Naina's P.O.V.
"Step into the mixture of milk and vermilion with your right foot first and then come and kick the pot full of rice with your right foot," Amma instructs.
I left my lehenga up and do as I was told by Amma. I step onto the plate full of the red liquid. I walk up to the pot filled with rice and gently tip it over.
These were the rituals that every bride had to do when entering her in-law's home for the first time.
I was annoyed by all of these post-wedding rituals. I just wanted to get these clothes off of me and change into more comfortable ones.
I already missed my parents if that was even possible. I couldn't stop crying at the vidaai and Ishaan had to basically drag me into the car or else I wouldn't have let go of them.
"Ishaan, why don't you talk to your brother-in-law? We'll help Naina freshen up," Ishaani, Ishaan's elder sister suggests.
Ishaani takes me into a room along with a couple of her cousins. The room was decorated very nicely. The whole bed was filled with flowers for the first night.
Ishaan's cousins giggle when they enter the room. I roll eyes at them. There was no way that I was going to let Ishaan sleep on the same bed as me tonight, let alone touch me.
"Here, sit on the bed." Ishaani puts her hands on my shoulder and makes me sit on the bed. Ishaani immediately starts fixing my dress, making sure that it was proper.
"Naina, I want you to know that...," Ishaani stops sensing my discomfort amongst her cousins. She turns to them, "Can you guys leave the room? I want to talk to Naina alone."
"Thanks," I tell her when they leave. "They were starting to annoy me."
"They annoy me too." She shoots me a smile.
I missed her. She was a nice person to hang out with but then she got married a couple of years ago and moved to the United States with her husband.
"Amma told me what Ishaan did. Look, Ishaan is stupid. I know what he did was unforgivable and that he would be in jail for what he did if you went to the police for this. I guess, what I was to tell you is, thank you. His life would've been ruined if you went to the police about this."
"I didn't do this for him, Ishaani. I did it for Ma and Papa."
"I know you did. He got really lucky." A silence emerges between us. "I'm not going to tell you to forgive him and just move on from it because I know how much he hurt you. You forgive him when you want to."
Tears spring to me eyes. "Everyone is telling me to move on because I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him but I can't bring myself too."
"Don't listen to what everyone is telling you. Listen to your heart."
"Thanks, Ishaani." I give her a hug. I was expecting her to support her brother and say the same thing that everyone has been saying, but she proved me wrong.
A knock on the door interrupts our moment. "That's probably Ishaan." Ishaani opens the door and there was Ishaan, standing there all nervous.
"Behave, Ishaan. Don't do anything stupid," Ishaani warns and Ishaan rolls his eyes at her.
Ishaani closes the door as she leaves. Ishaan locks the door and my eyes widen at that.
Why did he lock the doors? Was he expecting something was going to happen between us?
"You're not touching me," I tell him.
"I know, Naina. I wasn't expecting to either."
"Then why did you lock the door?"
"I didn't want anyone to get suspicious," Ishaan explains. "We are supposed to have a normal husband-and-wife relationship."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. This was awkward and I wanted to get out of here as fast as possible.
"Do you want to change?" Ishaan questions.
I nod as I take some of my nightwear and go to the bathroom to change.
When I come out of the bathroom, I see that Ishaan had changed into his pajamas already.
"I'm taking the bed," I tell Ishaan.
"Okay," Ishaan agrees. He takes a pillow off of the bed and puts it on the sofa.
I get on the bed and face away from Ishaan. I'm already starting to feel guilty that he's sleeping on the sofa and that I get to sleep on the bed. He didn't even fight back, which annoyed me even more.
• • • • •
A week had passed since the wedding. My days just consisted of talking to Ishaani and Amma while trying to ignore Ishaan.
I didn't know what I am going to do when Ishaani goes back to the US with her husband and child
I rest my face against my hand and start to fall asleep. I couldn't fall asleep at night because of the new place. I still couldn't adjust to the
"Tired?" Ishaani questions.
I nod. I place my head down on the table.
"Naina beta, why don't you eat something and then you can go take a nap?" Amma suggests as she puts a plate full of puri on the table. We were waiting for Nakul and Ishaan to come so we can eat breakfast together before Ishaani and her family leave for the United States tonight.
"I will, Amma."
"Ishaan, Nakul, Shruti," Amma yells for the three of them. "Breakfast is ready."
Shruti comes immediately. She sits down next to her mother.
"Ishaan, the food is going to get cold," Amma yells again.
Ishaan comes to the table all red. He sits down next to me and I look at him suspiciously. Why was he so embarrassed?
"Sorry, Aunty. I was just giving Ishaan his wedding gift."
"A wedding gift? But we already gave them something else," Ishaani says, confused about what Nakul was talking about.
"It was something I gave him from me only."
"What is it?" Ishaani questions.
"Don't worry about it," Nakul dismisses which makes me even more curious. "Let's just eat breakfast before it gets cold."
Ishaani let's it go and puts a puri on her plate. But I couldn't let it go as easily as she did.
I leaned over to Ishaan. "What was the gift?" I whisper to him.
Ishaan chokes on his puri and he starts coughing. I start patting his back and giving him some water to sip on.
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
Ishaan nods, gulping down the glass of water I just offered him.
"Eat slowly, Ishaan," Amma lectures Ishaan.
As everyone returns back to their conversations, Ishaan leans towards me. "Condoms. The gift was condoms."
Now, it was my turn to choke on the puri I was eating. Amma starts patting my back. "What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing," I quickly say.
I try to avoid contact with Ishaan or Nakul for the rest of breakfast. What type of brother-in-law would give someone this type of gift?
"Okay, so I know I didn't give you guys a gift yet for your wedding," Amma says, bringing me out of my own thoughts. "I bought these for you."
She takes something out of her bag and places it in front of Ishaan and I. I take the paper in my hands. They were tickets to Paris.
"Paris?"
"Yes, Paris!" Amma exclaims. "I bought you tickets for your honeymoon!"
"What?" Ishaan questions. "Amma, Naina and I cant go on a honeymoon."
"Why not?"
"Because we have work to go to," Ishaan explains.
"I don't care if you guys have work. A honeymoon is the only time where you'll spend time together before life gets in the way. It's the perfect time for you guys to build on your relationship."
"But Amma..."
"No buts! I already paid for the tickets and it's non-refundable. You have to go."
"Amma, just give to Didi and Jija ji. We don't want to go on a honeymoon," Ishaan tells her.
Amma's face falls. I didn't want to upset the woman whose been looking after me like her own daughter.
"We'll go, Amma, for you," I say.
"That's my Nainu," Amma squeals. "Now, get packing, you're going to Paris".
I know this is a filler and really crappy chapter but at least I updated within a week. Enjoy :)