Shadi... Shadi ke bath??.. (After marriage??).... Washing clothes.... I couldn't link his words. How was I going to wash his clothes after his marriage.
I was in a weird world, where my brain was not capable of deciphering meaning to statements... It was words for me... Words that I couldn't link.
I thought hard... Wash clothes.. After marriage... His marriage... I lifted my head at him, still confused.
He was staring straight at me, trying to read my expression.. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant... But couldn't find the words.
I looked down and wracked my brain again, I could be washing his clothes after his marriage only if... Only if... If I married him.
I shot my head up, my mouth opened in shock. But then he drove off and from the side mirror, I could see that he was still staring at my reflection, with a smirk evident on his clean shaven face.
Was he talking about our marriage? I was still dumb. Suddenly Rithu came from somewhere, hugging me.
"Deeee...." She screamed in my ears. "You are getting married... You are getting married.." She sang and danced around me.
I looked at mom whose eyes were wet and at dad who was side hugging mom. "Papa I ..." I struggled for words. "I thought he didn't want to marry me." I said accusing him.
"Hhihi but I think "Jeeju" just said that he wants to marry you." She said still dancing around me. (Jeeju means brother in law in Hindi.)
"But Rithu, even you saw how he was trying to ignore me in the garden." I said angrily at her
"Ignore? What happened in the garden?" Amma asked.
"Wo Maa, when I was there he wasnt talking to didi at all, he was all talking to me. And dee was getting super jealous, you should have seen her face." She said poking my cheeks, much to my anger.
"I wasn't jealous. Who told you that, papa dekho yeh kya kar rahe ho..(papa look what she is doing(." I said in mock tears. "And also why didn't he speak till now?"
"Oh my God, deedi is angry at jeeju because he didn't tell her that he loved her before." She said, her hand closing her opened mouth, just like a drama queen.
"Rithika.... " I was seriously mad and made a run for her. As we were chasing around, papas phone rang. On seeing the caller ID, he went inside with mom.
We stopped our chasing and watched them go inside and I took this as a chance to attack Ruvi and twisted her ears playfully, though letting her know the pain. "Ow.. Dee... It hurts.. Stop karo.." She screamed.
I slowly released her ears and rubbed it , "That was meant to hurt." Saying this, I folded my hands and faced opposite to where she was standing.
"Haa come on drama Queen, you know I was kidding about what I told papa. Don't get angry pleaase." She said and stood in front of me.
I again turned my head swiftly away from her "Pretty please.." She tried again, this time holding my chin to turn my head and gave her prettiest smile.
Though softened by her playfulness, I still went with the act. I again turned my head away from hers.
This time she knew better and tickled my waist. This made me laugh and lose my anger.. "Rithu... Please stop.." But she wouldn't budge. She tickled me even more and by this time I was laughing like hell.
"Haha.. Rithu.. Haaha.. Stop it.. Haha pleaaaseee..." I begged and she stopped. As soon as she took her hands back, I clutched my waist, panting hard.
I turned towards her and narrowed my eyes. But then she made a puppy face that made me lose all my angers and we hugged each other.
"But Rithu, what is happening... At first he says he doesn't want marriage, then we say no to each other and at last he talks about getting married... What Is all this?" I shot my confusions at her and gave a sigh.
"Dee the thing Is that at first he wasn't ready for a marriage and then he meets you and he likes you, especially with what happened in the hospital. And then he meets you again and starts liking you. So he agrees for the marriage." She said as we both walked towards the entrance and sat on the steps.
"But Rithu even you saw him not talking to me in the garden. Even after you left I talked to him about his denial for marriage but he didn't say any word against it." I was still confused, there was a lot of explanations that he owed me.
Rithu sighed listening to this. " Ruvee dee don't be so tensed about.. " suddenly moms head popped out if the door. "Ruvee papa is calling you, come inside." She announced and her head disappeared.
We both got up from there and directed our steps to the door, as Rithu continued, "Haa dee, you both now have forever time, so don't be tensed, you'll know the reasons soon."
Inside, papa was seated in the couch, and he was having a very serious face.
I went and sat infront of him. "Papa.... What is it that you have to say?" I asked politely.
"Dhruvika beta, Hariji had called me just now,and its a yes from the grooms side." He said these and waited for me to sink in those words. I felt like a bag of butterflies flying inside my gut.
"They want to know your decision, so tell me beta, do you like this marriage? If you want you can take time, there is no hurry. Whatever your decision is, we will support you." He continued and held my hand tight.
"Papa, I'm fine with whatever you say. Since I was a child, it was you who decided about my life, and I want you to do the same now." I said looking down.
"Beta, if it is like that, both papa and Amma like this boy. He is from a good family, well hearted, has a good job and also good ethics, papa is sure that he will take good care of you. But before that papa needs to ensure that you like this boy. So I want your answer for that. Did you like him?" He said squeezing my hand.
Did I like him? I asked myself, yes I did, from the moment he helped me, when I realized he was going to meet me, I did like him.
So I slowly nodded my head up and down, too shy to speak anything. I could feel my cheeks flaming and a tight feeling in the pit of my gut.
" Ahem.. Someone is blushing." Rithu sang, making me go like a beetroot. Mom came to my side and hugged me.
"So can papa call them and agree for the marriage?" He asked again, and as usual I nodded my head.
"Achcha.. So you go and take rest. We will talk to them. And don't forget to take your medicines." Ma said and I slowly went to my room.
On reaching the room, I lay down flat in the bed thinking of the day.
The accident, Him calling me, thinking of him as the lord, the scene from hospital, the warmth of his jacket, the feel of his hands around me, the hardness of his chest, meeting him in the house, the dinner, sitting in the garden, him asking me not to bite my lips, and finally..... Him talking about our marriage.
The tightness in my pit grew stronger. Suddenly Rithu entered my room, with my fone in her hand," Call for you dee.." She sang and ran off. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number.
"Hello" I said softly.
"Hello" A manly voice replied, a voice that was by heart in my mind, the voice that I heard the most today, and I couldn't stop myself from taking the sharp intake of breath. "Mein Ram hoon" He continued.
"J..Ji..." I was having trouble speaking.
"Sorry for calling at this moment of night, but had to call you." He said in a deep voice, that send goosebumps through out my body.
"Ji.. But yeh number..." I said not completing the sentence.
"Haa.. I got it from your sister. I had given my number to her before we left." He said. I wondered how he was able to speak so confidently while I was struggling to speak atleast a word.
"Ji.." I said and shifted the fone to my next ear.
"Are you busy tomorrow??" He asked and I got tensed. Does he want to see me?
"Haa" I replied.
"I want to talk to you about our marriage." He said, emphasising the last two words.
"Papa.." I started.
"Don't worry, I Already asked your dad during the call. But are you okay to come with me?" He said. So he asked my dad before asking me, gentleman.
"Ji. Then I'm fine." I said, actually happy to know the fact that we would be meeting again tomorrow.
"Achcha... So when will you be free?" He asked, and I somehow felt that he was smiling through the phone.
I tried to imagine his face, holding a phone and smiling, smiling because of me. The thought gave me chills throughout my body.
"Mein free hoon, so you can fix the time." I said leaving him the decision making rights.
"Achcha.. So can you come to the cafe coffee day shop at 3 in the evening? If you want you can call Rithika too." He said. So we will be together at 3.. Wow..
"Ji... I'll talk to her." I said in a polite tone.
"So how's your head? How do you feel now?" He enquired about my health, reminding me that he is aware of my health too. I smiled again at the thought.
"Ji.. Its fine now, less painful." I said, as I slightly swiped my fingers across my forehead.
"So.... Take care of your health. And I'll see you again tomorrow, goodnight." He said and waited for me to reply.
"Goodnight " I said with a smile and the last thing I heard before the call disconnected was his light musical laugh.
With that I slowly changed my dress and prepared to sleep, still thinking about my fiance. I was happy to have him as my husband, and I slept with a smile in my face, dreaming about the next day's meeting and slept off.
+++++++++
So friends, they are getting married.... How was the chapter??
Love
Amaira...