He was there in front of me, trying hard to keep his smile. I just once looked at the man standing next to him. I shouldn't have done that. It only made sure that I still hadn't gotten over him, but it wasn't true. It had been years since I thought of him...
" You want to talk about it with each other?" my dad asked and we both nodded. I needed to know more about him before saying yes.
" I know that you don't want this marriage," he started when we got alone and I just blinked. That was wrong. I wanted this marriage but, I decided to listen to what he had to say.
" Tanish is my best friend," he started and I looked at the floor. That is why...
I had a blank face on my face as he started saying whatever, I shouldn't have done that.
" I know that you love him and your parents are against the marriage," my eyes shifted from the floor to his face at that. Such a handsome face he had, even when it had a frown on it. Such beautiful eyes he had. Such a stern expression he had. I drowned in his face.
" I'll get you both married," he declared and I shook my head. I had learned from my experiences that my dad was right. It was my fault for keeping people hanging in life. It was all my fault and although I couldn't tell everyone, I knew that it was my worthless heart and my useless tongue's fault.
" I don't want that," I wish I could say it but the way he kept his hand on my shoulder. I couldn't say anything. My lips couldn't even move. I couldn't take a single word out of my mouth. Not in that entire day.
" It's ok. You don't need to be scared," but I wasn't scared. I was just nervous... Is it my fault? He was the most wanted bachelor in the entire city. My friends, my enemies, random women, everyone had a crush on him.
He's good, he's handsome, he's sweet. How can I not be nervous with him around?
" I'm not scared," I managed to remove it out of my mouth in a small, timid voice and he sat back. The hand he had on my shoulder went back to his pocket and his frown came down. I think that he wanted to hear my voice because now, he was smiling again. I liked that smile. So, I smiled too but I think he took the wrong meaning of it.
" I'll get you married to Tanish. Don't worry," he told me, again and my smile came down. I had to tell him now...
" I don't want to marry him," I told him and his frown came back. I guess he had decided to get me married to my ex. No, I'm not even going to think of his name.
" We broke up 2 years ago not because of my family pressure," I started, " I broke it off with him because I knew that we didn't have a future. We used to fight every day, and I was tired. I got that over 2 years ago. I don't want to marry him,"
His expression was grim as if I told him something that was ghostly. My mind, heart, body, everything was telling me to tell him, that we were done. I didn't want that wedding because I knew that I couldn't survive life with Tanish. I had understood it the moment he left me for work that day. My dad was right.
" You sure? Because he still loves you and he's still waiting for you. It's been 2 years and he's changed," he told me, maybe to make my choice and I looked at the window. I could see him, looking at us from a distance, and nodded.
" I don't want it," I told him and looked back at him, " It's been 2 years and I've changed too," I declared and he kept a hand over his forehead and sighed deeply.
" We should not get married then," Did he have a girl?
" He's my best friend and he still loves you," he told me and I looked at the floor. I didn't want to come between their friendship but
" You are my dad's choice and he's never wrong," he looked at me with wide eyes. The hand over his forehead came off and he just looked at me as I looked back at him
" 2 years back, papa told me. Tanish wasn't right for me. He was unsupportive but my dad never caused the rift. Now, he chose you instead so, I'm not getting him upset. I won't be getting his heart hurt because of my squabble," I told him and he looked back at the window. I guess he saw something that caused a huge rift in his own mind and he frowned
" He's my best friend," he told me and I nodded. I knew that very well now
" He's my dad," I told him but I wish I hadn't. I should've told him that I wanted the marriage with him because of myself. I wish I could take those words from my mouth that day.
When we got out, Tanish was smiling and everyone was looking at me with hope. He was walking behind me, keeping a fake smile on his face and as we sat back I could see Tanish trying to approach him. I don't get it. It's been 2 years. Why did he suddenly think of me?
" So? What do you say?" my dad asked me and I knew there was hope in his voice.
He was the biggest businessman in India and won many awards but before all that, he was my dad and the only family I had in life. I was never going to get him upset with me, especially not after my mom's death 2 years ago. Now, only he and my brother remained with me, and the way they were looking at me...
I nodded because I was unable to say anything in front of so many people, so many relatives, so many friends, and him.
His entire family was sitting in front of me. His mother, father, and sister all smiling as I nodded, and for a moment there, I saw real happiness on his face. When he liked the fact that we were getting married, why did he choose to not show it?
I knew his family as my own. His mother, she helped me ever since my mother died. His father was my father's best friend and partner. His sister was my best friend. So, I knew that I would be happy with them.
I knew him too, as a child. One who was bubbly, smart, and creative. We went to school together but after we got into different colleges, our meetings, talks, and chats, everything stopped completely. I met him last on my mother's death and he had helped me back then too. Although, he left as soon as he came too.
" Then it's fixed," uncle chuckled and I smiled too. I couldn't look at them out of shyness so, I looked down, at the table and I could hear the happy talk between my dad and his parents.
Not only 1 marriage was fixed that day. My elder brother's marriage to his younger sister or my best friend was also fixed. We were going to have 2 marriages now... It all depended on the kundalis.
Our roka was done that day. His mother gave me a plate filled with Shagun and I gave Suhani a plate of Shagun from our side. She was smiling because she got to really marry her boyfriend.
The actual talk about our marriage started with Suhani who declared that was done with dating. She was the one who proposed to my brother and declared war against him when he backed off. She was the one who approached my dad and gave me the idea of getting me married to her brother so that she could marry Pranav bhai. I don't know if I should call her smart or wild. But, my dad loved the idea so, there I was, smiling and looking at the floor while both of them, actually everyone except bhai and Suha stared at me with smiles.
The pandit was right there, out of convenience as our kundalis were given to him. Actually, this meet was kept at this time because the pandit was free and was a shubh time.
Since bhai and Suha were eager to get married, the pandit first read their kundalis and he smiled after reading it. Maybe it was something funny or a really good pair?
" Next year, in June there is a really auspicious day," he started and I looked at Suha who was almost pouting and smirked. She was going to have to wait...
" 26 out of 36 guns are matching. This is good pair," he declared and she smiled back at me. She held her collar and raised her eyebrows, asking me to beat that contact.
Next, came my and his chance. I don't know what happened but my heart started beating heavily and I started feeling jittery about even that small thing.
The pandit's eyes widened and he looked up at me. Then, he shook his head and went back to check. A frown along with a smile came on his face as he kept the kundalis down. I was scared
" 32 out of 36 guns are matching. This is a match made in heaven. If you say, there's a very auspicious day in 6 months, 13th September," my eyes widened in shock and I immediately turned my head around to look at Suha whose jaws were dropped. She just kept staring at the pandit, wanting to kill him
" But there is no other better day for 3 years after that," he added and my dad shook his head
" September is fine," he declared and looked at his parents who nodded too. I think he was shocked too but there was a smile on his face. I don't know but it all happened so quickly... Our marriage date was even fixed and none of us said anything. I purposefully did not look at Tanish's face because I knew that he would be bitter. I didn't want to change my happy shock to pity or feel bad because he was there. It had taken me a lot to get over him and I wasn't letting him back in.
" Someone can't stop smiling," she teased me and I hit her hand playfully.
" Not like you aren't happy. This is what you wanted all along didn't you?" I asked her and she nodded
" There's this one thing," she started and I left trying to remove my earrings and looked at her with interest as she sat on my bed in her white saree
" Bhai told me to never tell you this," she added and now, I was only more intrigued by her. So, I got off the chair and sat next to her
" What?" I asked her and she smirked
" Well, this one thing that has been going on since school," she continued and I moved toward her
" What?" I asked again and she wrapped her hands around my neck
" He had a huge crush-" she got cut when he came in
" On my work," he completed and I smiled. He was still sweet. Suha on the other hand started laughing loudly
" His work. This works too bhai," she agreed and he pulled her hand
" We need to go back," he told her and she pouted. Then, bhai came in too, behind him, and sat next to me.
" Pari, tell her to go from here," he told me and I turned to look at my friend who was smiling
" Aww... Baby doesn't like the fact that his younger sister is marrying off? Cutie," she pulled his cheeks and my brother only got angrier but, I knew that he was happy too. I had seen it in his eyes. He liked Sohit more than Tanish too. But, he wasn't ready to say that to me.
" You're going to die today!" he shouted and started trying to hit her but, since I was in the middle, she just used me as a barrier and got saved from bhai till bhai finally stopped. I didn't get it at first, but I saw her brother holding her hand and dragging her out of the room when I looked behind.
" Stop it," I heard him speak out a little louder and she looked back at me with a huge smile
" HE HAD A HUGE CRUSH ON YOU PARI!!!" she shouted and the door slammed in front of me. My eyes widened at that and as I kept thinking back, somebody kept a hand over my shoulder, the same one he had touched. I immediately looked back and saw my brother looking at me with a smile
" You're happy with this marriage right?" he asked me and I looked back at the door for once. I liked that man. He was good, nice, sweet, caring, handsome, and rich, and he cared for his family. I didn't care about the money but, he in himself was good for me.
" Yes," I said, a simple answer but, I think my smile conveyed the message to him because he hugged me
" Sohit's a good guy," he told me and I nodded
" I know bhai," I told him, " I'm really happy. I have forgotten that man if you're wondering, I want to move forward,"
He moved his hand over the back of my head like I was someone super precious to him like dad always did and I sighed in relief. His moving his hand over my head, like dad, made me even more comfortable, and the little nervousness that was still there disappeared. Now, I was sure and happy for having chosen that day and for having opened my mouth. Now, he knew that I wasn't looking for running away or was still in love with someone else...
I thought he did understand it when I said it.