chapter 6

Meera and Arjun, unable to see their faces, took 7 rounds around the holy fire to finally complete all the rituals. The wedding was a small intimate one, considering how quickly it had been organized and keeping in my mind Prithiviraj's health.

The couple then took the blessings of everyone who was standing around the holy fire, having to figure out whose feet they were touching, only by taking a look at the shoes or feet. For two people who hadn't even seen each other yet, they had some great coordination.

Finally it was the time for the bidaii or the farewell ceremony, ideally it was expected for the bride ball her eyes out, but in this case the bride was a slightly less expressive one, who had mastered the art of containing her emotions, even though today, she wasn't ready for the marriage that she had already become a part of, she wasn't ready for leaving her house, from where her suitcases had already been packed, she wasn't ready to leave her ailing grandfather, who was sitting on a wheel chair with joyful face giving life to his mundane party. Maybe that's what life is, it makes you do things that you're never ready for.

Slowly the band started playing a morose old hindi song pertaining to separation and the ladies began singing old folk songs based on father and daughters.

'Baba mein teri mallika, tukda mein tere dil ka, ek baar toh yeh dehleez paar kara de....' 

(oh father, I am your darling princess, I am a piece of your heart,help me cross this threshold please)

Meera was tied to Arjun by a rather long cloth, enabling her to go and hug her father as the time had finally come. Cars lined up outside the house, as Meera continued giving everyone a brisk hug. She was a little conscious knowing that she was attached to another person. She quickly hugged her father, mother, aunt and uncle. Cupping everyone's face and cheerfully telling them to stop shedding tears.

Why do they get married if they have to cry so much Arjun thought in his head as he looked on the ground, waiting impatiently for the family to end their 'hour of separation'

Diya quickly went to her cousins Avidant and amaya and held their chins with her hands,giving them a loving smile. "Dont trouble your parents too much? But call me if they trouble you okay?" She said with a wink and then whispered to them "Take care of grandfather, keeping visiting him, okay amaya? Avi?"

"Yes didi" amaya said hugging her and avidant said popping a peck on her cheek

She then moved to sidhaanth and looked at him, the both of then laughed,they werent accustomed to this emotional setting of being nice to each other and sidhanth was there shedding tears for her farewell, unable to control.

"You must be happy na, now the room is rightfully yours" she said to him smiling excessively to stop herself from tearing up

"Yeah, now you go and dump your shitload of books in jiju's room" sidhanth said choking

"Gadha" meera said as she ruffled his hair

"Tatti" he replied laughing back, engulfing her in an embrace

"Take care of Dadu" she reiterated in his ears "of his medicines and well being, sit with him everyday okay?"

"Dont worry, relax, you have taken care of half of his problems by getting married" sidhanth laughed, he then turned to Arjun whose dead pan gaze was on the ground, desperately wanting to get out of there.

"Jiju" he awoke Arjun from the dead pan gaze "abh didi ki amaanat hamari hui aur dadu ki aamanat aapki" translating to - now our sisters prized possession - our grandfather is totally ours and our grandfather's prized possession- our sister is totally yours.

To which Arjun, who's face was barely visible underneath the dangling flower tassles, simply gave him a polite smile and nodded.

Finally she moved to her grandfather, sitting on a wheelchair, the man must've lost so much water that day, just crying for his granddaughter.

He looked at her expectantly and smiled to her, Meera bent down, making Arjun shuffle to adjust the cloth between them.

"Why are you crying so much? Didnt you want me to get married?" Meera asked him looking up to his eyes, as prirhviraj speechlessly, caressed her head, he gestured her to raise up a little, which Meera followed. Her grandfather slowly removed the netted delicate veil that was completely covering her face to take a good look at her face.

"Oh my stupid deary, these are tears of happiness" he cried out and put the veil back.

"Take care of yourself okay? Medicines on time, listen to the Doctor and dont trouble while eating? Okay? I'll keep visiting youevery single day, dont you worry" she declared and warned him whimsically

"Ofcourse, and I thought we could get rid of your by marriage" his expression changed into a playful one

"Dadu!" (grandfather!) Meera said as she shook her head.

Dadu then gestured to Arjun, who was lost somewhere else, Aakash brought him back to his senses by tapping his shoulders.

Arjun briskly moved towards Dadu and seated himself in a position that Dadu could talk to him with ease.

"Young man, you better not hurt my girl, or when I die and return as a ghost, you'll be the first person I'll haunt!"

Arjun smiled to this awkwardly, because it was funny and also because Arjun was going to hurt his girl.

Meera, frowned at this, her face wasnt visible to Arjun from between his mesh, but dadu sensed the frown.

"Also Arjun beta (dear), this girl has a habit, of not crying in front of anyone, but me, now that I'm sick, she wont cry in front of me either, promise me that my girl will only cry in front of you, that she'll never be so weak that she has to cry in front of anyone else, promise me" Dadu reiterated.

This was a weird vow Arjun thought, most people wouldn't want their loved ones to cry and this man wanted her to cry!

Meanwhile Meera got uneasy, she didnt want to burden a stranger with all this, "Dadu, please,leave all this" she said trying to get up, dadu pulled her back. "No, you must promise me, promise me Meera that when I go away, because that's the only occasion that i can expect you to cry on, you will only cry in front of Arjun and no one else, promise me"

"Dadu what kinduva stupid wish is thi-"

"Just promise me" he said taking Arjun and Meera's hand and putting it into one another's. The touch of the cold hand, suddenly made Meera shuffle.

"Promise me!"dadu repeated like it was a desire of a 5 year old

"Yes sir,we promise" Arjun said putting his hand on top of Dadu's impatient to get outta there.

"Aha, that's my boy, see Meera, isnt he a gem" Dadu remarked

He is only a stranger trying to get out of this situation, Meera thought to herself.

Arjun rose up, and Meera too slowly gathered herself to get up in that heavy dress as Aakash rushed in to help her, holding her by the shoulder, Aakash whispered to her, "Meera, it's time to leave", Meera looked at him and politely smiled to him as he slowly took her to the car, Arjun followed them,

Meanwhile Aman, waited with the door of the flower laden car, open for Meera to get in.

However Akash made Meera wait and let Arjun enter first, then lent his hand for Meera to enter, while Aman got in from the other side.

Vivek and Sakshi got into the front seats and the car drove away to the Goenka Mansion, Meera and Arjun not even turning to glance at each other.

-

Finally the car reached the mansion, somehow the others had managed to reach before that, maybe that's why for everyone in that car, it was the slowest ride ever. Meera got out of the car with the help of Ishika and Sakshi.

She slowly walked on to the steps of the Goenka mansion with Arjun in the side, where Arjun's mother was waiting with the plate of rituals in her hand. Quickly some welcome rituals were performed and the couple was lead into the living room where the entire family was seated while the couple stood there in the middle.

"Mom, can I remove the Sehra (the tassles attached to his turban) now?" Arjun said aloud, his voice echoed in the silence of the family waiting to hear the groom's first words.

"No Arjun, not yet, you have to wait till you go inside your room!"his mother warned him

"And bhaiya, bhabhi isnt asking if she can remove her veil, have some patience" Aman said irreverently

Arjun rolled his eyes and then glared at Aman,to whom Arjun's glare was visible even from beneath the tassles and he kept quiet after apologizing in gesture.

Divya came from behind and put an arm around Meera, "Meera, this is mom and this is dad, they've never treated me less than a daughter and now even you're welcome to the royal treatment" she exclaimed.

"Touch-feet" divya quickly whispered into Meera's ear. Meera walked slowly towards the Shantanu and Pratibha touching their feet as both of them blessed her.

Divya then lead her on to Arjun's aunt and uncle, Sudha chachi and Aravind chachu, "These are our dear chachu and chachi, mom is the best but chachi the coolest!" Divya added

"And Meera, I dont think we need any introduction!" Sakshi said as she took Meera back to Arjun. The entire family except Arjun had known Meera pretty well from Aakash and Divya's wedding.

"Uh ah" Pratibha looked at them disapprovingly, "Sakshi, she is your sister-in-law, you must address her by bhabhi"

"But mom, by age, Sakshi didi is elder to Meera bhabhi" Aman interjected

"Yes but beta, by relationship, Meera is Arjun's wife, and Arjun is older to all of you, hence by law Meera is older to all of you!" His father explained

Arjun's wife, this term made both Meera and Arjun extremely uncomfortable.

"Okay then, welcome home Meera bhabhi" Sakshi said, and everyone burst out laughing.

Meera didnt know what the laugh was about though she was very slowly processing who was who, it was a big family and so many people honestly were now seeming to get on her nerves.

She couldn't wait to get to the bedroom and finally see the shades of her husband, whether he was nice like everyone said or prone to be a pain.

"Okay, sakshi didi's relation is decided, now what about Akash bhaiya and divya bhabhi?" Aman said raising his eyebrows

"What about our relation? Now Meera is my Jethaniji (elder wicked sister in law)" divya said to tease her

"What!" Meera said meekly and looked at Divya in a question mark

"Do you know what that means Meera? Now there will be a constant competition between you and me" Divya pompously declared

"Divya, come on, have pity on the girl! Dont scare her already!" Aakash laughed

"Meera, dont you get scared by your sister's words! To us, you are still our little Meera, dont you worry!" aakash reassured her.

"Okay guys,hurry up the introduction, you guys will spend the entire night like, then when will the bride and groom retire to their rooms!" Sudha chachi interjected making everyone but the bride and groom laugh.

"Well, Meera bhabhi, we present to you the youngest gems of our family!" Vivek announced

"This is our Aman, the youngest and-" vivek began

"And the stupidest" Ishika added at which Aman went and pulled her hair.

"Aman, welcome your bhabhi!" Sakshi commanded

"We have a different style of welcome Sakshi didi, we are a different generation right!" Aman said as he went and tightly embraced Meera who hadn't even expected it.

Fuck hugs! Ugh I hate hugs Meera thought and stiffened at the hug

Arjun noticed her flinching, it's just a hug, why is she flinching so much for it! God she seems like a typical indian woman, or else who gets married at 25 that too with a man they've never seen or spoken to! Beware Arjun, next thing you know, she'll expect you to apply vermillion to her every morning ugh Arjun thought

"Aman Feet!" His father commanded him, leading to Aman touching Meera's feet to which Meera jerked back a little, it felt weird knowing that she and Aman were almost of the same age.

Then came ishika before her, "here we present, the youngest adult of the family, the drama queen, Ishika!" declared Aakash, and Ishika came before Meera, smiled to her and gave her a quick hug, that Meera was sort of prepared for so she didnt flinch or stiffen that much.

Finally came two little kids who ran to her screaming "Mami mami mami (aunt aunt aunt)" and went and hugged her legs because thats the only part they could reach of their new Aunt. Meera who had only handled Avi and Amaya as kids was a little taken aback, not knowing how to react, and simple patted their heads awkwardly.

"Haww, Riya! Parth! Till yesterday I was your favourite maami and now youre clinging to your new maami!?" Divya said pretending to scare them.

Both the kids, shying away went and hid behind their uncle Arjun.

"Well well, finally the introductions are done, Aakash, divya Chalo beta (go on dear) take Meera and Arjun to their room" Aravind said, as the tired elders to began walking towards their rooms.

The cloth joining both Meera and Arjun was loosened and untied by Ishika, as the women, assuming the awkwardness of the bride to be her Coyness took her to 'her bedroom'