Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XXIX: Shringaar

Tejasvin

The ache in my heart was growing more and more as the day of her wedding neared. It was an unbearable sight for me to see her covered in someone else's haldi. After taking a long morning shower, I came out of the bathroom and went downstairs. Smriti was pacing here and there in the living room all dressed up in a pink suit and aunty was running behind her holding some pieces of jewellery.

"Smriti wear this one, it'll look better with your outfit," Surbhi aunty said running behind her. Smriti came to a halt and turning around, she took the pair of earrings from auntie's hand.

"You're right maa, this one's pretty." I was watching all this as I descended down the stairs and neared them.

"Going somewhere Smriti?" I asked her who got busy wearing the earrings.

"I'm going to Ketaki jiji's house. It's her mehndi ceremony today," she said making my heart skip a beat. I hummed and was about to move towards the breakfast table when she spoke again.

"Why don't you come with me dau? Don't say no please," she pleaded, and it was never in me to deny my sister's request but in no world I wanted to see Ketaki having someone else's mehndi on her hands.

"I don't feel like going," I said and turned around but she held my hand to stop me.

"Please dau, come na," she pleaded again, and I sighed painfully.

My agony aside, I wanted to see her too. How can someone be the reason of your agony but the relief from it too?

"Okey let me change, then we can go," I said, and she squealed in happiness. Coming to my room, I changed into an emerald kurta with white pajama and went back downstairs only to find aunty looking at me in awe.

"I'll leave now," I said bending down to touch her feet and she placed her hand over my back.

"Isn't' my son the most handsome man in this entire world?" She spoke as I straightened myself up. "Be careful there, someone might get smitten by you."

I settled in the car and Smriti sat in the passenger's seat. Parking at the village square, we walked to her house. It was quieter today as compared to the haldi ceremony and it seemed like we were early to the event.

We went inside and my eyes roamed around in search of her, but I did not find her anywhere. Smriti left my side and went to greet the few ladies that were preparing henna platters sitting on the rug that was spread across the entire living room. Hari kaka was busy putting up flower garlands around the house.

My eyes kept moving impatiently here and there to catch a glimpse of her. Finding everyone busy with their own chores, I made my way towards her room. As I opened the door, I found her sitting on a wooden stool in front of a mirror that was placed against the wall on a wooden dresser.

Even from the side view she looked ethereal in her green outfit. Her green skirt had small mirrors on it towards the end. The sunlight that was coming from the window hit them and the light casted back, hitting the walls. Her plain green blouse fir her perfectly and her dupatta was still lying on the dresser along with some jewellery. She brought her long and wavy set of hair to the front that were wet at this time and began smoothening out the strands with her fingers. The droplets rolled down from her hair and fell on the ground. Some of it dampened her clothes wherever they landed, turning the green of her outfit into a darker shade. I deciphered that she was still getting ready for the event.

Ketaki

I felt someone's eyes on me, and I turned my head in the direction of the door only to find him standing there. Would it be a sin if I say that he looked like the most attractive man I've ever seen even though I am to get married to someone else? My eyes forgot to move away from his face as he walked inside the room. He came and stood behind me and we looked at each other through the mirror. His eyes lowered to my back, and he took the two strings of my blouse in his hands that were still untied.