Yes or No - A very Short Story

It was the fag end of the nineteenth century. India was under the British Raj. He was in a great dilemma on what to do? He was not sure whether to say Yes or No.

He had just lost his wife. She had a disease that was neither cured by European medicines nor by the Traditional Indian Medicines. She had died without producing any offspring.

His parents were forcing him to remarry. They had even selected a girl from their native village. “He was too young not to remarry; people are even marrying in their sixties. What is wrong in marrying again?” was the logic used by his parents to convince him. Their concern was that if he doesn’t marry, their dynasty will come to an end, as he was their only son.

He had seen the girl, whom his parents wanted him to marry, few days earlier. She was pretty, young and beautiful; nevertheless he was confused. He was not able to remove his dead wife’s image from his heart. He was not sure whether to say Yes or No to his parents.

What did he say? Yes or No.

You would not have been reading this article if he had said No. He was my Great – Grand father.