Two Strangers,One Beginning

As Ishaan stood at the wedding altar, he closed his eyes, trying to quiet his racing heart. The rituals buzzed around him, but his mind drifted—back to the moment everything changed. Flashback Excitement surged through him as he approached her apartment, each step echoing six years of shared laughter, love, and promises. He couldn’t wait to tell her—his parents were thrilled to finally meet her. Their future felt so close, so real. She opened the door, and he embraced her tightly, grinning ear to ear. “I told my parents everything about us,” he said eagerly. “They’re so happy. I’m going to start looking for flights—” “Ishaan,” she interrupted, her voice low but steady. His smile faltered. Something in her tone chilled him. “We need to talk,” she said, exhaling slowly. “I don’t think this is working. I think… we should end things.” Her words hit like a hammer to the chest. “I don’t understand,” he whispered, the ground shifting beneath him. “What’s wrong? We’re good. We’re happy.” She looked away. “You’re a great guy, Ishaan. But you’re not the one for me.” He stood frozen as she turned from him, packing away six years into cardboard boxes like they were nothing but clutter. No tears. No goodbye. Just silence. Weeks turned into months, but the ache refused to dull. Ishaan sank into himself, drowning his pain in whiskey and sleepless nights. The future he once dreamed of now haunted him. His best friend, Aman, finally intervened. “You can’t keep doing this,” Aman said, snatching the bottle from his hands. “Go back home. Get out of this place. It’s killing you.” Too tired to argue, Ishaan relented. Returning to India, he hoped for peace. But his parents had other plans. “You’re not getting any younger,” his mother insisted. “It’s time to settle down.” Emotional blackmail followed: pleas, tears, and guilt. In a blur of rituals and expectations, he found himself engaged. To whom? Arohi—his parents’ friend’s daughter. End of Flashback The priest’s voice called him back to the present. Arohi walked toward him, a vision in a soft pink lehenga, her eyes lowered. She sat beside him quietly. And just like that, with sacred chants and tied knots, they became husband and wife. Arohi’s Flashback: Arohi’s parents sat her down at the living room. Her father hesitated and then “ Arohi beta, you knew my best friend. He has son settled down in the states. He asking your hand in marriage beta!” Her mother joined him “ beta, it’s time for you to get married and we are not getting any younger. They are a really good family. You will live a happy life. Arohi just stared at them while listening. Her mother continued “Arohi beta, they want you and Ishaan to be married immediately and leave to USA. What do say beta?” Arohi’s heart felt tight but she knew refusing would hurt them. She could only hide her pain and make her parents happy. She looked down at her lap and said “ As you wish papa. I will agree if that’s what you want” . That’s how her faith is sealed with a stranger to make parents happy. And if marrying Ishaan brought them joy, she would sacrifice her own. Before the ceremony, her parents had said gently, “Arohi beta, we know you don’t know Ishaan well. But his family is kind. He will take good care of you. You’ll move to the U.S. with him. We pray you’ll have a happy life.” So began a marriage built not on love, but duty—two strangers bound by family, not affection. And yet, in that moment, amid ancient vows and fleeting glances, something fragile stirred. Perhaps not love. But something that might someday grow.