|| Part 2 ||
So, after a month of a lot of his cribbing and whining and complaining, my parents finally made him agree. Well, it was more like an emotional blackmail. The deal is my parents adore Virat, sometimes even more than us sisters - he is like a son they never had. I never stayed with them too much when he was married with Simmi, as I was away at school, but from what I hear, they were one big happy family. My sister is a super ambitious person, ambitious to the point of being suicidal - she doesn't think about anyone or anything - it is just work, work and work with her. If there would ever be a law passed against working too much, my sister would be one of first people who would be put on a death-row for it. Dad told me that there is even a surgical procedure named in her name in the hospital she works -the Simmi flip. How ironical!
Virat is a sweetheart, he is the most amazing guy I have ever met and the three times I was in India during my holidays, we had such a great time together and I couldn't help feel bad for how my sister treated him. I mean everyone could see it - me, my mamma, papa, his friends - everyone except him. He adored my sister to death. He still does, that's the problem - its a one way road. He gave and gave and gave, until the period he had nothing to give. He started getting angry that Simmi didn't even have any time for him - she used to go crazy when he as much asked about when she would come home.
Virat's parents died when he was a kid and so he grew up without a family and that's the one thing he craved about. Small little things like eating together, celebrating birthdays, festivals, small little rituals and customs that people of this super-sonic-jet-fast generation forget mean a world to him. He doesn't seem like one with his looks and don't-care attitude but he is one of the most sentimental people I know. This one time he came to the city I was studying in for some work and he visited me at my University. I gave him a small dangly bell thing as a good-luck souvenir, this was almost four years ago. It still hangs in his car, can you believe it? When I asked him about it, he said he didn't remember that I gave it to him. Right! That is about as true as the fact that I don't like butterscotch ice-cream.
Anyways, when I came back to my parents after finishing my studies in US, they told me how dark and messed up his life has been since Simmi left us. They wanted to get him married and my dad after hesitating for about a week, finally got up the courage to mention about getting him married to me. Frankly, I didn't think twice about it, I readily agreed. Not out of sympathy or guilt or anything, I genuinely like him and I was nothing but selfish to be 'his' when I did have the opportunity. It is very hard for me to trust guys but jiju is one of the few guys I readily trusted. I guess he isn't my jiju anymore. He is my husband. Just ji, Viratji ' that's what my mom asked me to call him. For crying out loud!!!!
Where is he by the way? Isn't he supposed to come and christen me into this room? Which by the way was his and Simmi's - the idea is very unappetizing and weird in so many ways.
I heard the door and walked out from the balcony where I was standing and enjoying the sweet and cool breeze, into the bedroom. There was my mom and Virat and Priya. Priya was Virat's best friends wife aka Virat's bhabhi.
"Mannu, you were supposed to be sitting on the bed, with your goonghat on. What are doing?" she scolded me.
"Oh sorry, it was kinda warm in here, but don't worry, wait a sec..turn around all of you." I quickly walk to the bed decorated with so many flowers and step up to sit in the middle and I pull the veil on quickly. "Better?" I ask. I hear my mom and Priya bhabhi laugh.
"Virat, you know what a top-class prankster she is, please try to be patient with her." I heard my mom say.
Wait, what does that mean??? I mean they are all laughs and smiles when I am joking around and now when it comes to actually talking about me, I am prankster?? I don't hear Virat say anything - which is weird. He is being weird about the whole marriage anyways, so I am just going to let it pass.
And how long am I supposed to sit like this.
"How much longer should I sit this way mom?" I ask. I am greeted by another round of laughter, what's with the laughing anyways. I hear the sound of bangles and payal coming towards me.
"Virat?" I hear Priya's voice.
"Fine!" I hear Virat's exasperated voice and seconds later, I see him, lifting my ghoonghat. I look up at him and smile - he was sporting such a sullen face. Arey, he is looking so handsome in his traditional clothes and yet such a sad long face. What is wrong with him?
"ohhh my! Kitti soni lag rahi hai, meri nazar na lage." Bhabhi puts like tikka on my face.
"Thank u!" I smile. I can never get enough compliments.
"khush raho beta." My mom caresses my face sweetly. "Virat, bring her to the temple in the morning, ok?"
"Ji mom." Virat replies without any expression.
"Chalo Priya, we should leave." And they both leave us alone and leave to their respective houses.
~~~
"You don't have to sit there like a statue. Show is over." Virat says after locking the door and coming back.
"Show? What show?" I ask him climbing off the bed.
"The show of our lives. You have made my life a living mockery."
"And how I did manage do that?"
"How? You ask me how? You know what people are saying ?"
"What are people saying?"
"Forget it, you will never understand. You are such a..." he gets frustrated and walks away.
"Such a? say it, for the 100th time today, just say it. Such a..KID right!!!"
"haan, kuch galat bol raha hu?"
"You are such a baby!" I retort.
"WHAT? I am the baby?"
"CRY-BABY. Come here, look at your face in the mirror." I pull his hand and make him stand in front of the mirror. He is looking at his face, but I..I am looking at the image of both of us, standing next to each other dressed up as bride and groom. We look so good together!!!! My heart beams. I should so get it framed and put it up..I turn and look at the wall where his and Simmi's picture was hanging -It isn't there anymore. That's gives me sooo much happiness. It is nothing to do with Simmi, it is just that, he is kind of mine now.
Did he take it off or did someone else did? Should I ask him? No, I will use it later - I am sure I will need secret weapons handling this stubborn fool.
"You know what, it is such a waste even talking to you." He mumbles and walks away from me.
"Hello, where are you going?"
He doesn't reply, he just shakes his head and leaves and comes back in a few minutes, changed into a tee and tracks. I just sit and watch him go all over the place, searching for his phone charger, laptop, remote.
"If it is hot, close the balcony door and switch on the AC, duffer." He says and shows me how to, like I have never seen how an AC work before. This is why I married this guy, inspite of all this non-cooperative movement of his, he doesn't forget about small little things about other people."
He settles down on the couch across from the bed with his laptop like it was any other day after he comes back from work and switches the TV on.
"So, are you going to be like this all the time?" I ask.
"like what?" he asks me without looking towards me.
"like ignoring the fact that you have a wife now, like ignoring the fact that today is our wedding day and our first night together?"
"yes, I am going to be like this."
"Well, mom said, we should do something today...more like you should be doing somethings."
He looks at me shocked and stumped "What things? Mom?" he mutters to himself, looks confused.
"oh come on..you have been married once, don't you know?" I ask, immediately regretting the question.
"Mannu!!!!!!" he says putting all his stored up patience into the word. "...go, get changed and go to sleep. You don't know what the hell the you are talking about."
"Arey, but how can I?"
"How can you what Manvi?" he screams.
I extend both my palms in front of his face. It takes him a minute to realize that I am talking about my mehendi and that he needs to search for his name in it. He closes his eyes tightly and when he opens it, he doesn't want to look at me anymore, are they watery? God! he just walks away, opens the balcony door and before closing it from outside, he mutters "Leave me alone for a few minutes.."
Holy shit!!!!! Now I get it, the whole ceremonies and wedding was reminding him of his wedding with Simmi.
Manvi, you are such a duffer, seriously!! I know your mehendi is very pretty but did you have to shove it in his face. Do something Manvi, poor thing Virat!!!!!!
~~~
Edited by bluebolt - 12 years ago
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