Chapter 6

Naira combed her hair in front of the mirror. In the blink of an eye, her life had irrevocably changed. She could see shadows of her elder sister, in her eyes, in the brown of her hair, and in the life that Tammana had left behind, the life that she was now expected to live, forced to live.

She looked at a sleeping Anurag through the mirror. He was already asleep when she came to sleep last night. She had lay on the couch, but sleep was far away. So, at 5 o'clock in the morning, she was getting ready to start the first day of her new life.

Anurag had been quiet during the rituals, his eyes often meeting hers. But fe had promised that they would build a life together.

A knock on the door startled Naira. Payal and Kriya were on the doorframe with smiles on their faces.

"Good morning, Bhabhi."

"Good morning," she responded, smiling back at them.

"Are you ready? Badi Maa is waiting for you." Payal smiled.

"It is your first Rasoi," Kriya added.

The Rasoi Ki Rasm – the first cooking ceremony. She remembered Chaaya Bhabhi's first rasoi and her Chacha teasing her that after Tammana, it would be her turn, so she should start learning to cook. "Never! I will never cook for anyone!" She had yelled and made a face

She couldn't help but laugh at her younger self's naivety. She took a deep breath, gave herself a final look in the mirror, and followed her sisters-in-law down the grand staircase.

The Singh family kitchen was a sprawling, bustling space. Utensils gleamed against the polished marble countertops, and the air was thick with the aroma of spices. Mandira and Sunaina, two women radiating warmth and authority, greeted her with bright smiles.

"Naira, beta," Mandira said, her voice kind. "Today, as per tradition, you'll prepare a sweet dish for the family. Don't worry, we have help for the rest of the cooking. It needn't be something fancy, any dish you are comfortable to make would suffice."

Naira nodded and tucked the pallu of her saree.

"You need help?" Sunaina asked.

"No, Chachi. I know how to cook. I'll ask Payal if I need anything. You and Aunty can sit outside with everyone." Naira said with a smile. She felt Mandira's eyes on her and corrected herself, "I mean- Maa."

Mandira smiled softly at her and left after instructing the cooks to help her.

Naira started to gather the ingredients. And she had chosen Kheer, a classic rice pudding, hoping to start this new chapter on a sweet note. Payal offered to chop the nuts while Kriya perched on a stool.

"Remember when Anurag Bhai tried to make cookies for Mami's birthday?" Kriya asked, her eyes widening as she remembered the incident. "He almost set the kitchen on fire!"

"It wasn't that bad," Payal said, giggling. "He just messed up with the microwave."

Naira couldn't help but laugh along, picturing a young Anurag who would have been covered in flour and sporting a confused expression. Pushing aside the image, she started stirring the kheer and the fragrant aroma already filling the kitchen.

"What smells so delicious?" Ved entered the kitchen.

"Bhabhi is making Kheer," Kriya answered excitedly.

"Did I hear Kheer?" Rohan exclaimed as he entered. "I can't wait!"

Naira chuckled looking at his excitement. A handful of times she had met Rohan before, she found him reserved and quiet. She was surprised to see this side of him.

Ved, however, was aloof. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his eyes holding no emotions. He didn't say it loud, but Naira knew, he hadn't fully embraced her as a part of the family.

"Bhabhi, what's your secret ingredient?" Rohan asked Naira.

Naira smiled, relieved by Rohan's lightheartedness. "No big secrets, Rohan," she said focusing her attention back to the kheer. "Just patience and good ingredients. My mother always said the best kheer is made with a lot of love and a little bit of patience."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Kriya said climbing down the stool. "You have lots of love and Anurag Bhai has immense patience. That's the perfect recipe for your life!"

The kitchen filled with laughter once more, a warm, comforting sound. Ved remained silent, watching Naira as she carefully ladled a small spoonful of kheer into a tiny bowl.

"Ved," Naira said softly, extending the bowl towards him. "Would you like to taste? Check for sugar and salt, I am kind of nervous and it would be great if you can give some opinion."

"Badi Malkin is asking if everything is ready." Before Ved could answer, their cook said as he entered the kitchen. Ved couldn't help but sigh, and Naira couldn't help but feel awkward that her attempt to be nice to him had failed.

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As she walked towards the dining table, Naira's heart paced. She had cooked before, but her family was supposed to give positive reviews irrespective of what they thought. These were new people with different tastes.

"Relax, Bhabhi," Payal said, noticing Naira wringing her hands nervously. "Don't feel pressured."

Naira nodded with a hesitant smile when Anurag walked in. They both looked at them for a brief moment and then looked away.

"Are we seriously going to treat her like this?"

Aashi stormed in the room, her body stiff with contempt.

"Aashi, what are you talking about?" Kriya asked, her tone sharp.

Aashi looked directly at Naira, and then at everyone else. "I... I don't understand. How can everyone be okay with this? How can everyone be so happy?"

"Aashi," Payal began gently, "We understand this is a difficult situation, but she is our Bhabhi now..."

Aashi cut her off, her voice rising in pitch. "Bhabhi? Yes, She is everyone's Bhabhi now! But she's not Tamannah! Tamannah was supposed to be making Kheer for us, not her! Tamannah was supposed to be marrying Bhai!"

"Aashi," Kriya said, stepping forward, "Tamannah made her choice. And Naira Bhabhi... she stepped up. She saved the family from dishonor..."

"Dishonor?" Aashi scoffed. "What about the dishonour and judgement we have to face? Are we just going to forget Tamannah? Are we just going to erase her from our memories and accept her sister in the family?"

Then Rohan spoke up, his voice surprisingly firm. "No one is forgetting what Tamannah did, Aashi. But we have to move forward. We have to think about the future."

"The future?" Aashi repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What kind of future is built on Anurag Bhai's broken dreams? Are we just going to pretend that this dramatic wife swap never happened, that her sister didn't betray us? Do you have no shame? No guilt?" She glared at Naira, her eyes filled with venom.

The room went completely silent. Naira felt a lump forming in her throat and tears pooled in her eyes. She had tried to block out the thoughts, the whispers of doubt that had plagued her since Anurag tied the mangalsutra around her neck. But Aashi had ripped the bandage off, exposing the raw wound beneath.

She looked at Anurag, as words failed her. She was ashamed of her sister's actions, and despite their conversation, the guilt and shame her sister's actions had caused would never go away. She felt horrible for the rest of the family, but mostly, it was thinking of the pain Anurag must have felt.

"Aashi," Anurag finally spoke. "I understand why you're upset. I understand that you adored Tamannah and that this is complicated. No one wanted this. But we couldn't let our family suffer. I couldn't let my family's hopes and dreams just crumble. And the same for her. It was our mutual decision."

"I know you are hurt," Naira added. "I know I can't erase what happened. But I promise you, Aashi, I will try my best. I will try to be a good member of this family."

Her voice cracked on the last sentence. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her composure.

Aashi remained unconvinced, her expression still hardened. "Easier said then done!"

Aashi left the dining hall abruptly.

"That was a jerk move, Aashi!" Kriya said loud enough for her to hear.

"Sorry beta, Aashi is just stubborn and overprotective," Mandira said apologetically.

Naira just nodded as the tears welled up, stinging her eyes. Pehli rasoi was supposed to be a sweet memory, a milestone. The kheer may have been sweet, but the day left a bitter taste in Naira's mouth.

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I hope that was good :)