Distance Between Us

Chapter 3

By the time Sheela reached her home she could see the car parked outside. She parked her Scooty and tried to sneaked inside. She thought she would have enough time to return from temple before groom's family. All the other five times the groom's family had always arrived late. Third guy was three hours late. this sixth guy seems to be punctual but anyways she was doomed today. Her mother would skin her alive.

She entered the kitchen which had another door from backyard and was greeted with an angry face for her mother who stood with a tray of sweets.

"Sheela how can you be so late? I will deal with you later. Now come on," her mother sneered lowly and went to the living room.

"Don't worry Sheela. They have just arrived. Relax for a minute," Leela said calmly. Sheela gave a small smile to her. She was grateful for Leela Aunty' s helpful nature. She would always help her mother in the kitchen when her mother becomes restless before grooms' arrival.

Sheela tried to relax her breaths. her mother entered the kitchen with an empty tray and filled the cups with tea and handed it to her looking seriously and said, "take this to them". Sheela nodded her head and went to the living room.

'It is not the first time Sheela now relax' she encouraged herself. No matter how many times she has done this, it always makes her nervous.

Her father who was sitting on the single seat sofa, saw her coming and proudly introduced her to everyone as usual "here she comes. She is my daughter Sheela." Sheela kept the tray on the table. "Sheela this is Dinesh and his wife kamini," he continued pointing to the elderly couple who sat together in the larger sofa. "Namaste uncle, namaste aunty, "Sheela greeted both and touched their feet as usual.

"Don't do that girl," kamini said loudly startling everyone. Kamini was already not comfortable sitting on the old sofa in a small house adding to that, the low-class girl was touching her feet. She did not like people who were lower in the status of money. She realized everyone was looking at her and her husband nudged his elbow at her.

"Oh...its just that now a days who does that." She tried to coverup smiling at everyone.

Raghu cleared his throat and continued, "and this young man is Rajesh, the groom and his friend Jagdeesh." Who were sitting in a smaller sofa opposite to the elder couple.

Sheela looked at the groom and said a small hello meeting his eyes. looking at his friend she smiled then her eyes met the ground as they returned her greeting as usual.

"Serve them tea Sheela," came her father's soft voice.

Sheela took the tray and served the couple first then the groom and his friend and lastly her father as usual. She sat on a chair near his father between other sofas as usual.

"Do you drink this kind of tea every day?" came kamini's voice as she sipped her tea and kept the cup on the table not touching it again.

"Yes. It is a good brand of tea. It tastes very good. Do you want to know the brand's name kamini garu ('garu' is added after the name in respectful manner)," Devi asked politely entering the living room.

"No thanks," kamini replied adjusting her diamond necklace.

Sheela understood the taut but it seems her mother did not. all the other groom's families did have something to say. some gave compliments and some other have peculiar taunts She did not say anything just kept looking at her hands as usual.

Her father started talking about her as usual, "my daughter has completed masters in English and now she works as an Editor. She was good in her academics."

"She cooks very well and does all house work," Devi interrupted her husband as usual earning a glare in return from him.

"oh..umm Rajesh is a software engineer," Dinesh started and did not say anything. What else he could say about his nephew. He doesn't know much about him.