Love In Two Cities [COMPLETED]

Bonus Chapter - Part I

'How many guests, did you say?'

'Around...three hundred, I think'

'Three hundred!!!' Phelan repeats loudly. 'Three hundred guests in our wedding!??'

'Come on! That is less actually. For the reception...we will have around five hundred people' Pooja defends.

'You are kidding right?' Phelan asks doubtfully.

'No, not at all!' she shakes her head seriously. 'Appa knows so many people. Government officials, corporates, celebrities...they are all coming for the reception. For the wedding..it's just family'

Phelan continues to look at her unbelievingly.

'Tell me how many guests we'll be having in San Jose?' She asks confidently.

'Around seventy-five to eighty' Phelan hazards.

'That's it?' She widens her eyes.

'Hey, that's a pretty big crowd!'

'What?' Pooja scoffs. 'That's not even a crowd!'

'Whatever'

'Okay. Now repeat what I said five minutes back' she tells him.

'Yea, yea. Tonight, they will perform this important ceremony, and tie a yellow thread with a flower on our wrists. After that, we can't see each other, until we are on the stage.... tomorrow. I got it' he says mechanically, moving his hands around in the air as he speaks.

Pooja nods, gratified.

It's three in the afternoon. They are standing at the corner of the huge open-to-sky courtyard at the Oberoi Hotel, Bengaluru. At the center is an enormous swimming pool, reflecting the cloud-patched blue sky. There is beach furniture placed all around it, under the tall, green coconut trees.

The wedding is happening in full swing. It's been two days since Phelan and Mrs. Clara arrived in the city. There have been a whole lot of rituals ever since. Phelan is a little delighted, a little surprised, and a little tired.

Now, he looks at her in slight amusement.

Pooja is wearing a lemon green Mysore silk, holding a tender coconut in her hands, with a pink-and-white straw. Beside her is Ishita, holding out a blue battery hand fan at her sister. Almost half a dozen kids from Pooja's extended family are playing, running along the corridor, and swinging between the massive pillars.

'Ishi, can you give us two minutes? Alone' Pooja snaps at her sister.

'Two seconds also I'm not supposed to give. I have orders' Ishita pronounces piously. 'And you have to finish this tender coconut. Full'

Pooja frowns.

'You should be happy. It's special treatment...only for the bride' Ishita informs promptly. 'That too it's summer now'

'Doesn't seem like summer though' Phelan points out.

It's true. It is the first week of May, supposedly the hottest month of the year in India. But the weather is surprisingly cool, and it keeps drizzling every now and then.

'It's because baava and you are finally getting married!' Ishita can't help bursting out. 'The impossible is happening!' she says in Kannada. 'It's like sun rising from the west!'

'Because of what?' Phelan asks.

'It's because of the cyclone in Chennai. There's a depression here' Pooja tells him with a dry expression. She turns to glare at Ishita. 'Are you not listening to your songs?'