CHAPTER 4
"Arey jaldi karo bhaiyya, shaadi aaj hai, agale saal nahi" Kuhu shouted across the hall to the decorations staff. Just as she finished tying up the last bouquet, her phone rang. It was Kunal. She hesitated, almost cut the call, but then decided against it. It could be urgent, she thought.
"Bolo Kunal"
"Kya kar rahi ho tum? Mere ghar se nikalte pehle tum chali gayi. Tum meri wait to kar sakti thi na?" Kunal said frustratedly.
Kuhu was livid. The nerve of this man! It was the last day of the marriage that HE was ending, and he had the guts to tell her that she should have waited for him?
"Main bohot busy hun Kunal, mere paas time nahi hai baat karne ke liye", Kuhu snapped and hung up.
Kunal was shocked.Did she really just cut his call? He finally reached the wedding venue and ran up the stairs into the hall.
"Kuhu kahan chali gayi?" Kunal asked one of the women from the NGO that were helping with the flower arrangements.
"Kuhu didi to abhi abhi apni mai ke ghar gayi, Mishti didi ko madat karne ke liye."
Kunal's heart dropped. Kuhu had left right when he had arrived. He got into his car and started driving frantically to the Maheshwari house.
"Kuhu! Meri help karo! Main yeh lehenga akeli nahi pehen sakti hoon!" Mishti called Kuhu.
Kuhu entered the sunlit room where Mishti was struggling to get ready. She looked around. This was the room that she and Mishti shared since childhood. She could hear the laughter, the shouting, the bickering, and the giggling like it was yesterday.Enveloped in nostalgia, she wished that she could go back in time to the simpler days, the days where everything wasn't this complicated and tough.
Mishti turned around and snapped her fingers in her face. "Kuhu, kahan kho gayi tu? Sab theek hai na?"
Kuhu jolted out of her daze. "Haan, sab theek hai." She helped Mishti tie her lehenga and put the finishing touches on her makeup and hair. She was about to leave, when Mishti caught her hand.
"Kuhu, aaj meri shaadi hai. Aaj ke baad hum ek ghar mein phirse rahenge. Kya hum ek fresh startkar sakte hain? Main nahi chahti hun ki hum lade. Main chahti hun ki hum sisters rahein, hamesha hamesha ke liye," Mishti said gently.
Kuhu hesitated.Years of frustration and pain circled in her head. Every time Mishti was prioritized over her, every time people gave Mishti more attention than her, and every time her own grandparents would ignore her for Mishti, she would grow jealous and upset. But now that they were older, Kuhu felt nothing but exhaustion. Tired of being second best to everyone. Tired of being everyone's last priority. She turned around and said "Mishti, main bhi nahi chahti hun ki hum lade. But main yeh bhi bhool nahi sakti ki hum kitne lad chuke hain, aur kisliye lade. Shaadi ke baad, sab vaise ho jayenge, jaise bachpan mein hua karte the. Aur main yeh baat ignore nahi kar sakti."
Mishi was about to protest, but Kuhu shook her head. "Koi baat nahi hain, Mishti. Shaadi ke baad, tume jo sahi lage, tum vo karo. Lekin mujhse kuch expect mat karna."Saying that, Kuhu left the room. Her heart was heavy, but she wasn't about to make promises she knew she couldn't keep.
Kunal was on his way to Maheshwari house when Abir called him.
"Haan, bolo bhai."
"Nanko kahan ho tum, yaar?! Shaadi ke liye sirf kuch time baaki hai, aur tu ghar par hi nahin hai?" Abir exclaimed.
"Arey bhai vo actually-"
"Nanko mujhe kuch nahin sunna, tu abhi ghar aa jaa, barat ki taiyyari karni hai. Please yaar." Abir said commandingly.
Kunal was in a fix.He wanted desperately to talk to Kuhu, but it was his brother's wedding day. He thought to himself, "I can talk to Kuhu at the wedding. But right now, Abir bhai needs me."
Thinking this, he turned the car around and drove back home.
A few hours later…
The baarat reached the wedding venue, in its full glory. Music was blasting loudly, money was being thrown, and the Rajvansh family was dancing like crazy. Abir looked majestic sitting on his white horse, wearing a cream color sherwani with navy blue and gold accents. Kunal danced, but less enthusiastically, as his eyes searched for Kuhu in the entourage waiting to welcome them at the entrance. But sadly, she was no where to be found.
As they stepped inside, a shower of blue flowers rained upon them, and they were greeted with a royal sight. Golden chandeliers glistened with diamonds in the soft light while flowers adorned every corner of the hall. The mandap was a magical sight to see, with navy blue and gold chiffon drapes and flowers and pearls interwoven on each pillar. Everyone gasped, unable to believe their eyes.
"Kuhu bhabhi kitni talented hai, hain na bhai?" Ketki said excitedly to Abir and Kunal.
"Haan Ketu. Kuhu has really outdone herself this time," Abir said proudly.
Kunal smiled. So this is what she was busy with when she cut his call. He was blown away by the effort she put into his brother's wedding. He made a mental note to thank her when he saw her. He looked around everywhere, but still could not see Kuhu.
Finally, Mishti walked down the stairs, escorted by Kuhu and her Badi Maa. Everyone gasped again. Mishti looked like a dream in her wedding lehenga. But while everyone watched Mishti, Kunal only had eyes for someone else.
Kuhu was wearing a navy blue and cream colored lehenga with an almost-backless blouse, draped traditionally. Her eyes were adorned with just a bit of kajal, and her lashes were long and thick. Her hair was swept back into a braided bun at the nape of her neck, but a few of her curly strands framed her face. Her cheeks were colored pink just a tiny bit, but her lips were colored a gorgeous, deep red. Kunal couldn't stop staring at her. She was so, so beautiful. How had he not noticed her like this before?
Just as Kuhu helped Mishti sit down next to Abir, Kunal and Kuhu made eye contact. Kunal gazed into her eyes softly, however, her eyes were filled with a cold indifference. He made an attempt to go over to her, but she was immediately called away by the caterers.He was about to follow her, when mami ji stopped him and said "Tu kaha jaraha hai? Tumhare bhai ke piche khade raho."
Kuhu returned just in time for the pheras, but stood on the other side of the mandap, purposely avoiding Kunal. Kunal didn't notice her return, as she was hidden by the pillar. Once the wedding was complete, and Mishti and Abir took everyone's blessings, the families and guests moved to the courtyard outside to eat dinner. Kunal tried to get a hold of Kuhu, but she slipped from his grasp as the crowd of people carried her away from him. He sighed in frustration.
Kuhu was about to stay in the courtyard with everyone else, when Jasmeet chachi called her and asked her to bring her purse from inside, as she had forgotten it. As Kuhu went back, she heard someone whispering on the phone in the corner of the entrance.
"Tum meri baat suno. Ab tum aa sakte ho, clear target hai. Vo bahar khadi hai, sab ke saath. Goli chalane ke baat, tum vahan se bhaag jao. Lekin target miss nahi karna chahiye. Vo ladki Mishti aaj bach nahi chahiye."
Kuhu was shell-shocked. It was Meenakshi aunty. She turned around and ran as quickly as she could to the courtyard, looking around frantically for Mishti. This couldn't be happening. Meenakshi aunty couldn't get away with this. Kuhu couldn't let Abir bhai's happiness get snatched from him. Not when he had just gotten it back.
Kunal grabbed Kuhu's arm. "Kuhu tum mujhe ab avoid nahin kar sakti. Tum-"
"Kunal, chhodo mujhe!" Kuhu screamed, and ripped her arm from his hand.
"Kuhu wait!" Kunal was about to follow her, when he heard a loud, resounding gunshot.
In horror, he stared at Kuhu. She was standing directly in front of Mishti. Kuhu's eyes were glazed over, as blood seeped through her cream blouse.
To be continued...
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