Marriage: Rewritten

Chapter 2

I roll my eyes yet again at the screen that briefly blacked out before flashing my mom's name again. My mom had been calling me continuously and I knew what it was about. I mean, it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out it was a follow up conversation about whatever happened today morning. I could be mature about this and act rational, attend her call and get it over with but every fibre of my being kept telling me not to so i obeyed them.

But that resolute didn't last as long as i wish it did because my mom called me again and i picked it up because I know she isn't one to give up.

"Why can't you pick your phone? Did you put it on silent again? Why are you so irresponsible?" And that my friends is why I did not pick my phone all this while.

"Mom, listen, I'm kinda busy right now. I just got back from a meeting that is why I missed your calls." I lie straight through my teeth but my mom knows me better than that,the scoff I hear from her side is an indication of that.

"So, listen here, do you remember the wedding or not because-" I do not let her finish the sentence because I so did not want to be having this conversation again.

"Mom, can't you atleast wait till I get back or something? Are you that eager to get me married? We had a conversation about this just four hours ago. Why are you bringing it up again?" I sigh into the phone. But when my mom doesn't fire back her defense arguments immediately and instead starts laughing, that's when I knew this was about something else.

"Idiot, this isn't about that. Do you remember Manisha? You have your Sangeet practice today. You asked me to remind you in the morning and i forgot amidst all the chaos. That is why I called you." I could almost hear the smugness dripping from her tone and it took everything in me to not hang up the call out of embarrassment.

Manisha. Manisha is my cousin but she fit in the best friend description more than that of a cousin. She is getting married in a month and being her best friend slash favourite cousin, I'm the one who has to look after the wedding preparations. Now here's a little trivia to catch you up with the whole situation.

Manisha and I were the thickest of cousins right from childhood and now you know that is enough reason for us to be planning each other's wedding in the summer holidays and getting excited. What started off as a childhood fantasy really got etched into her mind. As soon the wedding date was fixed the first thing she did was look me in the eyes and say "Nay, we're going to have the grandest Sangeet ever." Now, I did not have much of a choice at all seeing she was really excited about this whole thing so much. My major problem was that I cannot dance for the life of me.

When I got that part across to Manisha, she just shook her head and told me she'd take care of it and all that I had to do was show up for practice. I agreed without knowing that her ideal duration of practice for a sangeet lasted a month.

"Neha, are you listening to me or not?" The sterness of my mom's voice pulls me back from my thoughts.

"Yes ma yes ma, I'll be there. I'll go meet her straight after office. Thanks for the reminder." I tell her as I turn the computer on to search for some songs which I promised Manisha I would.

"It's alright. Bye. Have fun." Yeah mom, of course my definition of fun is public humiliation through dance.

"Bye ma." I hang up and look at bole chudiya staring at me through the computer's screen. I sigh and scroll down to find something else.

Just as I am about to click on a link that read ten best songs to dance at your best friend's wedding, my phone dinged. I pull it out to find that Manisha has sent me a location. I reply back with a question mark.  My phone dinged again with her reply.

' We'll practice here. Come here by 6. P.S: Ameer's friends will be there too.'

Great. If dance wasn't horrible enough, interaction with strangers definitely took the crown.