The girl who ran away from home.

This story is about a young woman who elopes with a young man.

March 2021 Delhi
Shikha's 21-year-old daughter, Kirti, had said to her the previous day, "Mom, I want to introduce you to someone."
Shikha had an idea. "Won't you introduce Papa?" she asked with a smile.
"Papa can also meet him," she said, a little shyly.
Shikha asked, "Who is he?"
"See him tomorrow evening," Kirti said with a laugh.
The next day, Kirti cleaned the house before dusk and decorated the living room with a special decor. In the evening, Siddharth arrived with his parents. As expected, Siddharth and Kirti liked each other and were interested in marriage. They both worked in the same bank.
Shikha and her husband, Sharad, welcomed them.
The conversation was cordial, and Siddharth and Kirti were scheduled to marry in June.
After the guests left. When she had some free time, she was deeply reminded of her friend Kiran.
She was transported back to the year 1975, a time when two major events had occurred in her life. One, the Emergency was declared in India, and the other, when her close friend Kiran had to flee her home.
March 1975
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Shikha went straight to Kiran's house from college. Kiran hadn't gone to college that day. Shikha was worried about her. Kiran was sitting in the living room with her father, watching TV. Seeing Shikha arrive, Kiran came out and took her into the living room. It was a large room. A large wooden TV stand had a large TV on top, and a record player below it. Kiran's father, Ratan Kumar, was sitting on a sofa set opposite. There was a divan on one side of the sofa, and two wooden armchairs on the other. Shikha greeted Ratan Kumar. He smiled at her and said, "Hello, daughter. Come sit." They both sat on the sofa. Shikha was hesitant to sit there. She asked Kiran to accompany her to her room. The program Kiran was watching was about to end. She wanted to finish it and leave. She said to Shikha, "We'll leave in two minutes."
Shikha wasn't interested in the program, and Kiran's father's presence made her uncomfortable. She felt uncomfortable watching movies on TV or listening to music on the radio in front of her father, even though he had never said anything.
After a while, the TV program ended. Kiran took Shikha to her room.
Shikha then spoke up and asked Kiran, "Why didn't you come to college today?"
Kiran said, "I just didn't feel like it."
Shikha rubbed her head and said, "I was worrying unnecessarily."
Shikha and Kiran were close friends. Shikha was a middle-class girl. Her father, Kaushal, was a physical education teacher at the local school. She had a younger sister and two younger brothers. Kiran was the only daughter of Ratan Kumar, a prominent businessman. Ratan Kumar and his wife, Sheela, loved Kiran very much and fulfilled her every wish from childhood. There was a significant difference in the standard of living between Shikha and Kiran, but this had no effect on their friendship. Shikha and Kiran studied together from primary school to college. Their homes were close, so they visited each other's homes frequently.
Shikha's father was a bit serious, and she spoke only limitedly to her own father. Kiran's father spoke frequently with both Kiran and Shikha. Shikha felt that Kiran's father loved Kiran too much, while her father did not.
Due to financial and social reasons, Shikha left her studies after completing her BA and began tutoring neighborhood children at home. She also took on the responsibility of educating her younger siblings.
Kiran had enrolled in an MA in English. She had also urged Shikha to continue her studies. But Shikha's father had refused, and Shikha had agreed. She herself was not ambitious. Her mother's health had deteriorated, so she had taken over the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Shikha and Kiran's visits had become less frequent. Kiran would occasionally visit Shikha's house, but then her visits became less frequent.
She was aware of Kiran and Rakesh's affair. She had asked Kiran, "When would she and Rakesh get married, and would her parents be ready for it?" The reason for this question was that Rakesh's caste was different from Kiran's. He was a lower caste according to caste classification.
Kiran had said that they would marry after her final MA exams. She would inform her parents at the appropriate time. They loved her so much that there was no question of her refusing. Rakesh was good-looking and self-sufficient. He worked in insurance and earned a good income. Shikha was also convinced. She had seen Uncle Ratan's affection for Kiran.

One day, Kiran's maid came to Shikha and told her that Kiran had called her.

When Shikha arrived at Kiran's house, there was a strange silence. Kiran's mother saw her and burst into tears. Shikha was at a loss.

Kiran's mother took her hand and said, "It's good you've come. Come with me."

She led Shikha to Kiran's room. She was surprised to see that the room was locked. Her mother opened the lock and gestured for Shikha to enter.

Shikha went inside and saw Kiran lying on her bed, covered with a sheet. Seeing Shikha, Kiran smiled and asked her to sit on the chair near the bed. Shikha sat down. He said to Kiran, "If you were so unwell, you should have called me earlier."
Kiran smiled and said, "It's okay now that you've come. I'm fine."
He removed the sheet and extended his hand to help her get up.Kiran said, "I will marry Rakesh only."
Shikha was at a loss for what to do. She consoled Kiran, "Everything will be fine. I'm leaving now. I'll be back."
Actually, she felt someone from Roshan Daan was keeping an eye on them.
Shikha returned home.
Shikha's father was looking for a groom for her. Coincidentally, the groom's family came to see her that very day and, due to some unavoidable circumstances, requested the marriage be solemnized within 15 days. Shikha's family accepted.
Kiran was under house arrest. Because Shikha was a very close friend, Kiran had been granted permission to attend her wedding. Her parents had brought her. Taking advantage of the hectic wedding atmosphere, she had eloped and eloped. There was a huge uproar.
Later, it was revealed that Kiran and Rakesh had eloped and married. Five years after their marriage, Kiran was able to return to her parents' home.
At that time, people had abused Kiran a lot. Whenever she was mentioned, they would say, "The same girl who ran away from home." But she believed Kiran hadn't done anything wrong.
She was lost in old memories when Kirti came over and said, "What are you thinking, Mom?"
I was thinking about your wedding preparations. Kirti stayed in the room for a while and then left.
Shikha dialed Kiran's number on the phone and, after telling her about Kirti's wedding, said, "Please come to the wedding. It's been a long time since we met. Bring everyone."
Kiran said, "If God wills, we'll all come. Mom and Dad are with me, I'll bring them too."
Talking to Kiran brought her immense joy and she became even more enthusiastic about Kirti's wedding preparations.