"You both are married" Oh my God. I took and involuntary step towards Mom, but realised that it wasn't her fault. It wasn't anyone's fault, but this situation was becoming more and more difficult to handle.
"Why Mom?" I asked her, almost in a pleeding way. Today things were getting on smooth and this news came and rushed everything up.
"Arjun, Arohi, I'm really sorry. Padma asked me about 'the girl who walked out with Arjun' and I realised that if I told her who you really were, Padma would try and disgrace you offering Natasha a chance to get close to Arjun. I didn't want that to happen because I knew, by the look of excitement in Padma's eyes, that she wanted Natasha here, again. I couldn't say anything and the excitement in Padma's eyes reached its peak when she started asking if Arohi was... " She looked at Arohi, waiting a reaction, but suprisingly it came from me. Before I could react, Arohi gripped my hand telling me, in a way, to control myself. Mom saw this and continued as if she hadn't said the last 3 words. "She came up with fierce ideas and to stop her, I saw only one way which is right infront of you."
But there were some holes in the story.
"I think Arjun's thinking how to prove it." I nodded and Salil continued. "We, your best and most unique brothers..."
"Shut up and say the main point." Purvi shouted at him and a round of laughter was broken across the room.
"Sorry, you can choose for how long are you married, but I advise that 2 years would be perfect. Second, none of the neighbours can say anything as you had stayed in the city for the last 5 years and moved in yesterday becuase you wanted extra care for Arohi. And last, there's a tiny problem...."
"What?" I asked, again.
"If we define Padma aunty, we can say she's cunning –sorry mom-, but to not make Padma aunty suspicious, you and Arohi or shall I say bhabhi have to do something which is....."
"... to stay in one room and act like a completely devoted to eachother husband and wife." Nikhil finished for him and looked at me, grinning.
I stood there lip-locked. I just couldn't get myself to see Arohi.
"I could do that for you all." I looked and saw Arohi speak for the first time since Mom's explaination.
"Are you sure?" Mom asked Arohi, not very sure about it.
"There could be a little... awkwardness, but that the least I can do for you and for the optimism you've shown to the.... um...situation." She glanced at me and spoke again. "If Arjun doesn't mind ofcourse."
"Don't worry, he won't mind. Does a child say no when a sweet is offered to him." Nikhil muttered under his breath with a smirk on his face. Luckily he was standing beside me and no one heard anything. So, looking around if anyone was seeing, I gave him hard nudge. He scowled at me, but said no more.
As Mom looked at me, I nodded before saying. "Now, if the meeting's over. Can I just relax a bit?"
"Give us 10 minutes, please." The girls pleeded and I had no choice, but to give up.
Savita Aunty, Purvi, Sur and Nikhil came up to me. Savita Aunty took a box from Purvi and gave it to me.
"Welcome to the family, Arohi." She whispered and I opened the box. Inside, lay the most simpliest jewellery I had ever seen.
I loved it so much that tears appeared and I realised that it had been quite a while since I got a gift from someone. It had been only me from the last 5 years, but now happiness flooded into me as I looked up at the happy faces of a new family, my new family. It didn't matter to them that I had walked up yesterday saying that I was an unmarried woman pregnant with their son. Instead, they had opened their arms and invited me in, taking me in as a daughter and a sister.
I found no words to thank them for the happiness they had caused me and a simple Thank you didn't seem enough for it, but I had to say it. I looked at Savita Aunty.
"Thank you." I whispered and she seemed to understand becuase she beckoned everyone to follow her and leave the room.
As everyone left the room, I turned to see how actually the room was. Immediately, I felt grateful I didn't see it before. If I would have done that, my mouth would have opened in a comical O as it was now. It really looked like Arjun's room, suiting his personality as it was black and white.
"I know most of the girls don't like black or white so if you have any problem, feel free to change it." Arjun spoke indicating the colour of the room. "Just one thing, don't put anything pink." He made a face that made me laugh making him confused.
"Your room isn't in danger, I love the colour."
"You like black and white?" I nodded. "That's a surprise for me." He said it with a smile. "A girl likes black and white." He laughed to himself and I laughed with him.
-Tamana
Jhanak
