Small Story 484.

Small Story 484. : An Honest Twist Smitha arrived at Majestic Metro Station, where Sandeep had promised to wait at their usual spot. She looked around, but he wasn’t there. Surprised, she decided to wait for five minutes. Sandeep was never careless or uninformative. Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang. “Hey, sorry! Good news—my sister’s marriage has just been fixed. The boy’s family came suddenly, so I couldn’t make it. See you in the office this afternoon,” Sandeep said before hanging up. Smitha smiled and headed to work alone. Both Smitha and Sandeep worked in the same consulting firm in Jayanagar. Smitha lived nearby, while Sandeep stayed in Rajajinagar. Since Smitha had some work near Majestic, she had asked Sandeep to meet her so they could travel together by metro. They liked each other and had decided to marry. Sandeep had been honest about his past—his wife had died in an accident just a week after their marriage. Smitha accepted it without hesitation. However, Smitha’s mother wanted her to marry her friend Shalini’s son. Shalini had recently returned from the US and settled in Bengaluru. Her son, Vivek, a software engineer, had been transferred to the city as well. That afternoon, Sandeep came to the office and met Smitha. Meanwhile, Smitha received a call from her mother saying that Vivek was nearby and wanted to meet her. An hour later, Vivek walked into the office. Smitha introduced him to Sandeep. Vivek’s face lit up. “Hey! How are you?” “I’m fine,” Sandeep replied, surprised. Turning to Smitha, Vivek explained, “He’s my ex–brother-in-law. My sister married him, but she met with an accident soon after. Sandeep is a good man—my sister was just unlucky.” Then Vivek smiled and added, “Actually, I’m in love with a girl from the US. My mother wants me to marry you, so I came here to meet you in person and tell you honestly that I don’t want this marriage.” Relieved, Smitha shared her love for Sandeep and how he had been truthful about his past. Vivek was genuinely happy. “I’ll make sure both of you get married,” he said. “And I’ll tell my mother that you don’t like me.” A month later, Smitha and Sandeep’s wedding was celebrated joyfully. The twist came later— Vivek didn’t just convince his mother that Smitha disliked him. He also told her the truth about Sandeep, standing up for his character and honesty. Because of Vivek’s integrity, both families came together happily, proving that honesty, even when unexpected, creates the strongest bonds. K.Ragavan 8-1-26