Payal
I woke up to the constant harmonic drumming of the rain against the window. I stretched my limbs, pressing one hand against my head. The throbbing pain surged inside me as I sat up, my eyes still closed as the hangover effect didn't leave me yet.
Rubbing my eyes, I stared at the patterning windows and the grey ceiling. I remembered then that I was at my sister's place. Yesterday's memories slipped into me and slowly I recalled how my boss threw me out of my job. It took him only one mistake to throw me out after all that I did for his damned company.
I can't entirely blame him when I was the crazy one.
I pressed my face down against the soft pillows as I suddenly felt the urge to hide inside a hole. I didn't want to face my sister at this moment. I looked up again just to see my face in the mirror right in front of me.
For a moment, I was taken aback by the look on my face. My lipstick was smudged and my hair was all over the place, nothing better than a bushy nest. Sighing, I got out of the fluffy bed.
"Oh, God! What's wrong with you?" My sister's voice startled me as I turned to her. She never learned to knock on doors even after being a married grown-up woman. She was horrified at my ghostly look. I shrugged.
"Did you get dumped or something? Wait, you don't even have anyone." And yes, she had to apply salt to my wounds.
"I got fired from my job."
She sighed. "Thought so." She looked me up and down before scrunching up her eyebrows. "Go wash up first. I told you so many times to wash up before getting on the bed. You never change." She kept complaining as she left my room.
After washing up, I went to the dining room. Her place was huge. The main attraction of this room was the famous and expensive white marble art sculpture of a woman in the corner of the house. There was a bookshelf in the corner filled with books of business and files.
I made myself comfortable on the sofa. "Now, tell me, what exactly happened? You were so drunk last night that I didn't bother to ask you." My sister sat across from me.
"Did brother-in-law see me like that?" I asked, to which she chuckled.
"Do you think I would let him see you that way?" I let out a sigh of relief. Did I tell you that my brother-in-law hates people who drink? If he catches me drunk, I am surely done for. He has something against alcohol for sure.
Taking a deep breath, I told her everything about my misfortunes. She sighed.
"I don't have a job and my landlord is pestering me to pay the rent. He must be still sitting in front of my house. So, I thought if I can stay here—"
She cut me off in the middle and placed a hand over my palm. "It's okay. Of course, you can stay here. It was your house. And I will also give you some money. You can pay your rent and then come and live here."
"No need for that."
"Payal, you are my sister. I can do that much." Anvita Di has been the sister I was always proud of and happy about. Though her stubbornness was a pain mostly, she is the only one here for me in Mumbai.
After her marriage too, it never felt like she changed. And I am glad about it. She got married to the perfect man and this house became my second home from then. Honestly, I envied her too but that was until my parents insisted they get me married too, like her, to someone as great as my brother-in-law.
Marriage is not my kind of deal.
"But where is brother-in-law?" I asked. As if on cue, a phone ringtone of the title song of Golmaal rocked the atmosphere. The hairs all over my body stood up as I saw a figure rising from behind the sofa. Just when I was about to scramble away in fear, I heard his voice, "I knew it!"
He stood from the shadows, putting his phone away and I met his dark eyes staring straight through me. "So you drank last night?" He asked, his voice as if coming out of an empty vessel.
That was the first question he asked after scaring the live lights out of me. My dear brother-in-law. But I couldn't say anything in response. I was still scared.
He was perfect but not when he gets angry.
As I felt myself getting pulled down by gravity, I was relieved to hear Anvita di's voice. "Neeraj? What are you doing here at this time?"
"That is not important. The important thing is that she came in drunk and you lied to me." He crossed his arms, taking steps near me as I retreated. "I think I told you to not drink."
I quickly hid behind my sister. "That is not helping you. I am asking something, why did you drink, again."
"Neeraj, don't scare her. She is already distressed. She lost her job." My sister gave me a sympathetic look.
"That's nothing new. It is not even the first time, is it? Payal, I can tolerate everything but not alcohol," he said as if trying to calm himself.
In the next moment, my sister and I ended up standing with our heads hung down and eyes taking turns scanning if his anger had skimmed away. "I am sorry, Jiju. I will not do it again."
I knew it would be a failed attempt. I hung my head again after watching his disapproving face. "Neeraj, how about making your favorite luchi and aloo r dum? You will love it!" My sister made her attempt to make his Bengali heart melt.
Though I noticed the little glitter in his eyes, he resisted his urge very well. That was when my sister did what she was best at. "Are you seriously doing this?" She got serious, catching the attention of the room. "You must be happy punishing me after all that I do for you. Okay, cool. Clean your dirty socks on your own. I am not doing that stuff from today."
Soon enough, he stood up with an apologetic expression stuck on his face as he tailed behind my sister like a puppy. They were all gushy in love in a few minutes, acting like straight middle-schoolers.
I guess all the wives have a dynamic to handle their husbands.
★★★
"Hmm... you know how hard it is to get a job these days. Even my company finished the new recruitments last month. So, it will be hard." My brother-in-law broke his silence after listening to my story. My heart sank at the thought that he won't be able to help me this time.
Anvita Di must have noticed my sadness. She insisted, "Can't you do something? Use your contacts or anything?"
"She can stay here. I will make sure to pay off the rent to the landlord there. I wish I could help you," he paused to look at me. "Take it easy for some time, until you find a job."
After he had walked away, Anvita Di came toward me. Her hair was tied up in a bun and her eyes found mine pale ones. "I think he is right. Take a break for now. Better get ready. We have a wedding to attend." She broke into a smile.
Confused, I asked, "What? Whose?"
"Our neighbor, Dr Sandeep's son, is getting married today. So he invited everyone. Maybe, he can even help you."
Her words made my eyes grow wide. "Really? He can?"
She simply nodded, pushing me to my room to get ready. Though I was not in the mood for a wedding, I thought of this as an opportunity to get a job and also free food is an amazing way to lift my mood.
Getting excited suddenly, I wore my sister's pink and blue saree and got ready in some time. Girls tend to take some time to get ready and I was no different.
"Ready?" My sister barged in and stood in awe to see me dressed up in her saree. "Wow, you really wore a saree and not your jeans? That's an improvement. Maybe, I should look for a guy now!"
I nudged my knuckles against her shoulder, rolling my eyes before breaking into fits of laughter. "I am pretty sure that some guy is going to fall for me today." I winked as I linked my arms around my sister.
★★★
The wedding was luxurious, that's for sure. Indian families have this tendency. They will live their entire life, saving and conserving money but all of a sudden, this ritual breaks during a wedding.
Indian weddings are a festival in itself — a long event taking place for days and days. My eyes were quick to notice the bride and groom, their cheeks pulled up in a wide unnatural smile. I could see them watching aunties and uncles digging for their food while they sat in their heavy outfits, posing for the camera with empty stomachs.
I chuckled inside, feeling happy about being single. These are the times when I am proud of my relationship status.
But there was a certain lingering feeling. It felt as if I had seen the groom somewhere before.
Maybe you meet him somewhere on the road with Sandeep uncle, my mind retorted.
Talking about Dr Sandeep, I knew him well enough. He was the kind of person who loves his son. He completely loves boasting about his son who is a young professor of Maths.
"I can't believe that my son is getting married. Now, my life is fulfilled." Sandeep uncle showed us all of his teeth, smiling in a way that every proud parent smiles, especially when they are the selecting guide, arranging the marriage for their children. They are proud of themselves, and their choices and their authorizing side feels too happy.
Anvita Di smiled. "I know. You must be happy. Sanjay is successful in his career and now, will also settle in a married life."
"You know how different married life is. Nowadays, marriage is like a joke to youngsters. That's why I thought I should do this for my Sanjay. The girl is very educated and also very family-oriented, what else would I need?"
I sat, listening to their conversation when I looked at my sister in a way to tell her to ask him about my job. I waited as she prepared the time to ask. "My sister will be twenty-seven next year. She also needs to get married but she recently lost her job. We are so worried."
"Private jobs these days are so hard. What was your department?" He turned to me, catching me off guard. I managed to compose myself on time, as I said, "Sales Analytics."
"Sandeep uncle, can you help her with this? She is a hardworking girl, if she gets an opportunity, she will do well."
He nodded and paused as if trying to think something very hard. As I looked patiently, waiting for him to answer, I noticed his colours changing, his eyes wide with an idea as he slammed his palm on the table.
"I know someone who was hiring people, you know that Pegasus Plaza on the corner side of the Nataraj Store. I know the owner there. He is grateful to me after I saved his wife's life," he said, giving off his wide smile, and turning his glance upon me. I smiled back politely as he patted my back. "Don't worry. I will take care of this."
"Thank you so much, uncle." Feeling a sense of satisfaction and genuine happiness, I looked at Anvita Di, smiling more than me.
My eyes shifted around the room as I noticed his face from afar. And I was sure that handsome face belonged to him. "Uncle, you just made all my worries vanish." My sister's grateful voice barely reached my ears as I kept looking in his direction.
And just then, his black orbs found mine.
~•~
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