Rehaan Deol or as his parents still call him "Chetan", the boy who changed his name for the love of a woman.
The woman who left his heart shattered in pieces.
He says he is ready to marry Ishleen and give love a chance while his sister-in-law, Sama...
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I sat there ready, waiting for someone to send a message that the groom has reached and they are ready for me as the beautician leaves. My head weighed down with the heavy headgear, a thousand pins and a bun the size of a meteor from mars over my head stuffed with artificial extensions to appear larger. I feel the restrained neck movement with the heavy jewelry, as a lump forms in my throat and my heart beat rises with every passing second. I could feel my palms sweat as the nervousness claws at my chest, making it rise and fall faster with every breath.
This is it.
This is the day.
The day I was groomed for, all my life.
Isn't this the moral duty of every daughter?
To be married into a family that her parents choose and never let her in-laws complain about anything.
This where life as I've known it, will end.
No waking up at 4:30 to feed and milk the cattle, no cleaning the house before breakfast and then bathing the cows. No roaming around the house, teasing and fighting with my brothers, or being a headache to dad.
A small smile forms on my lips as I imagine him bothering mom to make fried food every time it rains as I hear someone clear their throat behind me, breaking my chain of thoughts.
"So, you are going?" my youngest sibling walks into my door in a beige sherwani, and a pink turban that looked too big for his head.
"I guess, I have to." I say shrugging my shoulders and tilt my head, still sitting on the edge of the bed, not wanting to take the weight of the dress on my feet yet.
"You'll miss me?" I ask and he shakes his head causing me to frown.
"No... now, I can upgrade to a bigger room. I'll take yours." He says with his voice getting heavy with every passing syllable as if he was about to cry.
"Ayush." I say and open my arms for a hug as he takes the final two steps and weeps in a small involuntary shriek that he immediately muffles. I rub his back, trying to comfort him as he sobs like the baby that he is.
"Please don't go." He says in a barely audible whisper and I blink rapidly to avoid spoiling my make up with my tears.
"I wish, I could..." I say as I hear the sound of a pair of jingling anklet, recognizing it as mom's. I lift my head still comforting Ayush to see mom and dad entering the room. My father's hand raised to pinch the bridge of his nose to avoid breaking down in tears as he saw me in the bridal attire as my mom looked proud walking towards me.
"Hayyyeee... Bhagvaan nazar se bachaye meri bitiya ko." Mom says walking to me, with moist eyes and rubs her little finger over the base of her own eye, to smudge the kohl and then puts it behind my ear as Ayush wipes his tears trying to act like they didn't just catch him crying and takes a step away as dad approaches me
( May God protect my daughter from evil.)
"Aisa lagta hai ki khatm mela ho gya, Udh gyi aangan se chidiya ghar akela hogya." I say looking at my dad standing there stunned and emotional.
(It looks like the celebration/ fair is over The sparrow soared away leaving the nest deserted.)
He shakes his head, knowing well that this was intended to make him cry.
"Let me save some tears for your vidayi." He says and I mock laugh.
"I'm sure there will be plenty of waterworks, you don't need to save anything." I say as a cousin appears calling my mom for some work and Ayush hugs me, as I kiss his forehead and he leaves the room too.
"You've always made me proud, Ishi." He says coming to sit by my side and I lean over him.
"But tonight... Bache (child), Remember I'm always here for you. I know your mother must have given you lectures about adjustments and understanding but know that we love you. We always will and you'll always remain our daughter."
"Don't worry so much about me, baba. They seem like a nice family. Take your medicines on time, eat on time and don't overwork yourself. You've spend all your life working for us, giving us the best but make sure you start taking care of yourself. After this wedding, Ayush's education is the main expenditure left and you have that much savings. Take things slow. Let Gaurav take the reins once he is married. Rest Papa. Go to that pilgrimage, in Amritsar with mom. Stop worrying so much." I say putting my hand over his.
"Worrying comes with the job of being a father, my child." He says as another cousin walk in.
"Uncle, aunty wants you to call Ishi's in-laws and ask why is their arrival delayed?" he says and I look up at the clock. In the anticipation of the upcoming moments, I didn't realize how late we were.
The 4 laavans or the ceremony of taking 4 rounds around the holy book while the sacred verses are recited to declare a sikh couple wed are considered highly auspicious, if they start before 12 noon and the clock above me struck 11:40 am.
They were supposed to be here at 11 am and have breakfast and then the Laavans were supposed to take place. But if they haven't reached yet, we can't get things done in time. My heartbeat rises as I feel my mood fall grim.
"Can we tell them to have breakfast after..." I go to say as dad shakes his head.
"That's rude. They are our guest. First, they'll eat and then... " he says and notices my frown.
"Ishi, I know you believe in all this but it's not important to get it done before 12. We need to serve them food first." He says and takes his phone out.
"I'll go call them." He says and leaves as I frown, as my school friends and some cousins all married and some with kids enter my room, to tease and taunt me about how lucky I was...
Getting married into a rich family, even though my father didn't have the means to a hefty dowry. I just ignored it all, while I looked at the clock every two minutes.
"He's already made it clear by coming late today, that Ishi has to wait for him all her life." A friend taunted.
"Ofcourse, he will be the one throwing orders, since he married her without any dowry. He's the one with money, he'll keep his foot higher." Another cousin spoke and it took everything in me, to not breakdown crying.
