Today, everyone’s eyes were on the main gate as some guests had arrived, whom the gatekeeper had stopped outside.
The boys running in the field glanced towards them with every lap, but a stern scolding from the coach soon followed, and they shifted their focus back to running.
The main reason for keeping the guests at the gate was that among them were two women, one of whom was a young girl. She was dressed in traditional rural attire in such a way that, with her veil covering her face, she appeared like a newlywed bride. The other woman was likely her mother. As for the man accompanying them, it could only be assumed that he was probably the girl's father.
Though the guests were not allowed inside the premises, chairs were courteously set up for them under the shade of a tree near the gate. While the man and the woman sat down, the young girl remained standing, but her face was hidden under the veil, preventing anyone from seeing her.
Despite the gatekeeper’s efforts, the guests were not permitted entry, but one of the trainers was sent to the gate to talk to them and find out the reason for their visit.
A little later, when the seemingly disinterested guests left, the residents inside the premises got to know who they were and the reason for their visit.
In fact, these people were relatives from the in-laws of the trainer, who had been married off in a child marriage many years ago. Everyone living there was aware of this, and also knew that the trainer, whom the boys referred to as "junior sir," had no relationship with his wife or her family. He presented himself as unmarried.
That’s why, after hearing a rumor that their son-in-law was soon to be sent abroad, these innocent villagers had brought their daughter along to convince him to reconcile and take her with him. They feared he might leave their daughter behind forever as he prepared to go overseas.
The situation became even more ridiculous when the trainer refused to meet them, stating that his child marriage had taken place at a young age and he no longer acknowledged it. He insisted he had no relation to these so-called relatives.
The girl's father first tried to reason with him and then, in a slightly harsher tone, issued a warning, but the trainer didn’t budge. On the contrary, he threatened the girl's father, saying that he would file a police complaint against him for illegal child marriage, accusing him of deceiving him by hiding the girl’s age and tricking him into marriage.
To avoid any unpleasant situation, the guests left.
The whole campus started mocking the trainer, laughing at the fact that no one had even been selected to go anywhere yet, but this newly formed family was already making rounds, trying to corner him. The boys gossiped and joked behind his back.
But the other side of the scene was also touchy. The girl living with her parents even after her marriage was feared that her husband would leave her alone forever.
