"You're telling me you haven't seen the video also twice?"
"No"
"You don't know a single step?"
"No!"
"And ours is the performance after all the aunties! Oh god Abhimanyu why! why god why, why did I get him as a husband!" Radha cried out frantically.
"You should be lucky you have me Radha, no one will even be looking at you!" Abhimanyu replied cockily
"Listen dumbass, it's a universal fact that aunties only want younger indian women to fuck up so they can point out what a bad match we are!" Radha pointed out to him
"Oh well why do we need the aunties to point it out for us, I can point it out myself!" Abhimanyu replied indifferently. Radha clutched her head. "You're no professor to figure that one out! ugh, this is going to be so bad! oh no, everyone will figure out that are marriage is a sham and then papa will find out too, and then he'll get a heart attack and he'll die, and then you'll kill me by chopping me into a million pieces and stuffing me into a suitcase" she started wailing loudly. An amused Abhimanyu couldn't help but laugh. "Oh god, why are you obsessed with dying!" he exclaimed. "Even if papa doesn't die, he'll hate me and he'll push me away from himself and never let me see him again. And he'll even begin loving you and aman more than he loves me!"
"Excuse me, he already loves me and Aman more than you!" Abhimanyu replied as he let out an amused chuckle
"No he doesn't, don't tell him that you know, but he told me this when we were getting married" Radha said childishly. "Don't tell him Abhi that I told you, or I'll let your secrets out!" she warned him.
"Do you love papa that much?" Abhi asked her on a more serious note while she was on a frantic panic ride wondering what they were going to do on a stage.
"Of course I do, why do you think I tolerate you every single day of my life, even I have the urge to chop you into a million pieces okay!" Radha said and got back to tapping her feet and moving her hand rigorously as an attempt to crush her anxiety.
"There could be a million reasons for that- like you're not qualified enough, you don't know how to run a business, you're a horrible person and an opportunist, you'd literally have nothing without the Kapoor surname-"
"ABHIMANYU! You can go on a Radha rant later, can you focus on the problem at hand first! You don't know a single step and I am no Prabhu Deva to choreograph things in a second. Tell me what we are to do!?"
"Well there is only one way to do this, which includes me and you looking at each other, which I would hate, but I think I am going to have to take the lead here" Abhimanyu replied
"What? For real? you're not going to be a jerk and let me humiliate myself? Wow, are you alright? are you an Abhimanyu doppelganger, why are you being so nice, it's been 48 hours and you haven't even screamed at me once or said anything extraordinarily mean. What's going on?" Radha asked, the shock evident in her eyes. Abhimanyu laughed at it. "And you're laughing!"
"Radha shut up"
"Oh shit, you're in love, who are you in love with?"
"Shut up"
"You've gone crazy, have you? Do you want to get tested?" she added frantically, catching her breath in between as the aunty's music reached it's crescendo
"RADHA SHUT UP!" Abhimanyu screamed at her. The 48 hour spell was broken. Radha closed her ears with her hands. "Here drink up" Abhimanyu said passing to her
"What is this?" she asked timidly
"In the morning you were being quite the connoisseur of alcohol in the bar, what do you think it is?" Abhimanyu asked her.
"I don't get drunk in one, I need three" Radha notified him. Abhimanyu quickly gestured the waiter to get 4 more. While Radha was on her last shot, he pulled her on the stage and she almost had to flick the shotglass on to the floor.
Why was Abhimanyu being nice to her, because he remembered the time he had counseled her an hour before her exam, when she had become frantic enough to throw up - back in third grade. Her naivety took him back almost to a place where he didn't want to come back from.
He held her hand and squeezed it without looking at her to give her a smile, that would cause him more ache and disturbance.
"Do what you know Mehra, just do that, don't screw up your steps cuz then trust me I'll scream at you for 48 hours straight, I'll handle the rest i swear" he said to her, shocking her, but there was no time for shock absorbing, the music had begun
Mann yeh saahib ji, jaane hai sab ji
Phir bhi banaye bahaane
Radha had been a decently well dancer, mostly because she immersed her dance in loads of facial expression, and clearly today her performance wasn't going to be any different, even if she didn't feel anything that the lyrics implied towards Abhimanyu, she had to show that she did, besides she had mastered turning into a facade.
Naina nawaabi ji, dekhe hain sab ji
Phir bhi na samjhe ishaare
She twirled around and danced with little actions as Abhimanyu looked through the timing and did a few movements here and there to make it seem coordinated. A part in Dev hurt as he saw them dance, it was supposed to be a dance in his honor but he wondered if Radha had ended things because she felt something for Abhimanyu. But he put the thought aside, dwelling on it would ruin the essence of their short lived romance. He instead began focusing on reciprocating Priyanka's effort as he let his fingers intertwine with hers, just as he had promised Radha.
Mann yeh saahib ji haan karta bahaane
Naina nawaabi ji na samjhe ishaare
In that moment she felt Abhimanyu come and put his hands around his waist. This was the closest they had been in their 3 year old marriage.
Dheere dheere, nainon ko dheere dheere
Jiya ko dheere dheere bhaayo re Saibo
He had completely taken over, leading her way, by twirling her and pushing her here and there and then twirling her again. The pace went so fast Radha had no control of what was going on she, she had a puzzled look on her face as Abhimanyu commanded the entire choreography
Dheere dheere, begaana dheere dheere
Apna sa dheere dheere lage re Saibo
And then they ended with the last beat when Abhimanyu dropped her on his left arm, his chest rising and falling and so was hers. It took her a moment to digest that she was done, she began laughing in the middle of the stage, Abhimanyu immediately pulled her to the backstage, realizing that she was completely drunk.
She began laughing hysterically. "I can't believe-I can't believe it, ahahah, how did we pull it off, it was such a shit show ahahaha, how did we" Radha said as she tried to free herself from Abhimanyu's grip. Abhimanyu couldn't let go of her, a drunk Radha was fatal to his stature, a few hours of treating her as a child would wear out the affects of alcohol. He put away his ego and followed Radha to wherever she was dragging him.
"Let go of me Abhi, let go! Oh wait, it's not Abhi for me, it's Abhimanyuuuuu-oooooooooooooh, but why is it not, I called you as Abhi when I was a kid" Radha interjected
"Radha, control yourself, shhh, keep calm, don't scream so much, what will people thinK"
"What will they think Abhi? That the perfect couple is having a bad day, even better I say this is the best time to inform everyone that I am infertile, because your mother apparently knows how virile you are, for some reason, i don't know how tho, maybe you were a messy masturbator, who knows?" Radha kept talking
"What are you saying, have-have you lost it, radha shut up! you are very loud, stop talking please!" Abhi said laughing out loud since he couldn't contain it anymore. Looking at him Radha began laughing more. She suddenly freed himself from her hand and began running away. Abhi rolled his eyes in frustration and ran behind her.
"Stop Radha, Radha listen, Radha you will have it from me if you don't stop, Radha!" he said as he screamed running behind her, but Radha took of her heels, held her saree and ran like a professional bride runner. Radha turned around to try to listen to him when she collided with somebody in front of her, Abhimanyu in an attempt to save her dashed towards her but ended up colliding with her and the both of them fell on to the large heap of petals that had been created there to arrange for decorations for another couple. Abhi's arms wrapped around Radha's waist as she felt onto his chest and he winced in pain when her earring poked his chest. As Radha tried to get up, she found her hair stuck to his buttons. She impatiently began juggling through his grip when Abhimanyu assured her to be patient and slowly untangled the knot.
Radha looked at him and began laughing. Abhi stopped to look at Radha as she played with the petal and sprung them on him, it reminded him of Holi they had played as kids at his father's farmhouse. So many memories, so many of them, how could they let it all gone to waste. They were so close, how did they grow this far apart.
"You're very drunk Radha!" Abhi screamed to her
"I am planning to become an alcoholic Abhi" Radha replied, making him laugh. Radha continued looking him as he laughed, her puzzled face broke into a large smile.
"Why weren't we laughing like this for the last three years Abhi, why weren't you laughing, why weren't you smiling? Why did we live like strangers mourning a loss. And I thought it was all because of me, that I was the reason you had stopped laughing, but it's not, it's really not, it wasn't my fault. What you did to me was unfair, it was wrong, I-"
Abhi became uncomfortable and began getting up.
"What went wrong Abhi" Radha asked holding his arm to stop him.
"Ask yourself Radha, maybe if you were a little sober you'd realize. Get up now you need to do the rituals and the wedding ceremony might start again" Abhi commanded her.
"But why we were having so much fun-"
"It was a mistake, you're a horrible person, I want nothing to do with you, now get up and get your disheveled self furnished to look like the the last name you have trapped!" Abhi said, gripping her hand tight to help her get up from the heap and pushing her into the woman's room.
-
Radha looked into the mirror as she applied lipstick on her lips, Abhimanyu had humiliated her yet again. What did he mean by ask yourself. What had she done wrong? Agreed to marry him? Been a victim of the circumstances? But till when would she be a victim of the circumstances! She felt like a caged bird. She had to get out of it one day! But she felt fear take over, the entire world would blame her for being the bad wife, she would be the culprit, maybe even in her father-in-laws eyes! Getting a divorce wouldn't be easy! Abhi wouldn't agree, that would mean an expose of all his dirty secrets and he would never agree to that. Perhaps to implicate her father, he would allege random charges against her! Besides where would she got after the divorce, definitely not to her parents house who wouldn't waste any time to marry her off for any more profit, Dev was no more an option, she had to maintain her distance from him, she could afford to get a flat for herself but she needed someone to rely on. Someone to support her! Her friends from college were doing their masters and most of them had moved abroad. They weren't close enough to support her or guide her. Right now, if there was any problem, she would reach out to her father in law - her papa. He would guide her, if needed take care of it and would just generally be a security to hold on to. The thought of absolutely no security, freaked her out.
She washed her face to clear herself of that anxiety. She couldn't get divorced now, Abhimanyu had made it clear early on, that he wouldn't let her leave.
She reapplied her lipstick and some mascara, before heading out.
"I've been waiting here for so long! What took you so long!?" Abhi burst out at her as soon as she walked out of the ladies' room.
"I was having sex with someone in the stalls inside" Radha declared as she continued walking briskly. Her lipstick was darker this time, almost to describe her mood. Abhimanyu gripped her hand to stop her from walking and pushed her to the wall. Radha gasped out of fright. He had never done this before.
"Radha you haven't seen half the monster I can turn into, which you will if I find out that even the thought of indulging with someone out of this marriage came to you" Abhimanyu said, gritting his teeth. Radha instantly freed her hand form his grip and held his coat.
"Oh really, why does me talking about it rile you up so much when you literally led a girl to the bedroom in front of me!" Radha replied furiously.
"A woman who sleeps around is called a whore, a man who does that isn't defined" Abhimanyu snapped at her
"Oh really, so you use this petty system of labels to your advantage? But what have men done except taking advantage of patriarchy. Let me tell you what I think of a man who cheats, I call him - a toy." Radha said furiously with some sass in her words as she pushed Abhimanyu away. Abhimanyu furiously held her hands tightly in response, not letting her leave while she struggled to free from his grip.
"And what do they call women like you?" Abhimanyu asked as he pinned her on the wall.
"The ones who always have other men on their mind?" Radha asked with all boldness, just to provoke Abhimanyu, see tell what extent his could go.
Abhimanyu pushed himself onto her, making her immobile between the wall and himself.
"Don't provoke me to take you Radha, I can have you, right here, I have the right to" Abhimanyu said whispering in to her ear in a bid to threaten her.
"You don't Abhimanyu, the day you have rights, I would've been a whore you paid for!" Radha replied as she bent her face to whisper into her ear. She could feels bit of her breaking when she said it, but she was glad it made Abhimanyu furious enough to leave her, to free her. As she ticked in her heels leaving him behind, today she had won the war of words, but the lost the battle of feelings.
-
Radha stood in her cotton saree, as Gauri instructed her to do certain rituals for Priyanka. Finally it was time for the bride and groom to sit in the mandap. Radha had to help Priyanka walk towards the holy pyre while holding her large lehnga, she saw Dev walking towards them, down the staircase.
Do pal rukaa, khwabon ka karvaan, aur phir chaldiye, tum kahaan hum kahaan
Their eyes met as they continued walking towards each other. They reached the holy pyre and Radha helped priyanka get on there and sit on the chair meant for her. While Dev took a seat next to her, as Radha felt his gaze upon her.
Do pal ki thi, ye dilon ki daastaan, aur phir, chal diye, tum kahaan, ham kahaan
The pandit asked the bride and groom to forward their hands, breaking Radha and Dev's tryst forever. After a few rituals he asked to bring forward the auspicious woman who'd be performing rest of the rituals. Gauri asked Radha to come forward and tie auspicious threads to both Dev and Priyanka.
Dev put on a strengthened face as she bent down to tie the thread for Dev, being reminded of the memories they had made together.
Tum the ke thi koyi ujli kiran
Tum the ya koyi kali muskaayi thi
Dev couldn't meet her eyes, he continued looking at the fire, as a tiny tear trickled down his cheek. She had been his first love
Tum the ya tha sapnon ka tha saawan
Tum the ke khushiyon ki ghata chhaayi thi
Radha came before Dev when she had to put the vermillion dot on his face and smiled to him to strengthen a resolve, gesturing to Priyanka as his wonderful match.
Tum the ke tha koyi phool khila
Tum the ya mila tha mujhe naya jahaan
"Now bring the bottle of vermillion to the groom so he can fill the brides parting" The groom announced. Radha's hand's shivered as she took the bottle from Gauri's hands and held it out for Dev. Just as Dev was about to pick some vermillion from it. Radha screamed.
"No, Stop!"