Parivaar

Chapter 1: Introductions

Rudra walked down the hospital corridors to find room number 307, where his grandfather asked him to come to. Upon finding the room, he knocked before he entered. His grandfather was sitting on the bed beside an old man similar to his grandpa's age who had wires running throughout his body. They looked like they were in a deep conversation as they looked at him when he entered.

"Sanjay, this is my eldest grandson, Rudra. Rudr, this is my best friend, Sanjay." His grandfather made the necessary instructions.

The cabin door opened again and this time it was a woman. All the three pairs of eyes snapped to her while hers was stuck on one. The old man sighed. He nodded his head asking her to come closer while she shook her head, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"Please baby." Sanjay croaked. She quickly covered the distance and hugged the old man dearly. Sanjay sighed as he patted her hair consoling her. "I am fine, baby girl. My asthma is not so serious that you cry for it." He cooed, as if talking to a five yr old. She sat down beside him wiping her tears before glaring at him.

"So, I am the last person to know about this and that too from my security officials. You didn't even think it is important to let me know about your health. Every time I call you and request to visit you, you deny me cause you wanted me to see you like this?" She feigned anger while Sanjay tried to convince her that he was fine until this morning.

"I am alright beta, look I have to introduce you to someone. Pratap, this is my Anjali. Anjali, this is Pratap, my best friend." Anjali got up from the bed and touched the feet of his grandfather who blessed her with a long and prosperous life.

"Beta, Anjali, I wanted to tell you something." Anjali nodded. "This is Rudra. Pratap and I want you and Rudra to get married. We want to see you happily married and settled." Sanjay coughed violently before he could complete his words. Rudra and Anjali helped him back to his reclining position offering him a glass of water. Anjali's face was stretched into a frown as she rubbed her grandfather's chest trying to ease his breathing.

"Dadu, please stop talking. I shall listen to you but look how badly it is troubling you. Please don't pressurize yourself. A marriage suddenly, is everything okay?" Her last statement was directed towards his grandfather who smiled in response before he started speaking.

"Sanjay, don't strain yourself. Beta, Rudra and Anjali, Sanjay and I always wanted to step up our friendship into a family relationship by marrying our children into each other's family. But when your mother and father fell in love, we didn't want to force our decision on them. They were very happy with each other and so were we seeing them until that fateful day. Now that we have one another chance, we would like you and Rudra to get married." Pratap spoke in a tone that was serious yet respectful.

Anjali nodded in understanding as she looked at him who still had a stern expression on his face.

"Can I talk to him once, before we go ahead with this?" She asked, looking at the elders.

"Sure beta. Rudr, accompany her." His grandfather spoke and he wordlessly nodded following her outside the hospital complex.

**********

Anjali sat on the bonnet of her car while Dev leaned against the bench as they waited in silence for the other to speak.

"Do you have a girlfriend or a love whom you wish to spend your life with?" She asked him, breaking the silence between them. He looked up with wide eyes before composing himself and shook his head in a negative way.

"Then I have a request for you. I want you to give this marriage and us your everything. I shall do the same. Let us fulfill every single promise this relationship holds and give each other the respect, trust and love we deserve." Rudra nodded in affirmation.