Marriage: Rewritten

Chapter 5

"She got into seventh Street instead of seventh cross street." Gautham informs Ameer who was removing the pillows from the sofa to make it roomier.

We were currently at a small studio but it didn't look like those professional ones you see in movies. This felt homier and the sofa looked slept in. It felt more like a room than a studio but the mirror taking up the entire wall and the little work desk disagreed with the room part.

I place my bag against the dark blue walls and walk to Manisha to plop down next to her but Ameer takes up that spot. Gautham brings a nice little mat and places it on the floor and points his fingers at them for me. I smile at him and nod a little before I blow out a sigh I didn't know I was holding in and sit down.

It would probably be my relaxed muscles but sitting down gave me a newer perspective on the room. Everything looked like it belonged there yet together it all seemed out of place. I think one of the major contribution for the perplexion on my behalf would be the  bohemian paints clinging to the walls. The wall facing the mirror was light blue and the other two walls were deep red. Little patterns reconciling the palette ran over all the three walls. Now, I may not be an acclaimed art critique but I knew blue was the calmest colour and red was the complete opposite of what blue stood for. Maybe, it wasn't even as deep as I regard it to be but it seemed like an outtake interesting enough to keep me lured. 

A tin of coke outstretched my way, intervening with my little colour study, brought me back to the conversation in front of me. Don't get me wrong- unhealthy sugary drinks? Sign me up. But I have always hated coke. But I was thirsty and I did not want to offend my host so I grabbed the little drink with a smile. 

 I turn to look at Ameer who had his arms wrapped around Manisha. Although I swooned at them for Manisha's sake when she looked at me, I was feeling quite indifferent.

Manisha and I were raised like sisters but I knew she was everyone's favourite. None of my family had made me feel any different but I just knew. She is the one with a better fashion sense. She's the one who dresses for the occasion. She is the one you could always rely on in spite of the fact that I am the one who gets the job done. It's not like I am jealous of her, it's the contrary really. But, it just sucks how I will simply just be the political, non funny child of the family. And in a way, I am close to her more than she is close to me. I like her as a cousin but she tries to see me as a friend too and that's what I am not cool with (for reasons beyond my understanding). She is the who will get away with making any mistake. She is the reason why I roll my eyes when I look at memes about first borns. 

I cannot really explain how much I like her. Maybe I will always love her but never quite like her. Which is exactly why her wedding feels like this huge thing I am dreading instead of being excited for. It's probably also got to do more with me screwing up almost all the relationships in my life. 

"Hope you had something to drink as well?" I asked Gautham who was waving another mat, trying to find another spot to sit down. When it clicked in his head that I was talking to him, he turned to smile at me and patted one of his pockets. Since it was only his head that was turned my way, I could not exactly tell what he was pointing at, but I figured he had his own drink secure in his pocket. Ah yes, the great depths of the pockets of men. 

I was trying to get into a conversation but it was just not happening. Seemed like Ameer and Manisha were in an animated conversation about something else and I did not want to intrude. I looked around to see Gautham still worrying about where to place the mats for reasons beyond me. I could've kept up with the little game of psychoanalyzing Gautham's paint preferences but it was borderline boring so I fished out my phone from my bag hoping that whatever my instagram's explore had in store for me was enough to keep me company.