101 ways to repel a marriage

Chapter 21

"Shahma, do you know what can promote a writer from ordinary to extra ordinary?" Aunt Anna took a small and graceful bite from the uzhunnu vada.

Aunt Anna was not at all impressed with the physical condition of the thattukada. However, the food was just pure magic. The fresh taste of green chilli mixed with the traditional taste of coconut in the chutney. The mild sourness of the uzhunnu vada blended well with the taste that neither any expectations nor any explanations could ever meet.

"Experience?" She took a bite from the uzhunnu vada that was kept on a small and cute steel plate infront of her.

Her face scrunched as the small piece explored her mouth and harassed her taste buds. She was not someone who used to complain about food but the uzhunnu vada was too hard and the chutney was too spicy. She looked at Aunt Anna, expecting an expression that mirrored her's.

Shahma's eyebrows creased as she saw the aunt of her best friend's admirer close her eyes and melt with the taste. She took a quick visual inspection around her to see a lot of pairs of ogling eyes.

"Exactly," Aunt Anna took a sip of coffee.

"You know, the experiences doesn't really have to be ours , we can have other's as well for a story that can warm our hearts" She squished the uzhunna vada, admiring its perfect state between softness and hardness.She wondered about the story of the person who made it.

Shahma nodded at the vada admirer and looked at her watch.

" You do not have to worry about missing your English period's attendance, Miss Stella is my friend and I took permission from her," Aunt Anna kept the piece of heaven on the plate and leaned a little forward.

Aunt Anna tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Shahma could not help but notice that it looked like a creaseless piece of black silk. The confidence that radiated from Aunt Anna was jealous worthy.

" Shahma, all of my characters are real life based and I want it to remain that way," She kept both of her arms on the plastic table with the plastic cover and leaned a little further as her ocean blue eyes bore into Sushi's pitch black ones. "This  time I am writing about a girl who agreed to marry a stranger whom her parents chose. My character later realizes that it was a mistake and strive for divorce in a society that preaches that an unhappy married life is better than divorce,"

Aunt Anna's perfectly manicured hands held her own chin. As her cherry red lips continued to move. "You understand what I say, don't you?"

" Not exactly,"  Shahma felt a little self conscious in front of the beauty who was catching a lot of attention.

She could feel a lot of eyes on them. She wondered if the people were trying to understand how they were related. Her scarf must have given an idea that they are not blood related. Even if Shahma did not have a scarf, everyone could easily point out that they were not related. Aunt Anna's glamour was on another level. She took a quick glance at her own hands, her mehandi colored nails were not enough long or beautiful. Aunt Anna's were perfect with the black and silver nail polish.

"The girl in my upcoming novel, I want you to be my inspiration," the writer shrugged and leaned backwards with the uzhunnu vada.

"Me?" Shahma sat straight with her hands pointed at her. " I was not forced into my marriage, I agreed to it on my own will"

Aunt Anna dipped her vada into the chutney while having an unbreakable eye contact with Shahma. A small smile played on her lips as she observed her nephew's love interest's panic.

"Oh, I do totally believe that your decision has nothing to do with the social pressure...I meant the second part." Aunt Anna said. She took another bite.

Shahma blinked a few times as Aunt Anna enjoyed with her taste buds.

Shahma could not believe that the beautiful lady infront of her thought her to be a divorcee. She leaned forward and when she noticed that Aunt Anna was still lost in the vada, she cleared her throat.

"Neither am I a divorcee," Shahma said Sheepishly.

Aunt Anna shook her slowly with a sly smile. Every action from the lady made her look prettier and more sophisticated. She drank a sip of tea.

" I meant the stranger part, it has been only a few weeks since Professor Salahuddin started coming to your college isn't it?"

" but I know something's about his family back ground and all,"

"You know about the family background of many celebrities, they are still strangers to you,"

"But he is nice to me..."

"I believe Thomas and your male class mates, even," Aunt Anna pointed Damu eattan, the owner of the thattukada, with her eyes, " he is nice to you,isn't it?"

"Professor Salahuddin might be a stranger but..." Shahma did not know how to complete her own sentence.

" I don't understand how you could agree to marry a person whom you knew for only a few weeks,"

"Well, I still have time to know him so..."

Aunt Anna raised her index finger and then took a small book from her handbag.

" So, if you feel like you are not a match, will you call of the wedding?"

Shahma had never thought of such a case. She had decided to know more about her future husband but she hadn't pondered much on that case. Calling of a wedding was not a silly process, there would be a lot of questions involved and was she brave enough to do that? To be a topic of whisper in many social gatherings?

" Shahma, I am waiting" Aunt Anna kept tapping on the book with her pen.

"Yes, yes I would"

Aunt Anna beamed at her and wrote something down.

" but your character was forced to marry a stranger but I decided to do it on my own, I believe the cases are different,"

" Force from parents or not, both of you decided to marry strangers whom you have no idea of, they could even be some serial killers or men with anger issues,"

Shahma bit her lips as she lowered her gaze to the cup of tea infront of her. She had never thought about arranged marriage in such an angle.

"Aunt Anna..." Thomas was panting as he stood on the doorway. He strides towards his Aunt and Shahma. He took his aunt by her arm and dragged her, saying somethings that Shahma could not hear properly. She followed them but stopped at the counter to pay the bill.

By the time she paid the bill and was out of the thattukada, Thomas had already said bye to his aunt and started walking towards his college.

The road was very busy with a lot of vehicles hurrying to either directions. Shahma called Thomas's name. She felt a little uncomfortable to shout his name. She could imagine everyone looking weirdly at her when she shouted his name. She did not know if he was angry with her for whatever was going on between her best friend and him but she needed a small help from him.

She was supporting her upper body on her knees with her arms after the small run. She asked if she could cross the road with him in between her heavy breaths.  They crossed the road together and a car suddenly sped in front of them. He caught her wrist and pulled her towards him. She muttered an incoherent thanks with her eyes fixed on his hand holding her arm.

She pulled back her hand after the momentary presence of the car and then looked around her before crossing the road hastily.

She could not let him hold her hand in public. It was wrong, terribly wrong.

She smiled at him before they parted their ways. A smile that used to bring life to his dreams was then an agonizing pain that tore his cardiac muscles.

He wanted to ask her about her discussion with Aunt Anna. He wanted to walk to the class with her. He wanted to chat with her as they walked to the class but he was afraid that his heart might bleed through the temporary stitches.