Mine, my beloved (On Hold)

17

One of my most favourite song! Composed by none other than A.R Rahman✨ (The leads are cross-cousins in the movie)

Ganga

It's my engagement tomorrow!

And I got to know this merely before two days when my parents asked me to stay back home and not attend college. I was so pleased after hearing about our engagement!

I'm finally going to be with my mama!

He's arriving here from Bengaluru tomorrow and as soon as he comes, our engagement will be conducted.

At present, my home is decorated minimally and the speaker installed outside has been ringing out romantic as well as wedding songs. It set a rather uplifting and heavenly mood and I spent the day and night thinking about my mama...

On the next day, an orange saree was draped around my body as the event commenced. My mama was decked in a white button-up shirt and black pants—he was so handsome!

I was gawking at him but he stood stern and didn't pay me much attention. He didn't even say anything about how I look in this saree...

However, when we were made to exchange rings, mama gazed at me—intensely and oddly. I gulped at that look in his eyes. It was very intimidating. Then our marriage date was announced. It will be held on the 8th of the next month.

Forthwith, we both sat together in the food-providing area and had our food on the banana leaf, quietly. Following that, the photo shoot session came by and we were asked to give some rather intimate poses. Out in the fields, mama and I were giving quite inappropriate postures but thankfully people were intent on having their food and chatting to one another!

Throughout the photoshoot, mama didn't speak to me. It was all in his eyes. It conveyed his love that no words could ever be able to express.

And I was contented with the same...

Once the session comes to an end, I start to move away but pause when I heed my mama's word. “Wait,” I swirl towards him expectantly. “Tell Mama,” he silently watches me before speaking up, “Come to the riverside at 6.30 am tomorrow,” I excitedly nod toward him.

“You look beautiful in this saree...” my face glimmers at his compliment. This is what I've been waiting to hear from Mama. I suddenly become shy as he continues to stare at me and slightly bow my head.

“Damn, how shy,” he pinches my bare waist and casually walks past me. Meanwhile, I quickly scanned my surroundings, and only after I made sure that none saw what Mama had done did I feel relaxed...

He has no fear!

'...'

On the subsequent dawn, I went to the riverside at 6.30 am and I found my mama tossing pebbles into the river. I'd an urge to scare him and thus I sneakily lurk behind him.

I was about to say the 'boo' when unanticipatedly his hand raises and clutches one of my wrists and heaves me to his lap.

I was lying on his lap!

With wide eyes, I regard my mama in wonder. “How did you find me? I was careful!” he smiles at my aggrieved tone.

“I've two eyes on the back of my head—didn't you see it?” I purse my lips at him. “It's instinct, a gut feeling. Besides, the scent of jasmine said it all,” Ah right, he must've discerned me through the fragrance of the flower that I've pinned on my tresses...

Unexpectedly, he then grips my lower lip with his fingers.

Ayo, my stomach feels weird!

“Ganga, you look so pretty today, is this what they say as marriage glow?” while questioning that, he moves my saree from the navel region—exposing the bare skin to the chilly morning breeze.