BlogchatterA2Z: Giving Up On Dreams

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"I feel so happy to stand before you all. I wish to thank my parents for being there for me in every success and failure, my friends who uplifted me in every milestone, and everyone who directly and indirectly contributed to my journey to lead me here." Abhay was murmuring in sleep when his mother, Aarti, went to his room to wake him. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Aarti called out for him. 

Abhay sprang up suddenly, asking, "Where is my award? Where are all the people who were applauding me a while ago?" Aarti laughed and tapped his head, telling him to come out of the dream world. He guffawed and assured her that his dreams would see the light one day. Aarti smiled and told him to get ready as the girl's family was going to come to see him for a potential match as proposed by his maternal uncle.

"Oh, No! I am not ready for it, Maa. Can you not stop Mamaji from bringing matches for me?" Abhay exclaimed. "What is wrong with that? You are already 30. What else do you expect from us? Do you want me to hold your responsibilities till my death bed and regret later not having you married," Aarti chided. "Maa, please do not start again." Abhay tried to calm her. He hugged her and told her that his big dream would come true soon. There would be a line of potential girls for him, and he would find his soulmate. 

Aarti left the room and closed the door behind her, asking him to come down after getting ready. Abhay went to the bathroom and came out after getting freshened up and taking a bath. He went to his wardrobe and looked for his favorite white tee and navy blue denim. After juggling for a while, he called out for his mother, but Aarti did not hear. He left the room with a towel around his waist covering his lower body and naked upper body. 

Seeing him half naked, Aarti shouted at him. "Abhay, you are not a kid anymore. Our guests will arrive in a while, and you are running around like this." Before anyone could say further, the doorbell rang. 

"Hello didi." His maternal uncle, Sudeep greeted his mother and left open-mouthed. The girl and her family were with him too. Sudeep ran to cover for Abhay to save himself from embarrassment and took him into the room, signaling his sister to welcome the guest.

"Mamaji, you should have called for once before coming with them. See, what dignity do I even have left now? It is so awkward." Abhay condemned. "Who keeps the main door open? It is not my fault." Sudeep argued and told him to get ready in decent clothes to show up before the guests.  

Abhay had no choice except to get ready and meet the girl and her family. His mother went to his room and brought a shirt and a pair of jeans for him to get ready. He could not say anything further, and dressed up. Sudeep called for him. He felt awkward to face the guests after ruining their first impression of him. When he went out he tried to hide behind his uncle, but he grabbed him by the hand and made him sit beside the girl, Radha. Radha was smiling seeing him. Abhay wondered, "Is she still thinking about me and wondering about my well-built body? Will she even feel comfortable talking to me after what she saw?"

Radha's parents broke his train of thought by asking him to take Radha to the garden which they saw while entering the house and talk to her. Radha looked submissively at her mother and got up to leave with Abhay. "Beta, do not hesitate to ask him what you want. After all, it is a lifetime bond." Aarti told Radha and laughed. Others joined her. 

The door opened, and Radha walked out to the garden followed by Abhay. It was noon and the sun was up. They decided to sit in the gazebo which was surrounded by trees and was a bit cool. There was silence for a while. Abhay initiated the conversation. 

Abhay: Do you want to get married or is it just family pressure?

Radha (smiling): No, my parents are not like that. They want me to find a suitable guy at a suitable age and start a new phase of my life. That's it.

(There was silence again. So, Abhay allowed her to take her time, but she kept looking in the other direction. He had to interrupt again.)

Abhay: What is your dream?

Radha: Dream? What dream? My life will be around the kitchen, family, and kids once I am married as my parents say. I buried my dreams long back and I don't talk about them anymore.

Abhay realized he had touched a sore spot and felt guilty about it. He apologized to her, but she began again.

Radha: Why are you apologizing for it? It is not your fault. I only wanted to write a book and make an impact by my writing. But my parents told me to forget about it as writing does not return anything. 

Abhay could see remorse in her eyes, and before she started crying he consoled her. He further added, "Do you not have to ask me anything?"

Radha nodded.

Abhay told her he liked her and asked for her answer. She approved and they decided to return inside. Aarti came to Abhay and nudged him asking, "What do you think about her? I like her. Is she ready for you?" Abhay shied and Aarti understood his answer.

"Badhai ho!" Aarti could not hold her excitement and put a laddu in Radha's mother's mouth and his brother followed the same with Radha's father.

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Comments

  1. A Rustic MindApril 7, 2025 at 3:12 AM

    Abhay's unfulfilled aspirations and Radha's suppressed writing ambitions are a common struggle many face. I feel this a great reminder of the importance of supporting loved ones in their dreams and finding a balance between tradition and personal fulfillment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tanvi AgarwalApril 11, 2025 at 11:45 PM

      That's true. It is necessary to hold each other, but sometimes I wonder why is there a need for it, why can't we as a society stop creating obstacles for them

      Delete

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