Timeless Tableau, A Twist in The Tale

The dinner with her parents went exceptionally well, especially with the surprise they had given her. Her mother came into the room with a steaming cup of coffee, just the way Asha loved. She knew from the aroma wafting from the dining room that her mom had not only settled down and made herself comfortable, she had taken over the kitchen duties and had already prepared a yummy breakfast. The news that her parents would be staying a while with her was by far one of the most pleasant surprises she had received in a long while.

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Taj was as beautiful as she had seen it the last time, decked in shades of golden, standing regal and resplendent in the hue of the evening sunlight; for a while she forgot the reason she was there, so was her breath taken away by the glory of the hotel. They were escorted to the table that was booked in advance for the two families, and were soon joined by Milan and his family.

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The night was far from being uneventful; Asha was still reeling under all the things she had heard from Milan, this was a turn of events she had not expected. Her parents knew nothing of what had passed between them last night; Asha was still undecided whether or not to tell them.
Last night, Milan had proposed to her, saying he loved her. No, he did not press her for an answer then and there, relieved by the fact, she jokingly asked whether he was trying to force in love, into an arranged marriage. She distinctly remembered that his expression had changed, his eyes had softened and his voice was sombre, when he told her that he knew her previously, that he was smitten by her and it was love at first sight for him.

She remembered being confused to the core and looking at him with an expressionless face; how he had laughed at seeing her look at him like that. As she remembered his laugh, something stirred deep within her stomach that was neither the steaming coffee, nor hunger. He had went on to explain that in during her younger days she had participated in a tableau commemorating the Republic Day of India in her school. According to Milan, he was a couple of years senior to her in school, and was smitten by the fiery young girl he saw on stage.

In his own words, every day after that was a pursuit to become so eligible one day that when he asked for her hand in marriage, neither she, nor her parents would be able to refuse him.
He had then taken her hands into his and the words that were spoken after that were not just merely few words, those had struck her very heart, and her eyes had welled up due to the sincerity with which he had spoken those.
"Asha, I love you. You were my first crush, my first love, and all I know, you will be my only love. I do not expect you to be able to say anything right now, but know this - I have known love, only because of you; you are the reason that today I am what I am, and all this is for you and you alone; my life is incomplete and you are the only one who can complete it."

She was still confused and was not able to collect her thoughts - hate him for hiding it till now or forgive him for being such a sweet heart and a hopeless romantic - yet, she smiled.

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Girls in India are caught in the drift when they reach a particular age. They suddenly face a dilemma as to what to focus on in their life, whether to make a career and ensure a living or to get married and secure their life. Girls who remain single after the so called marriageable age are frowned upon by the society and are considered a burden for their families.

Throughout the month of April, thanks to the AtoZ Challenge, I am trying to portray the life of Asha, a common Indian girl with dreams and aspirations. Everyday we focus on one alphabet starting from A on April 1st till Z on April 30th. Stick with me till the end of the journey and do tell me what you think of my writing and my Asha.