Mehendi & Moonlight || Ana

Nisha

"I promise that I'll never disappoint you with my marriage and do according to your wish if you let Priti marry the love of her life." 

The loud commitment, full of conviction reached Nisha's ears after a few seconds. The weight of her words sunk in and that was when she realized that she had spurted out the worst thing she could. 

The quiet atmosphere didn't aid the constant building anxiety, coating her internal organs and reaching up to her brain. She felt it everywhere. 

"If that's what you promise wholeheartedly, then I have nothing more to say." Another feminine voice spoke, and it took Nisha a second to realize that was her mother. 
"Nisha..." Another voice called incoherently from beside her.
"I told you I promised, now... you should let Priti-pi marry." She spoke again, her voice becoming feeble.

This was a wrong choice.

But right now, her priority had been saving her elder sister from the trouble she was facing. 

"It'll be okay, Priti-pi." She mouthed to the figure next to her. The one she had done all this for, her sister. 
"Priti, you know we only want your good. But... this is..." Their mother's voice faded away as the figure beside Nisha, her sister, tucked in her dark curly locks behind her ears. 
"Maa, I love him... I know he isn't rich and he doesn't have a great family status but does that matter? We can establish ourselves together." Priti pleaded, tears accumulating in her eyes. 

Seeing her sister's moist eyes, Nisha felt vulnerable. If anything, she had to save the pure love her sister's eyes carried.

"I understand. It's been two months since all of you are eating our heads." Their mother spoke, staring at the hem of her saree. 
She fixed it, continuing, "Nisha promised me that whatever you do, she'll listen to us. Since she's willing to make such a sacrifice, I can't say anything more." 

"Baba..." Priti, Nisha's elder sister, whispered to the large male figure sitting on the couch near their bed. The man heaved out a deep sigh, "I've never... forbid my daughters from anything. But right now, this is a tough decision." 

"Maa, Baba... I'm sorry. But, I promise he won't disappoint you. I have known him for nearly ten years now. You know that too... he's trying hard." Priti spoke. Nisha's gaze shifted from her sister to their parents.

A thought appeared in her mind.

Why did things often go such strange ways?

When her sister, Priti, confronted their parents about her love interest — they resisted immediately and all the siblings together worked on convincing them. At first, the excuse went from the guy's income to his family status and now it was, "Manush ki bolbe." 

In English terms— What will people say? 

Even modernization couldn't change the thoughts of a traditional Bengali family sometimes. And when it came to marriages, that thought worked the most. 

"I hate restraining you from what you want, Priti. But..." The elderly woman sighed, tracing the seams of the bedsheet while the girls were sitting on the other side of the bed. 
"Bring the guy and his family to have a chat. Then, we'll consider this." Their father spoke. 

Nisha and Priti shared a look before looking at their parents who looked slightly disappointed but they covered it up with a blank face, gazing at each other.

Priti got up along with their mother, pulling her parents into a tight hug. 
"Thank you so much, baba" She cried as her mother hummed, wiping a tear of her own. Nisha smiled at the dramatic atmosphere. Their father sighed, patting Priti's head and looked over at Nisha, "Only because... you said you'll listen to us. I won't listen to the same situation twice when it's about Nisha."