Betrothed

3 \ getting to know you?

Divya's phone vibrating caught Vikram's attention the next morning. She was getting ready for the day and had left her phone on the night stand.

Vikram was already showered and dressed and was waiting for her to come out. They had to go to the Pooja room together to perform the last of the post wedding rituals.

Her phone stopped vibrating after a few seconds, however it began to vibrate again. As much as he did not want to invade her privacy, he wanted to find out who was calling so early in the morning. So, curiosity got the better of him and he leaned towards the nightstand to take a quick peek.

Karan calling.

Vikram moved back immediately. The last thing he wanted was to be caught snooping around her phone. He wasn't snooping around.

He stiffened slightly. He knew who Karan was. He had got her background checked before the wedding. It wasn't something he was proud of but rather something he thought was important in their situation. There could not be a scandal.

As far as the report went, it said that he was her close friend. There had been no romantic links between them. She had dated a few guys back in London before calling it off for unknown reasons. Other than that she had been single all through indulging herself in little treats, here and there. However, this guy did not seem good news to him.

He was still lost in thought when she emerged from the closet, dressed in another traditional lehenga, one end of her pallu hanging loosely, ready to be put on her head when need be. The nath had not been put in place either, it's was simply looped around her earring. Before she proceeded towards the common dresser where she had left her mangalsutra the previous night, her vibrating phone caught her attention.

She glanced at Vikram before accepting the call and moving towards the dresser.

"Hey"
.
"You are lucky."
.
"Nope. Just the last of the rituals."
.
"Shut up."
.
"Karan"
.
"Stop talking about food."
.
"Yes, I will snap a picture and send it across to aunty."
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"I am in a hurry right now. Let me call you later."
.
"Bye"

She quickly put on the beaded necklace and reached for the Sindoor sitting on one end. Quickly, she pinched out a small amount of the red powder and put it in her parting. Swiftly she fixed the pallu on her head, pinning the loose end to prevent it from moving around. She put the nose ring in place and taking a final glance at her reflection, turned around.

"I am ready."

He nodded getting up, pocketing his phone that he had been scrolling through. Just as they crossed the seating lounge, he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out, he pressed it to his ear waiting for Kabir to speak.

"The priest asked us to wait for another 30 minutes, there has been some unavoidable delay."

"Ah fine."

"Just a minute." Kabir said. Vikram heard some disturbance on the other end which got better after a few seconds. Seemed like he was making way through the crowd.

"Maa is asking you and Bhabhi to stay in your quarters. It's better honestly, there are so many people. It's like your wedding all over again."

Vikram sighed. They were going to be stuck together for the next thirty minutes now. Why? Just why?

"Yeah, we will come down in half an hour." he said concluding the call right after.

Divya looked at him in question.

"The priest isn't here. So, Maa asked us to stay back for half an hour."

She nodded sliding the fabric off her head and the letting the nath hang loose. He watched her, slightly amused at just how much getting rid of those two things lifted her spirits. He could imagine what a struggle it would be to be stuck in layers and layers of clothing, each one more uncomfortable than the the other. She turned on her heels making way towards the couch. She sat down on one corner, looking at the gardens through the glass of the window.