After Rakesh left the room, the others continued their discussion. "Who knows what really happened? Rakesh says he's unwell. Is it his body that's failing or his heart? It's bound to be a heavy heart—he went there with so much hope. It hurts even me to hear this news; I'm truly shocked. Regardless, we should ask Rani's family why our boy was insulted like this if the girl wasn't interested in the first place."
Everyone seemed to be growing quite angry.
The Defeated Warrior
Meanwhile, Rakesh entered his room. He was quiet, his movements slow and deliberate. He looked like a warrior who had lost a great battle. Sighing deeply, he lay down without even
turning off the light. Sleep would not come to him tonight. Frustration and a thousand questions swirled in his mind.
In the next room, the discussion about the day's events continued. Even with so many people around him, he felt utterly alone. He felt a sense of shame so deep it was as if he couldn't even bear to look at his own reflection. Over and over, he thought about how he already knew how unfortunate he was—so why did he dare to hope?
"Rani was right," he thought to himself. "I am unattractive, I am old, and I am poor. Truly, there is no comparison between Rani and me. I should have known from the start that this marriage was impossible."
Nature's Tears
As these thoughts spiraled, tears began to stream from his eyes. There was no one here to see them, so he didn't try to hide them; he let the bitter tears flow freely. It was supposed to rain today, and a light drizzle began to fall outside. It felt as if nature itself was weeping with him.
Rakesh began to feel completely worthless. He felt that a man whom no woman could love was "unnecessary" in this world. He resolved right then and there that he would never marry—he wouldn't even let the thought of a wife cross his mind again. He would stop hoping for love, because hope only led to more pain, and he couldn't bear to be hurt like this over and over again.
Rakesh used to be terrified of the dark. Now, he found he preferred it. It is said that those who are deeply sorrowful or suffering from depression hide their tears in the darkness. In this way, they eventually begin to love the dark.
And so, the night passed in a blur of restless waking and fitful sleep.
A Morning of Bitterness and a Park Meeting
The next morning, Rakesh came outside while brushing his teeth. His uncle lives in the house next door. Rakesh calls his uncle's son "brother."
As he watched, his brother and his brother's wife were discussing household matters when the moment turned romantic. The wife leaned in and gave the brother a loving kiss on his forehead. Seeing this, Rakesh hurried back inside his room. It was as if he could no longer stand the sight of anything romantic—movies, conversations, or gestures. It all felt unbearable.
He couldn't help but think that he, too, could have had a wife; he, too, could have received such affection. He felt utterly cursed. After freshening up, he threw himself into his work at the cyber cafe, focusing on his customers to drown out his thoughts.