11-09-22
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He was cursing himself for agreeing with his sister, after all he was the person who hates gatherings the most, they include too many people which suffocates him. He avoids them at all cost but because of his sister he is here going to attend a wedding on her behalf.
He could have easily denied her but then she started her emotional blackmail which for him was more unbearable than this wedding.
He arrived at venue a little late but that was not a problem, he was not here to enjoy the wedding, for God's sake, he didn't even know whose wedding is this. His plan was to go inside, meet the lady who invited his sister, give her his sister's message and gifts and then go back home.
He parked his car, took out the wedding gifts which his sister has prepared and enter inside the marriage hall. The hall was filled with people, talking, enjoying, some were dancing and in full on celebration mode. He looked at the stage where no one was sitting yet and he frown upon that. He thought he was late. Anyway he didn't wanted to wait so he started walking up to the stairs where rooms were present, he wanted to find the host quickly. He asked someone who was passing by him "excuse me, can you tell me where is Radhika ma'am?"
"Oh, she is in the third room to the left" that person answered hurriedly without even looking at him and went from there.
He started moving towards the third room when he saw some girls coming out of the first room leaving the door open behind them. He was going to pass by the room when he heard a soft voice which made him stop in his tracks.
" what do you mean you can't marry me, what am I going to tell my mother?"
Their was an edge in that voice which made him turn his head, the door was slightly open so he came two steps back to look and what he saw just made his breath hitched, there was standing a women dressed up in bridal attire looking like a proclaim doll, he has never seen something more beautiful than this, she was wearing a red dress and dupatta covering her head, her choora was clicking making the most melodious sound as she was talking on phone, she was wearing all the jewelries which consist of bridal look but that nose pin which was touching her upper lips took his special attention, her makeup was on point, she was simply a sight to behold.
A thud noise made him come out of his thought and he cursed himself as he was checking out the bride whose wedding he has come to attend. He shook his head and was about to step forward when he heard the soft voice again which made him stop.
" There are not coming" her voice was shaky and the other girl who just came out of the washroom went to the bride quickly and held her hands.
"Who is not coming?" The other girl asked and anyone can clearly detect fear in her voice.
The bride looked up at the girl, and a tear fell out from her eye which almost made his heart clenched, and he didn't even knew the reason.
" Vikas and his family, they canceled the wedding" her voice was low as if the the whole world's burden was put on her shoulders and maybe it was, he can't even imagine how that bride must be feeling whose wedding just got canceled.
" what the hell" the other girl shouted they didn't even notice that the door was open and anyone can hear them.
The bride sat on the bed tiredly, took deep breath and looked at the other girl
"We didn't complete their demands, we gave them a different model of car and not the one they have wanted, we didn't booked the hall they wanted, so they decided to cancel the wedding" This time their was anger in her voice. He wanted to move, he knew evasdropping was wrong but he was not able to, for a stupid fact and he was still unable to take his eyes off the bride.
"That bastard" the girl said and crouched down in front of bride holding her face in her hands
"don't worry, don't get upset, anway you deserve better."
The bride took her hands off her face in frustration and said " I am not upset about it, I just don't know what to tell mom and how to tell her, she will be heartbroken, I don't want that, you know how excited she was about my wedding, now how will I tell her. Those spineless creatures didn't even have the guts to come here and tell us, they just called and told me the marriage is canceled just like that, as if it's not a big thing."
The girl hugged the bride and was saying something which was so low that he didn't hear it, he saw some ladies coming to the room and he quickly moved from there.
When he reached the third room, whose door was open and inside were some ladies probably doing last minute preparation. He didn't knew who was Radhika Aneja so he call her name loudly from the gate which gained everyone attention but one lady answered him back, she was probaly in her middle age but still was looking attractive wearing and orange and black saree. He went to her and touched her feet and she patted his back.
When he looked at her he was a little confuse, he didn't knew what to say to her, or how to congratulate her, after what he just heard few minutes back.
The lady was looking at him with confused eyes " I am sorry beta, I didn't recognized you" she said with a comforting smile.
He smiled at her " I am Kanav. Kanav Shergill, Pooja's brother."
Recognition flashed in her eyes and she smiled at him charmingly "oh my God! You have grown up so much, although I have never seen you but I have heard so much about you from Pooja, I feel like I have known you all my life"
"Where is Pooja?" She asked him earnestly looking behind him as if his sister will come anytime.
"She really wanted to come but Arush was not well, so she could not make it.
She asked you to forgive her and she will come to meet you as soon as possible" he was still not able to congratulate her in any way.
Kanav realised in that moment why his sister was so fond of the lady, when a worried expression came on her face after listening about Arush " oh my, is something serious, he is fine right ?" She asked him.
He was about to answer her that it was nothing serious but before he could say something, a teenage boy came there hurriedly and said in clear panic
"mom no one is picking up my call, they are already late, pandit ji is asking for them."
Listening to this the lady got panic and before she could say anything the bride came there, everyone turned to her but she didn't look at anyone except for her mom. She came and stood before her
"Mom, Vikas called me" literning to this the lady grabbed her hand and asked
"when are they coming? is everything okay, what did he said? They are already so late, how can they be so irresponsible."
The bride grabbed her mother's hands tightly, she was somehow trying to be strong "they canceled the wedding "
The words were said in low voice but their impact silenced the whole room.
"Can- ca-canceled, what do you mean by canceled, they can't do that everything is ready, the guest are here how can they cancel the wedding , is this some kind of joke. Nikil give me the phone I will talk to them"
Radhika was stammering while asking this and trying to free her hands from her daughter's grip to take the phone from her son. But the girl didn't leave her hands and just hugged her. Radhika was trying to come out of her daughter's grip but the girl didn't let go as if she was scared and at the end Radhika started crying.
All the other guests which were present in the room started whispering and talking with each other and few people entered the room, who were Radhika's relatives.
"Why did the canceled the wedding, how can they do this to us, to you" she moved back and took her daughter's face in her hands.
The bride keep her hands over her mother's and took deep breath
"He_ he loves someone else" hearing this the mother took one step back in shock. "And he remembered it now" the lady shouted in anger and every other relative of her was also shocked and angry.
It was a little confusing for Kanav why the girl was lying and he can say the bride's friend who was in the room with her was also confuse by looking at frown on her face.
"Please calm down" the bride said to her mother but the lady was not listening anything she was just mumbling some incoherent words, so her daughter hugged her again.
" what will happen now, everything is done, everyone is here. How can they do this." One of cousin of bride said while moving his hand over his face anger.
"Nothing will happen. I will handle everything " the bride said to her mother in strong voice. She wiped her mother's tears and said again
"Nothing will happen, Nikil take mom to home so she can rest, make her eat something and be with her I will come after sometime" the bride said to her brother who nodded with tears in her eyes and come near his mom, who shook her head adamantly but agreed at last on her daughter's insistence.
Some of the other ladies also went out of the room but the bride was standing there looking at particularly Nothing with her cousins and uncles looking at her, they wanted her to go home as well but no one knew how to even say something in this situation.
Kanav wanted to move out too, he knew it was their personal matter he should not stay here but his feet were not moving. He didn't knew what was stopping him, but he knew it was something about the girl standing in front of him dressed up in bridal attire.
********
The bride was standing on the stage, and every guest was looking at her, Kanav also came there following her from the room where she broke the news to her mother.
Everyone was looking at her in confusion even the relative who were there with her in the room, but she was standing there on the stage looking nothing less than a broken angel, without saying anything.
Finally she smiled a little and folded her hands in front of her looking at everyone " I am Naina Aneja, it was my wedding today. Me and my family are really grateful for all the friends, family, neighbours and colleagues who made time from their busy schedules and came here today to attend my wedding." She took a deep breath and continued "But unfortunately due to some reasons this wedding is cancelled. I request you to give us space and privacy that my family needs at this difficult time. Once again I am thankful and sorry but please help yourself with food before leaving."
She said all this with that amazing smile on her face while looking strong and proud. All the society's norms were looking weak in front of that smile.
Everyone was shocked and confused, they whispering , talking what is happening but the bride come down from the stage and walked out from there without paying any heed to anyone.
When she passed by Kanav, he felt that his heart is going to burst out of his chest, he kept looking at the way she went while feeling something he has never felt before.
*******
It was late night, when Naina and some of her male cousins and maternal uncle came back home after taking care of everything at the marriage hall, they told her many time to come back but she was stubborn, she wanted to do something to distract herself, so she stayed there.
The house was quite as if someone just died there. Some of the relatives were sitting in the living room but no one was talking. When they saw Naina, they started asking questions which were answered by her cousins briskly clearly indicating them, its not the time for that.
"Did mom eat anything?" Naina asked her maternal aunt who shook her head sadly.
"can you please prepare a plate for her, I will just get freshen up" her aunt nodded and went to the kitchen and Naina went to her room. Their house was not big but was enough for a family of three people.
She changed her clothes, after taking plate of food from her aunt, she went to her mother's room but not before telling her and other relatives to take rest.
When she entered she saw her mother is lying on the bed with her back leaning on the headboard and her brother was on chair of dressing table, his head was leaning down as he was sleeping.
Her mother's face was tear stricken, it was looking dull, she didn't even realize that someone has entered the room. Naina knew how difficult everything was for her and how much overthinking she must be doing right now.
She sat on the bed after keeping the plate on table and hold her mother's hand, which caught her mother's attention and she turned towards her daughter. The instant she looked at Naina she hugged her tightly and started crying and Naina returned her hug with same intensity. If there was one thing Naina hated in the word it was seeing her mother crying.
Radhika was saying sorry again and again to her daughter, it was her own mistake this was happening with them.
She was sobbing as a child and Naina was trying to calm her down, listening to all this her brother woke up with a jerk but did not say anything.
Naina pulled apart and held her mother's face " Why are you crying, it's good thing this marriage didn't happen."
Her mother shook her head still crying "They can't do this, it was not your mistake, nothing was your mistake. You didn't deserve this"
"Mom listen to me, everything happens for our own good. We can't change anything. We can't stop our life isn't, what we have to do is move forward with courage and accept everything as it is. How are we going to handle everything if you are going to be like this. Please calm yourself down."
Radhika took deep breath and held her daughter's hand "I should be the one telling you this and here you are consoling me."
"Why should I cry, he was not that handsome and you remember his dressing sense." She tried her lame way to make her mother laugh which didn't work, but her brother laughed behind her and because of that her mother also gave a small smile.
Naina got up and pick up the plate. she sat before her mother in indian style and called her brother who came quickly and sit beside his sister.
"Now, have this." She started to feed her brother who still has unshead tears in his eyes. She smiled at him and he smiled back. When she started to feed her mother, she shook her head. But Naina was adamant, on her insistence her mother ate a little. After giving her medicine both the siblings came out of the room, her brother went to his room where some of her cousins were staying.
She came back in her room, after making sure everyone was taking rest after the hectic day and suddenly she started feeling tired, she didn't even had strength to move towards her bed, she sat on the ground leaning her back on the door. That's when tears started to come out of her eyes, she cried and cried.
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