
Part 6 :
Back to the Future… The wedding day, suppose to be one of the best days in a girl's life, turned into her worst? How does it happen? It happens if the man you are about to marry, is in love with someone else and you know it, but can't do anything about it…
Remember those lines? Yes, we are back to where we met. I am getting married to Veer, Veer Khurana, in about half hour. At the risk of sounding arrogant and proud, I am saying this, I look beautiful. I am dressed in the most exquisite wedding lengha you can ever imagine. It is a light pink in colour and has this extremely delicate and intricate, light gold embroidery all over it. My mehndi, that took three hours to complete, has come out really dark. You know what they say, if you mehndi colour is really dark then your husband loves you a lot. I used to believe that, but I don't anymore because I know my husband does not love me. Now you all must be wondering why Veer agreed for the marriage. Well let me tell you, I will make it quick and brief because any moment now Ma and Mahi are going to come upstairs to take me downstairs for the wedding rituals.
Veer's grandfather, (his dadaji), fell in love for the first time when he was sixteen. By the way, while I say dadaji, in my mind I think, the-man-who-I-hold-responsible-for-ruining-my-life, with all due respect, obviously. Always respect my elders, even if they are the cause for my misery. Okay, getting back to why Veer said yes.
Veer's Dadaji, *ahem*cough* the-man-who-ruined-my-life* fell in love with this fourteen year old girl, Devika, who would grow older to become my Naniji. Aww, how sweet childhood love. Yah, right! Childhood love that I am paying for. They fell in love and Veer's Dadaji promised that he would marry my naniji one day. But it never happened. As he grew up he grew out of love with her and they didn't get married. They went separate ways never to meet again. Now, my naniji was hurt a little, but she got over it, and continued on with life. Thank goodness for that, or else I would not be here, talking to you. However, recently, Veer's Dadaji had been having a recurring dream of not being able to fulfill his promise. This brings us to my current situation; Veer was marrying me to fulfill this gazillion year old promise. One man's dream had become my nightmare!
At this point I would love to tell you that soon I will go downstairs, get married to Veer and live happily ever after. However, that seems highly impossible. Now why would I think that, oh right, Veer and I have nothing in common, he loves someone else, and while we were given an opportunity to meet each other, in the balcony of my house, while the rest of the family sat inside, we both did not speak a word to each other. The future at this point looks very meek and gloomy. But hey, every cloud has a silver lining I just have to find mine! Yes! Positive thinking, leads to positive vibes which lead to positive outcomes. Maybe a little meditation will help.
Oh my goodness I hear footsteps coming towards my door. They are here to get me. On a wedding day the girl is suppose to feel excited, nervous, happy, anxious, sad and delighted. But I feel like I am poor little goat being taken to the slaughter house. They are here, and here I go.
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The marriage that took, three hours and forty five minutes, felt like three seconds long to me. It all happened so quickly. Mahi, took me downstairs and the next think I know I am standing in front of Veer's house waiting for the door to open so his mother can greet the new arrival, me. Veer is standing beside me, but I still haven't even looked at him, and he has not said a word to me. Not during the marriage, nor during the time I hugged and cried as I left my house and family, nor during the car ride that brought us to his house. As we wait I try to steal a glance at Veer, but the door opens, giving me a scare, so I jump with fright. Embarrassed, I turn to look at Veer, who I know is holding back his laughter. I narrow my eyes at him, in anger; he thinks he is so cool. I will just have to show him who is cooler. I continue to look at him, hoping to scare him with my constant glaring. He smiles at me. Don't get me wrong this is no friendly smile; this is a smile that is mocking me, laughing at my darn fate. I slowly turn back head back to the door, and to my shock, find his entire family on the other side, staring right at me.
I can feel my cheeks heating up, they all saw me staring at Veer like that, and I must have looked so stupid. I panic and quickly step in, not waiting for Veer's mother to finish her aarti, and even worse I kick a little container placed right by the door. The contents of the container, rice, like water, come flowing out, streaming all across the floor. Some pieces of rice even reach the end of the room, which by the way is gigantic. I take in a deep breath, unable to believe my first step into the house and I have made such a mess. So I quickly bend down and start gathering whatever little rice I can, and sheepishly start putting it in the container. Everyone around me breaks out in laughter. I am confused.
"What are you doing?" I hear Veer's deep and dreamy voice from behind me. I turn to look at him.
"The further the rice goes the better it is."
"This girl seems to very lucky."
I hear Veer's relatives say. Lucky? If I was lucky, I would not be here, I feel like saying back, but of course I don't, more like I can't. I stand up and nervously smile at everyone. A few jokes are shared, which I don't hear because I too busy trying to fathom the fact that I am actually at the Khurana mansion, married to Veer Khurana. I am now Mrs. Soni Khurana. Slowly everyone starts to disperse away from the main hall and get busy with the little after marriage celebration that has been arranged for the family. However, I am still standing still; Veer is no longer beside me, who knows where he disappeared to. I can see, Veer's mother from where I stand, and she is busy giving instructions to the waiters. She is indeed very beautiful, but seems very strict; I am already scared of her. I look around the ginormous room that is hustling and bustling with people, but I see no one I remotely even would consider knowing. I feel so left out.
After another five minutes of just standing in middle of the hallway like a zombie, I finally meet someone nice and friendly. He introduces himself as Abhinav. I can't help smile at him, he just seems like such a warm and gentle person. He tells me he is Veer's elder brother. Elder brother? Why didn't I meet him before? He wasn't even at the marriage. At once Abhinav reads my puzzled expression and explains to me that he is not Veer's real brother, but was adopted by the family when he was very little. I smile back at him, unable to find any words to say. But I like Abhinav; I think I have found a friend in this very big house. Before anything else is said, Veer's mother comes and asks Abhinav to go take care of something. Abhinav leaves at once. She then turns her attention to me. Okay it is official, I am scared of her. Definitely scared of her, just the way she is looking at me, I feel like I am student who has just been caught pulling a prank. I just want to say sorry to her, and I don't even know for what.
"You must be tired." Hearing her voice, I at once know where Veer gets his deep voice from. "Why don't you go to your room? The celebrations will continue till who knows when." Now I would do as she says, except I don't where my room is.
"I …don't … which room?" I manage to speak.
"Abhinav!" She calls out. And to my surprise out of I don't know where Abhinav appears. "Take Soni to Veer's room."
Wait a minute! Veer's room? Veer's room! But she said "my" room. I have to share a room with Veer? I have to share a room with Veer! Married couples share a room? Of course married couples share a room! This is not good, how can I share his room?
Before I know it Abhinav has brought me to Veer's room. We are standing in front of the shut door. What if Veer is inside? No, I don't want to go inside. I look at Abhinav and let out a nervous laugh. "Thanks." Maybe now he will leave and I can sneak into another room, there must be like a dozen unused rooms in the house. Maybe Veer won't notice I am missing?
"No thank you, we are friends now." He puts his hand out and we shake. "Soni don't worry…" Before he can complete his sentence, Veer's mother beckons Abhinav again and he leaves immediately. Leaving me in front of the door, nervously turning the knob.
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~* Preeti *~😳
Edited by preeti_saarrthi - 17 years ago