with her emotional melodrama. The tricks a mother adopts to lure her child, I tell you! The attempts were good, but I was her son, after all. I was familiar with her tricks, so I didn't give up.
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[*] "What are you concerned about actually? My happiness or the snide remarks you'd have to face from our relatives? I won't fall for this. I'll marry Taani,"
[*] I said emphatically and tried to leave the room. She held my hand and started faking tears. I hated this emotional drama. My feet wanted to walk away, far from my family. The irony about it was my father - he didn't seem to have any problems with our marriage.
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[*] "This is what happens when you sacrifice everything for your child. They mock you and leave you for some girl. She can't love you like I do. I am your Ma. Why don't you understand Reyaansh? You're handsome Punjabi boy, you'll get marriage proposals from America, and they would give you a lot of money. Don't you want money?"
[*] Her words turned phonic with every sentence. She was desperate to convince me, but I wasn't ready for it.
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[*] Next morning I rushed towards Taani's place. As per the plan, she was sitting in the small garden near her house ; her bags were packed. We were about to elope, through it wasn't a good idea. But then we had to do it. I couldn't imagine my life without her, and her without me. She was the sole reason of my happiness, the reason for which I carried a mobile, and the only reason why I believed in love. Love is hard thing to come by these days, but when it comes to you, you shouldn't let it go.
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[*] India is probably the worst place for lovers; I mean even when the entire world accpets the lovers, there will be someone or other ready to f**k things up. This time, the person was my mother. Mother or Lover - the choice was difficult to make, but my mother's greed had made it easier for me.
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[*] We eloped. It was scary, the entire thing. People think about eloping as if it is easier than preparing Maggie.
[*] We had decided on Mumbai as our destination.
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[*] 14th June 2010
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[*] Taani looked at me, I looked at her.
[*] Smile on our faces. Tears in eyes. Ready for the moment we were waiting since our childhood.
[*] We got married in Mumbai High court & in a small temple. We made love as soon as we got married. It's is true having sex with the person you love is a most blissful feeling in this world. Yes, I was in a complete bliss.
[*] I was loving her with all my heart.
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[*] My past was now like a beautiful dream that I had lived. Those golden days of my life were no more there. I was back in the court room, My throat dry and wanting water. My eyes were drowsy and teary, probably ready to leave the world and find its way to reach her. Basically, I could shoot myself to be with her. The judge looked at me, and the prosecution lawyer walked towards me.
[*] " That was a beautiful love story, but how it relates to the crime you have committed. We'd be very glad to know more about your love story, but this is a courtroom, and we have other cases to handle as well. Can you get to the point, Mr. Singhania? "
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[*] The lawyer looked at me his eyes were suspicious, but that couldn't change anything. I couldn't give in to his little tricks.
[*] " You can convict me for my wife's murder, but if you want to know the truth, you have to listen to the entire story. If you don't wish to, ask one of the cops to take me back to the jail."
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[*] I said. I was speaking for her. She wouldn't want this to happen as she always wanted me to fight for myself and for what was right. I thought I had lost the spirit to fight, but she was still alive, somewhere in me, prodding me to carry on.
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[*] " Go on, " the lawyer said and took his place.
Anupamaa
Pocket Mein Aasman
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