Sari Romance Ashok Rajamani
A
n Indian man named Anil Murthy wed a young, rather wealthy, young woman named Leenu Narayan. However, when this cherry-unpopped maiden married Anil, she did not love him. Actually, she did not like him. In fact, she did not even know of his existence at all. Leenu, at twenty-three, was informed by her father that she was to be a bride within a week after she graduated from the local women’s college. Which meant she was educated. Which meant it was time for her to be settled, time for her to leave to another man’s home. Mr. Narayan wasted no time in finding a man for his Leenu, who was rather homely, plump and too darkskinned in a society that embraced whiteness. But she was young; she had that unbroken-hymen feel. When Mr. Narayan contacted his wealthy neighbor for suggested spouses, he was told to reach Anil Murthy, who was in a hurry to marry, being in what was dubbed “Marrying Time,” the month-long period in which future husbands were hunted for brides. At forty-five, Anil Murthy had been a bachelor far
too long, voluntarily missing his “Marrying Time” for years. It was time. He was in his forties, after all. He lived alone with his mom. Anil’s work as a top pharmaceutical auditor forced him to travel often. In a few weeks, he was to supervise chemical plants in Cambodia for over five weeks. And so, this time it was imperative for him to marry before he would leave India. Anil’s mother, however, was completely set against this union. She felt Leenu was not pretty enough, not smart enough to marry her Anil. She wanted him to wait until the right one came along. Not old maid Sharda, not ugly Leenu. Interestingly enough, the older woman had never even met Leenu, but based her judgment on a photo and the neighborhood commentary on the girl, she could tell this was the wrong pick for a daughter-in-law. So when Anil Murthy came to see Leenu, he was alone since his mother refused to be involved. Ever the realist, Anil accepted the marriage proposal immediately. He knew he needed a bride. And he was too lazy to find one himself. Plus, she wasn’t old at all, barely in her twenties. Good age for birthing. The youth factor
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