The cafeteria of that multi-story software company in the city is always bustling with crowds. The whirring of coffee machines, chatter surrounding the clicks of keyboards, and the palpable tension over project deadlines are commonplace there. However, at table number five, a profound discussion concerning life itself was unfolding among a trio seated there.

Placing his branded Ray-Ban glasses on the table and twirling his iPhone, Akash glanced toward his wristwatch.

“Tomorrow, my manager said he would discuss the U.S. on-site project. Once I land in America... my entire status will transform. Earning in dollars, a luxury house over there, a completely different lifestyle altogether. These petty, minor positions here simply don’t match my worth.”

Charan offered a subtle smile as he received a cup of hot tea.

“Alright, Akash! Your American dreams are fine... but recently, a marital alliance from Godavarikhani came along. You mentioned she works in software in Bengaluru. Why on earth did you reject it then? You are past thirty now. Couldn’t you both just get married and comfortably enjoy your lives together in America?”

Akash laughed sarcastically. “Charan! Your thoughts are always like this—so small and ordinary. Am I supposed to marry into that Singareni background? That girl might be earning fifty thousand or a lakh a month. But tomorrow, when I head to the U.S., what will my stature be? Should I ruin my future by accepting this alliance? Tomorrow, I will secure a match that perfectly aligns with my status.”

Charan nodded and turned toward Madhav, who was sitting beside him, staring blankly into space. Madhav’s eyes were fixed on his teacup, but his thoughts were worlds away! A deep melancholy enveloped his face.

“And what about you, Madhav?” Charan asked point-blank.

“I just can’t seem to forget Nalini. I made a terrible mistake. Now, I must suffer the consequences!” Madhav replied that profound sorrow washing over his entire countenance.

“Nalini waited for you for so long, didn’t she? Why did you panic the moment she brought up marriage? What if she belonged to an upper caste? Why should you have been intimidated just because Nalini’s father was a District Judge? Both of you were consenting adults. I urged you to go for a registered marriage, but you simply refused to listen.”

“That was the monumental blunder of my life. Ever since our college days, Nalini’s friendship, her warm greetings, and our holiday trips... that was what true life was all about! And I threw that life away with my own hands.” As a flood of fragmented memories rushed back, Madhav closed his eyes. Those vivid scenes were playing out behind his eyelids.

All those soft whispers shared while reading books in the college library. How comforting the warmth of Nalini’s touch used to be. What a fierce spark of courage lived in her eyes. Boarding the college bus just to slide into the seat right next to him. No matter how much others teased, she would ask whoever was sitting beside him to move just so she could sit close, brushing shoulders with him. Asking for his textbooks on some pretext or another, only to slip a beautiful love letter inside a floral-printed cover when returning them. Madhav’s soul wept silently.

“Madhav! What is the use of grieving now? The past is never going to return. Go and register your name at a marriage bureau! Just yesterday, I stumbled upon her wedding pictures on Facebook. Do you have any idea how blissfully and radiantly she was smiling alongside her husband in America? She has left the past behind and moved on beautifully,” Charan said, attempting to console and reason with him.

Tears welled up in Madhav’s eyes as a heavy, agonizing sigh escaped from the depths of his chest. “Damn it... what a catastrophic mistake I made, Charan. Nalini loved me so deeply, and when she begged me to just say ‘yes’, I let fear paralyze me. If only I had courageously agreed back, then. By this time, how magnificent my life would have been! Now, a life without Nalini feels like an absolute void to me. Trapped in this agonizing grief, what happiness will I find if I marry some other girl now? How can I ever keep her happy? My true life ended that very day, right along with her. No matter what new alliance comes my way, I will never find that joy again,” Madhav groaned, burying his face in his hands upon the table.

Charan looked at both of them. He was on the verge of saying, ‘Akash is throwing away what is readily available in hand for the sake of an uncertain future that is yet to arrive. Madhav is sacrificing his entire present for a past that will never return.’

“And what about your own story, Charan? You have turned thirty, yet you aren’t married either,” Akash asked sarcastically. Akash was always like this. Heaven knows what twisted pleasure he derived from such mockery!

Though his heart ached, Charan spoke the absolute, raw truth.

“We don’t possess properties or assets. I have a younger sister who has reached marriageable age. Knowing that the entire crushing weight of household responsibilities rests solely on my shoulders, no one is willing to accept me. I must simply wait until someone who understands and respects such responsibilities appreciates my worth, shouldn’t I? Unlike you, I don’t harbor sky-high ambitions! Even if an opportunity to go to America knocks on my door, I won’t go. I must stay back and take care of my mother and father.”

When Akash burst into laughter as if it were a joke, a wave of hot anger surged through Charan. That mocking laughter carried a cruel sneer—asking who would ever give their daughter to him, or who would ever love him. Controlling his rising temper, Charan said with quiet conviction:

“Akash! My salary isn’t meager by any means. The girl who will appreciate me must have been born somewhere out there. She must be growing up. She will surely be waiting for me.” Charan offered his reply with absolute faith.

Akash broke into loud, roaring laughter. Charan’s face fell in embarrassment.

“What on earth is there to laugh about? What is so wrong with what Charan said? Someone or the other will surely step forward. He isn’t the type to arrogantly pinpoint flaws and reject proposals like you do,” Madhav chimed in, turning a supportive gaze toward Charan.

Charan merely plastered a faint smile on his face, accepting things as they were.

A trio of colleagues was standing nearby, watching them, waiting for their table to be vacated. “Let’s go,” Akash said, rising from his seat.

~*~

After a long and agonizing wait, a marital alliance finally came through for Charan. The girl had lost her father. With no paternal figure to take the lead and steer the wedding arrangements forward, her age was already nearing thirty. Sumathi came from a decent, respectable family. Since both sides found mutual alignment, the wedding was solemnized with understated simplicity.

Sumathi worked as a mathematics lecturer at a private college. Moved by her orphaned status and her gentle nature, the college management itself took the initiative to oversee her wedding arrangements.

Sumathi was exceptionally sharp. She possessed a progressive nature that embraced life’s trials as challenges to grow through. That was precisely why she accepted this alliance, recognizing it as the right match for her. Charan’s absolute honesty during their pre-matrimonial meeting had deeply impressed Sumathi. She calculated that by pooling Charan’s earnings with her lecturer’s salary, they could run a household with profound grace and contentment.

Thus, with a beautiful mutual understanding, their marriage took place in a traditional manner. Meanwhile, Akash had still not managed to go to America; he was merely passing his time rejecting one alliance after another. Madhav, unable to bear the constant grief of his aging parents, would half-heartedly look at matches only to cast them aside.

One evening, the moment Sumathi returned from her college, she turned to Charan and said, “Look! You met your old friends recently, didn’t you? Out on the city outskirts, a farmer is selling ‘three acres’ of land in deep distress. It is coming at an incredibly low price. We must secure that land at all costs.”

“Sumathi! Where do we have that kind of money? Our bank savings are minimal. You are well aware of our tight financial constraints, aren’t you?” Charan expressed his anxiety.

“Please do not panic. Gather your friends into a shared investment group. I will talk to my friends as well. We will all pitch in equal amounts of capital. Half the let’s  offer half the amount in cash as a down payment. For the remaining half, I will negotiate with the bank and secure a loan. If we convert those three acres under the DPA (Development Plan Approval) guidelines, lay out plots, and sell them, we will reap handsome profits. Once all the debts are cleared, we will end up with a plot for ourselves practically free of cost,” Sumathi encouraged him, laying down the exact mathematical calculations.

True to Sumathi’s vision, the plan worked out perfectly.

She dug out the land records from the Tahsildar’s office. She applied for an Encumbrance Certificate (EC) at the registration office. Armed with those legal documents, she verified beyond doubt that the land genuinely belonged to that particular farmer.

At the RDO (Revenue Divisional Officer) office, the RDO put her file aside, looked straight into Sumathi’s eyes, and drawled, “Madam, if this needs to be approved...” hinting at a bribe.

“Sir! I am a lecturer. I neither give bribes nor do I accept them. You tell me—what kind of values I am supposed to teach my students then? Clear the file now, or else I will head straight to the District Collector,” Sumathi declared unflinchingly. Those words startled the RDO. He immediately signed the file.

By navigating her way through the Collectorate, she successfully secured the conversion certificate to turn agricultural land into residential property. Intimidated by Sumathi’s uncompromising tone, the corrupt officials accepted merely nominal customary fees and handed over all the certificates. Despite encountering bureaucratic hurdles across various departments, Sumathi used her dignity as an educator to converse seamlessly with the officers, wrapping up all the paperwork flawlessly. The bank loan was also sanctioned, and that three-acre land became officially theirs.

One afternoon at the workplace, Charan walked over to Akash and Madhav. He approached them one final time.

“Sumathi’s proposal is that a group of our friends should pool resources, buy three acres of land on the city fringe, and develop it into residential plots. We are getting the plots for a very modest investment. There is a bank loan facility available too. I can secure a plot for each of you; it will serve you well in the future,” Charan pleaded, urging his friends.

Twirling his branded Audi car keys around his finger, Akash burst into a sarcastic laugh. “Charan! A residential plot out in some godforsaken forests and farm fields? I intend to purchase a sprawling premium villa in Gachibowli or Jubilee Hills! Such petty, minor plots do not match my stature. My future investment plans are monumental; they are far beyond the comprehension of ordinary folks like you,” he scoffed with utter disdain.

Madhav clutched his head in deep regret. “If only I had purchased a similar piece of land in my native village ten years ago, I would have emerged as a far wealthier tycoon than these people today. I didn’t buy it back then, so what is the earthly use of buying it now? Good fortune eludes me anyway. My true life ended right along with Nalini,” he muttered, letting the golden opportunity slip away while remaining anchored to his past.

Within a short span of two years, the government announced a major link road expansion layout cutting right through those three acres of developed land. Consequently, property prices in that region skyrocketed overnight. The real estate ventures developed by Charan, Sumathi, and their group of friends sold out like hot cakes. The resulting surge in profits completely liquidated their entire bank loan liability. Every single friend in the group walked away with a residential plot entirely free of debt and achieved through a minimal initial investment. Charan, too, secured a highly valuable prime corner plot for himself.

Coincidentally, around the same time, a wonderful alliance came through, and Charan’s younger sister’s wedding was successfully solemnized. Finding himself liberated from all heavy family obligations, Charan felt a profound sense of peace and joy. He gradually began distancing himself from Akash, who mocked him at every turn, and Madhav, who perpetually wore a melancholic face. Whenever he conversed with them, his inner tranquility was utterly shattered.

Sometime later, Akash’s mother secured Charan’s phone number by asking her son and placed a call to him.

“Charan! Akash is older than you. Any day now, a son or a daughter will be born to you. Imagine how blissful that will make your mother feel! Akash will listen if you reason with him. Every beautiful milestone of life must be celebrated at its appropriate age. Aren’t people with far lesser education than you are getting married? Aren’t they bearing children? Please convince him somehow, my son!” the mother pleaded plaintively. Hearing those maternal words...

Charan’s heart grew heavy with sorrow. Realizing that he lacked the power to transform Akash’s stubborn mind, he quietly offered a brief acknowledgement and silently hung up the phone.

Charan had tried reasoning with Akash, but Akash repeated the exact same arrogant words. Witnessing how Akash consistently humiliated and looked down upon him, Charan chose to distance himself from him entirely.

One afternoon, Sumathi introduced a prominent real estate builder to Charan. Charan marveled at how brilliant a planner Sumathi was. She possessed a vision much sharper than his own and walked ahead with courage that eclipsed his. Charan reposed absolute faith in the fact that whatever Sumathi undertook would be structured with flawless precision.

“Sir, your residential plot is situated in a highly premium prime location. If you hand over the development rights to us under a 50-50 joint venture agreement, we will construct a massive apartment complex here. Please convince your other partners as well. You will not incur a single rupee of construction expenditure. Once the building layout is fully completed, a spacious three-bedroom (3BHK) apartment will be delivered to you entirely free of cost as your designated share,” the builder offered.

Sumathi meticulously verified all the legal agreements and paperwork. A few more investment partners also stepped forward. In due course, the construction of a magnificent multi-story apartment complex was successfully executed on that land. Witnessing the grand structure take shape, several other investors also pooled resources along the way, and the entire venture gracefully transformed into a beautiful, fully developed gated community. True to the legally binding agreement, Charan, Sumathi, and their group of friends received their respective luxury apartments. A premium apartment situated on the upper floor came into their hands entirely free of cost as their own permanent home. Recognizing that this monumental asset was a magnificent gift born purely out of Sumathi’s resourcefulness, everyone showered her with rich praise.

The long-awaited day of the housewarming ceremony for Charan’s brand-new luxury apartment finally arrived. The flat was beautifully and modernly designed. His younger sister, brother-in-law, relatives, and close friends gathered to congratulate Charan and Sumathi. The joy multiplying in the hearts of Charan’s mother and Sumathi’s mother knew no bounds. Charan had successfully performed his sister’s wedding without incurring a single rupee of debt. And now, purely through his daughter-in-law’s brilliant pragmatism, a sprawling apartment had been secured entirely free of liability. The two elderly mothers-in-law could scarcely believe that merely investing in a plot of land could yield such a magnificent, luxurious home; to them, it felt like an enchanting dream. Sumathi’s mother was overwhelmed with pride witnessing her daughter’s exceptional foresight. She couldn’t help but reflect with a tearful sigh, “If only her father were alive today to witness this, how deeply would his soul have rejoiced!”

Madhav arrived to attend the celebration. He had recently been married to Talillatha. Talillatha possessed a slightly heavy-set frame, was somewhat mature in age, and worked at a private company. When Madhav’s parents practically begged and went to the extent of holding his feet, he finally leaned toward this alliance in an attempt to escape his past. Talillatha, too, having understood Madhav’s temperament, had agreed to the marriage thinking she would secure a companion at this stage of life.

Everyone sat down for lunch. Talillatha was sitting beside Madhav, conversing with him with immense respect. “Madhav Garu, let’s also look for a flat of our own. The past is never going to return. At least from now on, our life together should be beautiful,” Talillatha said with great hope and longing.

But Madhav’s mind was somewhere else entirely. Gazing at the decorations in the apartment, the floral garlands hung on windows and doors, the surrounding atmosphere, and the rain falling outside... his mind once again raced back toward the memories of Nalini.

‘Looking at this apartment and these flowers reminds me of Nalini. A dream of entering a brand-new home alongside Nalini...’ an unspoken ache began to hollow him out from within.

The relatives standing around looked strangely at Madhav, who was muttering something to himself in deep despair. Experiencing his gloomy mood during such a joyous occasion kindled anger in Talillatha. She stood up resolutely.

“Look here, Madhav! All this while, I have been incredibly patient, knowing you have a past and hoping you would step out of it. Seating me right beside you at an auspicious celebration, what on earth are you brooding over?”

Witnessing their confrontation inside the new house, everyone was taken aback... Charan and Sumathi stepped in to pacify them all. Madhav eventually shook himself out of that mood.

The couple, Charan and Sumathi, presented new clothes to their relatives and friends to the best of their capacity.

Those who were socially obligated to gift them in return also presented them with clothes right then. Sumathi’s college colleagues deeply admired and praised her accomplishment.

Akash did not attend the housewarming ceremony, making an excuse of some urgent work. He was simply evading the gathering, unable to face them out of sheer embarrassment.

The moment they reached home, Talillatha confronted Madhav. She flung the old photo albums right in front of him. In many of those pictures, Nalini was seen posing with Madhav in a vibrant, deeply intimate manner...! During their college excursion tours, their friends had given them complete privacy, treating them as though they were already a married couple. Looking at those pictures, a pang of sorrow gripped her, knowing she never had the fortune of experiencing such a romance. On the flip side, seeing her husband completely immersed in another woman’s memory felt deeply humiliating. Talillatha revolted.

“You have taken my silence for weakness. Not a single photograph featuring Nalini should ever be seen in this house again. You must not permit her memory to cross your mind, even in your dreams. In what way have I ever fallen short in caring for you? If you had married Nalini, would she have done anything more than this for you? She was a pampered girl—a District Judge’s daughter, no less. She wouldn’t have lifted a finger around the house and would have made you do all the chores instead. I will return only if you throw all these photographs away,” Talillatha declared, packing her suitcase in sheer defiance.

Madhav recoiled as if struck by a sudden electric shock. If Talillatha walked out on him, he would be thrown right back into the misery of restaurant food and cooking for himself... he simply couldn’t bring himself to contemplate that nightmare any further. Ever since Talillatha had entered his life, his days were passing with absolute comfort and tranquility. If Talillatha left...! That horrifying thought instantly jolted Madhav back into reality.

“I will clear all of them out by this evening. Please do not leave anywhere, Lata!” he pleaded plaintively. Talillatha’s heart melted at the sudden tenderness in his call as he addressed her by her name.

Two years flew by in the blink of an eye. Sumathi gave birth to a baby girl.

Talillatha shared her boundless joy with Sumathi, mentioning that Madhav had fully transformed into a normal, balanced man.

Meanwhile, the American project Akash had anchored all his grand dreams upon never materialized. On a Saturday morning, Akash sat inside a prominent marriage bureau office in the city, locked in a serious conversation.

“Look, Akash Garu... I have meticulously reviewed your profile. Your age has now reached thirty-four. Even though you are employed in the IT sector, you do not own a house of your own. You haven’t declared any substantial bank balance or ancestral assets either. Today’s modern women prioritize future financial security above all else,” Sreedhar explained point-blank, without any hesitation.

Akash’s face flushed crimson, a volatile mix of wounded pride and utter humiliation. As he sputtered some incoherent reply, Sreedhar continued.

“You should have married back when the time was right. Now that you’ve above the ideal age, who is going to accept you? Today’s modern women aren’t easily impressed even by men possessing immense wealth and properties. Some are completely rejecting the institution of marriage altogether, preferring live-in relationships instead. They register their profiles here at our marriage bureau merely to quieten the persistent anxieties of their parents.” Sreedhar went on, laying bare the aspirations and contemporary mindset of the Gen Z generation.

The agonizing torment, the bitter envy, and the raw pain Akash felt within himself, he simply had no one to share it with.

A few days later, Akash vanished completely, under the pretext of securing an excellent job offer in Singapore. No one knew his exact destination. His phone remained permanently switched off. From that moment on, his whereabouts became a complete mystery. Akash’s mother continues to wait in perpetual longing, hoping for her son’s phone call.