It was a chilly December morning. Amar sat on a bench in a beautiful park. It was a happy mistake that he took a wrong turn while jogging and found out about the existence of the park.
He was heavily disguised wearing a cap and over-sized spectacles so that no one could recognize him.
He heard someone scream. A little boy who was trying to climb a tree, fell down. He rushed to the spot to find him in a pool of blood. People gathered around him.
A girl in her early twenties sprinkled water on his face to wake him up. "He needs to be taken to the hospital" she said. "The auto rickshaws are on strike. And this park is difficult for cab drivers to locate" said someone from the crowd.
"Let me stop a vehicle and ask for lift" said the girl. She tried her best but no one stopped.
Amar has had enough. He lifted the boy on his shoulders and started running towards the main road. "What are you doing?" he heard the girl scream and run after him.
"Taking your brother to the hospital" he answered. "Put him down. You will hurt him more, you moron. I SAID STOP." She yelled.
"The hospital is just a kilometer away. We'll reach in no time" he answered without stopping.
They reached the hospital. "I don't have my wallet. I just came to the park for morning walk" the girl told him. He paid with his card. She thanked him.
"Call your parents. Tell them that your brother his hurt." Amar said.
"He is not my brother. I don't even know him" said the girl.
"Oh. I'm sorry. You were so worried for him. So, I thought he is your brother."
"He lost lot of blood. We need three bottles of O negative blood group urgently. But, we have only two. We are trying to contact the blood bank." said the doctor.
"My blood group is O -ve. I have had blood test done last week from this very hospital" said the girl opening her email on her phone to show the reports.
Amar was impressed. 'She is worried for a boy she doesn't even know. And now she is willing to donate blood. How kind-hearted' he thought.
"That's great." said the doctor. "Nurse, take her inside."
The nurse inserted needle. She noticed that the girl was scared. "Try to make some conversation with me" said the nurse. "What's your name?"
"Vennela Dhanunjaya" the girl answered.
"Which company do you work for?" the nurse asked.
"I work for KrisDev solutions" she said.
Amar, who was standing on the other side of the curtain was delighted to hear this. KrisDev was his company, named after his great grandfather Krishna Devaraju.
After the nurse left, he told Vennela,"You need to rest. I'll get you something to eat."
"No, thank you. I'm fine." She smiled.
"No no. You look weak. Stay here. I'll come in few minutes."
When he returned, the bed was empty. "She left with her friend" said the nurse.
He reached home. But couldn't get her out of his mind. He asked his manager for her details from the company records and got her enterprise email id within minutes. But he couldn't gather the courage to contact her.
He eventually forgot the incident.
---***---
"Vennela garu. Remember me?" Amar asked.
"Sorry. Have we met before?" Vennela was puzzled.
"We took an injured boy to hospital 6 months ago and you donated blood."
"It was you?!" She exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't recognize you."
"That's okay. I was disguised back then to avoid attention." Amar smiled. For a moment he forgot why he was there.
"This is a very peculiar situation to meet in." He said. "I can understand how you must be feeling right now."
When she didn't say anything, he continued, "Can I ask something? Did you agree to this willingly? There is no pressure on you. Right?"
She looked at his eyes. They were honest. She understood that he really knew nothing about his aunt threatening her family. "I wanted to meet you before deciding." That was all she could say.
"I request you to think peacefully. Forget about the situation we are in. Ask yourself what you would have done if this proposal came to you under normal circumstances. Say yes if and only if you like me as a person. There is no pressure on you." He said gently. "If you would like to ask me something, please go ahead." He added.
"Thank you. It was very kind of you. I don't have any questions." She paused for a while and continued. "I understand it must be painful to accept what Lasya akka did. I just hope God gives you strength to move on. Everything will be fine" said Vennela.
Amar was moved. 'She is speaking words of comfort to me. She's so kind.'
"This is a life changing decision. Listen to your heart. Say yes only if your heart says so. Let me take your leave" he said folding his hands in a formal Namaste. He left.
Amar tried hard not to laugh at the anxious faces when he went downstairs. They were biting their nails as if they were watching World Cup finals.
"What did you decide?" asked his aunt.
He took a deep breath and spoke."It's a yes from my side."
Everyone sighed in relief and smiled except Anirudh who was shocked by the sudden change in the decision. He wondered what the girl must have spoken with his Amar anna that made him change his mind.
---***---
"What do I do now?" Vennela asked herself.
'Just say yes' said a voice inside her head.
"What? Say yes? Just like that? I hardly know him." She told herself.
'But this is how arranged marriages happen sweetheart. You just meet once and decide' said the inner voice.
"I know. But I'm scared. That woman out there. She looks so cruel. What if she tortures me?"
'Such things happen only in the movies. You are a brown belt in Karate. Remember?'
"But this is so sudden. I'm not ready for this." She voiced her concern.
'Dad's death was sudden too. It happened when you were least expecting it. You felt it was the end of the world back then. But look how far you have come. You are a fighter' said the inner voice.
"You're right. I'm a brave girl." She told herself, wiping her tears. "It's not like I'm getting executed tomorrow. I just getting married. Amar seems to be a nice man. He is very kind. Everyone who has met him said that he is very sweet and polite..."
---***---
"I will marry him" She told her aunt and uncle. "Go tell that insensitive woman that I'm willing to marry her nephew."
They literally ran out of the room to convey the good news.
'But I will not accept him as my husband. Not until I like him with all my heart. Until then he will be a friend. Just a friend.' She decided.
---***---
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The Friendzoned Husband
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