"Register marriage?" Lakshmi exclaims loud. "Are you joking?"
"I wish I was." Shyaam whispers smiling.
"Do you want this wedding to happen or not?" Devi whispered sternly to him.
"I do." He says.
"Then keep that mouth shut for a while and let me do the talking." She says and looks to her mother with a smile plastered across her face.
"Yes, Ma! A register marriage!" Devi declares.
"But why darling?" Yashoda asks.
"We want-" Devi starts as she attempts to deliver the big speech, she memorized under the shower the previous night.
"Actually, she wants-" Shyaam interrupts and earns an evil glare from Devi.
"WE want-" she says looking at Shyaam before turning to everyone. "A register marriage, because it's so overwhelming, the fancy clothes, the guests, the decorations and the rituals. The amount of money being wasted. I mean I can get myself a good car with that money and go on a road trip with Shyaam."
"Are we?" He asks excitedly.
"Darling, let me talk." She says smiling. "And it's my wedding day so shouldn't I get a say on how things should be done?"
"It's my wedding day too, but no one is ready to listen to me." Shyaam whispers.
"What I'm saying is, weddings are exhausting, time consuming and ridiculously expensive! We want to save the money we spend on the catering and the clothes and the jewelry and the other stuff. We want to use that money on something else like a nice trip to Bali or a week at a nice seven-star hotel." Devi says. "Let's just sign the papers, exchange the rings, tie the thali and get it done with!"
"Darling, darling! But we have a way to do things!" Lakshmi says. "It's part of our culture. We need to follow it whether we like it or not. Each ritual and each tradition has a meaning that's beyond what you and I can decipher!"
"I agree with you Lakshmi, but it's their wedding. Not ours!" Yashoda says. "Why are we forcing them to have a wedding with rituals when they don't want one in the first place?"
"Exactly!" Devi exclaims. She turns to Shyaam beaming. "I love your mother already."
"Why don't you marry her instead?" He whispers in defeat.
"Baby we are getting married. Isn't that exciting?" She asks. She inches closer to him and whispers with a playful smile. "I know the wedding won't happen the way you want it to happen. But don't worry, the honeymoon will happen as per your wishes."
"I like that." Shyaam whispers as he holds her hand.
"So, when can we have the wedding?" Shree asks.
"I actually thought about it. What about Monday-"
"That's literally tomorrow!" Lakshmi exclaims. "How can we have a wedding in such short notice?"
"It's a register marriage, Ma!" Devi says. "What do you plan to do with many days' notice? I already made the required legal arrangements. It's just a matter of signing the papers!"
"Wow, I see that you are so eager to get married to Shyaam!" Madhav says. "It's settled! Tomorrow, Shyaam and Devi will be getting married."
* * * * *
"Madhu, careful not to get any paint on Meow!" Madhav says as he watches Madhu do painting with her watercolours. She was seated on the cool tile floor with a big white paper and a palette of watercolours. Meow was running around Madhu non-stop.
"No Nanna, Meow is a very good baby. She won't – BAD MEOW! BAD MEOW!" Yells Madhu looking at Meow who had just fallen on the white paper that had so much of bright colours.
"Look what my baby just did! She looks like a clown!" Madhu tells sadly as she holds Meow in her arms. Meow, covered in blue and red paint, wagged her tail and barked happily.
"Good lord! Come! Let's wash her!" Madhav says rolling his eyes as he gets off the bed.
"Thank goodness you weren't painting using acrylic colours. The colour stains will go off since these are water colours." Madhav says turning on the tap. Madhu stands on her toes as he watches Madhav rub the colours off Meow's golden coat.
"Kanamma get me Meow's bath sponge!" He says as he applies Meow's Dog Shampoo on the golden fur coat. Madhu watched as Madhav lathered and rinsed Meow.
"No! Don't! You're drenching me!" Madhav exclaims as Meow shakes off the water from her body. Madhu laughs at him. "Get me some toilet paper!"
"No paper here Nanna!" She says shrugging.
"What's that then?" He asks pointing to the roll of toilet paper near the toilet seat.
"Nanna that's called poo poo paper!" Madhu says laughing.
"Ah yes, that's how you and your Mumma call it. How did I forget?" Madhav says. "Poo Poo Paper! Like seriously? I'm okay if she calls it something else but who put Poo Poo Paper into her head? Madhu what's taking you-"
Madhu was standing near the dustbin. "Nanna there's some plasticicity in the bin!"
"Plastic?" He asks and comes near her. He tears a bit of toilet paper and using it picks the plastic stick out of the bin. "This is a pregnancy test and holy f- this is positive!"
"Wow! What does that mean!" Madhu asks.
"That means your mother is pregnant." Madhav says smiling. He lets out a loud happy laugh. "Madhu, your mother is pregnant! She's going to have another baby! You are going to be a big sister!"
"Really?" Madhu asks. She pulls Madhav's t-shirt.
"Does that mean I will have a little someone to play with? Like Anu aunty's son has all those people to play with?"
"Yes!" Madhav says and looks the pregnancy test he was holding. "But why didn't Shree tell me yet?"
* * * * *
Next morning Madhav wakes up at 6 30 AM and finds Shree's side of the bed need and tidy. Madhu was sleeping on the middle of the bed, with her arm on Madhav's face. He slowly gets off the bed and finds Shree standing in front of the mirror. She was wearing a pink sari with a green border.
"Good morning." He whispers as he wraps his arms around her waist.
"Good morning." She says. "Aren't you getting ready? We're planning to be at the registrar's office by 9 AM."
"There's time, chellam." He says as he suppresses a yawn. "Didn't you sleep last night?"
"No, I was busy helping Devi pick her sari and the jewelry and other things. It was 3 in the morning when we were done."
"You didn't sleep at all?" Madhav asks.
"I slept in the living room for a few hours before going to shower at 5 30." Shree says.
"Chellam, aren't you supposed to tell me something?" He asks resting his head on her shoulder.
"Besides I love you?" She asks looking at him.
"Fuck yes!" He says. "I mean, how are you feeling? Are you feeling tired or unwell-"
"I am a bit tired with the back-to-back weddings and work." Shree says caressing his hand.
"What else?" He asks.
"Please wake up Madhu and get her ready. I kept her clothes on the swing. I have to go and help Devi get ready." She says and presses a kiss to his cheek.
"And?"
"Get a bath and start getting ready." She says.
"Anything else?" He asks. "Do you want me to buy some mangoes when we go to town?"
"Ooooh yes! Buy raw mangoes. We can have it with slat and chilli powder. I really want to " She says. "And some tamarind. That reminds me, please buy tamarinds too, we're all out of tamarinds."
"Wait, didn't I buy some tamarind from the town market like a week ago? I brought enough to last for one whole month!" He says.
"Yes I know. But now we're all out of tamarind!" Shree says tapping on his cheek playfully.
* * * * *
"What? Shree is pregnant ah?" Sivaji asks as Madhav and him stood is the corner of the registrar's office. Madhav was wearing a dark blue shirt and a veshti. He looks at Shree who was standing next to Devi and Shyaam.
"I don't know she's certainly glowing. It can because she's pregnant or because she's wearing a really good concealer brand. Has she been craving stuff like mangoes?"
Madhav nods.
"Machan, then she's confirmed pregnant!" Sivaji says. "And she hasn't told you yet? But why da?"
"Machan, that's what I am wondering too!" Madhav whispers. "I mean last time she didn't tell me because I did something really wrong. But why is she not telling me, especially after we reconciled? I'm so annoyed!"
"Or maybe she hasn't told you because she isn't sure if she is!" Sivaji says. "Machan I know women, they know their man well but they don't what's happening inside their own bodies! She may be feeling pregnant but she isn't too sure herself! You know what you should do? Ask her! Baby are you pregos? Just do it nicely and not in the scary usual tone."
"What the fuck da, I don't have a fucking scary tone!" Madhav says. "Seriously, why do you and everyone think-"
"Madhav, why are you standing here?" Shree asks as she approaches him. "Come, Devi wants you to sign on Nanna's behalf."
"Sure!" Madhav says and get's pulled towards the registrar's desk.
It was night time when Madhav finally got some time alone with Shree. He tried throughout the day to ask her but somehow someone would appear from somewhere and whisk her away from his sight.
Shree was still in the sari she wore for the wedding. As she tucked a tired and sleepy Madhu into the bed she found Madhav's eyes glued to her waist.
"Why are you looking at my waist?" She asks as she walks towards him and sits beside him on the swing.
"No, no I was just looking-"
"You're trying to ask me something. I can feel that something is bothering you." She says. "What is it, Teddy?"
He takes a deep breath. "Shree, are you pregnant?"
"No, I'm not!" Shree says.
"Are you sure?" He asks and Shree nods.
"Yes, Maddy! I got my period this morning."
He stands up and takes a long walk rubbing his beard. He quickly turns. "Then whose pregnancy test was in our bathroom bin?"
Suddenly he hears a knock on their room door.
"What are you both doing here?" Madhav asks as he finds Shyaam and Devi standing outside. Devi was wearing the red sari she wore for the registrar's office and Shyaam was still in the sherwani.
"Exactly!" Shree asks.
"Well, actually. I need to tell you'll something really important." Devi says nervously as she comes in and sits on the corner of the bed.
"Actually, we both need to tell you something really important." Shyaam corrects her.
Devi takes a deep breath. "Shyaam and I are going to have a baby!"
To be continued.....
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