Poles Apart

Chapter Thirty-One

Thirty-one chapters down, and they're still not married. Sometimes I wonder if I'm writing this arranged marriage plot right. 

Do leave votes and comments, I am dying for feedback. Some of you commented on the last chapter because I asked. Thank you so very much, it is incredibly sweet of you! 

Without further ado, here we go.

Pranathi Vadina and I stare at the dupatta that I'd have to wear; South-Indian style.

Pranathi Vadina wore a salwar suit after her shower, leaving the saree for before we go to the temple. But I'd already worn my skirt and blouse after I took a shower early this morning before everyone else woke up because I need time to wash and dry my hair.

After the shower, I was roaming around with a towel wrapped around myself, to replace the dupatta that I had absolutely no idea how to drape.

At present, Pranathi Vadina and I were trying to figure out how to properly drape a dupatta that goes South-Indian style.

"Isn't it done just like the saree?" I ask Vadina.

Pranathi Vadina gives me a sheepish smile. "I don't know how a saree is draped."

I look at her, confused. "Aren't you going to wear one?"

"Karthik said he'd help, or I'll just go over to the other house and get mom or Pinni's help," she says, referring to Jyothi Aunty and Gayatri Athayya.

I look back at the dupatta that we'd laid out on the bed as if it were a showpiece worth being stared at. "It shouldn't be that hard," I try to provide motivation to the both of us.

Pranathi Vadina chuckles, half-disbelieving and half-sarcastic. "I don't know anything about this," she says.

I sigh. "Neither do I."

You might be wondering why we weren't relying on YouTube and it's tutorials? The signals here are shit; meaning we weren't getting any network, implying absolutely no hope of access to the internet.

After a few more moments of deliberation and contemplation, I slump on the poke-y bed. Ammamma came by early this morning to check on us and said she'd have the mattresses in both the rooms replaced, after apologising profusely for us having to sleep on the terrace.

"Can I just wear a salwar suit and get it done with?" I beg Pranathi Vadina. "Neither of us knows how to do this!"

Pranathi Vadina shakes her head helplessly. "You know you can't, Arvi."

"Can I just not go to the temple, then?" I ask, knowing what a stupid question it is. But I'd not have to wear the lehenga and do the whole jazz if I didn't go to the temple.

That defeats the purpose of this trip in itself.

Pranathi Vadina doesn't even bother answering the question. "I'll go check if one of the boys can run to the other house and bring Athayya or one of the ladies who know how to drape one of these," she says, walking out of the room.

I fall back onto the bed, with both my legs still on the ground. The bed is uncomfortable, but not too uncomfortable.

I open my phone and swipe left and right, checking for notifications, but what notifications will I have when there's no network or internet connection?

So, I do what any other person would; open the camera and look at myself. I had used a little makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes and make my face look a little lively. Basically, I tried not to let my soul reflect on my face. I'd put on a pinkish shade of lipstick, too, to cover the patches of red that I'd given myself by biting my lips.