Poles Apart

Chapter Forty-Five

A few hours later, I sit in my room, my hands cold and stiff from anxiety, tapping my foot at an abnormal pace.

"Are you nervous?" Sid asks, shoving his phone into my face.

"Shut up." I block the camera with my hand. "Stop being an arsehole, Siddharth."

"Arey," he complains, "I'm trying to document this for later."

I grit my teeth at the idiot. "Don't stick your damn phone in my face," I warn him.

"Gosh, are brides supposed to be like this before their wedding?"

I wrap my arms around myself, in a sense of comfort as my stomach churns with anxiety.

"Chocolate?" Hope offers, holding up a piece of dairy milk.

I extend my hand for it, but she opens her mouth, asking me to imitate her. "Your hands will get messy," she says, popping it into my mouth.

"Thanks," I murmur, savouring the temporary comfort of chocolate.

"How do you feel?" Sam asks, rubbing my arm, or part of it that is not covered with gold ornaments.

A golden armband, called a vanki is wrapped around my upper arm, while my forearm is covered in a mix of gold and glass bangles.

"Nervous as fuck," I reply, touching the golden choker that is wrapped around my neck. A longer necklace or haaram, that ends at my chest is the other neck ornament I have on, for now.

Avni chuckles. "If you're nervous, you should see Arjun Bava," she says.

My head snaps up to look at her at once, causing a sudden pain in my neck. I touch the spot, rubbing circles onto it, to soothe the pain. "Arjun's nervous?" I ask her.

Will he back out now? Why is Arjun nervous? How is Arjun nervous? He's capable of being nervous?

"What? Only you're allowed to be nervous?" Avni asks, popping a chip into her mouth. Where the fuck are they getting all this food from?

"Why is he nervous?" I ask her.

"Because he's getting married, too," she replies loftily.

"But Arjun's never nervous!"

"I don't think he's been married before," she says, sitting down on the bed.

I wince at the coldness of my own hand as I touch my golden waistband, or vadraanam, to stop it from digging into my skin as I move.

"Avni!" I shriek. "Are you going to tell me now, or not?"

"Oh, my god," she says, mockingly. "Getting married's bringing out the real bitch in you, huh?"

"Avni."

"Arey, he's just nervous. He thinks you're going to run away or something."

"I'm not running away," I defend myself, frowning. "Why would he think that?"

"I don't know, dude. Ask your husband."

"Arvi," Sid interrupts when I open my mouth. "Say it for the camera," he says. "One last time, say Arjun's not your husband and you're not married."

I glare at him. "I'm telling you, Sid. You better get away from me unless you want to die."

"Well, that works, too. I now have your death threats on tape."

"Dude," Dhriti sings coming into the bedroom, and Avni leaves through the same door, running as though she's just remembered something. "Your husband looks hot as fuck."