Suman was waiting for Neela for a long time in the park. He was looking at his watch perpetually. Neela was never that late before. He was wondering if the rumour was true. A sudden sense of fear gripped his mind.
He could see Neela from a long distance. She was walking towards him slowly. She was wearing a blue saree, which was his favourite. But Neela’s eyes were looking very anxious.
‘Suman, I am really sorry. I did not inform you as I could not figure out how to tell you about this.’
‘What does he do?’
‘Software engineer. He has his own apartment in Dum Dum. His salary is also sufficient.’
‘Oh,’ Suman tried to bring an indifferent smile to his face.
‘I still love you, Suman. But how can I go against my family? Please don’t misunderstand me, dear.’
‘There is nothing to misunderstand. I am jobless whereas he has a decent job. You have taken the right decision. You will be happy with him, Neela.’
‘This is the invitation card. Please accept it. We are getting married after seven days. Please attend the ceremony. If you have ever loved me a bit, don’t try to create any scene or interrupt our marriage.’
Neela’s eyes turned teary. It was possible that she was struggling hard to suppress her emotions. She turned and began to walk swiftly towards the main road.
Suman kept staring at her footsteps. Neela took a turn and completely disappeared from his view. Suman realised that our lives are just like the roads. Only the bends are important. Some people find a better way to walk in those turns; others become prey to road accidents.
It was Neela’s wedding day. Suman had decided not to attend the ceremony. He was not confident about himself. He might actually create a scene if he went there. Suman felt drained. He went to bed early and closed his eyes. 
When he woke up from his slumber, Suman found several missed calls from Neela’s number on his cell phone. His phone was on silent mode.
The phone screen flashed the same number again. Suman could not decide if he should respond to the call or not. Neela might still have a soft corner for him. It was possible that she was worried as he was not coming. What should a real lover do in this situation?
Suman vowed to himself that he would not respond. He did not want Neela to think about him even after her marriage. It would ruin her life. But he was also not certain for how long he could be true to his vow.
Neela once again called Suman from her mobile. The groom had not arrived yet. According to the Hindu customs, she would have to remain unmarried for her entire life if the groom did not appear before the mahurat. There was a sombre atmosphere in her house. Only Suman could save her from this situation. Neela knew that Suman would respond to her call if his love was true.