Chennai Terminal || WLW Novel || Indian Sapphic

13. Not my Problem

This day, I was on my way to the shop to get something for my mother and I saw her. I probably just frowned at her or something, but in the meantime noticed something else. She was just getting skinnier by the day. I didn't have no worries for her, just a "you made your choice" eyeroll. We both tried to just move past each other like nothing.

"Heyyy guyss!" It was Shree, our neighbour.
He called us both, for chit chat. I wanted to run fast as I could, because I didn't want to stand next to someone who basically just held me like a mistress. I felt used. So so used back then. And growing up, I still think about it sometimes, I was just a baby back then, unaware of the world pretending I was mature. I dyed my hair ends blue for god sake. And she was the opposite of me. She had seen the world for the cruelty it was. She knew I was naive. Was she using me? Was she maybe... grooming me? Am I overthinking?

"Take these" Shree said with a grin on his face. He handed us some chocolates and made strong eye contacts with me. He patted me with a force that almost tripped me. "I have a job now" he said.
"Ask me anything, and I'll buy it to ya" he grinned and winked.
I looked at Nayan and she was kinda nervous. See, me and Shree were around the same age. We understood each other, more than me and Nayan did too. But she was too old for our circle. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have been talking to him in the first place.

"I've always wanted a guitar." I sighed. He started stuttering. "I... Not that big... start small" he said.
"Maybe something related to art" Nayan said as she saw my eyes. "Why didn't I think of that?" I thought to myself. "Maybe... brush pens would be nice. I've been wanting them for a long time now." I said softly. "Ookayyy" he said and showed me a thumbs up.

"You're getting skinnier by the day akka." He said to her. "Am I? Looks like it." She said and giggled. I wondered what was going on with her. But, not my problem anymore so I made a little shrug and cut my eye contact with her.

-

I pulled an all nighter for my comic, and I held it in my hands like it was my newly born baby that I had birthed it all by myself without anyone's help. I didn't even bother to comb my hair or cover them zits all across my face, just groaning with my eyes hurting for probably the lacking of sleep. It was almost a 4 at night, but I didn't care, I wrapped it up, gave it to my driver and asked him to just throw it away at my Director's home (Give it to him safely as he will be standing outside waiting for it) and returned to my room. I don't know what happened after that, but I woke up in my desk with a hard letter thingy hitting my finger.

I picked the invitation that read "Nithya weds Sherli" and stared at it. I looked myself in the mirror as I combed and walked out. I handed out the invitaion to my driver and asked him to go there.

When we reached the street of the wedding ceremony, I could tell it was an Indian wedding. Around 40 cars parked in a line and flowers thrown here and there. As soon as I stepped out, few of the girls started to come my way to get my signatures. I walked around the crowded hall which was actually, wonderfully decorated.

I met the couple and hugged them out. Gave them a clock that I bought at the last minute, and then went towards the dining hall. There's something about the Indian cuisine, I'm telling you. I ate some Pani Puri from the counter and sat with some people in the long ass dining table. I ate for an hour, I think. It was wonderful. All of it.

As I dropped in a huge chunk of Milk Khoa in my mouth I heard a loud thud outside the gates. The random messy music outside stopped, everyone started rushing towards the balcony to see what was happening downstairs near that damn gate. I rubbed my hands on my coat and started walking as I chewed that chewy Khoa with my full potential. I slowly snuck into the crowd so I can go upfront and get a better view of the entrance.

"What's happening?" I whispered to the person next to me with my eyes stuck on this big black Jeep with people getting off from it.
"One of the brides' parents" someone whispered back.
"Uh huh" I said and walked downstairs.

One of the brides, I believe it's Sherlie, walked fearlessly towards the gate with her hands holding her flowy gown and rushed near them.

A man with a full black almost costume like onesie walked out of the Jeep and said some not so friendly things about her.
"How dare a bitch like you take my sister away? And you call this marriage?" He screamed from the other side of the gate.

Nithya walked slowly with glimmer in her clothes and her face with tears just almost slithering like a snail with her face down at her phone. She was calling the cops and it was very clear what was going to happen next.

Sherlie glanced at Nithya, grabbed her hand and slowly pulled her in.
She pulled a ring out, slid it in Nithya's finger and said "I love you. And yes, I call this marriage" and went for a kiss. The brother almost let a girly scream for real. And then the cops came and pulled them all away.

It was too romantic for a lonely person like me, and a bit dramatic, to say the least but it was, different. It felt as though this was the moment I was waiting for in my life. Some Indian to slam the world and go "this is me so cry".

I got a call from a "Housefire". It was that fan's wife-fire accident-shampoo stealer woman. I feel bad for not remembering her name.