Aarti Ketkar
A victim, a survivor, and a wise mentor, Aarti (35) has endured much in her life. She is taken abuse from her husband and his family but still manages to carry on, go to work, and provide what she can for her marriage. There are few light moments in her life, but among them, her frequent train companion, Ria, is a shining star. Aarti even sees her as a little sister of sorts, and it warms her heart to watch Ria grow as a person.
Aarti tries to impart Ria with wisdom and stories from her personal experiences to help her have a better life than the one she was thrust into. But Aarti’s story is not one of tragedy; it is a story of rebuilding after tragedies.
Once, Aarti’s passion was to become an interior decorator, but her arranged marriage made that impossible. Though she has a flair for style, Aarti has no choice but to dress conservatively. Aarti's skills still come out when she offers style tips to Ria on the train from time to time, but when Ria says she should try to do it professionally, Aarti just laughs it off.
Aarti was the perfect daughter, but when she was old enough to marry, her parents introduced her to Ajith and arranged for their marriage. During dowry negotiations, Aarti’s and Ajith’s family verbally agreed to a reasonable sum of money.
Among the ancient Hindus, presenting gifts to each other during a wedding was a required cultural practice, and the daughter's father was expected to provide expensive jewelry to his daughter. Unfortunately, Aarti's new husband and family were greedy, abusive, and controlling. Aarti knows her situation is dire, but her options are limited.