Small Story524.

Small Story 524 Destined to Meet Again Nirmala never expected to meet Arun at the Bangalore City railway station. A year ago, he had come to her house in Chennai as a prospective groom—and had rejected her. Now, as she arrived in Bangalore to attend a wedding, she noticed a handsome man smiling at her. It was Arun. For a moment, both were surprised. Then Nirmala smiled politely. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here!” Arun said warmly. “I came to receive a guest, but he cancelled at the last minute. Where are you headed?” “To Jayanagar,” Nirmala replied. “I’ll take a cab.” “I live in Jayanagar too,” Arun said quickly. “Please come with me. I’ll drop you.” Nirmala hesitated. After all, he had once refused to marry her. But not wanting to seem rude, she agreed and followed him to his car. As they drove, Arun asked, “Are you here for work?” “Yes. I recently joined an IT company. I’ll be reporting to their branch office here from tomorrow.” “Congratulations! Do you have family in Jayanagar?” “No, the company has provided accommodation.” When they reached her place, Arun smiled. “This is your house? I stay just a few houses away.” Nirmala thanked him and was about to leave when he said, “If you don’t mind, please come to my house this evening for tea.” He handed her his card and asked her to call before coming. That evening, Nirmala visited his house. Arun welcomed her and introduced his sister, Niraja. After tea and snacks, Arun spoke softly. “Today is the same day I visited your home last year,” he said. “I rejected the proposal for a reason. My parents were in the U.S. visiting my elder brother. That very day, my brother met with an accident. My parents felt it was a bad sign and asked me not to proceed.” Nirmala listened quietly. Niraja gently added, “At that time, perhaps it was God’s will. But now, if you are not married, would you consider my brother again? He has always felt bad about that day.” Arun continued, “My parents later realized we had rejected a very sweet girl. Just yesterday, my father called and said if you are still unmarried, I should try to contact you. I didn’t know how to reach you—and today, by God’s grace, I met you.” Nirmala was overwhelmed. She had postponed her marriage earlier, unsure of her future. Now, everything seemed to fall into place. Three months later, with the blessings of both families, Arun and Nirmala were married in a grand auditorium in Bangalore. Truly, they were destined to meet again. Sometimes, what seems like rejection is only a delay in God’s perfect plan. K.Ragavan 17-2-26