Match Made in Wedding | Rajvardhan Hangargekar ✓

The joys of sisterhood

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I, Mr. Ravindra Jadeja, proudly present to you, Fried rice with frocks, haha got you, Fried rice with forks."

I take a quick look at Amma. She looks intrigued. Everyone does. Noone knows about the dedications. Oh my god this is going to be so fun.

"I kept you in mind, Sudha ji, while making this dish."

Ever since Shalimar had arrived, Amma had gone back to calling Jad, Ravindra. And these few hours have clearly been unbearable for sweet Jad. Anyone can tell that he really admires Amma.

"With every vegetable I added, I thought, ye toh sirf sabzi hai, imagine planning a wedding with all the elements in perfect quantities at the perfect time. Shalimar, my Jaan, arrived early, disrupting your routine and I am very sorry for that."

Everything had been going smooth and happy in the morning until Shalimar pooped. When Amma learnt that there'll be kilos of waste produced by her around eight times in a day, she had to bite on her lips to control her anger. But it had receded quickly when Jad said that he would do all the cleaning required and that she would not be bothered about anything. He would feed his Jaan, bathe her, take her for walks, do everything on his own.

"And so this Fried rice is dedicated to the lady whose planning skills have inspired me to plan better. I hope you like it."

He serves it to her and I catch her wiping a tear.

"Come here you naughty boy" she says in Tamil, forgetting for a second that Jad isn't her son. Forgetting that he doesn't understand Tamil. Yet Jad understands the call and has his ears pulled slightly.

"Okay enough of this emotional stuff." Sai says as he emerges from the kitchen with his dish. Of course.

"I am dedicating my very tasty and healthy Vermicelli to Raj."

Raj looks surprised, for a second and then he gets it. So do I. Trust Sai Kishore to secretly embarass you in front of others.

"May you get lost in her love just like you had gotten lost while finding these." Those who are unaware of the incident look confused. I search for Raj's face. He lets out the cutest laugh and gives Sai a thumbs up.

My turn! I carefully place the bowls of rasam on the table, one by one.

"I dedicate my Rasam to my Akka." I catch Akka's smiling eyes.

"Akka, you getting married sucks. I would have married you if that meant that I had the chance to stay with you forever. I am going to miss everything about you. Even your weekly reminders to make the wardrobe. You lending your earrings to me, just like today. You and your heart to heart talks.

The endless guidance. Abundant wisdom. The chupi Hui naughtiness that no-one has seen in a way I have. I'm going to look for you every time I need someone to defend my argument, convince Amma and Appa for something. I'm going to yearn for you every day I come home to that empty bedroom where we shared everything about our days.

Movie time won't be the same anymore because I know that I'll never find someone who loves Dulquer like you do. Even bathing won't be the same, with you scolding me each time you'd hear me sing on top of my voice to tone it down. Nothing will be the same. But some things will be.

The fact that you taught me to make Rasam the day Amma had fallen sick so that I don't have to stay hungry while you took her to Appa for checkup will never change. Neither the fact that some of my favourite dresses were once yours. I'll always be in love with Brooklyn nine nine because of you.

Nothing will change the location of the photo frame that you had gifted me on my eighteenth birthday. It'll still be placed on my study desk, acting as a reminder that even though you aren't with me physically, emotionally, you're everything I ever needed and wanted."

Letting everything out feels so good. I had held Akka's gaze throughout, and seeing her cry I broke down too. She hugged me as if she was going to die today. And then wiping her tears, she looked at me and then at everyone else.

"For those who do not know, I always wanted a younger sister. When I told my school friends about Devi's birth, they teased me by saying that now my parents would forget me while doting on her. Only if they knew how wrong they were. I never let anyone dote on her as much as I did.

I wanted her to come to me whenever she was hurt. And she did. The first time she fell, she cried until I rubbed her back. I took pride in how much she depended on me. And no surprise in guessing, her first word was Akka."

Tears roll down my cheeks with godspeed.

"But what a 6 year old Kriti did not understand that the dependence was mutual. I needed Devi's exuberance as much as she needed my calm. I grew used to her animated chatter. So much so that the day she went to school, she had a smile on her face but I was the one crying. Lamenting about the time lost without her. I hated the fact, ponnu that when you came home, I was away at school.

You were, are and will always be my best friend. Someone who is so herself that others feel comfortable in being themselves too."

She takes a step closer to me and wraps her arm around my shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you more, sweetheart. I'm going to miss every moment of your growth that I couldn't witness in person. I was going to give a diary to you on the day of my marriage but you know what chuck it. I'm going to get it now."

She leaves us for a few minutes. I look at the dinner table. All the food has turned cold. But the beauty is, no one cares as they eagerly wait for her to return.

"Here. It has every milestone of your life, every instance when you made me smile. Right from the first time you stood up for Megha in school to a week ago when you helped all three of us pack our bags."

I am amazed as I get to see my 6 year old Akka's handwriting on the first page,

"4th Frebuary, 2001, my sister is borned."

"And that is another way in which I'll always be with you, love. Please keep filling it for me and keep updating me with the newer milestones that you think might make me smile."

"I will, Akka, I promise I will."

"Good girl." She says as she pulls my tear stained cheek. I stick out my tongue. Everyone starts clapping and both of us jolt at the sudden noise. Funny, when your sister's around, the world ceases to matter.

Here's to shutting the world out with you Akka. Forever.