Hitched

HITCHED

by

MURALI MURTHY

A grand entrance to the wedding hall by the gorgeously dressed Shruthi, accompanied by the loud sounds of Drums that made everyone around dance to the beats of the troupe that was driving the crowd crazy.
The bride Shruthi is gracefully dancing and matching the drum beats, while the groom Navneeth who is visibly shy is just walking next his to-be bride, smiling and clapping all along

Family from both sides are visibly happy and elated with the joyous mood and celebrative environment. All the family members, groom and bride happily enter the Wedding Hall situated on this small lane in Udupi.
As Groom and Bride enter the hall, the cousins shower flower petals, welcoming them with friendly tease and photographers clicking the smiles all around.

The elders from both sides get busy for the preparations of the upcoming pre-wedding ceremonies and the main wedding festivities the next day.

The day concludes with customary ceremonies, and the sumptuous food served in traditional plantain leaves with a wide variety of food items served to the delight of the guests, much to the liking of the Foodie bride Shruthi.

The elders in the family wrap up their work, guests retire at their beds, with lights switched off, the chatter of the guests subside and the hall echoing loud noises of the Snores.

Navneeth and Shruthi are entering the wedlock, as arranged and decided by both the families. Both met 2 months ago at Infinitea Cafe in Bangalore, after their work. The meet was arranged by the elders as they found them to be prospective match for each other, and the families wanted them to meet and decide on the alliance.
Both the families are from Udupi, and were eager for this alliance to take shape and asked both Shruthi and Navneeth who worked in Bangalore to meet and let know their decision. It was Arranged Love marriage, as both liked each other. During these 2 months of courtship, they fell in love and found compatibility on many aspects and their decision to get married was re-assured by the day.

Back to the Wedding at Udupi, Navneeth messages Shruthi to meet him outside. Both are tired yet eager and excited to meet each other in private before the big day tomorrow.
Both run and hug each other, hold hands and sit on the main stairs of the Wedding Hall.

"Wow, this is finally happening"

"Yes we have waited for this day for 2 months now"

"I am so glad to see both our parents so happy and excited"

"Indeed, I see pride in my parent's eyes to have found a guy like you."

"My parents are also equally happy and feel so proud as the relatives and guests talk to each other and praise how beautiful and well mannered is their daughter in law"

"You know, in some customs, especially in the western world, the couple take Wedding Vows and lists the Promises the couple make to each other"

"Yeah, they do, have seen in movies...they make a big deal out of it"

"I wish we had that custom too"

"Let's have it done then"

Navneeth holds Shruthi's hands, as both of them stand close to each other facing each other and seeing at each other's eyes "I promise that tonight is the only night we will part"

"Tonight is the last night that we will be 'you' and 'me', starting from tomorrow it will only be 'us' for the rest of our lives"

As tears of joy starts to roll down Shruthi's cheeks, Navneeth goes on "You will never have to sleep alone, as I will always be besides you whenever you wake up"

"I promise you that these hands will always hold you, will never leave you and never let you go"

An emotional Shruthi cries out loud and hugs Navneeth tightly and whispers "And I promise to Love you forever and ever".

It was a grand wedding with colours, lights, flower decoration, jewelry, beautifully dressed people adorning this occasion. The grandeur was more so because of the smiles and happiness on the faces of groom, bride, parents and relatives.

After 2 days of festivities, and a week of stay and visits to temples and relative's places in Udupi, the newly married couple head back to Bangalore and start their life together.

Navneeth who is a System Architect at an IT Firm, and Shruthi who is a head Chef at a Star Hotel, report back to their work and couldn't plan any Honeymoon trip, as both couldn't be away from work any further.

As both Navneeth and Shruthi had saved themselves and abstained from any physical relation with anyone else, intimacy and passionate love making kept their newly wedded phase spiced up and exciting. Both made efforts to run back home early in the evening just to be with each other. They preferred to stay back home during the weekends, holding hands, cuddling on the bed for long hours and some passionate love making.

6 months went by, their sexual attraction and intimacy settled down, they grew stronger as a couple, with deeper, steardier feelings of bonding as a family.

As they celebrated their first year anniversary, Navneeth was asked to move to Singapore on a 3 years assignment.
A week before, Shruthi was asked to work in Night Shifts in the Hotel she worked.

As both liked being in Bangalore, yet loved to spend time with their families back home in Udupi, and used to visit once in 6 months. Both didn't have much interest in relocating to Singapore, and decided to stay back.
Navneeth couldn't survive and stay for too long in the company as he had rejected the offer to move to Singapore. Shruthi also intended to change her job as she didn't like to work in Shifts.

Both sat and started discussing the pros and cons of changing their jobs. As they went through the options they had in front of them, Navneeth came up with a proposition to start their own Company.
He coined this idea to Shruthi, that they could be Business Partners as well, they could start a company together into Food Blogging.

Shruthi liked what she heard and wanted him to work out in detail, as she was also cautious and worried on finances if both stopped working.

With Shruthi's interest, expertise in food and it's preparation, and Navneeth's Software background, both started to plan and design a unique offering in the food Blogging world. They thought through some out-of-the-box ideas to make it sellable.
Their concept slowly took shape, and a product was eventually ready.
They made up their minds and quit their jobs and were actively involved in getting their Business up and running.
While Shruthi worked on preparing tons of Food recipes, reviews, blogs, photographs for the portal, Navneeth worked on designing, improving the App and also look out for Investors.
The business took off well and whatever little money they had put in, was earned back in 6 months time. It was slowly gaining momentum and more and more users subscribing to the App, as Navneeth continued to look for Investors to make it even bigger.

They eventually found an Angel Investor who funded them.
Navneeth and Shruthi celebrated this success and they thought the risk they took and compromises they made, is paying off now.
Their joy had no bounds and they felt rewarding for being soul mates and business partners as well.

As they started to expand rapidly, the new Investor found more value in Shruthi as the content and ideas on Food were the reasons of the App's success, Navneeth was being sidelined and Shruthi had more Shareholding in the company than Navneeth.

Navneeth started to feel he is being ignored and not given importance in the board meetings nor taken him into confidence in any decision making process.

This led to a discord between the couple, apart from an uneasy working relation at the office, their married life also was affected.
While Navneeth's ego was hurt, Shruthi's ego got a boost and this led to frequent irritations between them as they started to fight for petty issues while at home.
The love, romance and peace at home snapped.

"I will have to visit Mumbai tomorrow with Sachin, for a meeting"

"Wow, thanks for the information"

"Why do you have to always be sarcastic!"

"Then how am I supposed to talk? You and Sachin are running the company on your own....remember, I am an equal partner"

"Equal? Heh"

"I might not be equal partner in numbers, but it's my baby, it's my idea, it's my dream. But you and Sachin are snatching this away from me"

"Don't blame me...Sachin is representing the Investors and based on his decision, I am taking the lead which is in the best interest of the company"

"Oh yeah...so now Sachin is always right...what else is he worth taking credit for, what else in him interests You?"

"Navneeth, what are you saying, you have gone crazy. I didn't expect you to stoop so low" and Shruthi starts to walk into her room

"Yes, please walk away. I am a humiliation for you now, I am low life now. You go and be happy with Sachin and your Company!!"

Two days passed by, Navneeth didn't hear from Shruthi nor did she come home. Navneeth called Sachin to find out where Shruthi was, as Sachin tells him that Shruthi never came along with him to Mumbai, and she mentioned that she had some emergency and she had to rush to Udupi.

As Shruthi wasn't picking his calls, he calls her landline number in Udupi, Shruthi in a disturbed tone tells Navneeth "Please don't Call me or try to meet me. I want time for myself" and hangs up the phone.

One month passed by and Navneeth couldn't take this separation, he is so used to Shruthi and her taking care of him. He had enough of this distance and drives down to Udupi.

Navneeth reaches her home and after greeting her parents, he asks about Shruthi and finds out she is not at home. He calls her mobile and Shruthi asks him to meet her at the Beach.

Navneeth finds Shruthi sitting by the Beach, bit away from the Crowd. He silently comes and sits next to her and takes her hands and holds them.

"You know Navneeth, this is my favourite place. Since childhood whenever I feel lonely or upset or even happy, I just come here. It helps me talk to myself, talk to the nature and find peace."

"Malpe makes everything better - mind, body, spirit. Whenever I have no one to talk to, have nowhere to go, Malpe calls me and embraces me"

"So, whats the topic you are talking with Malpe these days? That you have a very bad husband?"

"Nah, both me and Malpe knows you are not a bad person"

"I am sorry Shruthi, I lost my composure and sensibility and didn't treat you well off late"

"We have lost 'us'. Remember the Promises you made just before the wedding! That you would never leave me, and you would never let me sleep alone. And I was alone not only from past 1 month, but from past 6 months. Though you were right next to me, I couldn't feel you, you were not there for me"

"I know we were losing 'us' and I hate this situation, never wanted our love to fade."

"I know it was not intentional. I have been coming here everyday and thinking through what went wrong and where did we go wrong"

"No, it's me who is to be blamed. I crossed my limits, I lost my temper, I was irritated and agitated, and I ill-treated you."

"I knew what was happening, I knew what you were going through, it's my mistake also that I didn't stand by your side. I probably got carried away by all the limelight and center stage I got"

"I should have been proud of your success, and should have been happy that you are given your due credits, Instead I started feeling Jealous. More than Jealousy, I was frustrated that the dream I had built, the small world that we built together was taken over by you and Sachin"

"That's ok, I now understand why you were behaving like that"

"No, it's not ok. What I felt about you should not have happened. How I yelled at you, fought with you, should not have happened"

"That's ok Navneeth, I know you still love me. Let's forget this as a bad dream and move on"

"The root cause for all the problem is my attitude and approach as an Entrepreneur. Probably, I am not built to be a Businessman, I have to be selfless and least emotional about my Business. I have decided to move out of the Company"

"Are you sure about your decision? Don't you think it might be foolish to let go of a successful business?"

"I know my decision might not be most matured one, but if it's hurting our relation, I would rather be happy to let go off the Business and have a normal life with you. Nothing is more important than you"

"Then what should I do?"

"I leave the choice to you, I will not influence your decision."

"We started this together, we nurtured it together. If you are not there, I will not wish to continue as well. I just love food, preparing food and experimenting. I will not enjoy the Business side of it, especially when you are not around"

Both hug each other and with a relieved sense, both get up and start walking on the beach, with hands holding "Am so happy that we could end it, it was suffocating, I was scared and worried"

"Good that we went through this, we now know we have to be there for each other and stand strong, shoulder to shoulder in any given situation. We have to be tough and the love for each other should be unconditional and stubborn"

"Agree, and I promise you I will never walk out of you and our home like this"

Both smile and spend the week in Udupi visiting their favourite temples and quality time together re-visiting their childhood days and their wedding days.

Both return to Bangalore, resign from the Board, and hand over the Company to Sachin. While Navneeth found a Job with a IT major, Shruthi worked as a Freelancer and continued to provide her Recipes to their ex-company, upon Sachin's insistence.