The Wedding

"The real person smiles in trouble, gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection."

"Butu, come and have dinner." Dad, for a change, called me.

"Coming, dad!"

"I will feed you." Dad announced, seeing my busy hands and just like childhood, I sat next to him, he made small morsels and fed me. I bit back a cry when dad wiped my mouth after feeding me and made me drink water. My eyes surfaced with tears, nevertheless and I hugged my dad tightly.

He slowly patted my head. "My little princess has grown big enough." I could sense his croaked voice.

"I love you dad. I don"t want to marry." Call me stupid but yes, I cried. I felt dad kissing my hair, he didn"say anything.

"When you were born, I used to wait for this day and knot dreams but now when you are actually going, I don"t want to send you." He finally spoke and I hid my face in his neck, shedding tears.

"Then don"t send me."

"I wish I could do that." He laughed, sardonically and I looked up at him. "Why do"n't we make Abhimanyu stay with us?"

"I asked the same thing to my dad but your dad was adamant on bringing me here and my dad couldn"t do anything." I heard mom"'s voice.

"That was a different thing." Dad opposed and mom sat next to me "Why?"

"Because, I am the best dad here." Dad boosted and mom rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right! Self praise has no recommendations."

"Whatever!"

I smiled. This is my family. My picture is a perfect family.

"Now get up Butu and go to sleep.

You"ve to be up early tomorrow." Mom got back to her brigadier mode and dad gestured for me to go.

"Goodnight mom, goodnight dad!" I bid and ran to my room to see Siya waiting for me.

"This is for you." She forwarded a wrapped box.

"What"'s in it?"

"Open na!" She urged, sitting on the bed as I unwrapped the paper.

"Its a box." I opened it to find miniatures. My eyes widened with excitement when I saw the first piece, my home then our family photograph and then my car. She gifted me Jamie Dornan and Leonardo miniatures as well. I was so excited and I shuffled the whole box. It was filled with all my close things. I pounced on Siya and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you thank you thank you sooooooo much. How"d you get this?" I was thrilled and she raised her collars. "Connections and money it all takes."

"How much?"

"30k." She spoke, and my eyes bawled out "30 THOUSAND!!!"

"YOU SPENT SO MUCH MONEY!" My subconscious cried vigorously, I"d be happier if she would have handed me the cash despite the miniatures.

ESV flapped here and there in agony, I could’ve purchased new sexy heels, new dress and a brand-new Caprese bag with that money."

"Shouldn't you be happy that I am gifting you?" She arched her eyebrows. ESV snubbed her, Don"t you have any respect for sale season and shipping sport?"

"Next time give me the cash instead of a gift. Anyways, this is good." I hugged her, chanting morosely.

I pity her prospective husband who will have to deal with her.

"Great! You buy a unique gift spending almost all savings and the person says it"s only good." She dramatically ranted before going. The more she told me about money, the more I wanted to cry. 30k is a big amount, I could"ve purchased so many pizza and diet cokes.

Shooing off the remorseful notions, I laid on my bed. Jitters of getting married were subdued by this recent denunciation. My thoughts were pendulum-d so I kept turning and tossing.

Finally I peeped inside my parents" room and slowly moved between them pulling on the covers, I wasn't going to see them every night on the dinner table and every morning at breakfast.

Scared of being on the verge of crying, I sniffed and hugged my dad tightly, entangling my legs with mom. As expected with the warmth of their love, my eyelids gave away very quickly, and I slept enjoying the moment.

Abhimanyu"s Perspective

"Are you mad? What the hell are you saying?" I heard Bharat, yelling. "You think it all is a joke. She is a joke. Is this marriage a joke?"

"No! This is not a joke and that"s why I don"t want to marry her. I can never offer her what she deserves." I howled, frustrated.

"And backing off at the wedding day will give her what she deserves? You will paint her whole life with stigma." Kartik reasoned.

"At least, she will not be tied in a forceful relation." I tried to make them understand. "She is a really nice girl and I don"t want to hurt her."

"Don"t back off please! It will hurt the innocents only." Bharat greeted his teeth and I fisted my hands. "That is the reason I wanted to tell her the truth."

"Just because Divya brainwashed you, you are ready to stake everything." Kartik glared at me and I sigh. "She said the right thing."

I closed my eyes, recalling the fateful day when I met her again while coming from the office.

"Abhimanyu!!" I halted at my steps and looked back to see Divya.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed and she stepped closer. "I wanted to see you Abhi-"

"Get lost! I don"t want to see your face." I turned to open the door when she clutched my arm. "Please forgive me Abhimanyu. Please!"

I glared at her and her grip on my hand, she retracted her hand and I sat inside the car but she clutched my hand again. "Abhimanyu please forgive me. I beg you please."

"Divya get lost. Don"t create a scene here." I seethed, jerking her hand but she clutched on the window, crying. "Don"t do this to me Abhi. Please don"t do this. I would die without you."

"You didn"t die two years back Divya." I scoffed, "Remember I left you even then."

"Abhi please, don"t be so cruel to me. I begged your pardon but you just left me. I am sorry and I am going to repeat it till my last breath." She cried.

"Divya get lost" I came out and pushed her. "That"s not a mistake. You went to Chetan with your choice. I didn"t stop you then, so don"t stop me now. I have moved past you and I don"t want to see your face even."

"No please, I am sorry Abhimanyu. That was a mistake. I am ashamed of it." She sobbed clutching my hand and I jerked her hand. "Good for you."

"I still love you, Abhimanyu."

"But I don"t. I am getting married very soon and trust me; she is a very good girl. Not like you who left me for Chetan and then left him fo-"

"Shut up Abhi," She yelled. "You hate me this much. You think I am a gold digging bitch?"

I glared at her when she pushed me.

"That is not true. I love you. I"d always loved you until you chose your career over me. I wanted love only."

"And so you slept with Chetan. God! You"re disgusting, Divya." I yelled. Bullshit!

"That"s not true." She sobbed, "I have always loved you. A girl doesn"t want only gifts, chocolates and flowers. She wants love."

"I loved you with all my heart and I"d never cheated on you. I"d never chosen anything over you but perhaps it was always less for you." I reasoned and she sobbed.

"It wasn"t less for me. It is less for everyone. Every girl deserves love and you couldn"t give it to me. You went to London leaving me alone here, you didn"t call me even. You never gave me time but Chetan did." I clenched my fist angrily. She didn"t know what I went through.

"You don"t know how to love Abhimanyu and I am sure one day that girl will leave you as well. She will break your heart and then you will come to me. She will hate you because no one deserves a husband like you. I will pray for it." She oozed venom and retreated. "Don"t forget what you"ve done, Abhi. No one is going to accept you after knowing that. I love you and that"s why I am still begging you to be with me."

"Shut up." I drove, but her words haunted me and so her yelling. "Don"t leave me, Abhi. Don"t, you"ll never be happy, she will leave you too."

"Abhi, she"s a bitch. Don"t think about her. Think about your mind not by your heart." Kartik squeezed my shoulder and I rubbed my forehead.

"I don"t know what to do. I just don"t want to marry now." I rubbed my face agitated and Bharat hugged me. "Bro! Just don"t back out now."

"I won"t." I nodded and wore the sherwani, my hopes and anticipation just vanished. Now this relation would only be for namesake, I would never involve my heart in this relationship. I had to be there because if not, then it would tarnish her and her family"s prestige and I didn"t want to punish her for something she never did.

But, am I not punishing her by caging in a loveless marriage? My mind questioned me. I tied the turban on my head fixing broach on it, absentmindedly. Inhaling hard, I placed the jewel over my sherwani.

"Why are you silent Abhi? What happened?" Bhabhi asked when I reached the main door.

"Jitters bhabhi jitters!" Bharat butted in, I just hoped that I wasn"t doing anything wrong.

Shree"s Perspective

"Ma"am don"t worry, it"s properly clutched." She said, confidently when I tried to tighten the pins.ESV howled at her, Yeah right! It"s not your wedding so why would you panic? Huh! Jerk... No wait, you"re a girl, so Jerk-ni!"

"Okay, so doing fasting haan?" Akshat grinned, coming inside.

"Two things; First, don"t talk to me because you"re late. Second, I"m not doing this fastest willfully, I"m being tortured." I fumed, how he could come late in best friend"s wedding.

"Two things; first, I wasn"t late I was downstairs helping uncle. Second, I"ve this McDonald burger with me which I"m going to eat now as you"re angry." He mimicked, showing me the greased brown paper bag. I gleamed and ignoring my heavy lehanga, leapt on him to grab the burger and opened the bag hastily.

"Easy you, jungli!!" He hissed as my sharp pointed nail scratched his palm.

"You deserved that." I wobbled as my mouth filled with the burger. Its sauce poured on my fingers.

"My God, Di! Eat like humans, please." Siya gasped as I licked my fingers.

"Shut up!! Be hungry for a day forcefully and then I"ll see how you be able to eat like a human?" I glared at her and bit another large piece. Yeah, again for some stupid ritual zeroed by aunts, mom made me starve for the whole long day. I was allowed to drink water and glazed dates only.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked, blinking as the flash light blinded me for a moment.

"I"m gonna upload it on Instagram and Facebook as #Starved Bride." He giggled, typing furiously and I muttered. "I will kill you before that."

"God Shree! It"s not like you"re going for any war, relax it"s your wedding." Rhea mumbled again while escorting me to the venue.

"No, I"m just nervous."

"Just relax! Everything will be fine." She calmed down me but honestly, that didn"t help me.

"I"m feeling good." I lied, mumbling looking down as my eyes caught his glimpse, sitting near the holy fire with a composed look. I expected him to at least look at me or as a minimum smile but he was passive.

"Better!" She whispered and stepped back as mom and Siya helped me in sitting beside Abhimanyu. He had worn a Navy blue Sherwani with intricate designs all over it. He looked as handsome as always. We did all that was asked, all this while observed that he wasn"t his usual self. His hands were cold and rough.

"Get up for the saptapadi!" The pundit summoned and Siya helped me in getting up while I slightly puffed out my heavy lehenga so that it wouldn"t increase the chances of tripping. I wondered why girls were not allowed to wear something like jeans or leggings.

"Put this Mangalsutra around her neck." My trance broke as the pundit gave him a black crystal chain synced with golden beads and a trapezium shaped diamond pendant on it. Abhimanyu carefully slipped it around my neck, my eyes trained to look down at the dangling chain on my neck and I felt overwhelmed.

"Fill her parting!" My heartbeats accelerated as pundit gave him vermilion to smear on my parting. That"s it! This was the last thing he needed to do to make me his, to step closer, to be with me and to give me a love life that I never dreamt of. I closed my eyes inhaling deep as his vermilion pinched fingers filled my parting, pledging to follow what my mother said.

My eyes filled up seeing my mother crying silently with happy tears and dad was stood in a nearby corner with content in his face but sadness in his eyes. I cast a glance of Abhimanyu but he seemed unaffected, he ignored looking at me. Otherwise, what"s so enchanting about the burning fire to gaze upon?

ESV quipped, You"ve got the whole day and night to ask him".

After crying for what felt like decades, I finally left my family back. God! It was more difficult than I ever thought it would be! For a silly second, I thought of ripping Abhimanyu"s heart for marrying me but the thought vanished as fast as it came.

"Kick this urn with your right foot and enter." Badi ma smiled at me as Vandana Di placed the urn at the parapet and I gently kicked the urn inside strewing the rice. I stepped into my new home with Abhimanyu by my side, thus entering a new life.

"Imprint your hands on this wall." Abhimanyu"s mom said, showing me the colored plate, and the empty wall. I dipped my hand on the plate and imprinted my hand prints on the empty wall as the other was already imprinted, perhaps with Vidhi bhabhi"s hands.

Rituals after rituals followed and I felt my mind drowsing, my whole body tired. I wanted to sleep, deeply.

"Vandisha takes her to Abhi"s room." Badi ma ushered Vandisha and she helped me in getting up, constant sitting had made my legs numb. I sat on the bed with a thump and resting my ankle on another knee, messaged my foot.

"Take rest, bhabhi! I will take you on a troll of the house afterwards." She smiled and I nodded. The moment she went out, I fell back on the bed and slept.

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