Chapter 1: In the Making of Marriage

Hello everyone! I am Lekyuen. I am teacher here at Rukubji Community Primary School in Trongsa Dzongkhag. After completing my Bachelors of Education from Paro College of Education, I decided to devote my life to students. Behind every window, there is a curtain and behind every person there is a story to tell. Marriage is one of the main reasons that keep race of humans survived for millions of years. And I look back at my story of broken marriage. Although, broken marriage is painful to look back, it taught me lot of lessons about many things: love, hatred, betrayal and depression. I am a woman and I have a heart that loves a man like every woman does.

Several years ago, I met a guy in the same college. We were like Romeo and Juliet then. He sacrificed many other women just to be with me and I sacrificed lot of other men to be with him. We tied a knot of love and we decided to marry after graduating from the college. I was the happiest woman. I graduated from the college, got a lovely job and finally I was going to marry with the man who filled my heart with joy.

Let me tell you all about our first time relationship in the college. It begins just like any other relationship. He was a stranger to me and I was to him. Then stranger became friends. We became closer friends. Not immediately but as pages of time flipped by.

One evening, we were walking towards the hostel after playing basketball. As always, he was tall and handsome gentleman. I often look at his face to insult but I was always the one to get insulted. Tashi was a man from Trashigang. It is myth and believe that people from Sharchop region are short and they look like pokemon. He was tall and he was kind. On that particular evening, I noticed that he was nervous. “Tashi, the Lion! The king of the jungle is afraid today”, I joked him. To my surprise, he didn’t reply me unlike everyday he uses power of his words to insult my hair, my weird way of laughing.

“Lekyuen, I feel that today is the right evening to tell you the truth I have been waiting to tell you. I have held inside for several months now. If I can’t tell you today, I will regret for life time”, Tashi said.

I started to worry. I was not ready to hear a surprise. In my mind, “Is he going to tell me about his illness? about the death of parents? Or something?” “I am not ready to listen but what is it? I hope everything is alright with you?” His voice became shakier. He resembled a giraffe that is caught by a tiger from his throat. His words came slowly in bit and pieces like breathings of the suffocated giraffe. “I..I…Love….you!”

What should I tell him in return? I stood there in amazement. I didn’t expect that from a person who loved to insult me. My heart beats were racing. “Lekyuen, what do you say? For many months, I was looking for a way that leads to your heart. But, I knew that I have to consult a guide. And that guide is you.”

I had no answer. What I could remember is, I told him, “I need a time to think about it Tashi. I need a day or two. Can you wait?”

“Yeah! I can”.

“I will answer within two days. Goodnight for now”. I slowly went to my room as he stood there watching me passed by.