Akshita
It has taken everything in me to keep my excitement rolling these past few days. After the incident on my engagement, my family has been behaving even more withdrawn from me. After telling them thousands of times that I didn't do anything to bring shame to them, I had to quit explaining. They were not understanding and so I stopped caring.
In the usual cases, girls cry when they have to leave their home, their well-established life and the most precious thing- their parents after marriage. Since my case was not the usual, I knew I wouldn't shed a single tear for any of the above-mentioned things. I knew I never had a home or a well-established life or people who could be called parents. I was grateful for this marriage because I was going to get everything now. Most of all, I was going to get some happiness. The happiness which I hope God finally thinks I deserve.
Since marriage was planned within a month, my parents were not conducting any other functions like Mehndi, Sangeet or haldi. Ashish's parents were fine with not having big events because they were organising their small events. For mehndi, my mother called a mehndi (henna) artist and after the artist applied mehndi on my hands and legs, sitting in my room alone, she left. For the sangeet (music and dance ceremony), we had nothing arranged and the haldi ceremony (applying turmeric on the bride and groom's body to ward off evil) was to be conducted on the day of marriage.
The best thing was that my mehndi's colour was super dark, I loved it. After the day of engagement, Ashish and I have met a few times by sneaking right under my parents' nose. They never knew that I sneaked at night to meet Ashish outside our house. I never told Ashish about my parents' unwillingness to give me any pre-wedding rituals. I didn't want him to worry more.
Ashish and I were going to be husband and wife in just one day. Like any other girl, I was nervous about my big day but more than nervous, I was ecstatic to start a new life.
My phone rang and I smiled seeing Khushi's call. She was more of a sister to me than my cousins ever were.
"Good evening, beautiful bhabhi." Her cheerful voice came through the phone.
"Good evening. How are you? Why didn't you call in the morning?" I asked pouting slightly.
"Sorry, I was busy with the preparations for the sangeet. Bhai said he just wants our family to be present so we arranged it in the garden. How are preparations going at your place?" She asked excitedly. I didn't know what to tell her. There was no celebration at my place.
"Everything is going great. We are also having a small function." I lied through my teeth. I felt bad for lying but I didn't have any option.
"Oh, great bhabhi. Are you excited about tomorrow? You will officially be in your new home."
"Yes, I am," I replied blushing. There was hushed talk through the line.
"Bhabhi, I will call you later. Mamma is calling me now."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye, have fun." We both hung up the call. I just laid on my bed looking around my room. My bags were packed, I sneaked some of my college books inside my bag since my mother was not allowing it. It started raining and I felt that my mood became better. I opened the window and looked at the falling drops from the sky. To pretend that I was having a sangeet, I played some music for myself and I felt rejuvenated. I didn't even realise when I fell asleep listening to music.
I woke up abruptly and felt a coughing fit coming to my throat. I started coughing badly and once it stopped, some pretty severe sneezing started. I looked at the time and it was six in the morning. The rain had stopped but I left the window open at night which might be the reason I fell sick. I scolded myself for being careless.
After sitting on my bed for some time, gathering some leftover energy in me, I walked to the washroom, feeling weak all over. I looked at myself in the mirror to see sweat coating my face and my nose red. Hoping that someone might be awake to take me to the doctor's, I went outside after brushing my teeth and washing my face. My father was sitting in the hall with one of my uncles, sipping his morning tea.
"What did you do now?" He questioned as I kept sneezing every few seconds.
"Nothing," I said holding the table for support.
"It's your marriage today and you look like this. How did you catch a cold?"
"I am sorry, I don't know what happened. Can you please take me to the doc..." He cut me mid-sentence.
"Take an antibiotic pill from the kitchen drawer, I don't want any problems today." He scolded me and continued with whatever he was doing.
"Yes. I will just take it." I said weakly. My voice was hoarse because my throat felt sore and itchy. I went to the kitchen and in one of the drawers, I found a medical box. I took a pill from it and went back to my room walking at a snail's speed. I had little to no energy in my body.
Even after a few hours, I was still not feeling well, the tablet didn't do any good to me. It was almost mid-day and no one asked me to come for the haldi ceremony yet. I was getting impatient so I went into the hall to check if it was ready or not but there was no one there. I spotted a servant and asked her about the whereabouts of everyone.
"Ladies has gone to the parlour, madam. Your mother asked me to inform you that if she doesn't come in time, you need to start getting ready with the help of two stylists who will come in the evening." My face fell hearing her words. So there was no ceremony after all.
"My father and everyone else?" I asked.
"Madam, they might be in the room or outside. I didn't see." She replied and left. I nodded and cried after going to my room. My parents couldn't bother to treat me good on my last day in the house. How could they be so cruel and heartless to their child?
I felt dejected but I wanted to complete the ritual so wiping my eyes, I went to the kitchen and prepared everything which was required for the haldi ceremony consulting a YouTube video. I took the bowl inside my room and applied it just the way the video suggested. While I was applying the haldi, my tears wouldn't stop. I was so unlucky to have a family who didn't love me at all.
After I was done applying haldi, I went to the washroom to take a bath. After completely washing off my body, I went outside and saw my mother sitting on the bed. She was looking thoroughly refreshed and her hair and makeup for the night was already done.
"Oh, there you are. What took you so long in the washroom? I have been waiting here for 15 minutes."
"I was taking a bath," I replied in a hoarse voice. She didn't even bother to ask if I was feeling well or not.
"You look rather dull today. Anyway, the beautician is here for getting you ready. All of us got our makeup and hair done at the parlour. Rest everything will be done at home. Your makeup will take time so we are going to start now."
"Okay." She called the beauticians and the same ladies who did my makeup on engagement came. They smiled at me and placed the makeup bags on the table. Thankfully, my mother left after the ladies got settled.
"Okay, mam. Don't worry. This time we will do your best makeup because your mother won't be here to interrupt." One girl said excitedly. The other one nudged her with the elbow.
"Uh, yeah sorry. My name is Aditi and this is Seema. We couldn't introduce ourselves last time. Sorry to say but your mother is a bit intimidating." She said hesitantly.
"No worries. I know it already. My name is Akshita." I smiled at both of them and they started doing my makeup. I sneezed a few times in between, they both looked more worried than my own family. I scoffed. Family!
I just hoped that my illness won't affect my marriage because I couldn't wait for any more to leave this house.
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Ashish
The sangeet ceremony was sheer madness, everyone was going crazy with all the singing and dancing. We arranged a karaoke theme party in our garden and everyone sang their hearts out. We were all laughing madly at some of our relatives' funny performances.
I hooted like crazy when both my amazing sisters, Khushi and Swasti danced so gracefully in front of everyone. Honestly, Khushi's performance was more like a surprise because I didn't expect that she will agree to perform in front of everyone. But the fact cannot be denied that since the beginning of my marriage, she has been the most excited one. She has done every arrangement alongside our father and uncles.
"You guys were brilliant." I hugged both Khushi and Swasti after their performance ended. It was the last performance for the evening since we all were really tired. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and sleep like a child.
I wondered if Akshita was enjoying or not, her family was also having small functions like us since there was not much time to arrange for lavish events. Akshita and I stopped sneaking out just a day ago. I made a rebel out of Akshita, the thought made me laugh.
Deciding to not call Akshita because she might be tired too, I slept within a few seconds after hitting the bed. I felt someone poking at my face in my sleep.
"Wake up. Wake up. It's eight. Nanak Shak ( groom offers prayers with his maternal uncle and his maternal uncle gives him gifts or money) ceremony and your haldi ritual are in an hour. Bhaiiii!!!!" Swasti yelled still poking my arms. So annoying, ugh!
"Stop shrieking in my ear, Swasti," I yelled at her, still not opening my eyes.
"Then wake up." She shouted in my ear again.
"Ugh, I am up, I am up, don't yell," I growled at her and she left my room laughing evilly. Monster!
I did my morning routine and showered, getting ready within a few minutes. I would have to take a bath again after my haldi, that terrible yellow thing which will stick to my body. Eww! I shook my head at the horrible thought and went to eat breakfast before everyone coloured me yellow.
After breakfast, I performed the prayer for Nanak shak with my maternal uncle. We were done within half an hour after which my friends and cousins gave me wicked looks. They knew my annoyance for sticky things and now they were all gonna enjoy torturing me.
Even for such a short time, the setup for the ceremony was beautiful. We hired an event planner for these functions because in the words of my mother, these functions will only happen once for me and she wanted it to be perfect. So I agreed. The setup for the function was in our garden, the whole theme was yellow and white to symbolise the significance of Haldi. My mother set out the plate containing banna (sort of a beauty paste made with turmeric and other things), mustard oil, rice powder and vermilion in front of me.
I gulped looking at the plate, it was going to be all over me. They say that haldi keeps the bride and groom from sinister eyes but who was going to save me from my friends and family's ferocious means. After the elders were done applying the paste on me as per the ritual, all the younger clan came forward and started covering every visible part of my body with it. I didn't object because they were so many of them against the poor me.
I breathed a sigh of relief when it was done," Thank you very much for your beauty services. May I go and have a bath now?" I asked sarcastically looking at my mother. She chuckled and nodded.
It took me an hour to just remove the yellow colour of the paste from my body and another hour to take a proper bath. My fingers were pruning after spending two hours in the bath.
"Ashish?" I came out of my dressing room after hearing mamma's voice.
"Yes, maa."
"We are going to start getting ready now, the makeup artists have arrived. If you need anything, just come to my room. Don't go disturbing Khushi like always. Let her get ready in peace." I nodded at her smiling.
"And you also start getting ready in an hour or so. Where are Mohit and Samar? Mohit's wife is with us. Where is he?"
"Mohit just went to bring his clothes. He forgot them at home. And Samar must be here somewhere."
"Do you want anything to eat?" She asked.
"Nah, I am good. You go get ready." I said kissing her cheek. She smiled.
"I am so happy, my son. So happy. Akshita is a jewel."
"I am happy too, mamma. I like her." I said smiling at her.
"I hope this like soon becomes love." She commented ruffling my hair.
"Hmm, you will know when that time comes, my beautiful mamma," I said hugging her.
"Okay, I will go now. Don't mess the room much." I nodded and she left smiling. Samar came just after my mother left, holding three cans of cold drink and two boxes of pizza.
"What was aunty saying?" He asked plopping on the bed after placing the junk food in the middle of my bed.
"Nothing. Where is Mohit? It's been an hour already." I asked looking at my phone.
"He texted. Coming in five." After some time, Mohit came back holding his dress bag. Three of us talked rubbish and created a mess in my room until my cousins joined us.
"Bhai, masi asked you to get ready. And do clean the mess too." Shubh ordered in a bossy tone. I raised a brow at him which made him straighten up.
"What? I just repeated what masi said. Nothing else, bro. Chill." We cleaned the whole mess and started to get ready. Akshita and I were going to wear the outfit we both chose together. Mine was a cream and pink shade sherwani with pink and green flower patterns on it to coordinate with Akshita's dress and jewellery. The look will be completed with a green turban on my head.
After I wore my outfit, I sprayed the perfume which Akshita loved so much. She never told me but I have seen her sniffing me almost thrice with a sigh. It was a clear indication that she loved my perfume. I shook my head at my weird behaviour. My friends also joined me after getting completely ready and adjusted my outfit a bit.
"Dude, ruffle your hair a bit." Mohit attempted to touch my hair but I glared at him.
"No need, the turban will cover my head anyway," I replied.
"Okay, as you wish." He said shrugging his shoulders.
"By the way, looking dapper huh, bro. You are gonna break so many hearts today. And your bride is going to go crazy looking at you." My friends teased me non-stop.
"That we will have to see because bhabhi will also look killer in her dress. Right, bhai?" Khushi asked from the door. I grinned as I took in her appearance. She was looking gorgeous in a pale pink full sleeve net blouse with flower embroidery on it and matching checkered lehenga. Her hair was tied in a messy side bun and her face had natural makeup on it.
"Oh, God! You are going to call me dramatic but you look like a doll, my princess." I said kissing her forehead.
"I totally agree." Samar and Mohit said in unison. Khushi smiled and hid her face in my chest.
"Learn to take some compliments, little one. How will you react when your future husband will call you beautiful?" I teased her. She hit my shoulder lightly.
"I won't get married to any stupid guy. Bots are stupid. Anyway, I am not going to leave you, mom-dad, never."
"Aww, but what if you fall in love with him. Then you will leave us." I said making a pout.
"There is a loooottttt of time for that, bhai. For now, concentrate on your marriage." She said patting my shoulder like an adult.
"Yes, mam." I mock saluted her.
"We have to do your turban ritual. Come outside if you are ready." She said.
"Yes, I am completely ready. Let's go." We both held hands and went outside followed by both my friends. Everyone in the family was decked in gorgeous clothes and jewellery, looking absolutely beautiful. I was made to sit on the sofa as Khushi tied my turban and all my female cousins joined in the ceremony later on. We did a photoshoot at our house before leaving the house with the band, baaja and baarat (Band, Music and Revelry). We would come to our home with a new member the next time.
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❤K