"Marriage is a lifetime commitment,
And I afraid I'm not for it."

~ Raveena Menon

***

            The hall was festooned with floral garlands. Gigantic chandelier in the middle of the hall added a luminous illumination. But, something seemed wrong to her. She looked over the attire she was wearing. Instinctively, she grimaces.

           She's dolled up in red kanjeevaram saree. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail behind her neck and a maang teeka over her head, jhumkas in her ears. Unlike most south Indian bride weighing down by heavy jewels, Raveena put on gold-filigreed ornaments.

          On the aisle, her groom was waiting for her. Namboodiri chanting over the mantra. Clueless Raveena stepped to mandap and sat beside an unknown guy. Everything went so fast that she could not register anything on her mind.

          "No... No..." She wanted to shout out. But could not voice.

        Her stomach churned, she felt like she would puke. She drifted her eyes over the room and took a sigh of relief. She was in the coffee shop, not in an auditorium. Another nightmare! She had the same dream over and again. But this time dream felt so real. As if the future had set up a plan for her.

          Raveena Menon, not a typical Malayali girl, who marries within age 25. In fact, she does not want to get married at all.

           When people asked her you're now graduated, why not tie on knot? She screeched, "I just finished studies and I want to work right now!"

           It went overboard when they  keep on asking her, that when she lost her patience, "I'm not gonna get married..." And they asked till when? For which she replied, "Ever!"

           Everyone thought she was overreacting like all girls. She will come around with time. After all, marriage is a social discipline one must conform to.

          If only they know, how much she despised thought of marriage. Her father was the main reason for her hatred of marriage. Despite having a love marriage he left her mother for some other girl.

           Marriage is a lifetime commitment, they all say. But for that was it necessary to stay in a shattered and miserable relationship? It was not that Raveena hates obligations, she just not want to ruin one soul in a life-long commitment.

       Her thoughts cut short, as she was interrupted. She looked up at a man, in his thirties. Inexplicably, she was drawn to the man. Maybe his looks that tempting her.

         When he walked into a coffee shop, he didn't expect to meet that blue-eyed girl. Something in her enticed him. Wanted to know more about her, he approached her. "Hey!" He spoke up sliding into a chair in front of her.

       "Do I know you?"  She asked composing herself. Her eyes zoomed to his studying his feature. He was tall and athletic with a chiseled face, hidden taut in his face obvious to her.

          "Um... No. But we can know each other." His gaze did not leave her.

         "Excuse me?" Retorted Raveena. A stranger coquetry astonished her.

          "I have been noticing you for a few days. You're tremendously cute." He replied in a hoarse tone.

          "Flirting, huh?" She let out a chuckle.

          "If it's working then yes." He answered frankly. She liked his honesty. He did not try to excuse his intention.

           "New to town?" Astutely, she asked. That face was not something she could forget unless he was not from her town. And not to mention his accent definitely does not match hers.

       "So you noticed me too, huh?" He gave her a mischievous smile. Recently, he moved into Vadakancheri. And about his articulation, being grown up in another state, he had no grip on the Malayalam language.

        "Obviously, you are not resident here. I know almost everyone here." She said as a matter-of-fact.

          "Pradeep Nair at your service, Mam." He bowed to her.

         "Raveena Menon." Introductions were done.

           "Can we go out? Um... for dinner or anything? If only you don't mind." A wistful smile comes over his face waiting for her reply.

         Pondering over mind, she offered him a stiff smile. "I do mind. I never date. But there's always a moment to break the rule. I'm in."

          That was her first date. Don't know what took over her to agree with him. It seems her mind, not in her control. He was also nervous as hell. It was the first date for him too. Obviously, he had one nightstand and all. But not date. He was not a courting person. More pleasantries exchanged between them.

         
          Dinner turned out the best night both had. Well, dating was not that bad both thought.

         Having similar personalities, they hit off instantly. Numbers were exchanged. As strange it sounds one date with a stranger brought her closer to him.

______________________________________________

        Two days later, they met in a coffee shop. Since it was crowded and uncomfortable to talk with people around them, she suggested going somewhere else. "So, where are we going?" He asked.

           "Your place." Answered Raveena briskly, shocking him. He shook his head in disbelief. She seemed so quiet and guarded at the coffee shop, and here she was inviting herself to his home.

         He blanked out. It took him a few minutes before her words sink in. "Sorry! I think I misheard you." She laughed.

         "Oh, Pradeep, you can not fool me. I know what you really want from me." Raveena had made her calculations, she was never wrong in judging one, Pradeep's face reflected it all.

             Neither he denied. He's a male after all. "Cool! Common, let's go."
            

  
       He drove her to his villa. Before she could appreciate the beauty of it, he crashed down lips onto hers. While kissing her, he maneuvered her up the steps. Both made into the hall.

      
            They craved more. Raveena knew what she was doing wrong. But temptations were too strong to refute. He wanted her as much she wanted him. Passion overwhelmed both. He fitted her rules. With no-string attached consensus.

       "So, we have a deal. Sex devoid of any feelings." She signed off the deal.

         "Deal." He shook her hand. Thus it made, an agreement between two strangers.

____________________________________________

         Days elapsed quicker with a lot of chaos in her mind. A month passed too quickly into the year. With growing time, attachment started to grown with her unknowingly. Accustomed by his presence, she was now used with around her. Rules started to break frightening her.

            She laid on her bed glancing over the ceiling. Pradeep already entered into her system, more like the addiction and she did not want him to shut her down completely. Tears welled up in her eyes. Sensing someone entry into the room, she closed her eyes.

         He turned off lights and slipped beside her facing the wall. Even without looking at her, he could discern she was on the verge of cry. He did not know what to say. They were not a couple, not even a friend. All they had is deal binding them.

         But, now he wanted something more from her. Something real. But not at cost upset her. He never wanted to be the one to make her cry. He did not want to disappoint her. He loves her immensely and will do whatever it takes to convince her that it worth the shot.

          One day, he lost himself seeing her in Saree. Probably the first time, he saw her in something traditional.

         "I love you Ravee..." Those words left his lips before he could stop it.

           
         Pradeep cursed himself. It was soon. He should not have said that. Words spilled out from his mouth before he could stop. What they had more than a mere deal. Already so many rules broke- Dating, normal conversations.

           She could not breathe. His confession stunned her. She could not fathom her feelings, yet she wants to deny that there is even a meager chance for her to fall in love.

           He took her hand on his, the small touch ignited the emotions she never felt, "I know you don't feel the same. I'm not forcing you either. But can't we tie on the knot and give it try?"

           "Marriage is a lifetime contract. I don't want to part of it." She snapped at him.

      He furrowed his brow, "Why not?"

      "Isn't that compromise between looks, family background, and status." He had nothing to say. She is right.

       "And we can always cancel our arrangement. Let not sparkle growing emotions anymore." She mumbled slowly, startling him.

        He made her laugh like no one she forgets her inner turmoil with him. He made her feel those emotions she never felt. But she was terrified to marry.

          He moved closer, playing with dangles of her earnings. "What we feel is more than an arrangement. Keep pretending, I'll see till when you feign!" Frantically, Pradeep yelled. Her eyes dart back to him and she smiles weakly. No mood to argue anymore, he marched out.

*****
         

         It was over the week she last saw him, she was missing him. That when it clicked her. What they had is not just attraction something more special. She was not going to leave like that.

         Raveena found him in the same coffee shop she met, "I'm giving us a chance but please not marriage. It's overrated." She explained to him her reason.

         He grins at her with full of promise. "Oh, we don't need a piece of to certify as married. We're already linked by heart. That's all I want."

He mended her heart with love!

And life-time commitment or not;

She chose to live in the moment.

******

Hope this worth reading. Share your views on it.

With love,
Twinklingmeghs