My Choice

Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The next morning for me came with an awakening by the sound of a rooster's crowing. I lay there for a while, relishing the fact that my mom's arms were still wrapped around me as they had been when I fell asleep. Gazing upon her face, so relaxed in sleep, I wondered if I would ever have the opportunity to see her again after my family left in less than a couple of weeks.

There was loud banging on the door, followed by my grandmother's voice.

"Time to get up! The sun's up; you're up!"

I wanted to hush her to keep her from disturbing my mom's peaceful sleep, but it was too late. My mom stirred and opened her eyes slowly.

"Good morning," I said.

" 'Morning," she replied sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she spoke, taking away the comfort that had been the enclosing of a mother's arms.

I rolled to the other side, slipping out of the blanket and getting up off the cot on the ground. I shivered slightly at the cold morning air. Stretching out, I left the room, my mom following close behind me. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, I patted down my hair in attempts to tame the bird's nest that I knew was atop my head. As I stepped into the kitchen, I stopped short at the sight before me.

The kitchen was full of people that I didn't know. All of whom were now staring at the girl that had just stepped inside the doorway that was in the middle of a yawn and simultaneously trying to fix her hair. I quickly clamped my mouth shut and brought my arms down to my side. Unknown faces stared back at me, and my eyes darted from one face to another.

"Finally! You're finally awake!" said my grandmother, making my head snap towards her, "You do realize you can't wake up this late after marriage. After the sun's up, you're up! The cows need to be milked after dawn; the chickens need to be fed..."

She continued her rant, and I unintentionally tuned her out as I continued to glance around at the unfamiliar faces.

"Anjali! Are you listening to anything I've said so far?" my grandma shouted.

Startled, I looked back towards her.

Her glare made me respond, "I...uhhh...I...just, who are all these people?"

She shook her head disapprovingly but introduced them, "These are six of the women from the village."

Pointing each of them out, she continued, "This is the woman that will be doing your hair; she will be doing your makeup; she will help you get dressed; she will pluck your eyebrows..."

I bit my lip to keep from interrupting. After waiting for her to finish, I voiced the question that had been on my mind all along.

"Why are they all here to help me get ready today? What is happening today?" I questioned.

She laughed a bit before responding, "Why tonight is your mehndi ceremony of course!"

I froze. Her words resounded in my mind. My mehndi ceremony was tonight. My mehndi ceremony was TONIGHT. Meaning my wedding was tomorrow. I expected this to happen of course, but now that it actually was...I was having a hard time processing it. Tomorrow, I'd be married. Tomorrow, my last name wouldn't be Sharma anymore. Tomorrow, I would no longer be living with my family, but rather with a completely unknown individual.

"Anjali! What did I just say?!" my grandmother's shouts brought me back to the present, and I nodded without thinking.

"Yes, of course, grandmother," I said.