Meera

Chapter 5

'Maa, mei kaisi lag rahi hun?' Meera asks her twirling around in her maroon anarkali. Her newly brought jhumkas looked so beautiful tucked in my hair. I want to put a flower in my hair. Is it going to be over? Hell, I want to wear a flower, I will wear flowers.

[Kaisi lag rahi hun — How am I looking?]

'Did I overdo it?' I did ask her but I would hate it if she said yes. But to my relief, she yells out a no. She comes out looking beautiful in a white and maroon saree. Her beauty is evergreen. The most beautiful face I have ever seen.

'Kitni sundar lag rahi ho, Maa. Mann karta hai tumhe hi dekhti rahun.' I say as I hug her from behind resting my head on her shoulder, not wanting to let go.

[Kitni sundar lag ragi ho —- You look so beautiful

Mann karta hai tumhe dekhti rahun — I feel like seeing you all day]

'Chalein, or do you want to spend Khushi's engagement here only?' Okay, I move forward to leave the house and she locks it behind her. It was a beautiful night. It was Khushi's night, I just couldn't wait to get there. It was this lavish hotel, in which Siddharth's family had organized the engagement in. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

[Chalein — Shall we]

'Congratulations, ab toh tum dono ki permanent booking ho gayi hai.' I say to Siddharth as I give him a side hug. Well, they both sat on the stage like showpieces. Khushi looked so beautiful in her white lehenga.

'Any cold feet, yet?' — I ask, nudging her shoulder slightly.

'Meera, don't let my Khushi second guess her decisions now.' — Maa says pulling her in a hug. I do adore their bond with all of my heart. Maa has never made her feel the absence of a mother. She even insisted that she lives with us but as per usual Khushi is a girl with high morals.

'I am saving my gift for the wedding. So don't look at me like that.' I say not able to bear her expectant eyes anymore. 'I will not take much of your time now. You have a long line of people waiting to meet you.' I say in her ear and get down the stage. I look back at her and she gestured with her eyes to the other side. He was there. Okay, there is a difference between texting and talking face-to-face. After five days of texting, I should not ignore him that would be so rude. Going to him all by myself is so dreadful.

'Maa, do you want to have something? Shall I bring you something?' I ask in a hurry in an attempt to sit her down.

'Wait Meera, that is Arjun.' Arjun, well, if my mother knows him then it is going to be weird. She couldn't possibly be talking about him. There could be so many people with the name Arjun. With my optimism intact, I ask her.

'Who Arjun?' please let it not be him.

'Arjun Sengupta. Your father knows him.' Well, that's new. Papa is finally somewhere in my life.

'He knows him? Accha, woh chhodo let me introduce you to Raavi Uncle and Pakhi Aunty. They are such beautiful people. You will love them.'

[Accha, woh chhodo – Leave that]

. . .

'Arjun beta, come here.' Pakhi Aunty calls him in as we talk over a random topic. He comes into my vision and everything else fades away. Okay, maybe that attraction has grown a little bit. I even find his usual grumpy self, beautiful. He is so beautiful.

'You remember, Vijaya Aggarwal?' She asks him and he nods, his hand moving forward in a courteous handshake. Where was I when this bond was being formed? How can I not know Arjun, my parents know, and apparently they love him. He doesn't look much older than me, does he? I will ask Khushi. She has to know, right?

'Of course, Sir shaped my future.' Arjun says in gratitude as the group carries on with the conversation. How did Papa shape his future?

'This is our daughter, Meera.' Great, introduce me again. Arjun gives me a big smile with a nod and he carries off,

'We have met before at the housewarming party.' He tells her and she just nods at him. She will obviously be thrilled over the new information. Considering I share everything with her, leaving this pout would be kind of a big deal for her. Not that I did it on purpose.

'Come, Arjun, let me introduce you to other people.' With that, Raavi Uncle takes him away until it is just me and Maa standing alone.

'You didn't tell me?' She asked

'It was nothing, uncle just introduced us.' I shrug off her question.

'Chhodo Na Maa, it is a beautiful night. We should enjoy it.'

[Chhodo Na — Leave it]

. . .

The night had come to an end. I hadn't had a proper conversation with Arjun tonight.

'Ma'am, let me drop you back home. It is quite late.' He offers politely.

'We will handle it. You don't have to trouble yourself.'

'It is no trouble, Ma'am, I insist. I possibly couldn't let you go at this time of the night' Maa just lovingly caressed his face and said yes to him. With that, we sat in his car.

'Same old house?' He asked Maa and as per my knowledge, we have been living in the same house ever since. We both say yes in unison and he lets out a small laugh. I close my eyes for a moment and like that, we are in front of my house. Maa is already opening the front door as I open my eyes and Arjun is staring at me. I straighten myself.

'So you know my house. Couldn't have mentioned that in the texts.'

'Now what fun would that be?'

'You didn't even tell me, that you know my father. How is that fair?'

'All in good time, Miss Meera. All in good time.'

'You want to come in?'

'I should get going actually, but wait for my text, okay?'

'Okay!'

'Good night, Miss Meera.' 

A/N

Meera and Arjun's first conversation. How did you like it? Did you miss someone in the chapter?