Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 08 ] Groomsman. Bridesmaid ■

'Amar, please save me. Fiona will kill me otherwise'

'Arre! Why are you asking me? Baki sab kitte marr gaye?' Amarnath sounds exasperated.

'Because you're the only one wearing a navy blue suit and a cream shirt and not married' Micheal explains patiently for the fifth time.

Amarnath curses himself inwardly.

The Saturday evening is crisp with an ethereal glow of the myriad sky. The Wodehouse church smells of fresh roses, white and red, adorning the aisles, the entrance door, the altar and the wooden pews along the nave. Beams of late evening sunlight pass through the colourful stained windows. There is a constant buzz of wedding guests pouring in for the arranged marriage of Tamil Nadu's Micheal Periyappan (ACP Kannur, Kerala) with Bombay's Dr. Fiona Andrews.

But Micheal is having a crisis. One of the groomsmen, his cousin, has fallen sick and hasn't turned up. So, Amarnath is being cajoled to fill up; he is livid at the suggestion. Murali is rocking on his heels, enjoying the argument.

'So you want me to smile and walk in front of everyone like a buffoon?' Amarnath demands now.

Micheal ignores the direct attack. 'It's my marriage da.'

'That is your fate' he says unkindly. 'Did I ask you to get married? Tera viaha means you walk.'

'Macha, it is Fiona's idea. It was planned long ago.'

'Pagalapana hai yeh. The other three are there, ki nai? They'll walk. That's more than enough.'

'It doesn't work like that da' Micheal says. 'Look, it's very easy. You just have to walk down with one of Fiona's friends. That's all.'

'With a girl???' Amarnath widens his eyes, horrified as if Micheal just mentioned a hundred venomous snakes. 'Even if your marriage gets cancelled I'm not doing all this!'

'Arre yaar, you just have to walk down that carpet. Easy hain,' Murali pipes in. 'Hardly twenty seconds it will take. Woh bhi ladki ke saath.'

'Easy hai toh tuu kar behenchod,' Amarnath fires up and turns to Michael. 'He'll do it.'

Michael looks at Murali's light grey suit and blue shirt. He shakes his head mournfully. 'Blue suit only'

'Blue, black, grey sab ek hi hai hota hai. Murali, my shirt and coat if you want. I'm not doing this.'

Murali suddenly decides that it is more fun to see Amarnath like this. It is totally worth missing a chance to hit upon a pretty girl.

'No, you are his friend. You should do it, Amar.' he says piously.

Amarnath shakes his head decisively. 'It is not possible, Micheal. Go tell your kudi.'

'She's going to my wife da. How can I say "No" to her?'

'So from now on you have to listen to everything she says?'

'It's the law of nature,' Michael says knowledgeably. 'You'll understand when you get married.'

'That's why I'll never get married,' Amarnath retorts. 'Not everyone is mad like you.'

'Now please wear this,' Micheal shoves a tiny boutonniere into Amarnath's hand, ignoring the attack again. 'Please, please, please da, this one help. Please, please, please!' he pleads and disappears in a blink.

●●●

'Wow... you look...amazing'

'Thanks ... uh.. so do you' Gauri smiles.