"What should I do now, Hari?"

"What's the next step? The girl came to your house after the ceremony. Your mother and sister have accepted her as your wife. What should I do now?"

"That's not it, my dear. How can I make her... a wife... and a stranger... and all of that..."

"Hey, I don't think she's a bad person after meeting her. I believe she's a struggling girl..."

"I've heard that college students do this kind of work to cover their expenses in big cities like Bangalore. But this is our town... and a fellow student... well... I never even imagined something like this would happen."

"Don't you just read more than you write... you should go and talk to her... sometimes things don't unfold as you expect."

"What else can I ask for? Every time I see her, something inside me resents it... Now the family knows. There's nothing that can be done. Otherwise, I would have left her somewhere along the way..."

"What did your mother say?"

"My mother only mentioned that she expected this from me. She didn't even bother to hear what I had to say. The only relief was that she didn't believe everything that was said, but they didn't take it lightly. Then my older brother called. He offered some advice and spoke harshly..."

"Let's go and pretend everything is fine..."

"Which is the lesser evil? Being arrested by the police for immorality? Or having to marry someone I barely know?"

"Oh, that's not what I meant..."

"You'll never understand how I feel..."

I was left speechless. I walked home with a bewildered look in my eyes and mind.

What transpired in just one day? This fateful day...

How many times did Mom warn me to quit that blasted cricket game... why did I venture off to the tournament without heeding her? Why did I book a hotel room there when I could have returned that day? And, ultimately, how did the wrong person end up in my room?

The room will have to be changed. I've arrived at the answer on my own.

But how did so many people end up there at precisely that moment?

They approached.

"What's your connection with this little dog?"

Inquiring and slapping my face in unison. When I reopen my eyes, I find myself surrounded by a crowd, including the police.

Apart from my mother and sister-in-law, I didn't recognize anyone else in that room.

As I heard the fury in their expressions directed towards me, the weeping of the girl, and the wailing of a woman who appeared to be her mother, I sensed that something was awry. Yet, I had no inkling that my marriage was on their minds.

I doubt it would have made a difference if I had known.

They had everything arranged. Both families had devised the same way to escape this embarrassment. Yet, I resisted. It was evident from the policeman's yelling that my words held no sway there.

"Son of a... can't you just be quiet? Are you talking about the fact that you got a room in the very hotel where you fell in love? Is that what you're saying?"

And everything happened suddenly. We went to the registrar's office and all. It seemed like everyone was very eager to bind her to me.

After everything, when it was time to leave, the girl was crying, even though her mother told her not to step onto our house's steps again.

Everything is preordained. It's etched in my mind. How am I going to face college now? How do I meet my friends' gazes? How do I confront these infuriating locals?

To be continued...