Damayanthi could not believe anything that was happening. When her stepmother came with Ram’s picture, she instantly disliked him. He looked much older than her and her dad said the same. Her stepmother was perfect much like the ones that come in movies. She married Manickam when Damayanthi was a year old. Damayanthi’s mother died during the delivery and his relatives forced him to marry Durga to take care of the baby.
When Durga conceived Akrithi the next year, her priorities changed. She started giving all good things to her daughter. But that doesn't mean she starved Damayanthi. Akrithi and Manickam were very loving to her which made Damayanthi see less of her stepmother’s partiality.
Damayanthi grew up to be a naturally beautiful girl which made Durga feel inferior to her daughter. Damayanthi had a fair complexion while Akrithi was a little on the dusky side. But Akrithi is nothing less than Damayanthi in beauty. She is a very beautiful girl too. While Damayanthi was attractively beautiful, Akrithi was a subtle beauty. The sisters never cared for their beauty but Durga did. That made her find an ugly groom for her stepdaughter.
Damayanthi was not a bright student. She didn't like to go to school. She loved roaming out on the streets of her small village and talking to everyone. And when one day she was in her tenth grade, Manickam fell ill and they were in a money crisis. Durga used that chance to stop Damayanthi from school and she was more than happy to discontinue her studies. She didn't even write her public exam. But Akrithi, on the other hand, studied well. The sisters were more like friends with only a one year age difference.
Durga talked to her husband in a way he would agree to this wedding.
“He is an engineer in a big company. He is looking for a beautiful girl and is not expecting anything. The groom’s side will take care of all the wedding expenses and all we have to do is to bring our daughter to the wedding hall. The family is too good and we will not get another prospect like this in the future if we let go of this now. The only problem here is that the groom is a little older than Dammu. But when everything else is positive, we should compromise this little thing.”
That was it, Manickam agreed to this wedding. It was Damayanthi and Akrithi’s plan to write a nameless letter to the groom to stop the wedding. They could not send the letter without anyone noticing because they were so popular in their village and hence they waited until the day of her wedding. Akrithi made sure that their friends gave the letter to the main relative of the groom through a little girl. And everything happened as they expected except for one thing. Krishnan!
Kowsalya ran into the house before everyone and made ready the ‘Arathi’ for the newly married. She did the rituals and let everyone in. As soon as they were all in and settled on the sofa, Kowsalya ordered the maids to make tea, coffee, and juice for the guests according to their wants. Whilst Kowsalya was busy in hospitality, Krishnan sat there in the center of the sofa and looked at everyone.
Manickam was dreaded by the wealth of his son-in-law while Durga was boiling inside for the luck her stepdaughter had. Akrithi is actually happy for her sister. Damayanthi didn't hate marriage. She hated her marriage with Ram. They were two little girls who didn't know the extent of their behavior and its after-effects. All they wanted was to stop this wedding but they didn't think of its consequences.
Damayanthi stood near her mom and was in awe of her husband. She understood that his mother is his everything in the way he just obeyed her words. I mean, who would marry a stranger just for his mother’s words? He did! From that, she understood his character. He is extremely handsome and tall. His mannerisms are so attractive. She was continuously ogling him for the past hour or so since he came into that wedding hall. The way he raises his eyebrows, the way he brushes his hair now to keep himself calm, the way he blows air out of his mouth, everything was attractive to her. She could not peel her eyes off of him and his well-built muscles. She liked him instantly. His manly figure and his built body were making her dizzy in the head.
“We are forever indebted to you, sir!” Manickam broke the awkward silence. “You not only saved my daughter’s life, but you have also saved her reputation in our village. You have saved our lives altogether. There are no words to show you our gratitude, madam.” He started with him and ended with Kowsalya.
“Don't be, anna. I am so glad that my son is married now. Thanks to you.” Kowsalya, being modest, denied his guilt.
“No, madam. You are too good. But this is not something anyone would do.” He told her and looked at his son-in-law.
“Sir, this is my family. I am a worker in the handloom factory near our village. This is my wife, Durga. She is my second wife. Damayanthi’s mom died when she gave birth to her and that's why I remarried.” Now Krishnan can add one and one and understand why this marriage was arranged in the first place. He is a successful businessman and can weigh people with just a look.
“This is my second daughter Akrithi. Damayanthi stopped her studies due to poverty. She didn't even write her 10th exam. Akrithi is now studying Bsc computer science. She is in her final year.” He continued to tell about his family whilst Krishnan was keenly looking at him.
“Don't call us sir or madam, anna. We are family now. I listened to everyone talk about your family and Damayanthi. Only after making sure you are a good family, I asked my son to marry your daughter. So I am not a saint as you think. Now your daughter is my daughter. We will take care of her.”
“All is well, but, sir has not spoken a word since.” Manickam expressed his fear by looking at Krishnan.
“Sir, I won't lie, this is an unexpected event in my life. But your daughter is my responsibility now. I will take good care of her and will make sure to pave the way for her bright future. You can trust me.” He said and that was all that poor father wanted to hear.
“Also, I need some time before we settle things straight. So please, no formalities for now. You can come and visit your daughter anytime you want and if she wants to see you my mom will send her to your house.” He said and nodded to everyone before leaping up the stairs to his room.
“You don't have to worry, anna. It was a shock to him. He never wanted to marry and had been stopping me from looking for a bride for him. He is a busy man in his business and that was why he was postponing his wedding. He needs a little time to sink in that he got married. He is a man of his word and you don't have to worry about your daughter.” Kowsalya told them and they all understood his position now.
“Don't get me wrong, why hasn't your son got married so long?” Durga opened her mouth and everyone glared at her including Dammu.
“Amma, athai just said that he was busy with his business. Above all, that is his personal choice and it is improper questioning his decision. He is married now and that is all that matters. We must be grateful to him and not question him.” She stopped her mom and Kowsalya looked at her daughter-in-law with pride.
“Stop being that naughty girl and behave properly. Know the value of the life you have got now and act accordingly.” Manickam said to his daughter and she nodded her head in all directions. She still could not believe that he married her and she is his wife now.
“We will take leave now, madam. I will bring all her clothes and the jewels that we got ready for her wedding. But it won't be to your status, something that I could afford.” He said to Kowsalya.
“She is my daughter now, anna. I will get her everything she wants. But I will not stop you from doing things to your daughter either. It is your wish and her wish,” Kowsalya said. Manickam felt extremely grateful and confident with Kowsalya and Krishnan. He was happy that his daughter finally settled with a nice family. With that, Damayanthi’s family left her there in the new humongous house and went away.
“Take care, Dammu. He looks like an angry man. Don't test his patience.” Akrithi told her sister before she left. There were no sad scenes or dramas as it was an unexpected turn of events for everyone. Everyone was in shock and happiness equally that they didn't know which emotion should they elevate at the moment.
“Damayanthi!” Kowsalya called her who was looking at the receding car.
“Yes, athai!” She turned to her with a beautiful smile. Kowsalya liked her very much. Her smile tells her that she is not mature enough to even know that she cannot be with her parents anymore. She has not cried as many other girls do.
“You look so beautiful.”
“Thank you, athai. You are so beautiful too.”
“Haha, am I?”
“Yes, you are. I saw you when you came into the wedding hall. You have divinity in you, athai. I could not take my eyes off of you.”
“Hahaha, off of me or my son?” She asked her for which Damayanthi bit her tongue.
“Hehe, your son is very handsome too!” She said. Kowsalya was very astonished by her behavior.
“Are you scared?”
“Should I be scared?” Damayanthi asked her back.
“Haha, no. But you should know something about my son.”
“What is his name?” She asked her and that is when Kowsalya realized that she doesn't even know anything about Krishnan. Even her parents talked about their family and not asked for any details about Krishnan.
“Your husband’s name is Krishnan Shanmugarajan, owner of Shanmuga Mills and Factories. He also has many tie-up businesses with his friend. His dad passed away when he was a little boy. We have many relatives. Everyone will come and go as they, please. My name is Kowsalya. We have three maids in our home.” As she spoke the maids came out. They were very eager to know what was happening.
“This is Thulasi, she is the cook here. This is Maruthani, she cleans up the house. This is Agalya, she takes care of the laundry and the garden.” Kowsalya introduced them to Damayanthi. Thulasi and Maruthani stay in the house as they are orphans and Agalya leaves home by evening and comes back in the morning. Thulasi and Maruthani should be around 40 years and Agalya was in her early twenties just like Damayanthi.
“Hi, my name is Damayanthi.” She said.
“She is Krishnan’s wife,” Kowsalya added and the maids' eyes popped out in astonishment. They thought Krishnan had saved this girl and her family from a wedding and now promised her a job. They never in their wild dreams thought their boss would marry a girl. That too a little girl!
“Damayanthi, come here, dear. Light the lamp!” Kowsalya took Damayanthi to the pooja room and asked her to light the lamp.
“Athai, I should tell you something.”
“What is it, dear?”
“Um… it was me who wrote that letter. I didn't like that groom. That was why I stopped that wedding.”
“But why? Your father looked like a good man. Why didn't you tell him that you didn't like the groom?”
“He is a good man, athai. That was why I didn't say anything to him. My mom was pressuring him to agree and I didn't want a dispute between them because of me.”
“But what would have happened if something happened to your dad?” Kowsalya asked her. It was only after she saw her father’s distress, Kowsalya asked Krishnan to marry her.
“I was ready with the Nebulizer, athai. I know dad will get an asthma attack,” she said with a little smile as if she saved her dad. Though not impressed by her immature behavior, Kowsalya thought that maybe this immaturity is the right thing to introduce into her son’s perfectly robotic life to loosen him up. She completely trusted Damayanthi to make her son’s life prosper.
“Athai!”
“Mmmm?”
“Is my husband angry?” She asked and it made Kowsalya smile at her.
“Of course! But don't worry, he will not show it to you! He has promised your dad that he will take care of you.”
***
What Kowsalya didn't know at the time was about her son’s decision. He somehow got the memo that Damayanthi didn't like that wedding. He thought she wanted to study further. But when his dad said she discontinued her studies due to poverty, his natural good thinking poked in. He decided to put her in tutorial classes to let her write her 10th and 12th exams. He then thought of putting her in a college and securing her future with a job. He thought of marrying her to a good guy to fulfill his promise to her dad.
But there is something he didn't know too! Damayanthi would do anything to avoid studying! And she has fallen head over heels for him.
“Dayalan sir, how are you?”
“I am fine, Krishna. What a surprise?”
“Sir, I need you to make a divorce paper ready.”
“To whom?”
“For me and my wife. Krishnan Shanmugarajan and Damayanthi Manickam.”
“But when did you marry?” He asked him, still in shock.
“Just an hour ago.” He said and hung up.