There were hundreds of people gathered at the court for their routine. Sooraj and Niyati were discussing the future proceedings with their lawyer. Krish avoided them to stop their unsolicited advice.
Vikram tapped his shoes on the concrete floor, tensed to meet the other family. His suit pricked his skin that summer morning. Sooraj persuaded him to wear the formal dress to look sellable to the bride and also warned him to shut his mouth.
He taunted Vikram even after he agreed to marry for their sake which fumed the younger guy. He was done with the waiting.
"I will have coffee and return," Vikram alerted his dad. Sooraj halted him straight away.
"You should have eaten breakfast at the hotel instead of creating a scene," Niyati advised.
Then they heard shuffling of footsteps towards them and saw a man in formal with a kid beside him. Their lawyer accompanied them.
"She might be the younger sister of your bride," Krish said doubtfully.
Vikram agreed, "That bride would be in her home, protesting this wedding." He would be elated if that bride cancelled the wedding.
Sooraj shook hands with the man who introduced the girl as Madhu, the bride. The lawyers were sure of the proper documentation and took them towards the courtroom.
Vikram and Krish stood like statues, stunned at the information. They scanned Madhu hesitantly.
"Is she even an adult?" Krish whispered to a shocked Vikram. Madhu heard his whisper and interrupted, "I am twenty-one. And you both don't look younger than fifty."
Niyati listened to her words behind the guys, and joined the banter, "I already like you, Madhu!" She introduced herself as the sister of the groom. Madhu shook hands with her and scowled, "Which of these is Vikram?"
"These?" Vikram glared at her choice of words, "We are not objects or animals. Them is the right word for addressing humans."
Madhu yawned fakely, "How much will be your tuition fees?"
Niyati clapped in glee, "A perfect person to tackle my brother!"
Madhu walked to the courtroom, ignoring the glaring eyes of Vikram and Niyati followed her. Krish acknowledged with a nod, "She ain't good for you!" Vikram couldn't agree less.
"Why are you both waiting there?" Niyati yelled for them. Krish and Vikram sauntered without a reply.
The courtroom was grey-coloured with separate seats for the judge and clients. Madhu and Vikram sat with their parents, facing the judge while their lawyers stood beside the judge.
Praneet pursed the hand of Madhu warmly, "It's just a meeting. Don't be nervous." She smiled at him, "You too."
Vikram wiped the sweat from his forehead unsure of the marriage. He couldn't calm down with her attitude. The judge instructed them on the rules written in the will.
"One who initiates divorce will lose all the inheritance," he warned them. "You have to endure each other. Your grand mom can cancel this wedding anytime."
"Damn it," Vikram cursed under his breath.
The judge agreed, "It's absurd and trivial to me. I can understand your predicament too." He had to perform the legal procedure whatsoever, "Fill the forms my assistants give you. The session is adjourned till that."
********
Madhu got forms from the lawyer and sat in the cafeteria to fill them out. She made her father stay in the waiting hall to have minimal movement.
Vikram saw her alone and wanted to taunt her out of the marriage.
"Glad that you are educated!" He commented to her. His jaws were clenched and his attitude was dominating. Madhu put the forms on the table and saw him, "Were we lovers before this meeting?"
Vikram scowled, "What?"
"Were we siblings?" She resumed her questions. He cringed thinking his fiancee was a sibling.
"Were we friends or acquaintances?" She crossed her hands and demanded. He nodded from side to side.
"Then shut the fuck up instead of bugging me," she yelled at him which created a scene in the room.
Vikram flinched at her tone, "Cool down, kid."
She frowned, "I am not a kid, Grandpa. Go somewhere."
Krish walked with two cups of coffee and wasn't happy seeing them together. "Hey, kid," he greeted and sat beside his friend.
"Shit!" Madhu cursed, "I don't want your stunts now."
"I warn you about our wedding life. It's going to be savage. Better back off from this," Vikram intimidated her. Madhu snapped back, "Why can't you cancel this wedding and save my life?"
"I am a drunkard," he added. She smirked, "I am a vampire," not backing from her stand.
"I am secretly married," he stated in another lie. Madhu laughed, "I am secretly gay."
"Drama is good," Krish commented, biting a biscuit. "You both suck at lying."
They both glared at him together.
"Marriage, reasons..." Krish reminded their aims which made them resume their talks.
"You are too young for this," Vikram pouted at her. Madhu pointed her forefinger at him, "You are too old for this shit."
"I am twenty-seven," he stated. She interrupted, "And I am twenty-one."
"You need not argue with us," Krish warned her. "Just don't sign these forms and run away from here."
Madhu thought it was enough taunting from the guys. She pushed the coffee cup towards them which spilled the steaming coffee on their hands and chest.
"What the fuc-!" Vikram flinched, pushing his chair backwards with his butt. Krish ran to the fridge and drenched their burnt spots with cold water. Other people laughed at the childish behaviour of those grown men.
Madhu enjoyed the sadistic pleasure.
Krish shouted in pain, "I am a cop in Mumbai. I will show you my power."
She exclaimed, "A villain in his shining armour!"
Vikram reprimanded her, "Is it funny to you?"
Though she was scared of his attitude, she had clear words, "If you don't want to marry, you must run away. Don't try to push me out with this unwanted attitude."
"Money is important to you, that's why you are keen to marry a stranger," he accused her. He thought the tag of gold-digger might chuck her out.
She smirked, "If you are saintly, why did you come from Mumbai? Is it to cancel this arrangement?"
Vikram stood idly.
"You have the same motive as me. Don't shame my aim and feel proud of yours," she expressed her anger, "If you are a millionaire, even I am a millionaire. Be a man and face this situation. Don't dare to play with me in the future. Next time it will be acidic instead of coffee."
Vikram watched her walk out of the place in wonder.
Krish reached his friend in shock, "She is perfect for you. You hit the lottery." He didn't phantom Vikram's mercurial attitude from her.
They underestimated her age and appearance. Vikram pounded the table in anger, "I will make her life a hell."
******
"The coffee tumbled from my hands," Vikram lied to his dad as Niyati applied ointment to his blisters. His dad reprimanded him, "That girl will think that you don't know how to drink coffee."
"Accidents happen, uncle," Madhu commented innocently, "I don't think he is child-like." She acted aloof to his anger.
Vikram passed a nasty stare at her, "Let's meet the judge again," walking away from them. Sooraj said to Madhu, "He is a good guy apart from his anger," and followed his son.
Krish extended a coy smile at Niyati, "Even I have blisters...." showing his reddened hand. She scowled at him, "You guys need kindergarten. Stop bugging me," and threw the ointment tube on him.
Madhu pitied his condition, "I will help you," and covered his bruises with the cream. He sighed, "I bought the ointment for them but they aren't helping me!"
She grinned, "Are you going to become a villain?"
He chuckled, "No way. He is a good guy just a little lunatic."
"A little?" She widened her eyes and repeated his words. "He fits in an asylum! So are you."
Krish frowned at her, "If you didn't help me, I would have eaten you."
"I am a poison," she added. "Now can we meet the judge?"
"Let's walk and talk," he suggested. "Vikram drinks every night and he behaves like a savage in anger."
She listened to him silently. Knowing Vikram was important to her future.
"He manages the business with his dad," Krish informed her. "You might need to help him as Sooraj uncle became old."
"Okay," she replied to him. "Then?"
"Nothing else," Krish kept Vikram's sex life in the dark as it might create problems. "What about you?"
"Well, I don't drink," she giggled, "I graduated this year and helped my family business. I planned to study next year, but..."
"There are good colleges here," Krish interrupted her, "Vikram won't stop you."
"My father is ill," she shrugged, "I am marrying your friend for my father's happiness. It's not for money or anything else."
Krish pitied her, "I am sorry for our behaviour."
She smiled, "Not only that. Tell your friend not to expect me as a slave wife. I will leave him if my esteem is overlooked."
*******
The judge attested to the forms after the break.
"Are you okay with this guy?" Praneet asked her to worry, "I heard that he couldn't handle his coffee cup. Maybe he needs a medical checkup."
Madhu stifled her laughter, "Accidents can happen, Father. I think he is normal and fit. Don't worry."
The judge cleared his throat, "The preliminary procedures are over. So, when are you planning for this wedding?"
Sooraj spoke, "Maybe in two weeks. We need to inform our relatives."
The advocate warned them of the rules, "This wedding should be performed in a month."
"What about next week? We can't invite relatives," Madhu said to her father. He batted his eyes for a short duration, "Next week?"
Vikram's dad thought for a while, "Only a handful of us could be present."
Madhu thought of the tough days ahead. She predicted that Vikram would be tough to manage. The judge ordered them to confirm the wedding date before dispersing the session.
********
"You better die there so that my marriage will be cancelled," Vikram taunted Rati over the phone. "What is your need on earth at the age of eighty?"
Rati laughed at his words and called him childish. "My work starts from your marriage, child. Pray for your peace," she warned him before disconnecting the line.
He was frustrated to talk with the old lady and saw Niyati and Krish talking with Madhu. It fumed him to the core.
"The climate is good," Niyati remarked. Madhu explained, "It will be raining pretty much every night. The hot climate of days will be substituted by cool nights."
"And the people here are rude and intolerable," Vikram added. Madhu frowned at him, "Also, some rude people travel from Mumbai to here."
"I am least interested in you but my dad wants us to talk about the punishment," he informed her. Madhu laughed, quoting her words, "You mean our life sentence. We can have a polite talk here."
"Fine," he accepted. "I don't want a real marriage."
"Me too," she countered. "Who wants to marry a psycho?"
Vikram glared at her, "Let me finish my requirements."
She eyed him head to toe briefly and nodded.
"My grand mom will attend the wedding and check on us after marriage," he informed her. "We need to be careful with that cunning witch."
"What a way to address elders!" Madhu exclaimed.
"Shut up," he spat. "I have a private bungalow in Mumbai. The second floor is mine and the first will be yours."
"What if your grand mom stays with us?" She questioned him. He already had the picture, "I will push her out of my house every night. Don't worry."
His words irked Madhu. She wondered about her condition after marriage.
"I drink every day," he came clean about his habits. "You could see naked bodies on the couch, on kitchen cabinets. Better stay inside your room after eight p.m."
"Eek," Madhu squirmed and closed her mouth seeing his knitted eyebrows.
"Don't pry into my past, present and future," he concluded. Madhu looked at the evening hues of the sky and the slow formation of rain clouds.
"Don't you have a say?" He questioned her. Madhu took a deep breath, "I am least interested in your drinking habits and sex life. I want you to stay within your limits too."
"I will," he replied in a jiffy. She repeated in his tone, "Let me finish my requirements," and resumed, "It would be better if we divorce in a year. I don't want to be tied to you forever."
"If that's possible, I am the happiest person!" Vikram exclaimed to her.
She sighed, "This stupid will isn't helping us."
"We can figure it out soon," Vikram assured her. "Anything else?"
"I have an older brother and mother," Madhu informed him. "What about you?"
He looked at her bewildered but didn't open his mouth. Madhu thought her question wasn't clear, so elaborated on her query, "Who else is there in your family?"
He fisted his hand and gritted his jaw. She could see the nerves erupting on his neck and the flushing of his face. His mannerisms frightened her, "Are you okay?"
He said in a breathy voice, "Don't ask personal questions. You are just a stranger in my life," and started to withdraw from her.
"You too," She shouted behind him and murmured, "Bastard."