Wedding Debacle

White moon glittered in a dark-looking sky. Sheetal, a 23-year-old girl, stood on the balcony ruminating about her life amidst clamor emerging from the streets. Her long hair covered her back, absorbing the moonlight. She had just completed her engineering course. She stood, evaluating what to pursue next. A pussy cat brushed its body against her legs. She picked the cat by her arms and kissed its forehead. The cat began licking her face, pouring out its love for her. Her mother, Anjana, joined her on the balcony.

"What are you doing, my daughter?"

"I am planning to find a job, Mom."

"Are you out of your minds? You are 23 years old. Girls of this generation marry at 20. You are three years older now, " she waited curiously for her daughter's response.

"I don't want to marry now, " she said in a serious tone.

"What the hell?" Anjana blurted.

"I want to find a job and that is my next goal."

"Society doesn't accept girls going to a job. We should quickly marry you off."

"To hell with your society. I have the right to choose my own path"

"Don't act smart, Sheetal, " Anjana said. "Our family doesn't encourage girls to work outside."

Pussy cat leaped out of Sheetal's hands and ran inside.

"Why do you guys churn out useless traditions to suffocate girls? Why don't you let women follow their dreams?" Sheetal looked disturbed.

"Why? Because a woman is born to support man not to overtake them?"

"Wow! This is what society drilled into your mind. You are a representative of this dumb society. Aren't you?" Sheetal questioned.

"You must follow your parent's words. You cannot raise questions."

Anjana scurried inside the house, leaving Sheetal to ponder over tons of unanswered questions.

The morning sunlight steamrolled its way through the window, bathing Sheetal in its energy. Sheetal woke up squinting at the sunlight. She pulled the blanket aside. Her shadow reflected on the floor, swept by the sunlight. She moved towards the window, entangled the grills with her fingers, and looked beyond at her cat that was busy stealthily sneaking into someone's house. Her grimaced face changed to a smile, manifesting her beauty to the outside nature.

"You are in for a surprise, Sheetal," her father Rishabh said.

She swiveled her face at her father, whose cheerful countenance made her smile.

"What special, Dad?"

"It will remain a secret until it happens," he smiled.

"Waiting eagerly for that to happen."

"Your mother and I are also praying for the same." he left the room.

Sheetal stood, flustered by his response. Was she in for something good or is her mother planning to marry her off? She carried the same thought in her mind as she paced towards the bathroom to take a shower.

In the evening time, Sheetal was watching a news channel wherein a heated debate had ensued between two parties who relentlessly attempted to put forth their points while refusing to accept others' opinions. 

"Everyone can voice their opinion. The voice of dissent can't be curbed, " she thought.

Anjana nudged her husband, dropping secret words to his ears. Rishabh nodded his head and walked towards Sheetal. 

"These media people only know to eat others' heads off. It's time to reveal the surprise I was talking about in the morning, Sheetal. Can you go to your room and wear this attire?" he stuck out his hand in front.

"My birthday is next week. Why should I wear this attire now?" she asked.

"I will tell you later. Please don this cloth."

Sheetal collected the cover that housed a glittering Salwar Kameez inside. She bounded up the steps and squeezed into her room. After some time, she emerged outside the room. She looked gorgeous in a blue Salwar Kameez that fitted perfectly to her body. Pranav, a guy who had just arrived with his parents, stole a glance at her. His mind refused to stick to a particular thought as her enchanting look blew him away. A smile beckoned by her beauty replaced his solemn face. He looked ecstatic as if he finally found his lost phone. Sheetal climbed down the steps at a quick pace, halted at the last step as she glanced at the unknown faces smiling at her.

"She is my gorgeous daughter." Anjana took pride. 

"She is more beautiful than all the actresses put together," Pranav complimented her.

"My son has given his consent. We can soon fix the date," Pranav's mother said.

Sheetal frowned as wrinkles rimmed over her forehead. When she was busy charting a plan to pursue her career, her parents had furtively interfered to spoil her plan. She desperately wanted to save herself from the situation that lay ahead of her. She thrust her forefinger into her mouth as if munching a lollypop.

"I want a lollipop, " she spoke like a child.

Pranav's expression changed to the same one he had while stepping inside the house.

Sheetal continued to change her expressions weirdly, which was amusing, but to the guests, it looked strange.

She wagged her finger at Pranav. "You look like my grandpa, " she burst into laughter.

Her statement mortified Pranav.

"I want to pee on his face, " she continued to pursue her plan to perfection.

"How dare is she to speak in such an embarrassing manner? We had a lot of respect for your family but didn't know that your daughter is such a nutcase," Pranav's mother continued. "Thank God! She revealed her true colors or else my son would have suffered till the end marrying such a weirdo."

They retreated the house to evade further embarrassment, much to the delight of Sheetal. 

"Sheetal! Who gave you the license to speak like that?" Anjana fumed.

"I had no other choice, Mom"

"You humiliated us in front of our guests."

"I didn't humiliate you, Mom! I am not in a position to marry now. Why don't you understand?"

Anjana pinched her husband. "According to our tradition, every girl must marry before 24 years old. You cannot cross the boundary, Sheetal. If you continue to blackmail us like this, we are going to end our lives by consuming poison, " Rishabh warned.

"Why can't I live a life of my choice?"

"Society doesn't allow that. We must bend our heads and adhere to the rules laid by society." Anjana said.

"Who created all these nonsense rules? Why are we slaves to society? Is society going to help us when our life turns miserable? Why can't you think sensibly, Mom?"

"We can't ask such questions? Blindly follow the rules."

"Oh, my God! What's wrong with you guys?"

"You are not an advocate and we are not a judge," Rishabh said.

"Why am I compelled to live a forced life?" she screamed, but her words fell on deaf ears. Her parents scurried back to their room.

Sheetal flipped through the pages of a book reluctantly. Her eyes scrolled from left to right but her mind didn't absorb the words. Her parent's words still haunted her deep in her mind. Their inexorable belief in tradition only strengthened from day to day, making her more frustrated and helpless. The silence that once felt blissful turned into a nightmare now. Her pussy cat was playing with her shadow that reflected on a white wall courtesy of the light floating around. The thought of her parents hanging by the ceiling fan sent shivers down her spine. Why my parents can't understand my pain? Why are they hell-bent on marrying me? Who in the hell manufactured this useless tradition that is acting as a roadblock on my path of life? The onslaught of the plethora of questions that refused to cease overwhelmed her. She hurried to her parent's room and peered through the window. Her parents were asleep. She walked back to her room, heaving a sigh of relief.

On a Sunday morning, Sheetal had been busy watering plants in her garden. The greenery offered her a peaceful company amidst the barrage of thoughts raining over her mind. The pussy cat rolled over the blades of grass, masquerading as a cute, innocent fella. His pretense evoked a smile on Sheetal's face, who quickly brought a bowl of milk for her little catty to gulp down. She ruffled up his fur, trying to grab his attention while he was busy relishing milk. Anjana took an authoritative step towards Sheetal. Since her graduation completion, the only conversation her mother wanted to have with her was of marriage. It was no different now.

 "I am coming to the main point. We have fixed a marriage for you with your cousin, Ramesh. Your father and I cannot take your responsibility anymore." Anjana looked serious. "It's your duty to abide by our values and marry Ramesh, raising no irrelevant questions. If not, you will witness our lifeless bodies in this very house."

Sheetal gazed at her mother, who could not understand her daughter's feelings. She glimpsed at the sky, stifling her painful smile.

The wedding day had emerged out of thin air. Anjana and Rishabh looked excited, as their only daughter was going to be hitched. The wedding hall was festooned with flower wreaths and colorful balloons. A plethora of red chairs sprawled ahead of the mandap. The bride's parents got busy ushering in the guests. Marriage hall had been lit up with exhilaration, but in the bride's eyes, it looked otherwise. Sheetal stared at her reflection, which emerged on the rectangular mirror in front of her. Her mind racing with thousands of questions. What am I doing? Is it fine to wink out my dreams and persuade myself into a miserable trap? If I don't marry, my parents are going to kill themselves? How can they blackmail me? Did I ask them to bring to this world? Then why are they snatching my freedom? Sheetal took a deep breath and decided to end her life. She rummaged inside the drawer, pulled out the poison bottle. She removed the lid and gulped down the content in no time. The wedding hall, which is a hallmark of excitement and the inception of a new relationship, was soon to be swept by the tragic news. Sheetal walked unsteadily. Within minutes, the poison took control of her body, rendering her lifeless. She collapsed beside a chair and the rectangular mirror mounted on the wall witnessed her suicide.

"Sheetal," Anjana knocked on the door. Quickly realized that it was open. The incoming scene filled her gut with dread. Her daughter was lying motionless with the poison bottle gripped by her right hand.

"Rishab…" words stuck in her throat.

Rishabh and the groom's parents came running into the room only to see the dead body of Sheetal laying in front of them. The news got transported from the room to the marriage hall, quickly changing the mood of the guests. Everyone left the hall, making their own assumptions about Sheetal's suicide. Anjana and Rishabh crouched beside their daughter, squeezing tears off their eyes, but their daughter's soul had already vanished from the earth.