*Coughs loudly to grab attention*
Excuse me readers !? 100+ reads with just the prelude published? This author is way more overwhelmed! Thank you soo much 😭💗
Just a small note : In case of usage of any Indian words especially, Urdu terms, readers can find the meanings in the glossary part, at the end of each chapter.
Also there will be a question at the end of every chapter because the author loves interacting with her readers !
HAPPY READING -💗
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Benaam rishta jo, bechain karta jo
Ho naa sake jo bayaan
Darmiyaan Darmiyaan
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"Hellow City of Pearls ! This is Mirchi Ridaan on the hot seat, hearing your love stories ! It's 7 by the studio clock and the only traffic update, reports a road congestion near the Highway area. Do drive safely ! Alsoooo, we are almost at the end of our final segment - The Candid Hour . The city just experienced its first June showers aurrr baarish mein retro songs ke feel nhi liye toh aur kya kiya ! (What else did you do if you didn't feel the retro songs in the rain?) So hold your hearts as we mark the end of "Evening Jams" with this timeless masterpiece from the 90's chart . Nevermind ! You will soonnnnn be having Mirchi Kanika on Mics with all the bollywood gossips and movie reviews! Keep updating us with the traffic infos ! See you all tomorrow from 5 to 7 ! This is Rj Ridaan signing off! "
With this , he switched off the microphone system and the on - air warning light automatically got turned off . He put down the headphone aside and massaged the bridge of the nose , letting out an inaudible sigh. As his colleague made her way towards the hot seat, he stood up and took his leave. Now the only thing he needed was a cup of coffee and - the terrace .
Ordering a hot Espresso Macchiato in the office canteen , he fished his phone out of his pocket and turned off the DND mode. The WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram notifications made their way almost making the mobile screen freeze for a minute. "Areyyy yaar ! Dhett teri ki!!! Itne log kyun yaad karte hain humein !! (Oh no . Ugghhh! Why do so many people have to remember me !) ", Ridan almost whined in frustration. Realising that he's still in his office, he looked around cautiously only to find the canteen boy smiling at him. " Lo ji ! Out of everybody else, only he had to notice my stupidity." , he murmured under his breath.
Ridan absolutely hates any kind of disruptions during work , especially when he's inside the radio studio . While scrolling down the WhatsApp messages , he absent mindedly sipped on the steamy expresso from the cup , which made him seethe in pain! "Fuckkk !"
Getting adjusted , his fingers went up to the list of missed calls and dialled a number which was immediately received by a middle aged woman. "Haan Maa abhi abhi show khatam hua hai. Thoda bahut kaam hain. Khatam karke aata hoon. Chhoti ko bolna mere paas keys hain." (Yes mom , the show just ended. Just left with a little work. Will reach home once I'm done with them. Tell Anindita that I have the keys with me) , a satisfaction lurking in his voice in the short, simple and compact phonic conversation. The tensed voice from the other side repeatedly asked him to drive safely and Ridaan hummed in agreement to every word her mom said. Keeping the phone back in his pocket , he couldn't help but smile at how his mom still treats him - like a baby still struggling to walk .
Raking a hand through his hair , his sneakers made their way to the office terrace. Indeed the city presented a beautiful sight ! The citylights and the smell of the rain always have a healing effect on Ridan. As the cold breeze roughly caressed his shrivelled hair, it caused goosebumps on his skin , tightening his grip on the cup. The smell of the perfume seemed to fade away as tiredness and exhaustion crept in. He could hear the sound of the moving traffic on the main road. His weary chestnut brown orbs looked at the distant sky that probably was announcing an impending change in his life . He finds solace in nature. He took yet another sip of the expresso which had turned a little cold by then. This terrace has some calmness and serenity to offer which Ridan hardly finds anywhere else ! When life gets hard amidst the radio scripts and content blocks , Ridan's soul finds peace here. Ridan never wanted his ambition to turn into a 9 to 7 job. But that's where his life is stuck now - coming to the office, sitting with the schedules , finishing 7 cups of coffee , scripts , random voice overs and every boring thing that life has to offer . The only thing he loves is interacting with the audience and receiving their love. As his eyes swiftly looked down from the 20 floor apartment building to the crowded streets of Hyderabad , he remembered some lines from his old poetry -
" Sochta hoon main aksar, kya zindagi yahi hain
Sab kuch toh hai paas par kuch bhi nahi hai
Kehne ko toh saari duniya hi apne hain
Par iss duniya mein koi bhi aapna nahi hai
Yahan jhoot fareb ka zor hai duniya mein
Kya insaan kuch samajhta nahi hai? "
Translation -
( I often think whether this is life
Everything is there before me yet something is still missing
If said , the entire world is mine
Still there isn't anybody whom I can call mine
The world is a web of lies that holds utmost power
Don't the humans understand anything? )
Ridan heaved a sigh of relief . A soft smile dancing on his lips. Truly life never stops for anybody. People who come and stay have to leave one day. We often blame people for hurting us but it's our expectations that hurt us . Then some people enter your life and fill ur white canvas with the colours of love. There's a passionate red, an optimistic blue , a happy yellow , a magical violet , a green that indicates rebirth and even a mysterious black . That's exactly how our life feels real. If choosing love for yourself isn't an option , Let love choose you !
Taking a last sip from the cup, the only figure in the terrace started retreating as night slowly began to unfold paving way for an uncertain tomorrow.
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🎶 Navrai Maajhi ( From 'English Vinglish' )
"Agar Hyderabad mein rehke tumko Gosht Biryani nahi pasand toh tumhe straightforwardly marr jani chahiye!"(If you don't like Gosht Biryani even after staying in Hyderabad, then you should straightforwardly die !) , Roopkatha garbled as she shoved a spoonful of the delicacy inside her mouth. Everybody knows that Roopkatha is a goner when it comes to a plate of hot steamy Hyderabadi Biryani . Her friends snickered at her comment and she gave a 'oh-u-cannot-obviously-deny' smile !
Suddenly their gaze shifted from the buffet section to the decorated dias where the centre of the attraction - the bride and the bridegroom, appeared , cladded in royalty. " Haayo Rabba kitni pyari lag rahi hain Neelu. Nazar utaro koi iski ! " (Oh My God, how beautiful is Neelakshi looking. Protect her !) , Nupur uttered with moist eyes.
Indeed it was an emotional moment for the girls. Since their high school days , they have been together. They have explored life, faced its ups and downs, and cherished every moment together. Whether it was staying with Kaveri on the day of her divorce, or celebrating with beer at Roopkatha's first success as a wedding planner , or when Neelakshi lost her job , or be it getting Nupur ready on her first blind date - this group has grown up together. They have gifted each other the most valuable gift - friendship . The gift that stays with us for a lifetime. With Roopkatha's humour, Nupur's stupidity , Kaveri's unfiltered mouth, Neelakshi's random crushes, Daivit's inspiring Ted Talks and Arnav's sarcasm - this group has all the spices one has to have in life.
" Arey bhaii tum logon ko mere se naukar ki tarah kaam hi karwane thhe toh sherwani kyun pehnwaya. Shirt lungi pehenke , kaandhon mein tauliya leke hi aa jate bc !" ( If u people had to make me work like a servant, then why did u make me wear a sherwani? I could have worn a shirt , lungi and a towel on my shoulder !) , Arnav suddenly spoke with a cheesed up voice that almost startled the girls.
Nupur scrunched up her nose and said , " Haan toh tumse nahi karwate toh poori shaadi mein tum kahi dikhai bhi nahi dete. Kisi kone mein baithke biriyani pulao thus rahe hote ! " (Yes, if we hadn't made you work in the wedding, you wouldn't have been found anywhere. Instead u would have sat in some corner gobbling biryani or pulao!)
"Aapko humein dhundne ki zaroorat bhi nahi hai. Aapka Arnav toh aapke dil mein hi rehte hai !" (You don't have to find me . Your Arnav stays in your heart) , Arnav spoke with a smirk playing on his lips and tugging a strand of hair behind Nupur's ears. Nupur looked at him in disbelief and tried to fake anger the next moment, which failed miserably as she ended up blushing .
The girls rolled their eyes. Nupur blushing at Arnav's flirty comments and heart stealing smiles has become a daily thing for them. "Oh how I miss Daivit here!", Roopkatha commented dramatically, fanning her nails. Roops continued , " The boy had been way more right when he had said that there's some chemistry between these two ! " Kaveri could help but stifled her laughter .
The group's attention was diverted when there was a bit of hustle bustle in the mandap dias. Amidst the blows of the conch shells and chanting the holy mantras, the wedding couples sat on the opposite sides for the Kanyadanam and Panigrahanam , while Roopkatha came to stand beside Neelakshi on her D-Day.
Ignoring her mom's 'sab-dekh-rahe-hain-baat-mat-karo' gaze, Neelakshi suddenly whispered into Roopkatha's ear , " Aii wedding planner, aise khade khade photo ke taraf pose na karke thodi gaane waane bhi toh chala sakte ho. Kaise nikamme dost mile hain merko." ( Hey, wedding planner, instead of just standing here posing for the photos, play some songs. How useless friends have I got !) , disgust lacing on her tone.
"Arey everything will happen. Let the wedding rituals finish. Phir baakiyon ko kya.. humare pyaare jiju ko bhi nachayenge hum!" ( Everything will happen. Let the wedding rituals finish. Then not only others, our beloved brother-in-law will also dance) , Roopkatha whispered back which satisfied the young bride.
Roopkatha travelled back to the memories of the first day when Neelakshi actually announced that she was getting married. She has always known Neel as the girl who preaches about love and always dreams of a love marriage . Hence when she had announced about her arranged marriage , Roopkatha was way more shocked than being happy for her friend. What more astonished her was how Neelakshi seemed happy and contented at it. When she had persuaded her to rethink her decision, " Rishi ke saath sab kuch sahi lagta hai. As if the only remaining thing I wanted in my life was him by my side. I have started living a lot more than just existing. Trust me , I'll be happy with him Roops." was what she had said. And then 6 months of fun, celebration, shopping and a lot of preparations just for today.
Roopkatha came out of the daze as the groom held Neelakshi's hands and repeated the mantra -
" DHARMECHA, ARTHECHA, KAMECHA, THAYA AHAM EVAM NAATI CHARAMI!
("Righteously, financially, by desire, spiritually, I will not walk away from her!!")
- A promise to the bride's parents that he will be with her companion through thick and thin.
It wasn't easy for Roopkatha to believe that somebody can accept her for the way she is, with all her flaws and be with her through thick and thin. A love she never experienced but wanted to.
The couple shared a fun moment at the Talambralu ritual and everybody present laughed at how both Rishi and Neelakshi gave a perfect competition to one another.
As the rituals came to an end, the newly wedded couple took blessings from the elders and they were made to sit on the other side of the hall before the bride bids goodbye to her parents. Neelakshi seemed way more happier to find her life partner, her friends and her families by her side and it was visible in her eyes. Touchwood ! Suddenly Nupur came from nowhere and stood beside Roopkatha. "This filmy girl is now somebody's wife. Eighth wonder of the world indeed ! " Roopkatha couldn't help but giggle as Nupur made a 'still-trying-to-process-what-just-happened' face. One hell of a drama queen she is!
With everybody personally congratulating the couple for their new life ahead, it was finally Roopkatha's turn. She hugged her best friend and both shared an emotional moment. "Khayal rakhna apna . Koi bhi problem ho toh call karna. Aur Rishi ka dimaag maat khana. Horny bitch!" ( Take care of yourself. Call me in case of any problem. And don't irritate Rishi. You horny bitch) ,saying this Roopkatha hugged her best friend and everybody became emotional as two best friends shared tears of happiness. Roopkatha then went on to hug Rishi and smiled at him saying, " Happy young man. You literally welcomed trouble in your life. Look at it smiling at you ear to ear. " Neelakshi tried to make an offended face but ended up laughing more. Roops continued, "But since u chose her, don't, never ever lose faith in her. Even if she disappoints you sometimes, don't give up on her. She's a keeper !"
•~ GLOSSARY ~•
• City of Pearls : referred to Hyderabad as it supplies one of the finest pearl jewelleries in India.
• Gosht Biryani: Hyderabad's most famous Mughlai dish , an amalgamation of lamb meat and Basmati rice.
• garbled : speak unclearly while eating.
• sherwani : a knee-length coat buttoning to the neck, worn by men from South Asia
• lungi : a kind of cloth white or coloured, usually wrapped around the waist the two ends of which are knotted together.
• tauliya : Towel
• Kanyadanam and Panigrahanam : This is the ceremony where the bride's family officially gives her hand to the groom.
• Talambralu : This is the fun part of the wedding where not only the couple but the entire family enjoys. In this ritual, the bride and groom pour 'Talambralu' (rice mixed with turmeric) on each other's head like a shower.
That was the very first chapter of the book y'all! And indeed very special for me ! Thank you for reading! Just thought that a little outlook of their daily lives will just help readers to understand the characters ! Right ?
Which part of the chapter did you like the most ? The first half or the second half ? Be Honest.
Just one thing ,the book is definitely going to be a roller coaster ride as I tried to implement two different moods in the very first chapter itself. I just can't express how excited I'm! I hope the length of the chapter is okay ! Kinda unsure about it! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter?
Today's questions are -
• How many of you love listening to the radio in your leisure, especially at night ?
• And how many of you have been to a South Indian wedding?
I did a detailed research on the rituals and i swearrr I'm already in love with the beauty of Hyderabadi weddings!
Also what do you think about Ridan and Roopkatha ? Will sparks fly between them?
Don't forget to vote and comment! Makes my day. See you guys next week. Babye loviess !❤️