"Everyone's marriage happens after careful consideration, but how many truly find happiness?"
Aronita couldn't give any answer to Mridha's words. What could she possibly say!
A few moments earlier…
It was a day wrapped in sadness; everything felt strangely disordered. Mridha was rarely seen like this, in such a state. Seeing her friend so upset caught Aronita's attention. She came closer and asked,
"Hey Mridha, why are you sitting like this with such a sad face today?"
Mridha said nothing and remained silent. Aronita grew more worried because she had never seen her this quiet before. Sitting beside her, she said gently,
"Mridha, tell me what happened."
Mridha became emotional. Hugging Aronita tightly, she burst into tears and said,
"Mother has fixed my marriage, but I don't want to get married."
Aronita understood her state of mind. She had known this girl since childhood. Mridha had always spent her days laughing and joking, and now—she was crying just hearing about marriage?
Trying to console her, Aronita said,
"Don't be upset. If auntie has arranged your marriage, she must have chosen carefully."
Mridha replied in a dull voice,
"Everyone's marriage happens after careful consideration, but how many actually become happy?"
Aronita had no answer. Mridha continued,
"Since childhood I've seen so many homes break apart that now the very name of marriage makes my soul tremble. All those hellish sufferings appear before my eyes."
Tears kept streaming down Mridha's face. Aronita tried to comfort her, tried to explain, but how can words mend a heart that is already broken? Besides, Aronita herself was also a victim of such pain. She too had seen too much growing up.
Mridha kept repeating one thing:
"I will never get married."
After calming her down somehow, Aronita dropped Mridha at home and returned to her own house. She had tried so hard to console Mridha, but who would console her? Thinking about her fate—rather her misfortune—Aronita wiped her eyes.
The two friends knew everything about each other except one thing. Aronita had never told that secret to anyone.
Aronita's thoughts were interrupted by her mother's call. Her mother, Ahona, was a single mother. In a city it might have been normal, but in a village it was considered a terrible thing. Ahona had fought alone to raise her daughter.
Ahona had once belonged to a wealthy family. Seeing their daughter's determination to study, her parents agreed to educate her. She continued her studies, but suddenly she went missing. Even after searching everywhere, she was not found. Only a letter was left in her room saying that she had left the village with the man she loved.
Many years passed.
Ahona was her parents' only child, and they could not live happily without her. After many years, she finally returned—bringing Aronita with her. She told them that the man she loved had betrayed her. After marrying her and when she became pregnant, he abandoned her.
All those years Ahona had lived only for the sake of her child. Now she wanted to end her life. But can parents allow their daughter to die? They forgave her and accepted her back.
The village created a lot of chaos over the matter, but because of Ahona's father's wealth and influence, no one dared to say much openly. Still, no one really mingled with Ahona and Aronita. Mridha was Aronita's only friend.
Ahona came closer and asked,
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"You're hiding things from your mother?"
"Actually… Mridha's mother has fixed her marriage, but she isn't agreeing."
Ahona asked thoughtfully,
"Where is the boy from?"
"How would I know? Mridha was very upset and kept saying she won't marry."
Ahona sighed and said,
"If I could arrange a good marriage for you, only then I would feel at peace."
Aronita said nothing, but in her heart she thought,
"I have already given my heart to someone long ago… but he doesn't want me."
Ahona continued speaking in her own way. Lost in thought, Aronita suddenly asked,
"Mother, if someone loves another person deeply… do they always suffer?"
Ahona froze for a moment and looked closely at her daughter. Yet even as a mother, she could not understand what was going on inside her mind.
Noticing her mother's gaze, Aronita gave a faint smile and said,
"I mean… I've seen many people like that."
Sadness appeared in Ahona's eyes. She too had loved someone deeply—yet what had he done?
Realizing her mother's sadness, Aronita said softly,
"Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean it like that."
Ahona forced a smile and said,
"You know, my child, a woman's fate is very strange. Some become queens, some become servants, and some are destined to be neither."
Aronita knew the pain hidden inside her mother's heart. She had seen it since childhood. Even now her mother sometimes cried secretly for that man. When villagers made taunting remarks, Ahona would come home and soak her pillow with tears, unable to say anything to anyone.
Aronita knew everything. That was why she hated the man called "father" more than anyone. She had never asked her mother about his identity. To her, a father meant a coward who had abandoned them out of fear of responsibility.
To her, a father meant the most cruel and heartless man in the world—someone whose face she never wanted to see.
Wiping her tears, Ahona said,
"My child, never love someone who will make you cry for the rest of your life."
Aronita remained silent.
Yes, she loved someone. And the person she loved would never accept her.
Her thoughts drifted back into the past…
One spring afternoon Aronita was returning home from college alone. Mridha had not gone that day for some reason. Suddenly a dog started chasing her. The unexpected attack frightened her and she screamed.
At that moment, a man passing by noticed her and drove the dog away. Then he said,
"Instead of being scared, you could have just chased it away."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Aronita opened her eyes and looked. In front of her stood a handsome man. She felt she had never seen him before.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before."
Sadman laughed and said,
"Do you know every boy in this area?"
Aronita understood his teasing tone. Muttering to herself, she tried to walk past him, but he called from behind,
"I was just joking. Sorry. And next time when you walk this road, be careful. On this road there are not only dogs, but also humans who are like dogs."
Aronita turned back. She liked what he said. Softly she replied,
"Thank you."
That was where the story began.
Whenever Aronita passed that road afterward, she often searched for Sadman but didn't see him. One day while returning home alone again, suddenly Sadman appeared in front of her.
Startled, Aronita said,
"You!"
"Yes, you were looking for me, weren't you?"
"As if I would! Move aside."
Sadman stepped aside. Aronita took a couple of steps forward when he called from behind,
"I'm Sadman. At least tell me your name."
Aronita said nothing and walked away.
This continued for several days. Whenever Mridha wasn't there, Sadman would appear. Gradually a friendship developed between them, though Aronita had still not told him her name.
One day he said,
"Beautiful girl, will you finally tell me your name?"
"Aronita."
"Wow, that's a very cute name."
Aronita smiled.
Their relationship was going quite well. Suddenly Sadman stopped meeting her for several days. Then one day he appeared again.
Worried, Aronita asked,
"Where were you all these days? Don't you think I might worry?"
Sadman replied in a harsh voice,
"You don't need to worry about me."
This was the first time Aronita had heard such a tone from him. She couldn't understand what had happened. But her heart was sensing something bad.
"Why are you talking like this?" she asked.
"How should I talk?" Sadman said seriously.
"Look, Aronita, a friendship has formed between us, but from today that relationship will no longer exist."
Aronita stepped back and said with a broken voice,
"You're joking with me, right?"
"This is not a joke. It's the truth."
With trembling voice Aronita said,
"But Sadman… I've fallen in love with you."
Sadman's voice became even colder.
"Don't keep any feelings for me in your heart. I will never be able to accept you."
"But why? What is my fault?"
"You have no fault. There is no reason. But I cannot accept you. Forget me. We will never meet again."
Ignoring Aronita's tears, Sadman walked away.
A soft rain began to fall. Aronita's tears mixed with the raindrops, becoming one. Yet Sadman never came back. After that day, they never met again.
Aronita knew nothing about him except his name.
But even so… she continued to suffer in love.
#Running…
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