Rahul was returning home after four long years. He was returning home for the first time since he got married to Juhi. It seems like only yesterday that Juhi first came into my life, he thought. As the taxi sped through the bumpy roads that led to his suburban house, memories raced through his head.
It was an arranged marriage. Juhi was from a very affluent family of Doctors. Her father had his own hospital in Delhi, and was one of the most respected cardiac surgeons in the country. Juhi was in her final year of medicine. The proposal had come through Juhi's maternal aunt Reema, who knew Rahul's mom from their Kanpur days. Rahul had initially refused to even consider the proposal since he had eyes only for Sanjana.
Sanju and he had been the best of friends through childhood, although Sanju was a good 3 years younger to him. When Sanju stepped into her teens, and started getting attention from the rest of the guys in the colony, Rahul couldn’t understand the reason for all the hype. For him, Sanju was just his best buddy. The girl he could count on whenever he needed. She even played cricket with him when all his guy friends had shunned him after a fight over a silly stumping decision. Rahul had always been very bullish, and his friends couldn’t tolerate him any more. Sanju, however, loved the fact that Rahul was so brave, and was always the leader. She had always been in love with him.
It was only when she came home with a huge bouquet of roses, on the Rose Day in college, that Rahul had realized what a pretty girl she had grown into. That night, he had proposed to her. And she had been thrilled since Rahul had been her love throughout her childhood. Everything had seemed perfect. Rahul had taken Sanju to his medical college several times to show her off to his friends. He was the envy of all his friends. Sanju was quite a beauty, they had agreed.
Sanju trusted Rahul blindly, and would do anything he asked. She had even accompanied Rahul to dirty movies although she hated herself for doing it. When Reema Aunty came with Juhi's proposal, Rahul had just finished his degree in medicine, and had been struggling to earn a decent pay working as an assistant to Dr.Shreeram. He had already switched two jobs prior to this, within 2 months. All his school friends from the colony, who had completed their Engineering, had been employed at MNCs and earning handsome salaries. Rahul had been suffering from a low self esteem. Sanju had been his pillar throughout, and Rahul knew that very well. And that was the reason he had been reluctant to even look at Juhi's picture when Aunt Reema first came with the proposal.
"Rahul can become a millionaire if he marries Juhi. Her father owns a hospital in Delhi" she had said. A frustrated Rahul had finally given in and agreed to meet Juhi. He had tried to justify to himself that it was alright to just meet her. He loved only Sanju, and he knew he would marry only her. The dinner with Juhi had gone for 3 hours. Juhi had kept telling Rahul about their hospital, and the lifestyle that she had in Delhi. Rahul had been listening with keen interest.
Upon returning, when his mom had asked him about his decision, he had said "Yes" almost in an inebriated daze. In one month, they had been married. And he had shifted to Delhi. Luckily for Rahul, Sanju had been away for her summer vacations, and Rahul had somehow managed to suppress his guilt.
It had been four years since. He was now a successful Neuro-Surgeon. Juhi was a good wife, although she was not much of a companion, considering she was a busy doctor herself. Life had gone ahead at a brisk pace, and Rahul had not even had time to think of Sanjana, after the first year of marriage. He had received a call from his younger brother Rohit . Rohit had found his life partner, and was getting engaged. Despite his prodding, Rohit had insisted on keeping the details about the girl a secret. Rohit was only a year and half younger, and therefore, the brothers had shared a very friendly relationship. Since Rohit had found a software job in Bangalore, the entire family had shifted with Rohit. The engagement had brought them back to the little town where they grew up.
"We are almost home", said Juhi almost startling Rahul from his thoughts. The 40 minute Taxi ride had seemed very short. As the taxi turned left to enter the Nitya Nivas colony compound, Rahul could see his old house decorated with flowers and plantain leaves. After tipping the taxi driver for his help, Rahul and Juhi walked up the old stairs to reach their first floor apartment. As soon as the bell rang, Rohit ran out to open the doors.
"Welcome home bhaiyya, and bhabhi. I have a surprise for you".
And he called out to his bride, dressed in grand red, and looking pretty as a picture.
"Sanju, look who is here".
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