Dilkash

(viii) waqt ki baatien

"Ah, there you both are!" Bhabhi Sa exclaimed as we walked closer to her. She walked up to Inayat and hugged her.

"Where were you guys?" Bhai Sa raised his eyebrows and questioned me. I didn't know what to say to him.

"Jiju, I actually went upstairs to his room but he needed more time to make himself look more handsome, I guess." Inayat explained and went to Bhai Sa to take Meera from him for sometime.

"And you still failed at it?" Kabir added and everyone around him chuckled while him and Inayat kept laughing uncontrollably. I spared Kabir a glance which was enough to shush him but the same didn't work for her. She smirked at me as a reply and then started adoring my niece.

"Yeh sab baatein toh Pooja ke baad bhi ho sakti hai. Abhi sab Havan ke liye mandap ke paas chal lo, das hi minute baaki hai." Bhabhi Sa instructed all of us standing there.

(All these talks could happen after the pooja too. Right now, all of you go near the Mandap for the Havan, only ten minutes are remaining.)

"And the two of you," She pointed at me and Inayat. "You'll be sitting behind me and Nakul the whole time as we perform all the rituals and make sure Meera stays with you too." She declared and started walking towards the Mandap. All of us standing there, Kabir, Vaidehi, Bhai Sa, Priyanka, Lakshay, Inayat, and I— we followed her.

The Pooja started and we were all sincerely listening to what the priest was saying. Even Meera was listening to it with all her attention. When she didn't understand something that was being said, she'd whisper something into Inayat's ear and she would explain it to her. Once in a while, Meera would look at me and give a smile or flying kiss which was like the cherry on top.

Finally it was time for the Aarti, everyone started clapping while keeping up with rhythm and singing along. Bhai Sa, Bhabhi Sa and Meera did the Aarti. Then slowly, Aarti was handed to Inayat and I. We started rotating the plate properly and looked at each other for some reason.

For a moment there it felt like this was my dream all along and I was the happiest man alive. But soon, my eyes went back to the Idol of the Goddess and she pulled me back to reality. Thanks a lot, Devi Maa!

(Mother Goddess)

After the Pooja was finished, we all went to have dinner in the dining hall. The place felt calm, no unnecessary people, just us and people closest to us. The elders sat down on one side of the table while all of us sat on the other side. The dinner was going good, well pretty much except for the fact that I had to pretend to be the lovely fiancé of Inayat as she sat next to me and ate.

In the beginning, everyone was joking and laughing. But as soon as people started getting more into the dinner, things became more silent. Priyanka and her friends were the only ones talking, that too whispering. The more silent it started getting, the more awkward it became for me.

"Inayat, Laado, aapne shaadi mein kaun se kapde pehen ne hai woh taiy kar liya? Mere kehne ka matlab hai ki, aap Poshakh pehenogi ya phir Lehenga-choli?" My mother asked her to-be daughter-in-law.

(Dear, have you decided what you're going to wear at the wedding? I mean to say, are you wearing a Poshakh or a Lehenga-choli?)

"I, uh," Inayat spoke, trying her best to hide her awkwardness as she looked over at Vaidehi. "Well here's the thing, I actually do have an idea of what I'm going to wear. I was thinking of wearing a Lehenga-choli. You know, that's how I've always imagined a bride." She tried to justify her explanation.