Sorry for delay!
SIYA
I looked down as the tea boiled and huge fumes evaporated up in the air. Turning the regulator, I slowed down the flames, letting it's smell escape around in the atmosphere. I inhaled, looking up at the beautiful scenery displayed through the window.
Arjun chuckled showing off his dimples at something his cousin whispered in his ear. The environment was silent here, only the squeals of our family was heard through the cold airs. I looked on as Arjun smacked on someone's head showing him his stern eyes.
"Bhabhi." Prakhar called out from the hallways to which I hummed.
"Make one cup tea more."
"Okay."
I added more tea leaves to the container. They resurfaced over the tea while I stirred it holding it's handle mixing it. My gaze went over to the hall as whole of the clan entered inside, giggling over each of the statement spoken.
I brought the tea out in cups while Arjun eyes lost the usual glam they had from the morning as they met mine. I looked around at everyone not letting the same disturbed mood resurface again. I turned around marching towards the room occupied by ladies.
Dozens of ladies sat around while Chachi and Maa kept them occupied. I signaled Maa through my eyes while she excused herself from the ladies coming with me towards the kitchen.
I looked at me questioningly, which made my nervousness yet grow more.
"I lost my Mangalsutra in the journey." I timidly looked on towards her as her eyes screamed dissapointment.
Don't blame me! I got only Arjun and her to help me off in such a situation. But the first one already proved me wrong by panicking and screaming off in anger and frustration and later everything went silent between us.
"How?"
"I don't know, I just checked when I didn't felt it around and it was not there." My eyes looked like to leak anytime.
"Wear anything you have for a while. You not wearing anything will just get people suspicious."
I nodded.
"Till then, I will tell Arjun to get you a nuptial chain from the jewellers they have."
Huffing, she went again towards the room.
I immediately put on a gold locket I have, which settled just well around my slender neck. I looked back as Arjun came near our luggage spread though the corridor inspecting each of the bag.
"You need something?"
He shook his head opening up the chains of his bags, he shuffled through entire of them throwing the clothes that came in his hand around the bag.
"Arjun, Kharab ho jaayega." I cried out whiningly but it didn't stopped him. He took out a blue shirt which I kept for emergency and strode inside the house. Going inside the room occupied by boys, he got changed into that.
"Can I come with you?" His stern eyes didn't left the door to spare me a glance.
"Please." He sighed nodding his head.
I followed him down the staircase, going through corridors of the military residential quarters Prakhar stay in. The blue painted walls had turned damp stating it's 1900's construction. I looked at Arjun who looked at the roads straight, cold air disturbing the ends of his hair which were not gelled while the frown was constant.
"Arjun." I softly spoke for him to atleast look beside at me, but all of it went ignored as he walked off in long strides. I held his arm trying to walk beside him.
"Aur kitna dur hai?"
Ignorance.
Soon we neared towards a house, which had a jewellery shop on it's ground floor. An old man wearing his spectacles smiled towards us as we entered.
"You are Prakhar's Bhaiyya, right? Your mom called me to keep a nuptial chain for me."
I looked down at various chains laid in their boxes on the glass counter. Arjun stepped towards them and inspected the pendant of each. I looked at front as a chain with three bowl shaped pendant handing down of them. I stepped forwards to touch it when uncle interrupted "That's the best piece we have. It costs for 35 thousands near the city. Prakhar Sir took every jewellery for his wedding from me, so it would be 30 for him." I looked at Arjun for his reaction , when I turned my gaze down looking at his stern gaze.
I cleared my throat, going towards the other one which had three stones attatched to each other in a line. I showed it to the shopkeeper.
"That's 12 thousands. It's light weight, but highly demanded everywhere."
Do we care? All Arjun would be looking now would be something even more cheaper than this.
"Okay, pack it."
I sighed hearing him. Atleast he didn't behaved like a usual accountant here, searching for cheaper and get its rate decreased arguing over each of the problems.
Arjun quickly swiped his card, paying for it and took the packed box from his hand.
He handed it to me after we came out from the shop.
"Arjun,yar. Please mujhse baat karo na. You were so happy with everyone just now and now you... You are being a Drama queen for just nothing. Cheezein kho jaati hai, Arjun. What's my fault?"
"You should have kept it carefully."
"Not again, Arjun. Things are lost even when we are at home, it was a long journey, I was tired so didn't noticed it."
"And I know how sincere man you are and I adore who you are inside. You go by all the instructions and stay cautious to lead a normal life. But somewhere we should let it lose too to have a happy life and..." I continued as I saw him settling well with my words.
"Right." He interrupted bringing me out of the huge lecture that continued.
"You should become a saint."
I gave him an obnoxious look.
"Now I need a hug to get these off my brain." He concluded wrapping his hands around my shoulder while I settled my head near his neck relaxed.
"Abse tum mujhse gussa mat hona, please."
He nodded breaking off the hug.
"Let's go. Prakhar wanted my help in lightning the fire. Nights here are too cold to survive."
I nodded and curling my fingers around his arm, I followed him.
"Can you tie it around my neck?" I asked pointing towards the nuptial chain.
"Yes." I turned my back towards him handling him the chain. I felt it's coldness around my slender neck as he tucked it's end softly, letting the pendant caress above my breasts.
I felt him kissing my hairs before I turned towards him.
"Arjun." Prakhar waved his hands towards us standing by the other side of road.
"Coming."
He pinched on my cheeks before running off past me leaving me smiling. I found our entire family sitting by the garden while the boys of the house tried to lit some fire.
"Say Hello to Siya Maami." I heard Arjun's cousin childishly talking to her child. I walked towards them while her child looked at me keenly.
"Maami ko apna naam batao." Her mother kept on giving her task to get her familiar with the relative but probably getting her more confused.
"Atuuttaa. Atuuttaa." I looked confusingly around for someone to decode her language when her mom chuckled saying, "Anushka."
I sighed laughing at her.
"How are you, Atuuttaa."
She beamed showing off her five fingers to me and giving me her toothless smile. Her curly hairs made her look cute and I wanted to go all gushy mushy with her squeezing her cheeks between my palms.
She slipped off from her mother's lap and advanced forward towards the boys. Arjun looked down towards his legs towards this little princess clinging to his legs like a pillar.
"Dur Hat jao, Beta." She loosened her hold around his pants and her eyes depicted fear listening to his 'no nonsense around fire' voice. She ran back towards us from there clinging to her mother's thigh.
"Oh, she got sad." I concluded looking at her not moving her face off her mother's thigh.
"She will get playing in a while. Don't worry. But can you please get some milk for her from inside. I will woo her showing that, she didn't had her lunch too."
I nodded.
"Hey Baby, will you come with me?" I tried to manofy her and a smile came off on my face as she shook her head.
"Please. Mujhe akele jaane mei dar lagega na." I said softly for her to atleast pull off her face from her mother's thigh.
She looked up, a small tear hanging off her eyes and she looked at my face keenly before holding my hand.
"You are so cute."
She held my forefinger coming with me inside. I made her sit on the kitchen counter, walking towards the gas stove.
"What do you like to eat? Do you eat chocolates?" I put some milk on the stove checking the temperature.
I looked back at her she shook her head fast.
"Then what do you eat?"
"Make some rice and dal." I looked at the kitchen entrance as Arjun entered inside.
"What?"
"Yes. Mummy said you to make that for dinner. She will come in a while to help."
"And what are you doing here?" I looked at him questioningly as he opened the fridge.
"Cold drinks." He showed me the bottles searching for some more inside. He kept them on the kitchen counter, while I passed him the bottle opener.
"Cot trinn. Cot trin." Anushka pointed towards the bottles, glaring at Arjun.
"Tumhe nahi denge." Arjun teased taking some glasses from the upper shelves.
"Cot trin." She looked at me wide eyed, pointing towards the bottles.
"Baby, that's cold. Acchi nai lagti."
She shook her head and mumbled "Cot trinnn."
"Arjun, woh zidd kar rahi hai. Take the bottles away from here."
Arjun looked at me sympathetically and teased Anushka showing the bottle and then taking it away from her.
"Cot trinn." She screamed impatiently throwing her legs around to get up from the counter, while her whole body shook frantically.
"Arjun, gir jaayegi."(She will fall) I held her frame supporting her on the counter.
"Nahi denge."(I will not give it.) Arjun showed her the glasses, while she screamed back "Denge". (You will give.)
She cried loudly pointing towards the bottles. I patted her head to stop her cries.
"Arjun." I glared at him, who was chuckling looking at Anushka.
He stood straight seeing my glare.
Perks of being a wife.
"Okay. Okay. Give her to me. I will pacify her."
I stood aside and he held her , her soft cute bum settled on Arjun's arm while his another hand encircled around her neck to stop her from falling.
"You need juice?" He softly spoke near her ear.
"No, cot trink." She screamed near his ear to which Arjun squeezed his eyes shut.
"Okay. Cold drink." He took her towards the gas stove, where I kept the milk for her.
"See what Siya is doing."
She looked back towards me keeping her chin on his shoulder and I can't stop myself from "Awww."
She blinked at me innocently, her cheeks shining red due to cold here.
I looked towards the stove as Arjun poured some milk in the steel glass for her.
"Drink this." He kept the glass near her round lips, going dry due to cold, which she drank making gulping sounds. She backed herself from the glass.
Arjun glanced at the glass.
"Drink it. It will waste otherwise."
"Arjun, she can't drink all at once. She is a child." He looked pitily at the glass as if whole of the malnutrition would end by this one sip of milk.
"Then this?"
"Give me. I will store it in the bottle."
He handed me the glass, while he wiped Anushka's face.
"I didn't knew you could have handled her this way." I spoke smiling, remembering his ever so controlling self turning into such a softer one.
"You underestimate me alot." He shrugged.
"We sent you to bring some refreshments and here you got engaged in handling childrens." Prakhar complaint coming inside.
"Down your tone. You are getting married day after tomorrow. Aren't you even a bit nervous?" Arjun asked as I handled him Anushka's bottle to keep in the refrigerator.
"I am not a girl and you got your interview on the same day of marriage, that is why you were so down that day. Remember, not eating your favourite 'Rasgulla'." He teased hitting on Arjun's shoulders.
"Bhabhi, why are you making the dinner. We all can order it, it would be so tiring to make food for so many guests."
I stopped my hands working on washing the rice, when Mummy entered the kitchen.
"Taiji, we can order it. Don't tire yourself making the dinner. Store some energy to dance." Mummy looked at him keenly.
"Look at your energy. Remember, Arjun wasn't even able to stand by his wedding day and fell by the stairs in the marriage hall. He got all that pictures deleted by cameraman." Mummy laughed, while I looked back shocked stiffling my laugh.
"Mummy. No." Arjun signaled her to stop while both of them laughed on his face.
"I have that saved in video. I will put it on status on their anniversary."
"Mummy, no. I fell because someone threw banana peels there."
"Who got banana there in wedding?" Prakhar asked, stopping by the fridge due to his laughter.
"Mamu." (Mom's Brother) Arjun answered.
Mummy's laughter stopped on it's own and she cleared her throat awkwardly walking towards the stove.
"What are you making Mummy? Siya has rice and pulses to cook." Arjun teased while Prakhar continued his laugh.
"Don't cook, Bhabhi. I will order something for everyone.
I smiled agreeing and kept the rice back.
Tried to write on 4 February but something unexpected came that day and I ended with it now so I updated.
Hope you liked it. Do vote and comment your reviews if you did.