Better Together | ✓

19 | married

Chapter 19 : Married

The setting sun was somehow a very therapeutic sight. There was a strange sort of calm to it. The deep orange circle in the sky had scattered its golden all around the sky. The sky had so many hues at each level. The golden just above the horizon, a light higher it was pink, a layer above that was almost a pinkish purple and finally it was and infinity of dark blue. The sun was slowly sinking lower trying to disappear behind the green of the coconut trees in the distance. 

Aadarsh picked up the bottle of beer raising it up to his lips. He could here the music and laughter behind him. Abhi and Rohan had been very excited to party in the beach town. However, all Aadarsh wanted was quiet, some time to himself. 

His phone beeped for the third time and he finally picked it up. It was a message from Ashvi. He opened the chat window, surprised to find photographs there. The first was of Ruhaani smiling and posing while at each of her hand was a mehendi artist at work. He swiped to the next which was a photo of his sister, where she was getting mehendi done on her left hand while winking and posing for the picture. He instantly smiled. The third was a group picture. His aunts, siblings, Dai Jaan, Pari, Arti and Ruhaani's aunt were all around her. He zoomed on the picture. Pari who was seated on Ruhaani's lap seemed to be looking elsewhere. 

His gaze drifted to his bride. She looked happy. He sighed. He was yet to work out the dynamics of their relationship. How did people do arranged marriages and be happy? 

He quickly replied—gorgeous pictures and powered off his screen keeping his phone aside. His gaze going back to the setting sun which was more than half gone. The sound of the waves felt so soothing. It had been a while since he had been to the beach. 

He couldn't get himself to be a tad bit of excited for the wedding. The boy who had always dreamed of the most happening wedding was here by the shore, all by himself drinking beer while his wedding functions had started in full swing. What a pity! 

When he was sixteen, his mother used to tease him that she would love his wife a little more than she loved him. Then he would pretend to be annoyed and tell her he'd never marry if that was the case. She would laugh it off saying– we will see when time comes. 

When he was dating Siddhi, almost everyone had been sure they'd end up marrying, his mother included. They used to be so famous as the high-school sweethearts in the friends and family circle. Frankly, even he believed it. He never thought of anyone except her in that light. They used to be crazy about each other. He knew her better than he knew himself. She inspired him, she was absolutely beautiful and smart. They had their fair share of teasing each other about their future. It was as though there was never any doubt about them being together in future.

Yet here he was in the future, alone, ready to marry a woman he barely knew. What a horrible plot twist!

* * *

Red was a very powerful color. It was intense. However, it's meaning changed based on the context. It could mean danger, evil and be the color of devil himself or it could mean love, passion and represent heart in it's entirety. However, today it's meaning was marriage. 

She wore a red bridal skirt and blouse with an intricate golden thread work and embroidery. The dupatta had been draped tightly across the front like a sari's pallu with one end tucked in the front of the skirt. Over it, she wore the deep red chunari with the zari work that she had received as part of the shagun. It was fixed above her hair that had been neatly tucked into a bun. A few strands had been curled with great effort and left to hang close to her ear. It was his mother's bridal dress that she had adorned. A crimson lip color had been very carefully applied on her lips by the make-up artist. The set of bangles on both her hands were red too. And so was the simple, tiny, traditional, circle shaped bindi that was placed exactly between her eyebrows.