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Arvi
The day after the Mehendi, I am harshly woken up by the sound of the curtains being tugged away, the sound of metal being pulled against metal making me groan with disdain as I draw my comforter closer and burrow myself completely in it, refusing to wake up.
The sun hasn't even risen, for God's sake!
"Arvi," my mother calls softly, "wake up now."
The strangeness of her tone makes me open her eyes. I blink, still inside my blanket. This is what it takes to have a sweet and soft mother? I would've gotten married as soon as I knew.
"It's too early," I complain, peaking out of my blanket.
"Arjun's already up, you know?" she asks, trying to evoke the sense of competitiveness that I've never had in me.
"He's not human," I retort, turning to my side, away from the curtain.
"Why are you so hostile to him?" my mother demands. "Just because he's marrying you, you think you can behave with him as you like? That's not right. Be nice to Arjun."
I roll onto my back, and wink an eye open at my mother, bored. The number of times I've heard this lecture now is— never mind, I never paid heed to it after the first time.
Why my mother thinks I'm hostile to Arjun is beyond me.
"We're not USA and Russia, Amma," I remind her. "And stop siding with him all the time! I'm the daughter you have birth to, he's not your child!"
"Well, Arjun's much better than my own child, and if he is right, I will side with him!" she says back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now, no more arguments. If I see you even glare at Arjun, you'll see what it is like, to get a beating."
I mentally stick my tongue out at her. As if I'm going to ask her to look at me when I glare at him. "I look at people as such. It's not my fault."
"True, Peddamma," Avni agrees from my side. "Arvi Akka's general stance is to glare at people so that they can't even think of talking to her."
I kick Avni, but the blow is softened by the blankets between us, and she doesn't experience a thing.
"Sorry, I'm not very warm like you," I snicker, hiding under my blanket before she can slap me for saying it.
I hear my mother sigh audibly. "I want you both downstairs in the next half hour. Do you understand?"
For the final mangala snaanam, or holy bath before my wedding tonight. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out all of those thoughts, but it doesn't help much, or at all.
The door to our bedroom closes, and Avni leaps at me with her claws out. "Bitch," she seethes, and I welcome the distraction with open arms as I try to get away from her, laughing my arse off.
"What the fuck do you mean I'm warm?" she asks, wrestling me to the floor.
"What do I know?" I laugh back, holding her hands so that she doesn't strangle me. "Ask Nandith. He said you're warm, didn't he?"
"He's an idiot!" Avni complains, suddenly overcome by grief, as she pulls away and sits on the floor, across me, with her knees raised in front of her as she rests her weight on her palms that are stretched behind her.
I back up against the wall, still laughing. "Why would he say you're warm?" I ask her, diligently rubbing salt onto her wounds.
"I don't know! What the fuck is that even supposed to mean?" she whines, slumping forward onto her elbows, with her palms cradling her face. "Do I look warm, Arvi Akka?"
I pull my lips in to stop the giggles from making out of my throat, as I shake my head at her. "No, baby, you don't."
"He couldn't even call me hot in front of Rohan and Aryan," Avni grumbles. "You're looking ho—" she opens her mouth and wavers a little before closing it, imitating Nandith as she had been doing since last night— "warm. You look very kind and warm."
She huffs. "To think I thought he looked cute."
"He does look fine," I say in an attempt to comfort her. "You can't really see how brave people are, at first glance. It's not your fault."
"He acts like he's afraid of nothing, but can't say a single word in front of my little brothers! Imagine trying to talk to him when Karthik Anna or Kaushik Bava are around! He'll fucking freeze."
My lips turn up at the girl's frustration. "Avni, how would you know?" I ask softly. "Maybe he switched out because Rohan and Aryan were around. They are kids, you know? Maybe he simply censored it for their sake. And you haven't seen how he behaves in their presence—"
"But I have!" she insists. "He freezes like someone turned him to stone! Like someone's said 'Petrificus Totalus'!" Avni acts out the gesture of the wand, the Harry Potter fan in her making a brief appearance.
"Avni," I say softly. "You know you've got time to find the one, and get married and all of that jazz, right?" I ask her. I had been thinking of it for a while now. She needs to know, right? She needs to know that our lives aren't necessarily the same, and she doesn't need to rush herself to find the perfect man. "I promise, I'll always support you. I got lucky with Arjun," I admit. "But I can't let you go through something like this.
"I promise, you won't get married unless and until you want it, and you are ready for it. Alright?"
Avni's eyes tear up as her chin wobbles, and she throws her arms around me, suffocatingly. "I'll miss you so much!" she sobs into my neck, tightening her hold around me, as I struggle to keep my emotions in my throat myself.
~.~.~.~.~
"Arvi, itu choodu," Pranav teases, as I try to sit with a straight face for the Gauri Pooja, praying to the goddess Parvati for a happy married life. [(Telugu) Look here]
I raise my eyes to glare at him. Idiot's been annoying me for an hour now, as the pooja progresses, and my mother has been the strictest, denying me even coffee before I sat down for this. I have zero patience right now, and Pranav's having a field day, playing with it.
"It will be over soon, dear," the poojaari tells me, giving me a secretive smile that causes me to smile back at him. [Poojaari: priest]
My back aches from sitting straight for so long, but what choice do I have?
"Fold your hands together, and repeat after me," the poojaari says.
And I follow his instructions for the next few minutes, trying not to be distracted by my grumbling stomach, or aching back and arms as I fold my arms and close my eyes, praying to goddess Parvati, for a truly happy married life.
Give me only what I deserve, I ask for nothing more.
I bend with my legs tucked under me to seek blessings from the poojaari and touch his feet.
He blesses me, "May you receive all that you deserve and all that your heart desires."
"Go eat now, dear," he says softly, perhaps because he noticed the exchange between my mother and me. "You will need more energy for the wedding tonight."
I only manage a weak smile as anxiety rushes through me at the thought of the wedding tonight.
~.~.~.~.~
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."
"Dhriti!" I hear Dhruv's voice behind her.
"He's not my husband, yet!" I say out loud, grasping my hands together.
"Aw, thanks for that!" Sid chimes, as Dhriti and Dhruv argue about appreciating beauty in the background.
Sam sits in front of me on her knees, smiling up at me, as she holds my cold hands, warming them with hers. "You look beautiful," she exclaims, her eyes brimming with tears. "You look so, so, so beautiful!"
She wipes at the corner of her eyes, making tears swim in my eyes as well.
I sniffle, internally urging the tears to go away.
"Don't cry," she says and chuckles.
I chuckle back, through tears.
"You'll be a great wife, Arvi," she tells me. "Just don't forget all about us after today, okay?"
A lone tear escapes my eye, and Sam gently wipes it away. "You'll spoil your make up if you cry, and the make-up artist is a huge bitch. She'll give me a lecture!"
I chuckle and squeeze my eyes shut. "Hey, no crying. Absolutely no crying, alright?"
I blink, willing the tears not to come. "Where's my wedding gift?" I ask her. Sam had promised to paint me when I got married.
"Arey," she says, "use the gift I gave you for your bachelorette first, and then I'll give you your wedding gift."
I fake glare at her, as blood rushes to my face at the mention of her bachelorette gift.
"I'm sure Arjun will enjoy it," she says, and winks.
I laugh at her antics. "Was it supposed to be my gift or his?"
"His pleasure is your pleasure, isn't it?" she teases.
"Shut up," I reprimand.
"What? It's true," she insists.
"I don't need to know what Pranav and you do, behind closed doors," I let her know.
It's Sam's turn to get flustered now. "Shut up, we haven't done anything of that sort."
"In a week?" I suggest, referring to the week that we've stayed here; in the farmhouse.
The silenced whining from Sameeksha gives me the answer to my question.
"Getting at it like fucking rabbits, aren't you?" Sid mocks her.
"You should be one to talk," Hope comments. She has learned all about Siddharth's ways in the last three weeks that she's been with us.
"I don't stick to one woman, babe," he proclaims, proudly.
"Oh, you better," I warn him. "It's not cool to sleep around."
"Forget that," Sid waves it off. "You've never been with a man, how will you know if Arjun is good or not?"
"What the fuck, Siddharth?" I slap his arm.
Siddharth clicks his tongue. "Listen, Arvi. Matters of pleasure are not to be taken lightly. If Arjun is a pleaser, trust me, you've scored. But if he's the me-first type of guy, forget a sex life."
"Siddharth!" I exclaim, mortified.
"And remember to tell me all about it after, alright?"
"I'm not telling you shit."
"Oh, you will. You know you will," he sings. A knock sounds on the bedroom door and Sam stands up to open it.
She opens the door and leads Manjula Aunty inside, with her. Manjula Aunty wears a big smile on her face as she enters. Her smile, similar to Sid's is so infectious, that I find me smiling back at her, brightly.
"Are you nervous?" she asks me.
I look around the room, at my friends, and shake my head lightly. "Just a little."
"That's good," she says, sitting down on the chair that Dhruv brings for her.
Manjula Aunty pushes a box towards me. The box looks extremely familiar since these boxes are all I have been seeing lately.
"Aunty—" I look up at Sid, nervously.
"What are you looking at him for?" she asks. "He's the one that insisted that I gift you this."
"It's— aunty—" I break off, not knowing what to say. "Siddhu?"
He shrugs, awkwardly. "I don't know anything about it."
"What do you mean you don't know anything about it?" Manjula Aunty demands. "Tell her what you told me when you asked me to bring her a necklace."
I look up at Siddharth, but he shrugs again, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. "I don't remember, Ma."
"Siddharth said he wants to give you what he would give his sister," she tells me. "He said you're like a sister to him."
She opens the box and shows me the necklace inside. A gold necklace and matching earrings stare back at me. It's bound to be expensive.
"Aunty—" I try to refuse.
"—This is Siddharth's gift to you, he asked that I bring it since he forgot it at home. Tell him whatever you want to say," she says, cutting me off.
"Siddhu?" I look up at him.
"Just take it, Arvi," he says, his adam's apple bobbing as he gulps. "I want you to have it."
"You can exchange it if you don't like it," he says and turns to Manjula Aunty. "Ma, did you bring the receipt for it?"
"Shut up," I snap, accepting the box. "I would never exchange it."
I stretch my hands for Siddharth, to hug him. He smiles and hugs me, allowing me to wrap my arms around his torso. "Jewellery is what it takes for you to be nice to me?" he asks. "You should've told me sooner."
"You can't afford my affections," I respond, chuckling loudly through tears as I pull away from him. "Is this—" I look down at the box.
"I bought it out of my first income," he says, proudly.
Tears fill my eyes. "Thank you, Siddhu," I murmur, trying not to cry, but failing miserably, as tears run down my face.
"Shut up," Siddharth says, awkwardly, handing me a tissue. "And stop crying at everything. Do you want to get married today because Arjun's going to run away if he sees your face now."
I laugh at Siddharth's words. My mood swings are so unpredictable, I can't remember the number of times I've cried by now.
"I will leave now," Manjula Aunty says, standing up. She kisses the top of my head. "Thank you for sticking with my son."
I stand up to hug her, my eyes quickly filling with tears once again. "Thank you for telling him to share his chocolate with me."
She laughs, and pats my back, pulling away. "Take care of yourself, darling," she tells me, cupping my face. "Don't deprive us of you. Keep visiting, alright? As soon as you're free, you're coming to our house first. Okay?"
I nod, biting the inside of my lower lip, as my lips continuously wobble between wanting to smile or sob.
"With your husband," she includes, as she leaves. "I need to tell the poor boy a lot about you."
I giggle, nodding.
~.~.~.~.~
Author
"Ammayini theeskoni randi, amma," the priest calls. [(Telugu) Bring the bride]
Arjun looks up, giving Savi and Pranathi the chance to tease their brother. "Don't be too eager, Arjun Anna," Savi teases. "Vasthadi le." [(Telugu) She'll come, don't worry]
"I don't know," Pranathi murmurs from the side, "Karthik was saying he'll see her off if she wants to run away."
Arjun immediately snaps his neck towards her. "What?"
Pranathi grins. "Koncham nammakam undaali, Arjun Anna. My sister-in-law doesn't run." [(Telugu) Have some faith, Arjun Anna]
Arjun shakes his head, turning to the front once again. The priest asks him to follow what he says, and Arjun does.
On the other hand, Avni and Sameeksha struggle with pulling Arvi out to the lawn. Until this moment, it seemed none of them knew why it was essential that the bride must be escorted to the mandapam.
"Arvi Akka, your wedding is today," Avni whispers furiously in her ear. "Are you getting married, or not?"
"Avni, I'm so scared," Arvi whines back, her tone barely audible to herself over the thumping of her heart.
"Arvi, the priest is calling for you," her aunt, Latha comes to fetch her.
"Atha!" Avni complains. "Ippudu bayam esthundi anta nee kodali ki! You only do something!" [(Telugu) Your niece is afraid now, it seems!]
"Arvi?" Latha appeals to her niece. Being blessed with two very understanding and agreeable boys, she wouldn't know how to handle it if her niece said she wanted to run away right now.
Arvi takes in a deep breath, cursing the golden waistband as it digs into her skin. "I'm coming," she says, gulping. "I just— okka nimisham." [(Telugu) One minute]
Latha wraps an arm around Arvi, and gestures to the mandapam that lay ahead of them. They were still at a distance from the guests and thus out of view.
"Arjun is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy," she tells her niece. "Not everyone is lucky like you and me."
Arvi turns to look at her Latha Atha. She had always admired her aunt and uncle's relationship. Their love story was a tale oft-told in the family; where a sister fell for the elder brother's best friend.
"This wedding is only to let people know that you're bound to each other, darling. You must know in your heart that he's the one you belong with."
Arvi squeezes her aunt's hand, with her own cold one, and turns to look at her. "I'm scared."
"And you should be," her aunt says. "You're taking one of the most important decisions of your life, but you've already made the choice, haven't you? You've chosen Arjun," she reminds her. "You consented to marry him. We don't run from our choices, do we?"
Latha speaks to Arvi, as though the latter were a toddler, but that certainly works in convincing Arvi to take the next few steps forward.
Arvi smiles at her aunt and lets them lead her to the mandapam, a raised platform in the middle of the farm, that faces the close family and friends to the bride, groom and their immediate family.
Arjun only manages to get a peek at Arvi's glowing face before she's made to sit in front of him, and his sister and sister-in-law hold the terasaala, or a piece of cloth that restricts the bride and groom from seeing each other.
The priest continues to chant mantras, among the traditional wedding music, and Janaki Arvi Ravichander is thus made to change her gothram, from that of her maiden family to that of the Kona's.
Madhurima and Naveen Ravichander then give away their daughter to Arjun Kona, through bitter-sweet tears, by placing her hands in his.
The jeelakarra bellam ritual then takes place, where the bride and the groom are each given a leaf smeared with a mixture of jaggery and jeera and are asked to place it on each other's heads as a promise to stick through the bitter and sweet times.
Amongst the many sounds of the wedding tonight, the terasaala is finally dropped, allowing the bride and the groom their first complete look at each other.
Arvi lifts her gaze to look at Arjun, who looks back at her, his always mischievous eyes now twinkling with happiness.
Smiles broaden onto both of their faces, almost involuntarily, as the attendees of the wedding; the ones older than them, bless them by sprinkling akshathalu onto them.
Arvi squeezes her eyes shut, the smile on her face still prominent, waiting for the akshathalu to stop, when she opens her eyes again, Arjun's already looking at her.
His eyes now back to their usual mischievous black. The thudding of Arvi's heart escalates quickly, as though she knows already that something is coming her way, and Arjun winks at her, confirming her intuition.
Arvi lets out a soundless gasp as her cheeks warm, even more than before, turning her into a tomato, and the ones that saw the exchange, the photographer, Jay, Avni, and Savitri, are quick to point it out to the others around them, causing everyone to burst into chuckles.
Arvi and Arjun are then sent off to change into other clothes for the final leg of the ceremony.
Both of them appear once again in white clothes with red borders. Once they are seated, the priest chants more mantras, before allowing Arjun to finally take his bride, by the three knots that are to bind her to him in the most sacred way.
Arjun proceeds to tie the three knots of the mangalasutram, as Avni holds her sister's long braid up, extreme satisfaction flooding through him at the thought that he would now be able to call her his, by all means. Thus, his fingers work all too fast, binding himself to her, through manasa, vacha, karmana; thoughts, words and actions.
Arvi looks up at him, her honey-brown eyes shining with tears for the nth time today, and Arjun mouths to her, "I love you."
Before she can stop herself, her lips move on their own accord, too overwhelmed with emotions to stop and think, and she says it out loud for the first time, "I love you."
Stunned, Arjun stares into her eyes, his heart erratic when it deciphers what she said to him, but Arvi doesn't hold his gaze for long, engulfed by embarrassment and regret, that she should have waited and told him, clearly, explain to him, and confess to him, as he had done with her.
Maintaining a calm exterior, even while his insides jump with joy, he proceeds to take his seat, eager to finish off with the rituals and take his bride home.
The talambralu ritual is next. The bride and the groom are sat facing each other, and the first three handfuls of talambralu; a mixture of rice grains and flower petals are administered by the priest, but the ritual soon turns into a competition at the bride and groom both try to dodge the talambralu.
Avni pulls a still-shook Arvi back when Arjun reaches to pour the talambralu over her, causing him to drop it all in her lap, and Arjun leans back when Arvi reaches forward to repeat his actions.
Not giving up, she looks at him, pouting with an innocence that would put a newborn to shame. Arjun should have been used to the face by now, but turns out he isn't, amid cheers and protests, he leans forward, allowing her to pour the talambralu over him.
"So whipped," his friends laugh, joining in on the teasing as Arvi's siblings and cousins cheer for their sister.
Once the Talambralu ritual is complete, Arvi is made to sit on a small stool and Arjun slides a toe ring onto the second toe of her feet. Arvi immediately hunches over, when he holds her foot, already feeling ticklish.
"Arjun, please," she pleads with him, trying to restrain her laughter as she squirms within his hold.
Arjun grins at her and tickles her foot, making her laugh, all the while begging him to finish with it.
"Athayya!" she appeals when Arjun doesn't heed to her.
"Arjun," Gayatri reprimands, and the obedient son lets his wife have it.
Then, Savitri proceeds to tie the ends of the shawl that Arjun has thrown over his shoulder with the end of Arvi's Saree's pallu and the two are made to walk seven rounds around the holy fire, the first three lead by the groom, and the next four lead by the bride. Each round signifies a different promise. The first, to nourish each other; the second to grow together in strength; the third to preserve their wealth; the fourth to share all joys and sorrows; the fifth to care for each other's joys and sorrows; the sixth to care for their children and parents; and the last to remain friends lifelong.
Next, is the most awaited part of the wedding, the ring game in which a ring is thrown into a silver bowl, consisting of milk. The priest explains the ritual to the bride and groom, making sure to mention that this is only a game, but for them to have a happy marriage, they must always consider each other as equals.
In the first round, they both dip their hands into the bowl, and fish around for the ring fervently, spilling milk from the bowl in their hurry to find it first. Arvi comes out as the winner of the first round, but her victory is short-lived when Arjun proceeds to win the next two times.
"Arvi Akka, where's the cute tactics?" Avni reprimands her sister.
"Oh, we've learned our lesson by now," Savitri jests, cheering for her brother. Oh, but would her brother ever?
Finally, the bride and groom are made to come out of the mandapam, and onto the lawn.
The priest points up at the clear sky, the Arundhati Nakshatram twinkling brightly in the night, and requests Arjun to follow his finger to the star, and show it to his wife.
Arjun finds the star, thanks to the unpolluted sky at the farmhouse, and points it out to Arvi, one hand around her waist to have her in his embrace, and the other pointing to the star in the distant sky.
He makes sure Arvi has found it before dropping his hand and wrapping this one around his wife, too.
"Arjun," Arvi gasps, while Arjun grins at her brother.
"She's my wife now," he boasts proudly.
Karthik laughs mockingly at Arjun, easily pulling her away from his hold, but Arjun is also forced to move with her since their clothes are tied together. "Always your sister?" Arjun completes for Karthik. "How could I ever forget that?"
~.~.~.~.~
The newly married Mr and Mrs Kona take the blessings of their elders, starting from Arvi's grandparents, to Gayatri's younger sister. Arvi's grandparents, Gayatri-Ram and Naveen-Madhurima let them touch their feet for formalities sake, but everyone else resolutely refuse to let the couple touch their feet for blessings.
Soon, the time to leave arrives. Arvi says her byes to each of her family members and friends, holding back the tears, as she only nods or shakes her head to avoid spilling the tears.
The tears inevitably fall when she reaches Karthik, holding onto him too tight, simply unable to let go, not having the strength to let go.
Having to leave, to complete the rest of the rituals at her new home, she is gently pulled away from Karthik, who cries silently, letting his sister go. On one hand, he feels accomplished at having chosen the right man for his sister, but on the other, he's filled with misery, even to let her go to the right man.
Arjun holds Arvi close to him in the car, and she lets him, letting him provide the comfort she desperately needs, as silent tears stream down her face.
A/N
Sorry about the late update tonight, but it was also incredibly lengthy! I hope the chapter was worth the wait! Junnu and Janaki are finally married! They're married! Oh, my God! What did I just do?
So, forty-four chapters later, in the forty-fifth one, my babies are finally married! How do you feel about this? I need some time to process it.
Earlier this week, Poles Apart was ranked #1 in India, and the kind of response I've received on the message I posted, has been overwhelming! The kind of love y'all give me and Poles Apart is incredible! Thank you so very much!
Also, I was looking up Indian brides, for inspiration to write this chapter, and they're all so goddamned beautiful, I swear! How are brides so beautiful? They're so pretty, so beautiful, it's surreal! Look 'em up if you like! They're wonderful! And I'm not talking about the brides from the movie industry or something.
What was your favourite part of this chapter?
Is there anything in particular that you thought was amiss in this chapter?
Your feedback is truly helpful, so don't refrain from commenting, please! (Am I coming off too greedy for comments now?)
With love,
Until next time,
A.