Tamia l
A confident voice echoed through the group of girls gathered around.
"For me, money and my mom and dad are everything. I can live without anything, but not money. I love the feeling of a full purse and stuffed pockets," Tamia stated, her tone unwavering.
One of the girls, Navya, raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Tamia? Everyone wants love, a good boyfriend—someone who truly cares for them. Don’t you?"
Tamia crossed her arms. "Navya, I want to be rich—whether by my efforts or through my partner. Love doesn't matter to me. As long as there's money, everything else is secondary."
Navya sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, do what you want. Anyway, I need to go pack my bags—heading to my hometown." She hugs each off them
Far from the city, away from pollution and noise, lay Tamia’s hometown—a place filled with fresh air, lush greenery, and open fields of wheat and cotton. Cows, goats, and sheep roamed freely on the roads, a stark contrast to the urban rush she was used to.
At the small bus stand, Tamia waited for her father. Within a few minutes, he arrived on his scooter, waving at her with a warm smile.
"How was your journey?" he asked as she climbed on.
"It was fine, Dad, but you know my motion sickness problem—I threw up twice."
Her father chuckled. "That’s normal. You'll be fine."
Tamia lived in a big joint family, with a total of sixteen members spread across their two-story house.
Grandparents
Three sons (Tamia’s father and his two brothers) with their families:
Elder uncle, his wife, and their three children:
Shikha (24, married)
Ashika (22)
Prem (17)
Tamia’s parents with their children:
Sana (23, engaged)
Tamia (18)
Jay (14)
Younger uncle, his wife, and their three children:
Veer (20)
Rima (18)
Nayan (15)
Also, living nearby was Rushil (24), the son of Tamia’s father’s best friend. His family owned a factory and acres of farmland.
--- ____
Tamia’s POV
As I entered the house, a wave of warmth welcomed me. My entire family was there, even my dad’s best friend’s family. I greeted everyone—everyone except one person.
Rushil.
I just didn’t like him.
After changing into comfortable clothes, I walked to the living room. The men were deep in discussion, while the women were busy in the kitchen. As expected, all the younger members of the family had gathered in a room on the second floor.
I headed toward my mom. "Mom, I need something cold to eat or drink."
"Ice cream?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Ashu took all of them," she said with a sigh.
"Fine, I’ll go get some from her."
I made my way to the room but before I could enter, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me into another room.
It was none other than Rushil.
I glared at him. This wasn’t the first time he had done this.
"What do you want?" I asked sharply.
"Why didn’t you greet me?" he whispered in my ear, his grip firm but not painful.
I scoffed. "My wish."
"Miu," he murmured. Only he called me that.
"Rushil, I’m not in the mood to argue with you."
I pushed him away, but he held my wrist tighter.
"I want to marry you," he said.
The next moment, he was on the floor. I had pushed him hard enough to make him stumble.
Without another word, I turned and entered the room where the rest of my cousins were.
It was almost funny—no, it was definitely funny—how every generation in my family had exactly three children.
During lunch, everyone gathered in the hall. My grandfather, the head of the family, suddenly spoke up.
"It’s time we finalize the weddings for Sana and Ashika," he announced.
Sana was already engaged, and now her in-laws were proposing a match for Ashika with a relative of theirs.
While they were deep in discussion, I was busy playing rock-paper-scissors with Veer.
Then I felt it—Rushil’s eyes on me. I turned to glare at him, making sure no one else noticed.
That’s when I heard my name.
"Ravi, I want Tamia’s hand for Rushil," Rushil’s father said to mine.
My entire focus snapped to my father.
He remained calm. "Bhim, Tamia just passed her 12th exams. She still has to complete her graduation. On top of that, she’s only 18. We can talk about this when she turns 20."
My respect for my dad skyrocketed in that moment. Even though we lived in a small town surrounded by traditional thinkers, he understood the importance of education and legal age for marriage.
I smiled at him, and he blinked at me as if to reassure me.
But Bhim uncle wasn’t done yet. "I’m not asking for marriage right now—just an engagement. What do you say?"
Dad shook his head. "Bhim, understand this—my daughter is not going anywhere right now. We will consider marriage when the time is right. And most importantly, I won’t force her into anything."
I screamed inside my mind. I LOVE YOU, DAD!
---
A few days later, Veer and I were headed to Bangalore for my college admission. The entire family came to see us off.
The admission process went smoothly, and the university staff was friendly. I enrolled for a B.Sc. in Social Science.
On the way back, as we sat in the bus, Veer turned to me.
"Why didn’t you agree to the engagement?"
I sighed. "It’s not just about the engagement, Veer. I don’t want to be tied down by a relationship that limits my freedom. You know how I spend my money and my lifestyle preferences."
Veer nodded. "Fair enough. But why not Rushil? He’s rich and handsome."
I exhaled sharply. "He is, but he has an elder brother and sister. You know I don’t like joint families. And the main reason is—"
Before I could finish, the bus stopped at our destination.
Somehow, I knew this conversation wasn’t over.
