He was born in Mumbai into a well-to-do family of four brothers. He was the third child and was considered the blue-eyed boy of the family. A pampered child, he did whatever was expected of him without questioning or showing disinterest, and thus became the apple of everyone’s eye. He was not academically gifted, at least compared to his brothers, and so his family decided that he should start working in the stock market right after he finished his tenth standard. He could anyway continue his higher studies through correspondence.

He was doing well in his job and studies, when suddenly love happened.

She was the sister of one his friends and lived in the same neighbourhood. There was something in her which got him head over heels in love with her. She shared the same feeling. Whenever they met, they made a lot of promises to each other. Eventually, after a long courtship of about seven years they decided to get married, but with the consent of their families. Those were the golden days of his life when everything seemed magical, he had his love by his side and also a loving family. He was happy as God gave him everything he could possibly ask for.

But his happiness seemed short lived. It turned out his parents were already looking for a match for their son and had already decided on a girl who fulfilled all their expectations of an ideal wife. As he was getting nowhere, he decided to meet the girl hoping to tell her to find a way out.

They met one day and he told her all about how and why he could not get married to her. She listened to him patiently, nodding her head from time to time. He told her to reject the match as this was the only way out. He also told her that he could not reject her because no one would listen to him. She went back home and after a few days when the families again met to decide on marriage, she was asked if she had problems with this match. She replied she had absolutely no problem on getting married to him. This one statement changed the entire course of his life. How he wished she did not agree to the match.

I still fail to understand how you can marry someone knowing that he doesn't love you! Can you be happy in such an arrangement? Won't you blame the boy later for being unfaithful? 

He left his house and family, as there was no other option left for him. He was practically on the streets after that. For the first few days, he had nowhere to go. He used to sleep in trains, till one day a friend helped him out by allowing him to sleep in his empty flat. This went on for a few days but it was soon found out by the friend’s father who wanted to put the flat on rent. Those were the days of great struggle in his life, but the testing times helped him get stronger.

After a long struggle, he was able to get a place on rent and also a decent job to sustain himself. Yet, not for a single moment had he forgotten the girl he dreamt to marry and settle down with. So, after he got a place to stay, he asked her to marry him, which she had to do against her parent’s wishes. She came from a very rich family and it was not acceptable to her family that she chose to spend the rest of her life with a struggling man who had deserted his own family.

On one auspicious day, he arranged for a Pandit and married her in a simple ceremony. By this time he had joined the film industry and was doing well in his job. Finally, things were looking up for them. They both cherished each and every moment of their lives very much as it was not easy for them to arrive at this stage of their lives. Today, he is a successful writer and associate film director and a doting father to their son.

Yet, at times they wished some things were different. Things would have been very different if everything was accepted by their families. His family has still not forgiven him for walking out of the house. He is not invited to any family function or gathering. Although it has been a long time since the day he walked out of his house, and is happily married, he still misses his family very much, and all the good times they shared.

How he wishes they could be together as one big family, but he knows that is never going to happen. He just has one question- Is it a crime to follow one's heart? Is is a crime to fall in love?

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