Anuradha and Vikas loved each other very much. They’ve been together for 4 years now. They wanted to get married. The families were not ready because of the caste issue, but after much cajoling, they gave in. Both sides were not very happy, but they agreed for their children's happiness. Anuradha's father was a clerk, while Vikas's father was a businessman. Vikas had wedding offers coming in from rich families. He was good looking, MBA; had a good job in a multinational company and had a wealthy family background; all that was enough to make him the most eligible bachelor. His mother never liked Anuradha, although she too was beautiful, held an MBA degree and a good job in a multinational company, and she was smart and independent; all that was enough to be disliked by the families who preferred housewives. Vikas's family wanted a lavish wedding, just the way they married their daughter, a year back. They had a big fat wedding for their daughter and wanted a similar one for their son, whereas Anuradha wanted a simple affair. As of now everything was fine, but as the wedding preparations began, reality struck both of them. Vikas found himself torn between his mother and Anuradha. Vikas's mother had demands that were not possible for Anuradha's family to meet. She wanted to show the society, that although her son is marrying by his own choice, still she is not in total loss. She still is getting what she would have, may be not as much, if it was an arrange marriage, but at least something. Anuradha, on the other hand, was pissed because she knew her father can’t fulfill their demands, also she was against dowry.
She told Vikas what she felt and Vikas was with her on this, but he wanted to make both parties happy and find a midway, so as not to hurt his parents and not put a burden on her family too. Misunderstandings grew and they fought often. Nothing was right. Anuradha started giving this marriage a second thought. Vikas, on the other hand, was stuck between his family and Anuradha. He tried a lot to make his mother understand, but she wouldn’t listen. She even said, without telling anyone that Vikas's family will help Anuradha's family financially, and they can tell everyone that Anuradha's family has given dowry; to which Anuradha downright refused, as it would hurt their self respect.
Problems grew between them and they wouldn’t talk for days. Anuradha decided to meet Vikas's mother and speak to her directly one last time. Because of all the demands, Anuradha's father was unhappy and was not keeping well due to tension. She was not sure about the marriage anymore. Although Vikas had promised time and again that he will manage, but it was clear that little was in his hands. He was the only son and couldn’t have left his parents, nor could he do much about his mother. “Beta, we don’t want anything from you. We have everything by God's grace. It’s the society that will ask. They will question. We are very broadminded. We don’t want anything from your family. We are happy to have a girl like you as our daughter-in-law. But what will we tell the relatives, when they will ask what you got? They will say that you spent so much on your daughter's wedding, but didn’t get anything on your only son's wedding. And after all whatever your family will give you, will be yours, we will not take a penny from it. You can keep it for your future, your children. Whatever your father will give, will be for his own daughter. We don’t want anything.” Anuradha was listening silently by now, but she couldn’t take it anymore. She was shocked at whatever she was listening.
Vikas was sitting in a corner. He was used to all this as he had grown up in such an environment and all these things were not new to him. But Anuradha was white as paper. She had made up her mind by now. “Aunty, I am glad I had this conversation with you. I refuse to marry your son. First, I wanted to marry your son, who loved me for the person who I am and not what I will get him. I have the same degree and the same job, and we both are equal in all terms. Although, I know he cannot do much about this situation, but if he is silent now, then he will be silent all his life, and I don’t want that in my life partner. Secondly, my father raised me as an independent and confident individual. He made me capable, that I could earn my own bread and butter and take care of my family on my own. This is his greatest gift to me and I don’t want anything more from him. I don’t want to burden him with anymore money; he already paid for my school and college fees, to make me capable. Now, I don’t want him to pay dowry to get me married. I don’t want to satisfy the society and give pain and trouble to my family, in order to make those people happy who I don’t even know. I refuse to marry Vikas or any other boy who would ask money to marry me. I would rather not marry at all.” “Goodbye Vikas!”
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Source - Momspresso
