Chapter 1
"Armaan, tu Riddhima se shaadi kyun nai karta?" Ananya asks her son who is laying down on an charpoy on the terrace of their small house while she put up wet clothes on a line for them to dry.
"Ma, main usse shaadi nai karna chahtha aur waise bhi woh mujhse dus saal choti hai. Abhi woh sirf dus saal ki hui hai aur abhi se hi Shashank uncle aur Padma aunty Riddhima ki shaadi karana chahthe hai!" Armaan yells at his parent's.
"Mere aur tumhare Papa ki bhi shaadi issi umar hui thi. Iss gaon main aise hi hota hai," said Ananya.
"Ma, main shaadi nai karoga! Main shehr jaana chahtha hoon aur kuch bana chahtha hoon."
"Shehr jaana chahthe ho tum?" His father's voice came from behind. Armaan stands up and faces his father with his head lowered.
"Gaon se shehr jaoge?" Balwinder said with a sarcastic laugh. "Yahan pe toh tum kuch nai bane toh phir shehr main kya bano ge."
"Kyun ke meri achi se padayi nai hui. Main shehr jaoga toh achi padayi karoga toh phir achi naukri milegi mujhe."
"Armaan, tum bade sapne dekhna band karo aur mere saath factory main kam karo," said Balwinder.
"Main nai uss factory main kam karoga." Armaan stares straight at his father. "Main aap ko galat sabit karoga aur shehr jaa ke kuch banoga." Armaan walks inside towards his room.
"Aap ke liye kuch lao?" Ananya asks in a low voice. Balwinder glares at her.
"Teri vajah se yeh bigad gaya hai. Agar isse ache sabak sikhati toh aaj yeh factory main kam kar raha hota!" Balwinder yells at Ananya. Ananya lowers her eyes as she held the pallu over her head. "Aur woh shaadi ke liye na nai kehta. Jao aur mere liye chai banao!" Ananya quickly strides inside.
Balwinder had gone over to the Gupta's whose daughter they want Armaan to marry. Shashank sat with Balwinder on the small couch and waited for him to speak up. For the past four months they all have been trying to convince Armaan to get married to Riddhima. For a girl to get married at a young age is normal for them. Almost every little girl who is about ten has been married except for Riddhima. Balwinder and Shashank are very good friends too so they had decided to get Riddhima married to Armaan when she was born, but Armaan was unknown to all of this until now. Balwinder felt that if they told Armaan that he is going to marry Riddhima when she turns ten then maybe he wouldn't have seen all those big dreams about going to the city to become a someone. Balwinder feels that is the only place he went wrong at about not telling Armaan anything.
"Armaan ne kya kaha?" Shashank asks with urgency clearly audible in his voice. Balwinder looks at Shashank with a downcasted face.
"Abhi tak Armaan na kar raha hai," said Balwinder. They hear a sob to see a lady crying while covering her mouth. Balwinder gets up and walks over to her. "Bhabhi ji aap fikar mat kijiye. Main Armaan ko haan keh kar chodo ga. Main apna vaada pura karoga. Riddhima meri bahu zaroor banegi." Balwinder turns to Shashank. "Ab main chalta hoon." He holds his hands together
and leaves. She breaks down crying.
"Padma, sambhalo apne aap ko. Riddhima ki shaadi jaldi ho jayegi." Shashank holds Padma's shoulder.
Riddhima stood upstairs listening to the conversation with tears glistening her eyes. Her parent's had told her from the beginning that she will be getting married to Armaan, and she agreed as she knew this is what is destined for her. Even if she did fight back that she didn't want to get married, they would have forcibly done it. She knows some of her village friends were forcfully married because they had disagreed. For a girl not getting married at a early age, will make other people start finding faults in her.
At night, Riddhima walks out of her house to get some fresh air. Her parent's are all ready asleep. She looks around to see Armaan walking alone. His house is only a few houses away from hers. She runs over to him and stops in front of him, panting. Armaan lifts his head up when he hears Riddhima's panting.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Tumhe sona nai chaiye?" Armaan's mood went worse on seeing Riddhima. Every since the mention of him and Riddhima's marriage, he had not liked the sight of her. Because of Riddhima his dreams are nearly destroyed. He has to leave this village and that to soon.
"Aap mujhse shaadi kyun nai kar sakte? Mujhe me koi kharaabi hai? Maine koi galti ki hai? Aap mujhe bata de main apne aap ko badal dogi," Riddhima cries, staring up at Armaan.
"Agar main tumse shaadi karoga toh mere saare sapne chur ho jayegi kyun ke Papa kahege mujhe tumhe sambhal na hai! Main kuch bada karna chahtha hoon. Na ke tumse shaadi!"
"Mujhse shaadi kar lijiye mere Mama Papa tut jayege agar yeh shaadi nai hui." Riddhima gets on her knees and folds her hands in front of him. She is only ten but knows the importance of a girl getting married. Riddhima is willing to do anything to get married.
"Main tumse shaadi nai karoga! Jab bhi main tumhe dekhta hoon toh mujhe ghutan hoti hai. Main tumse nafrat karta hoon Riddhima!" Armaan yells at her and walks back to his house. He wanted to get away from her. He hates her.
Riddhima was always told that Armaan is going to be her husband and she had accepted the fact that he will be her husband. Whenever she met him, she behave nicely and sweetly with him, but he always ignored her. Today she knows why he ignored her. Armaan never wanted to marry her and never will. Riddhima feels that there has to be something wrong with her if a guy like Armaan is rejecting to marry her. Life is so difficult for a little girl especially when she lives in a village. Her life is only to obey whatever the elders and her husband say and a be the perfect daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, and mother. That's all there is for a girl sometimes. Riddhima is already mature at the age of ten and she is ready to give herself to Armaan, but he keeps on denying. Riddhima knows how much her parent's are going through just to see her get married.
Riddhima cries as she watches Armaan walk back to his house. She gets up and slowly walks back to her house knowing her parent's will be completely heartbroken when they find out that in reality Armaan is really not going to marry her. She isn't getting any other marriage proposals either. If she doesn't get married soon then getting married later on for her could be impossible because people will only try to find something wrong because she didn't get married at the age of ten.
Armaan is standing outside his house and looking around eagerly waiting for mail delivery guy to come. Armaan had applied to a college in the city with the old computer at their house. Every morning he waits for the mail guy to come and give him some envelope to him, but the mail guy always passes his house which leaves Armaan with more less hope to be able to go to the city. The whole day he is praying that he gets the acceptance letter and then after that he can get out of the village as soon as possible.
"Armaan, bahar kya kar rahe ho? Andar aao!" Ananya yells from the balcony upstairs.
"Aata hoon Ma!" Armaan yells. He stays standing there still looking around.
"Andar aao Armaan! Mujhe tumse kuch nikalvana hai!" Armaan sighs and walks inside the house and upstairs to his parent's bedroom.
After Armaan walked in the house, few minutes later the mail guy came and put a few envelopes on their doorstep and walked away.
"Kya hai Ma!" Armaan said irritably.
"Ma se aise baat karta hai tu?" Ananya hits his shoulder. Armaan rolls his eyes. "Teri vajah se tere Papa mujhe dant the hai."
"Toh aap bhi aage se bole na. Chup kyun rehti hai."
"Kyun ke mujhe sikhaya gaya hai ke pati ki kadar karna aur ek tu hai jo apne ma baap ki kadar karta hi nai."
"Main yahan koi lesson nai seekh nai aaya hoon. Kam kya hai?"
"Upar se woh gadhe and takye nikalo," said Ananya. Armaan walks to the shelf in the closet and pulls them down.
"Yeh kiss liye hai?" Armaan hands them to Ananya.
"Mehmaan aa rahe hai." Ananya starts dusting the blankets and pillows.
"Kaunse mehmaan?" Armaan asks curiously.
"Teri shaadi ke liye." Ananya walks out. Armaan stands there shocked for a few moments then runs after his mom.
"Shaadi?! Maine aap aur Papa se kaha hai na ke main Riddhima se shaadi nai karoga!" Armaan says in a loud voice. Ananya turns around almost making Armaan bump into her, but stops in time.
"Lekin tu kar raha hai. Tere Papa ne aaj subah Bhai saab aur Padma bhabhi ji ko haan keh diya hai. Kal mehndi hai aur parso haldi aur mehndi." Ananya starts walking again. Armaan is totally pissed now.
He didn't know what to do and on top of it he hasn't gotten any letter from the college he applied to. He was so confused that he let out a frustrated scream. Armaan runs his hand through his hair and storms out of the house. Armaan sees the envelopes and quickly picks them. He goes through them and finally after so long he finds the letter he is looking for. Armaan quickly opens it and jumps up in joy. He has been accepted! Now he could probably get out of getting married to Riddhima. Armaan runs inside to Ananya.
"Ma!" Armaan exclaims in excitement.
"Tujhe kya hua? Abhi toh ghusse main tha aur ab tu khush hai." Ananya is taking out taking dishes and takes a quickly glance at Armaan to find him grinning widely.
"Ma, idhar dekhe na."
"Armaan, mujhe tang mat karo. Mujhe bohut kam hai." Ananya is not looking at Armaan.
"Main accept ho gaya college mein!" Armaan holds Ananya's shoulder and turns her around. Armaan shows her the letter and looks at her happily.
"Lekin tu nai jaa raha." Armaan frowns.
"Kyun? Ab toh meri aur Riddhima ki shaadi nai hogi. Main sher jaa raha hoon." Armaan turns around to see Balwinder with a hard expression.
"Teri Ma theek keh rahi hai. Tu kahin nai jaa raha." Armaan walks up to Balwinder and stands eye to eye with Balwinder.
"Main jaa raha hoon aur aap mujhe rok nai sakte." He walks away, but stops at Balwinder's voice.
"Tere paas paise hi nai toh tu kaise jayege?" Armaan turns around and smirks at his father.
"Mere paas paise hai. Aap jitna mujhe nalayak samjhte hai main utna hoon nai. Maine kam kiya hai aur paise ek khate kiye hai. Aap fikar karni ki koi zaroorat nai hai." Armaan talks back and runs upstairs to pack his stuff and get out of here.
"Armaan!" Balwinder barges in his room. "Main Shashank ko haan keh diya hai ke tu Riddhima se shaadi karega."
"Yeh meri galti nai hai...aap ki hai. Maine nai kaha tha jaa ke unn ko haan bole! Yeh ab aap ka boj hai! Mera nai!" Armaan continues packing his stuff.
"Armaan, thade dimaag se soch. Sab ko keh diya gaya hai ke tu Riddhima se shaadi kar raha hai."
Balwinder calms himself down to be able to talk to his son in civilized manner and not have to yell at him. Balwinder thought that if he talks normally with Armaan that Armaan will agree and not leave.
"Mujhe koi farak nai padta," said Armaan. "Main toh hamesha se yahan se jaana chahtha." He mumbles the last part to himself.
"Armaan! Riddhima se shaadi karle. Woh sab toot jayege!" That hit Armaan's last nerve and he blasted. Ananya stood at the door and watched her son and husband fight. She couldn't intefere even if she wanted to. She knows that a woman's place is to listen to everything and not say a word.
"Maine kaha tha ke meri shaadi Riddhima se karaye! Mujhe nai karni Riddhima se shaadi! Main hamesha se sher jaana chahtha hoon. Papa, aap sirf apne baare main sochte hai. Riddhima aap ki dosti ki beti issi liye aap ne uss ka rishta mere se karvaya! Hamesha aap ki marzi hoti hai! Ab nai! Sab badal gaya hai Papa! Bacho ke bhi sapne hote hai! Gaon main rehte hai iss yeh matlab nai ke wohi hoga jo bade chahe! Main yahan se jaa raha hoon!" Armaan starts walking, but Balwinder grabs his arm.
Armaan looks at his father with anger screaming from his eyes and it was all for his father. Armaan has always listened and done everything Balwinder wanted, but not anymore. He is going to do what he wants and he will.
"Armaan beta...agar humne unn ko na kaha toh woh puri tarah toot jayege aur maine unse vaada kiya tha ke main Riddhima ko apni bahu banakar rahoga aur main apna vaada pura karoga."
"Papa, aap apne bete ki khushi nai dekhna chahthe. Aap mujhe ek bada insaan dekhna nai chahthe. Kya Riddhima ki khushiyan aap ke bete ki khushiyan zyada mayne rakhti hai."
Balwinder was stunned. He didn't know what to say. Balwinder takes a step back.
"Agar tum gaye toh main bhul jaoga ke mera koi beta tha," said Balwinder with his voice confident. Armaan stares at his father in shock and Ananya covers her mouth. With that being said, Balwinder walks out.
Armaan falls on his knees. Never in his life did he think that his own father would want to disown him. Tears form in Armaan's eyes and he knows that his dreams have been destroyed forever and all because of Riddhima. Armaan puts all the blame on Riddhima. Ananya sits by her son and looks at him. Armaan stares at his mother with tears in his eyes but not falling. They kept on pooling up in his eyes.
"Papa, jhoot bol rahe hai na?" Ananya cries and strokes Armaan's hair back and hugs. Armaan breaks down in Ananya's arms. Armaan wanted to become big, but not when knowing that his father wants him to break all ties with them. "Jhoot bol rahe hai Papa!" Armaan's voice came muffled because he was hiding his face in his mother's neck.
Balwinder stood outside the door and watched Armaan cry in Ananya's arms. He could feel his heart sink at the sight of his son crying hysterically. Balwinder knew how much Armaan's dreams meant to him, but Balwinder couldn't break his promise. He had kept it for ten years and now he has to fulfill his promise. Balwinder looks down when he feels his own eyes tearing up. When he looks back up, Balwinder finds Ananya's dissaproving eyes at him. Ananya's face is stained with tears and she looks at her husband disappointed. Ananya has always done everything said by Balwinder and never once complained, but now seeing her son break down like this made her wonder if her husband had a heart. Balwinder walks away when he feels a tear escape his eyes. He can't cry and he has to show that he is responsible for Armaan and show him the right path. Balwinder was always against Armaan for him going to the city.
Armaan walks to the tiny table on where the have dinner. Balwinder and Ananya are already seated and are ready to start dinner. Armaan sits down quietly and starts taking small bites.
"Main Riddhima se shaadi karne ke liye tayar hoon," Armaan said with his eyes looking at the table ahead of him. Balwinder and Ananya both look at Armaan in shock.
"Sach!" Ananya exclaims. Armaan barely nods his head. Ananya hugs Armaan. "Tum nai jaante ke main kitni khush hoon." Balwinder puts his hand on Armaan's shoulder and Armaan looks at him. Balwinder smiles at him.
"Meri ek shart hai." Balwinder's smile fades away and moves his hand from Armaan's shoulder.
"Shaadi ke baad...main shehr jaoga...aur Riddhima yahan aap dono ke saath rahegi. Main usse lekar nai jaoga."
"Armaan, yeh kaise baatein kar rahe ho tum?" Ananya asks exasperated.
"Aisa nai hoga." Balwinder stands up and so does Armaan.
"Maine aap ki baat maani ab aap meri baate manegi," Armaan says. Balwinder looks at Armaan with anger in his eyes. Balwinder had thought that Armaan had come out of his dreamland, but apparently he hasn't.
"Theek hai," Balwinder agrees. Ananya looks at Balwinder, confused and appalled. "Tum jaa sakte." Armaan grins.
"Thank you Papa!" Armaan runs upstairs.
"Yeh aap - " Balwinder puts his hand up.
"Jab Armaan ko ehsaas hoga ke woh kuch nai kar paya toh woh wapis aaye ga aur yahin rahega...Riddhima ko apni patni maan kar." Balwinder looks at Ananya. "Jaldi khana khao. Kal sab mehmaan aane wale hai aur bohut kam pada hai."
"Riddhima, mujhe pata tha ke Armaan zaroor manega aur dekh na wohi hua," Padma said to Riddhima who is sitting and just staring into thin air. Riddhima still didn't understand how Armaan agreed to marry her when he is against it.
"Acha? Tum toh itna ro rahi thi ke Riddhima ki shaadi nai hogi," Shashank said, teasing his wife.
"Aap bhi na." Padma shakes her head with a smile. She looks at Riddhima to see Riddhima lost. "Riddhima..." Padma shakes Riddhima a bit. Riddhima looks at her mom and forces a smile. "Kya hua beta? Tum itni chup kyun ho?"
"Main aap ko aur Papa ko chod ke nai jaana chahthi." Riddhima hugs Padma and cries.
"Arre pagli tu itni dur kahan jaa rahi hai. Sirf teen ghar dur hi jaa rahi hai," said Padma. Padma pulls back. "Lekin ab woh tera ghar hai."
"Nai, yeh hamesha mera ghar rahega," Riddhima said with a frown and a cute pout. Shashank sits next to Riddhima.
"Riddhima, ma baap ka ghar sirf issi liye hota hai ke usse kahin rehne ki jagaa ho lekin shaadi ke baad uss ka ghar woh hota hai jahan uss ka pati rehta hai. Hm?" Shashank explains and Riddhima nods her head. "Jaldi sote hai kyun ke kal bhi bohut kam hai aur Riddhima tumhe aaram karna chaiye." Shashank walks away.
"Chal jaldi so ja," Padma says and walks after her husband.
Riddhima sat on the terrance staring up at the full moon. Her thoughts kept on drifting back to Armaan agreeing to the wedding. She didn't how he agreed but she wanted to know. Armaan himself told her that he doesn't want to marry her and hates her then why? The questions roamed in her head and she couldn't find the answers to any of them. She had to ask Armaan, but by asking him, she didn't want to get scolded by him. Riddhima knows that a wife has to keep mum in front of her husband.
Finally, where Riddhima is destined to be she is there. Riddhima is getting married to Armaan where a girl's life is when she is living in place where they practice child marriage. It doesn't matter what the age of the male is, the girl just has to get married.
***
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