Party And Prejudice

12. Wedding Blues

"Okay, okay...Zoya...relax...breathe honey!" , Riya was saying.

"Let's get back to our rooms", I said looking over my shoulder nervously.

"We should've known!", Zoya wailed as we followed two beautiful ladies, both clad in silk sarees out of the hall which was emptying now. Most people were done greeting the couple and were going for dinner.

"We should've known", Zoya repeated again "I remember Rahul's mother telling us the wedding would be held here. Oh God...if I see Rahul anywhere, I'll die. Ya Allah! How could I've been so stupid? It's all my fault", she looked ready to cry.

"Shut up", I said "How on earth were you supposed to know? Let's just get out of here and you don't have to meet Rahul Saxena at all".

"Oh fuck!", I heard Riya say as about half a dozen aunties, all of them weighing atleast eighty kilos and wearing what seemed to be all the jewellery from Mumbai's Manubhai jewellery waded into our path.

They stood there blocking our way, like elephants.

They were chatting loudly in Marathi and didn't look like they were going to move at all. We were getting desperate. Zoya looked sick with anxiety.

"Should I just kick one of their butts?", Riya muttered angrily.

By the time, they waded off into the dining room, I felt like throwing up, myself.

"Come on. Hurry!", I grabbed both Riya and Zoya's elbows and steered them forward when I heard that voice.

I had heard it in person only once. But it's one of those voices you don't easily forget. Because those voices stand out. Whether they're talking. Or singing.

"Zoya Fakhri?", was what the voice said. But all three of us whipped around.

Rahul Saxena was standing in front of us. He looked flabbergasted to see us. Zoya gripped my arm tightly abd her nails dug into my skin painfully. Riya's jaw had dropped. And it probably wasn't because Rahul was looking handsome as hell.

I might have said something, explained the situation like a sensible girl would do to her best friend's ex boyfriend and eased the tension.

But what I said was : "What are you doing here?"

Yeah, that is what you ask a guy at his own sister's wedding.

Rahul raised his eyebrows coldly. Contrary to the platonic affection that my best friends and Reyansh showered on each other, I and Riya had never had a bond with Rahul. We had met him only once.

All I knew about him was what I had collected from social media and Zoya's narrations.

So he had no trouble being rude to me.

"I might ask you the same thing", he said icily, "This happens to be my sister's marriage", he turned to Zoya, "Is Shaheen Aunty here too?"

"Shaheen Aunty?", Riya asked looking surprised that Rahul should ask about Zoya's mom, "Of course not. She's in Mumbai".

"We didn't come for the wedding you fool", I heard Zoya finally speak, "We're staying here. Come on girls", she grabbed my arm with her left hand and Riya's with her right and like some army commando she led us out of the hall.

The excitement of seeing all the food and the grandeur of the wedding was completely wiped out. It was almost 10 pm when we staggered back to the staff house. The restaurant was still open. Some housekeeping ladies were having a late dinner. I couldn't find Reyansh, Maya or Josh.

"Let's sit down for a bit", Riya said.

"Yes. Shall we have tea?", I asked. Zoya and Riya nodded.