Just Think Over It

For first part of the story, click on the link below: https://www.rahulvut.com/2025/10/the-greatest-exploitation-part-i.html Even comfortable cages are still cages. One week passed since that evening — that full night of confession and conversation. The first one they had in a very long time with their families. They hardly spoke to each other afterward. The silence in the house grew so intense that even the wall clock’s ticking could be heard clearly. It felt as if speaking had become a punishable offense, so no one dared. Cooking was, of course, out of the question. Nobody had time for breakfast. Lunch was eaten at the office, and who the hell wanted dinner anymore? Even their dependable escapes — Instagram reels and YouTube shorts for Manvi, alcohol for Manav — lost their edge. They came home, she went straight to the bedroom, he went to the study, and they emerged only when the sun was out. Every morning, they moved out so swiftly — to get away from the s...

“The greatest exploitation lies not in chains, but in making someone worship their own cage.” Evenings have a strange way of repeating themselves. Manav and Manvi returned home as they did every night — the same gate, the same elevator hum, the same silence that had started feeling heavier than any argument. The walls remembered their laughter better than they did. It had been two years since their wedding — a grand, glittering celebration that made everyone except the two of them happy. There had been blessings, rituals, promises, and pictures — thousands of them. Everyone said they looked perfect together. Perfection — the cruelest word in human vocabulary. It ends where life begins. The first few months were golden. Love was new, and everything that is new carries the illusion of eternity. They found reasons to hold hands, to cook together, to dream together. The honeymoon in Zurich was straight out of a postcard — snow-capped Alps, clean air that almost forced people to s...

Please read the first part of the story   The Gift  before reading onwards. I was hoping for some news in a week but could not muster the courage to ask about it from Rohan given how the situation unfolded last time. After nearly two months, I got the invitation card and that summed up everything. I went to the wedding and tried to help in any way I could. After interacting with various people involved, I learned that like everything else in life, a wedding can be observed from various points of view. Everyone involved is in it for their own reason and motivation. A wedding, especially in the Indian context, is one of the major events in the life of so many people. No wonder they plan it for years and are ready to go down in debt to make it a grand affair.  I heard many people criticizing the food and arrangement. I realized that no matter how well you do something,  you can never make everyone happy.  It was a night wedding and I stayed up all night to hel...

'It's wrong' , Rahul yelled at top of his voice. 'What is wrong? and why are you shaking?' , asked his wife Radha. 'It's an incident I had to witness way back in 2004. It still fills me with rage when I think of it' , Rahul said. He was still not stable. ' Please tell me! I want to know' ,said Radha. ' Rohan was a very good friend of mine. He lived with his parents and two elder sisters. His father was a post man and  a well known person in our area. Everyone respected him. He was my classmate.One day he looked very sad.I asked him about it.He said, ' My uncle and aunt came to meet us. We were very excited to meet them. While having dinner, my aunt said that my sister is getting older and we must think about her wedding. My father said that still there was some time  left and he would consider the wedding once he thought was right. To this my uncle said that it would be very difficult to find the right boy if my sister gets older and it w...