The Unwanted Groom

The air hung heavy with unspoken tension as Amma, the mother of the house, tried to soothe her sister-in-law, Meenu. “Meenu,” she said gently, “Neelu’s desire for a wife was misplaced. It was wrong to nurture that thought. Even if I had raised her, what could we have done after his parents made their decision? Now that he has been transferred back to our town, and instead of staying with us, he chooses to live elsewhere, your anger still hasn’t subsided.”

Meenu, who had no children of her own, had raised her brother’s daughter, Sheela, as her own. She had planned to marry Sheela off to Neelu, but since Neelu was only four years younger than Sheela and hadn’t yet settled in his career, his parents insisted on marrying Sheela off to someone else.

Meenu felt a pang of disappointment that the vivacious and beautiful Sheela wouldn’t be joining their family as a daughter-in-law. However, since Sheela had been deflowered by Neelu, she didn’t hold it against him. Neelu had secured a job at a bank and spent a year living away from home. During this time, Amma and her husband would visit Meenu’s house frequently, strengthening their bond. Then came the news of Neelu’s transfer back to their town. “Neelu is finally in a good position,” Meenu exclaimed excitedly. “Should we postpone his marriage?”