It was an errant sun ray falling on her face that woke Priyanka up. After a restless night of tossing and turning, she had drifted to sleep towards the wee hours of morning. Opening her eyes, she lay there for a while, ensconced within the warmth of the blankets.
A cold sunlight filtered in through the curtains. The air still carried the smell of wet earth and grass. The faint buzz of the lawn mower could be heard. She sat up. Through the windows, she could see the trees outside, leaves dancing in the soft breeze. Priyanka took in a deep breath. As the lines between dreams and reality slowly became more distinct, she felt a cloud descend upon her.
Running her hands across her face, Priyanka sighed and got up. As she got ready for the day, she couldn't help resent the fact that since yesterday, none of her elder family members had even tried to come and speak to her. It was high school all over again when she brought home a bad grade. Only now the stakes were higher. A sharp anger buzzed within her. They do nothing to make things easier for her, but think nothing of fixing her destiny and making her choices for her.
She had decided to go to college. The wedding in the family had meant she had not been able to attend her classes for the past few days. But today she was determined on not staying at home. In the face of losing all control over her life, she wanted to assert this much will.
Once she was ready to go down, Priyanka came and stood in front of the mirror. She looked just as usual. Nothing of the storm within was apparent on her calm face. There were not even any dark circles despite a sleepless night. Picking up her bag, Priyanka went down. She had been largely left alone yesterday. She wondered how her family would react on seeing her this morning.
However, even before she could enter the breakfast room, Priyanka heard the sound of raised voices. Anxiety mounting within, she strode towards the door and peeked in. Shivay Bhaiya, quite warm in the face, was speaking. Beside him stood Tia. Daadi looked furious at whatever Bhaiya was saying. So was Papa. She couldn't see the faces of the rest, since they had their backs turned to her. She heard Bhaiya say, "I don't see why you all are making such a huge issue out of this! Look, for all practical purposes, Tia is my wife. The world knows her as my--"
He was interrupted by Daadi. "Billu, you shame me with every word that you are saying. Is this the value of the bond of marriage to you?! You did not marry Tia."
Tia tried to speak, "But Grandma--"
Papa spoke now. "Tia, don't speak about things you don't know."
Choti Ma immediately attacked, "Jethji, you toh don't concerns yourself with my puttar!"
Shivay Bhaiya tried to diffuse the argument. "Ma, please! Can't we discuss this in a calm rational manner!"
Priyanka sighed. So the drama had begun again. She started to edge out of the room but perhaps she had made a sound while doing so. Anika, who was close to the door herself, turned around and caught sight of her. Then she slowly came towards Priyanka.
"Let's get away from here," Anika said, softly.
Priyanka nodded and soon the two of them were standing in Shivay Bhaiya's kitchen. Priyanka cut herself some bread as Anika hunted for milk in the fridge.
"How long has this been going on?" Priyanka asked her friend.
Placing the carton of milk on the kitchen counter, Anika sighed. Priyanka glanced in her direction. The drawn look had returned to her friend's face. Anika smiled as she spoke but the smile was more like a grimace and it did not reach her eyes. Try as she might, Anika was not feeling the nonchalance she was trying to pretend.
"Oh you know, Tia arrived this morning. Apparently there is some ritual in her family of the husband and wife breakfasting together. Basically a way to tell me that she is the wife!" As she spoke, Anika poured the milk into a saucepan and then placed it with a thump on the burner.
"I don't know why she is so insecure! After all, if she had not had the bright idea of running away during the wedding, none of this would have happened! It's not like I wanted to be his wife!" Anika turned towards Priyanka. There was vehemence in her voice.
Priyanka pushed forward a plate with a toast with some jam on it. Anika picked it up. She looked at the toast and gave a wan smile, "I didn't want any of this to happen. He pulled me into his mess and now, here I am! Having toast!" She bit into the toast and there was silence in the kitchen for a few minutes before Anika again broke it with a sigh.
"I miss having aloo puri for breakfast!" she said.
Priyanka stirred coffee into the two mugs. She couldn't quite bring herself to smile at Anika's strange way of expressing her anger.
"I don't know what made Bhaiya do all this but--," she paused, contemplating whether she should say this. Anika looked at her expectantly. She continued, "Well, it's just that I've often felt that when it comes to you, Bhaiya never quite knows his limits."
Anika snorted and Priyanka hurried on, "I know what he did was horrid. Absolutely awful. But maybe in a twisted way he was--"
Anika interrupted, "Prinku, don't! I don't even want to find out the why and the wherefore. Lately I had thought that your brother had changed. That he thought of me as a person rather than as a--." Anika gulped. She had never quite told Priyanka of the things Shivay had done or said to her in the past.
She did not have to. Priyanka reached out a hand and laid it on Anika's shoulder. "Ani, don't think I haven't noticed the way Bhaiya had taken such pleasure in humiliating you. But lately, I had thought that he had realised his mistake. I had thought--" She felt choked.
Anika shook her head hurriedly. "Priyanka, let't not talk about this. I shouldn't have spoken so much of my problems when you have your own stuff to deal with!"
Priyanka felt shaken. For a while, she had forgotten all about the pending marriage, the accident, ACP Randhawa. Her hands shook a bit as she clutched the mug and forced herself to take some sips.
"I'm trying not to think of it," she replied weakly.
The two had their coffee and toast in silence.
"It was only last year that we met," Anika said finally, with a slight bitter laugh. "Could you have imagined that in a year we would have been---"
She waved her hand around as if words were inadequate to describe what was happening to them. They were.
Priyanka turned back, "I'm going to college. I don't care--"
"Anika!"
Shivay Bhaiya stood at the entrance of the kitchen. He took a few steps forward, his eyes narrowed. Priyanka had the sensation that Bhaiya had not even noticed that she stood there beside Anika. It had always been like that with Bhaiya and her friend.
"You want something, Bhaiya?" she asked, hoping to save her friend from whatever horrors Bhaiya was planning to shower on her today.
Shivay literally gave a start as he turned his head and noticed his sister for the first time. The rush of crimson colour into his pale cheeks showed his discomfiture.
"Prinku, you are--" he floundered.
"We were just having some breakfast," replied Priyanka with a cheerfulness she was scarcely feeling. What coursed through her at that moment was a certain dread. She was afraid of leaving Anika with Bhaiya.
"Umm.." Shivay tried to regain his composure. "Anika, I need you for something...you must come to my room" he finally managed to say.
Anika did not reply. She simply moved towards the door, where Bhaiya stood.
Priyanka tried to stop her. "Anika, but you haven't finished your breakfast yet!" she called out anxiously.
"It's okay, Priyanka, I've had enough" said her friend and walked out. Shivay Bhaiya stood there in the kitchen for a little longer. It felt, for a couple of minutes, that he would say something but then he decided against it and nodding at her, followed Anika out.
Priyanka stood there in the kitchen, her anger rising.
"Priyanka beti! You are here!"
She whipped around. Daadi stood at the entrance of the kitchen with Ma and Choti Ma standing behind her. The argument must have ended. There was no sign of Tia.
"We are going to take some gifts to Damaadji's house. Generally it is the groom's family that comes to the bride's home, but since he doesn't have any relative to speak of,we thought we shall go instead. This way, we'll get to see the house as well and get to know him a bit." Daadi said, as she walked up to Priyanka wearing a beaming smile on her face.
Priyanka felt anger shoot up her head. She spoke hotly, "You all can go but I'm going to college now!"
Daadi's smile wavered. For a second, Priyanka thought she'll stop her from going to college, stop her from setting foot out of the house, force her to go with them to the ACP's house! But then Daadi smiled again.
"That's all right, beta. You go to college. We'll need time to arrange for the gifts. We shall go there in the evening," she spoke finally.
Priyanka watched her turn around and leave. Choti Ma quickly followed in her footsteps. Ma stood there at the doorway for a minute or two. Priyanka looked at her, expecting Jahnvi to say something. She wanted her to say something so she could tear into her. Rage flooded her and she needed someone to tear into. Then Ma turned and left.
********************
Ranveer entered his house, tired and angry. Today at office, everywhere he had gone, whispers had followed him. Stares and nervous smiles had greeted him which way he looked. Shinde had even dared to come and offer him his congratulations on the good news! The new case files were yet to be assigned to him and so all day, he had sat in his cabin, staring at the empty walls, twiddling his thumbs and trying not to think of all the gossip revolving the sudden news of his marriage. The commissioner had been careful to mention the news within the hearing of almost all the gossip-mongers of the force and now everyone knew that he was fast on the way to becoming connected with the richest family in the country. The richest and the most corrupt.
Ranveer threw his bag on the couch and sank into one of the couches. Ratankaka entered the room with a glass of water. Ranveer smiled at this person who had been like a rock in his life, anchoring him to sanity and humanity.
"Hungry?" Ratankaka asked him, placing a cup of ginger tea on the table.
"Yes, please! What have you made today?" Ranveer said, picking up the cup with a sigh.
"Well, I have made biriyani, kebab and some pudding to go with that."
Ranveer looked up in surprise. "Wow! You've prepared quite a feast!"
"Well, that's all I had time to make." Ratankaka said.
"You didn't have to cook so much! The normal chapati dal would have been fine!" Ranveer hurried to say.
"What? Serve dal chapati when your future bahu's family is coming to visit?" Ratankaka said gruffly.
"Future bahu?!" Ranveer said in surprise and then he finally noticed the serious expression on Ratankaka's face. He cursed inwardly.
"What are you saying Ratankaka--" he began but Ratankaka interrupted him.
"Mrs. Oberoi called this afternoon saying she and some of her family members will visit you, that they will come to visit their future damaadji." The old man was seriously miffed. He felt that Ranveer had been hiding something so important from him.
Ranveer was torn between the desire to tell Ratankaka exactly what had happened and the desire to throttle all the Oberois simultaneously.
"Ratankaka! I didn't have time to tell you. Trust me! This happened only yesterday and I am doing my best to get out of this rishta! I'm not getting married!" He spluttered out at the end.
Ratankaka positively bristled.
"Getting out of this rishta?! Why? Everyone has been telling you to get married. Prem sahab! Suhani beti! And now that a rishta has come, you are trying to break it!?"
Ratankaka stopped Ranveer from speaking with a wave of his hand and went on.
"I am telling you Ranveer baba, you don't do your usual tricks this time! If there is a good rishta for you, just accept it. Now have your tea and freshen up! They will be here any minute!"
With this, he turned around and left the room. Ranveer stared gobsmacked. Why was everyone trying to make him the villain of the piece?
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