Ameya was in love! Being the only son of the local millionaire of Paliganj in Patna, his parents looked forward to the hefty dowry that they could get from his prospective bride. But Surekha’s family was a poor one. They couldn’t afford to spend more than a few thousand rupees on her wedding, and that too with great difficulty.

While Ameya was very clear that he would marry the woman he loved, Surekha was equally sure that it was a pipedream. She knew that being the eldest of three daughters, the chances of her parents offering the dowry expected by Ameya’s parents was never going to happen. She was a confident and practical, young lady. When Ameya confided his love to her, she had told him very clearly that a marriage between them would never work.

Well, she didn’t know Ameya!

He had been educated in the city and had a degree in farming. More than anything, Ameya was convinced that his family didn’t need the dowry money or jewellery that his parents expected from his bride. While he had done his best to talk them out of it, they were equally adamant about getting as much as they could from their prospective daughter-in-law. In fact, they were searching the whole state of Bihar for a rich girl to marry their son.

Unable to take it anymore, Ameya came up with an idea and contacted his best friend Vivek. Vivek had been planning to visit Bihar for an assignment since three months. The moment Ameya invited him, he agreed to go. Their friendship was unusual considering that Vivek was a city boy from Mumbai while Ameya was from a village in Bihar.

They had met while Ameya was studying at a Delhi college and Vivek had visited there for interviewing the principal. Yes, Vivek was a journalist with a popular newspaper and had to travel a lot for research.

Even now, he was in Patna to find out more about the groom kidnapping that happened there rather often. It looked like both the friends were thinking along the same lines.

Ameya waited for Vivek to get into the open jeep before talking to him about his plan. “Arre yaar! I’m in love with Surekha and want to marry her. She wants to marry me too. But…”

Vivek looked at him with a frown. “So what’s the problem?”

Ameya grinned. “That’s the problem. Surekha’s family is poor and they can’t…”

Vivek’s frown deepened. “But you’re rich. That’s a great combination, isn’t it? You can marry Surekha and maybe even help her family.” Vivek couldn’t see what the issue was.

“Pura sun toh lo, mere yaar! I don’t think you know much about us Biharis. It doesn’t matter if the groom’s family has loads of money. In fact, if they do, they demand all the more. If the guy is…”

Vivek couldn’t help interrupting once again. “But you’re educated Ameya. I don’t think you should bother with…”

Ameya parked the jeep to one side of the busy road. He wasn’t too bothered with the honking from other vehicles that couldn’t move smoothly on the narrow street. He pinned his black eyes on his friend, willing him to keep quiet and listen. Vivek put his hands up and said with a smile, “Okay, I’m sorry. You finish your story.”

“That’s better,” said Ameya, before continuing with his tale of woe. “Part of the issue is that I’m educated. The more qualified the groom, the bigger the dowry that’s demanded. Now, do you understand the problem?”

 “Did you try talking to your parents?” asked Vivek, before realising that he was being foolish. Of course Ameya must have done that.

A big sigh emerged from Ameya’s broad chest before he said, “I’ve tried everything, Vivek. It’s just no use. That’s when I came up with this plan. I need your help to execute it. That’s why…”

Vivek nodded his head vigorously. “Anything, my friend! What do you want me to do?”

Ameya placed an arm around Vivek’s shoulders and gave him a hug. “I just knew that I could depend on you.” He started the jeep before explaining his plan to his friend.

   Vivek couldn’t help but be impressed with his friend’s plan. It was just brilliant!

                                                                                                              ***

Surekha looked at her parents sternly. The two of them had been to the moneylender to pawn their house to get enough money for their eldest daughter’s dowry. Luckily, they had not been too impressed with the amount Karimbhai had offered and hence had not taken up the deal. “Mamma, Pappa! Have you both gone mad? You’ll pawn our house and get me married? Then where do you people plan to live? And what about Radhika and Vaishali? How do you plan to get them married?”

Liladhar hung his head while Lachi’s lips drooped sadly. Her mother spoke in support of her husband. “Surekha, that’s all very well for you to talk. But you are already going to be twenty in two months. Do you know what our neighbours and relatives are saying about our family? That your father and I have brought up three daughters and don’t have the wherewithal to get even one married. We’re unable to go out without someone or other questioning when your wedding is going to take place and whether we have found a suitable groom. How do we face such people?” Liladhar nodded his head as he listened to his wife.

The feisty Surekha shook her head, her dark-brown eyes spitting fire. “To hell with everyone, Mamma! Are they going to give you a roof and feed you all once the house leaves your hands?”

It was Liladhar’s turn to defend his action. “We’re not planning to sell the house, Beta. We’re just going to mortgage it.”

 “Oh! And how do you plan to pay Karimbhai his money? And the exorbitant interest that he charges? Just think, Pappa. Once I get married, the small amount that I’m earning will be lost to you. Can you feed the four of you and pay back the loan?”

   Surekha was extremely intelligent and worked as a teacher at the local school. Liladhar couldn’t control his eyes from turning wet when he heard his daughter’s logical argument. “You tell me what I should do, then.”

   Surekha gave him a mysterious smile. “Can you wait for a few weeks?” Both Lachi and Liladhar couldn’t help the hope that rose within them. They were aware that Surekha loved Ameya and the millionaire boy returned her feelings. While they knew that getting Ameya was out of their reach, they could see a new confidence in Surekha today.

“I sincerely hope and pray that things turn out for the best, my child. But are you sure that Ameya can come up with a solution? I met his mother the other day at the market. She wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence. We are way beneath their social status and you know that,” said Lachi, worry eating into her.

 “As I said, just a few weeks. Let’s see if Ameya can do something. Otherwise, you can always go back to Karimbhai.” A secretive smile spread over Surekha’s face as she reassured her parents.

                                                                                                          ***

Radhika stepped into the dark room and spoke in a whisper. “Jijaji! Are you awake?” It was five in the morning and her parents were still asleep. Surekha had sent her younger sister to check on her lover who had been hidden in the dark store room at the back of their house.

Vivek woke up from his disturbed slumber when he felt a feminine touch as someone was shaking his right shoulder hard. He opened his eyes to find only darkness. That’s when he realised that the dark piece of cloth that was tied around his head had not been removed. No wonder he couldn’t see properly. He tried to raise his hand to pull the cloth away only to find that both his hands were tied together tightly behind his back. He was sitting on the floor near a wall. He tried to speak only to find another piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth. The guys he had hired had done a thorough job except for picking up the wrong man.

Yeah, Vivek had hired three goons to have Ameya kidnapped. Ameya had not done it himself as he didn’t want the incident traced back to him. That’s because everyone in Paliganj and nearby villages knew Ameya very well, if not personally, at least by sight. That was the very reason he had requested Vivek to come all the way from Mumbai to hire the kidnappers.

Their plan had misfired and it was Vivek who had been kidnapped. The small hand shook his shoulder relentlessly, believing him to be asleep. Vivek grunted and shook his head from side to side. Radhika untied the cloth that covered his head, believing that the man was Ameya, her brother-in-law-to-be.

 “Just a minute, Jijaji. I’ll remove this knot. It’s quite tight. Surekha’s all ready and waiting for you. The purohit should be here in an hour and you both can be married immediately,” she said, working at the difficult tangle.

Vivek shook his head vigorously in denial. He couldn’t say anything while he could hear every word the girl was saying. She was Surekha’s sister, he presumed, as she insisted on calling him ‘Jijaji’. What the hell!

Finally the cloth was removed from his head. Without noticing who it was in the dark room, Radhika went on to work on the rope that bound his hands together. Vivek groaned or rather he tried to, the sound not able to get out freely. Can’t the woman see that he was unable to talk? But he couldn’t quite blame her as she was busy freeing his hands. Vivek tried to look around in the dark. The woman in front of him was obviously young. She was slim with a lovely figure. She was in a simple salwar kameez. The body hugging top showed the outline of lush breasts complemented by a slim waist and flat abdomen. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see her features. Couldn’t she have brought at least a candle? Stupid woman!

Radhika managed to remove the knot and Vivek got his hands free. They both reached out to remove the cloth in his mouth at the same time. Vivek was dazed as he felt an electric shock when his fingers came in contact with hers. What was happening?

Radhika moved a couple of inches away as she had also felt a jolt of lightening on touching his hand. For crying out loud, he was to marry her sister! She moved away further to stand near the door. It was better to keep a distance from Ameya, it seemed.

She switched on the zero watt bulb that was the only light that was available in the store room and turned to look at the man who was soon to become her sister’s groom. Her eyes opened wide to see a tall stranger standing in the place of Ameya. Who was this? And where was the Jijaji who had been brought to their house in the middle of the night by the goons hired by Ameya’s best friend? Radhika was confused.

Vivek breathed in deeply after being tied up throughout the night and looked at the vision standing near the door after switching on the dim light. She looked even more beautiful now that he could see her better. With sharp features, huge, dark eyes and a baffled frown on her forehead that brought her clear-cut dark eyebrows together, she appeared to strum his heartstrings like a musical instrument. Vivek shook his head to clear up this fantasy and spoke to her or tried to as his throat was parched.

He gestured to her to give him a glass of water. Radhika looked at him warily and without taking her eyes off the stranger, she drew a steel glass of water from the mud pot that was kept on the bench near the door. She walked hesitantly towards him and handed the tumbler to him, careful to keep her fingers out of touch. Vivek smiled when he realised what she was trying to do. So, it looked like she had also felt the current flowing between them. She looked lovely. If this was Surekha’s younger sister, then Vivek couldn’t blame Ameya for being determined about making the elder sister his wife.

Drinking the water in two gulps, Vivek took a deep breath before plunging in. “Hello! I’m Ameya’s friend. I…”

 “Why the hell did you come along with the kidnappers? It was Jiju who was to be brought in. I don’t understand…”

Vivek raised a hand to stop her words mid-flow. While he could listen to her musical voice for the rest of his life, things were getting out of hand. The muhurat was in an hour. Vivek put his hand into his jeans pocket to pick up his cell phone only to find that it wasn’t there. Frowning, he looked around to see his mobile and wallet lying near where he had been sitting. Placing the wallet in his pocket, he checked the phone to find it switched off. He switched it on and called Ameya.

Ameya answered the phone on the first ring and barked, “What the hell’s happening Vivek? Your men, those idiots, why did they take you instead of me? This is crazy man…”

“Just a minute Ameya, listen to me first.” Vivek waited for a few seconds before continuing. “They aren’t my men, to begin with. I don’t know why they picked me instead of you. But you better rush over to your fiancée’s home immediately. The purohit should be here in,” Vivek looked at the large, white dial of his watch, “fifty minutes. Your bride is waiting for you.”

 “How can I do that? I can’t…”

 “Of course you can,” interrupted Vivek once again. “You just need to get yourself here to Surekha’s house. No one will be any wiser as to whether it was you who was kidnapped or I. Just get yourself here. Use my car instead of yours to make it appear as if I am coming over just now.”

Ameya caught on and agreed to follow Vivek’s instructions. Radhika looked at the stranger in wonder. So, this was Ameya’s friend from Mumbai. He was smart and appeared to think on his feet. She realised now that he had been kidnapped in Ameya’s place. And it had taken him only a few minutes to sort out the snarl. He was handsome too! That thought brought on a blush to young Radhika’s cheeks.

A shy Radhika guided Vivek into the house and introduced him to Surekha. With Surekha’s father’s help, Vivek managed to make himself presentable for his friend’s wedding.

Ameya reached Surekha’s home in half an hour and their wedding took place in a quiet fashion with Surekha’s parents, sisters, a couple of cousins from the bride’s side and Vivek from the groom’s side.

                                                                                                         ***

Later, over a simple wedding breakfast, Vivek explained how the mix up had happened. He had hired the goons through some local contacts of his. The men had clear instructions as to what they had to do. They had arrived at the tavern where Vivek and Ameya had been having a drink.

They had seen the two men sitting there. Their instructions were to lift a groom for Surekha. While they should have kidnapped Ameya, they had presumed that that couldn’t be right. The men decided that Ameya was the town millionaire’s son and hence couldn’t be party to the scheme. Coming to the conclusion that Vivek must be the groom, they had taken him away. And that’s how Vivek had landed in Surekha’s store room, unconscious and tightly bound.

                                                                                                            ***

It took three years for Ameya’s parents to accept their son’s bride. That too, only after she had delivered twins – a boy and a girl – who melted away the anger in their grandparents’ hearts.

In the meanwhile, Lachi and Liladhar were only too thrilled when their second daughter Radhika got married to Vivek – now an editor of a newspaper – and went to live in Mumbai. Two of their daughters had got married without a paisa given as dowry while both the sons-in-law showered their wives’ parents with a lot of love and all the financial help that they could ask for.