Chapter 1 - The Proposal
Present Day- The wedding
Sharon stood in front of the mirror and took a deep breath. She couldn't identify the reflection of the girl wearing a red bridal saree, staring back from the mirror. How could her life change so much in a few weeks?
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1 month ago
It was exactly 1 month before when she came home to Mumbai, after completing her MBBS from Delhi. She was excited about her outstanding result and ecstatic when she had been accepted for MD in cardiology. Since a young age she always wanted to be a doctor. She came home for a month's break after which she would return to Delhi.
A few days ago, her father and brother called her to their study. She was somewhat nervous as she looked at their faces. Her father was trying to think of what to say and Rey was standing next to him, looking at her with pity. She didn't understand why Rey had that look on when her father spoke, "Sharon, this is very difficult for me but I have to say this. This is for our company."
Sharon knew of a recent scandal that her family was involved in. Ranvijay and Rey hardly talked to her, let alone share details about the business. She saw it in the news at home 4 weeks ago. Apparently the Singhanias colluded with a lobbyist to get some bill passed by resorting to bribes. They were caught and the news broadcasted on television. She called Rey immediately who was in office dealing with this revelation. Her father and brother were not there for dinner that night and neither were they home in the morning for breakfast. Sharon was worried sick about them and couldn't eat or sleep. In a matter of 3 weeks, the Singhania Company sales fell and market share reduced by a big margin. Creditors were constantly calling for repayments and news channels for bytes.
Though the business world was not as closely followed by gossip columnists as they followed the film industry, a scandal of such proportions was something that caught everyone's eyes. Sharon was never involved in the business but such a scandal spared no one. Once she was recognized by few reporters, when she was out for a jog early morning. They surrounded her and kept pressurizing her for comments. She made a lucky dash from there with the aid of her chauffeur.
Her father spoke again, "This recent scandal has broken us. Everything that I built 30 years ago from scratch has come down crumbling. It has not only hit our finances but our reputation as well. The Singhania brand name has been maligned. No one wants to work with us. We are on the verge of destruction." She saw tears forming in her father's eyes. Rey placed a hand on his dad's shoulder. He continued, "All your life, we have never imposed any decision on you, but today I, we, need a favour from you." The desperation in Ranvijay Singhania's voice was evident.
"Dad please," Sharon pleaded, "Don't say like that. I am your child. I'll help you out with anything that you need. Please tell me."
Ranvijay looked at Rey, who nodded apprehensively. He turned to face Sharon, "The Shekhawats have agreed to help. They want to merge with our business but they want the merger to be professional as well as personal. They want their son Swayam and you to be married."
"They... what!" Sharon almost screamed. She was trying to process the information her father just said.
It was Rey who replied, "They want a marriage between the two families. That is their condition. It will save us Sharon. Please."
"Rey! Do you realize what you are asking me to do? Marry a stranger, marry an enemy! This," Sharon stood up from her chair, "I can't and won't do."
"How can you be so selfish Sharon," Rey questioned her, anger now replacing the desperation in his voice.
"I am being selfish," she yelled, "Why should I pay for your mistakes? You paid a bribe, you got caught. So why should I bear the punishment?"
"How is marriage a punishment?" Rey asked
Sharon shook her head, "Rey, you'll marry Kria - the girl you have been with for the past few years, the girl you love and I have to marry a person I hardly know? And why are you all of a sudden trusting the Shekhawats? Aren't they our sworn enemy?"
"You don't have to understand the decisions we make on the business front," Rey reasoned.
Sharon couldn't believe what Rey was saying. "I don't have to understand the business decision but I need to bear the brunt of your failures!"
The war of words between Rey and Sharon intensified. They had spoken to one another much more in those few minutes than they had over the years.
"Enough!" it was their father. There was silence in the room. The 3 Singhanias looked at one another. Ranvijay stood up with wobbly feet. Rey immediately held him for support.
"You were our last hope, my last hope," Ranvijay said before Rey and he left the room.
Sharon couldn't sleep that night. She was going through many emotions. She was angry at them for asking her to do this. She was confused as she contemplated their decision. She cried, thinking of the consequences of her actions. She always wanted her father to love her like he loved Rey. But in her heart she knew what they asked her to do was wrong or was it? They wanted to save something they cherished, they built. She missed her mother a lot at that moment. Before dawn, Sharon had made her decision. At breakfast, she told her family that she was ready for the wedding.
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Taani widened her eyes when she heard what Rishi and Anjali were telling Swayam at breakfast. She looked at her brother who seemed to be lost in some deep thought.
"Do you think it is the right thing?" Swayam asked his parents after few minutes of silence, "I mean the Singhanias have taken a bad hit. How is this "marriage" profitable for us? What do we gain from it?"
Taani's jaw hit the floor when she heard her brother speak. Their parents wanted him to marry Sharon, a girl he'd never meet and all Swayam was bothered about was profitability!
"The scandal will blow over," it was Anjali who replied, "We have all done this, it was sheer bad luck that the Singhanias were caught. I know the current market value of their brand is very low but this merger will be helpful for us in future. Look at the connections and networks they have. Ranvijay Singhania may not be our favourite person but he has business acumen. Opportunities like this don't come often. Look at the Satyam case - falling company saved by merger with Mahindras. We get a major control of the Singhania Group and Ranvijay Singhania will be indebted to us - forever"
Swayam nodded slowly and Anjali went on, "Our PR team will handle this very well. We'll show this marriage as a story of star-crossed lovers, like Romeo and Juliet. 2 people from rival families in love!"
"But why the marriage? We can just take over at our terms." Swayam asked, taking a bite from his toast.
Rishi replied, "Because it humanizes the deal. It creates a strong brand value for us. Think of the headlines - Rival families unite for love of children." Rishi exclaimed animatedly. "We will be identified as a strong corporate house with a heart. It will do wonders for our brand. We won't be the hostile company preying on the frail Singhania Group as the media will make us out to be."
Taani looked in shock at them. She knew the media called her father and mother a power couple but she felt they were more like vultures - looking at weakness and then jumping to take advantage of it. What she was not expecting was Swayam's reaction. She knew he had changed but to talk of marriage like business was low, even for him. She excused herself from breakfast as her father, mother and brother were deeply engaged in this business "proposal." She now knew what her brother would say. So it didn't come as a surprise to her when her mother told her over lunch that Swayam said yes.
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Present Day- The wedding
"Sharon, the ceremony has begun. You have been called," it was Kria's voice. Sharon nodded and wiped the slight drop of tears that had started to form. She looked at her reflection again. She was dressed in an expensive designer bridal saree. Her neck and ears were decorated with diamonds. "You look beautiful," Kria spoke again. Sharon looked pretty but she felt like the sacrificial lamb that was being fattened up for the slaughter. She took a deep breath and walked out of her room, to an unknown future.
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