An Accidental Bride!

Chapter 3- I Am Going To Say 'NO' Anyways...

I could hear the doorbell ring;
I could hear my father opening the door and;
I could finally hear him bellowing a loud welcome in his usual welcoming style!

Always the ever hospitable, friendly and sweet father of mine!

He was really worried that I would say NO to this alliance!
Actually both my parents were!

That was the reason they were calm and composed when I came home waltzing in, way past my curfew time, last night!

Both of them sat on the sofa, in our cozy living room, and welcomed me home after my late night party with my friends last night, a summery, Saturday night!

Without one word of reprimanding me...
With suppressed anger...
Well hidden by smiles and my mother's twinkling eyes!

I suspect, she must have told him, my father to keep it all hush and not to ruffle my feathers and keep me in good humor!

And.... me??

Me being me, sadistically enjoyed all the pampering!

Even this morning!
I got up late, by my mother's standards, never lent them a helping hand;

In turn, was sweetly served my first dose of filter coffee and sent away to the confines of my room to get dressed and get ready for the big event this morning.

Even when mom peeped in to see, if I was ready and saw me in my cotton saree, she didn't dare say a word though, I saw her eyes go a little sad from disappointment!

I could read what was plainly written in her eyes,

"Oh Rads!
You had to choose this saree?
A cotton saree?!"

But she quickly disguises her sad eyes with her signature twinkles and plasters that sunny smile of hers, back on her face and disappears clicking the door softly after herself, hearing the doorbell ring!

I heaved a huge sigh of relief, at not being sermoned and pestered to change!

I hush myself and my thoughts, and try listening to the faint conversations of pleasant greetings making its way into my ears through the closed doors!

But couldn't decipher them entirely!

I was going to say NO!

So why bother!
Why worry!
Why get worked up unnecessarily?

I calm my heart and let my so called sane head take over me.

GOD!
I so wanted to use the restroom!
Have a glass of water to calm my parched vocal chords!
How was I going to say hello to them at this rate?

Squeak?
No I had to speak!

GOD!
I wish my mother would come back so I could get a drink of water!
No...then my lipstick would go haywire!

I control all my mundane urges and wait to be summoned!
Couldn't we get over this ... any sooner?

I just had to go out and say NO!

What was the big deal
anyways?

Ufff!!
It appears to be the longest five minutes of my life!
Will my mom come at all?!

Aaah! There!
The anticipated knocks!

My belly jumps into my chest and my heart into my throat!
I catapult from my bed like a spring and stand up as straight as an arrow!

My cute mom, peeps inside my room, with the door slightly ajar, not giving me away or my neat little bedroom away to the guests seated in the living room!