𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-60

On the rooftop, the lone LED bulb's glow had almost drowned out the sun's soft, fading evening light. Open plastic and cotton bags lay scattered around, their contents peeking through - unfolded shimmering sarees, colourful bangles, silver jewellery, and the clatter of new brass and bronze utensils waiting to be sorted.

Apoorva lifted an orange saree with red circular designs, holding it up near Vaidehi's face. "Vaidehi ji, this one suits you more. It will look lovely with your fair complexion."

Vaidehi pushed aside the pair of silver anklets she had been holding and traced her fingers along the saree's border. She draped a corner over her shoulder, testing its weight and fall. "Yes, didi." Her eyes lit up. She turned toward Raghav, who was sitting a little away on a plastic chair among his brothers-in-law and Bhushan, casually sipping chai while laughing at something.

"Hey?" she called out, raising her voice just a little.

Raghav kept talking, nodding along to someone's joke, the smile glued to his face.

"Hey?" she tried again, sharper this time.

Urmila, who had been watching both sides with growing amusement, looked from her irritated sister to her completely oblivious brother-in-law.

"Oh jija!" she called out.

Raghav's head snapped toward her instantly, the smile still intact.

Urmila jerked her eyebrows toward Vaidehi in an exaggerated, silent cue.

Raghav finally followed her gaze. "Yeah?" he asked, noticing at last.

Vaidehi shot him a glare that lasted barely a second before melting into a shy smile. She lifted the saree slightly, letting it gleam under the bulb's glow. "How does this saree look on me?"

Without glancing at it, Raghav exclaimed, "Ah, everything looks good on you!"

A chorus of "Oye-hoye!" rose from the women around, and the men beside Raghav chuckled under their breath.

Vaidehi's cheeks warmed as she rolled her eyes, trying and failing to hide her smile.

Urmila picked up a pair of earrings, holding them high between her fingers. The tiny gold pieces dangled and sparkled as she tilted her head toward her husband. "A-ji! I've kept this pair of gold earrings for myself. Any problem to you?"

Her husband took a slow sip of his tea, letting the cup linger near his lips before answering with an easy smile. "My whole property belongs to you, and I've no problem with that."

The rooftop burst into another warm ripple of laughter - women pressing their lips to hide their giggles, men shaking their heads in a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.

Just then, the younger aunt stepped out of the kitchen, holding a tray full of cookies, nuts, and dry fruits toward the men. "Ayin-ji, is there some competition going on for who is best at giving the worst compliments?"

"You teach us then," Panchhi's father replied, leaning back slightly with a smirk, his eyes glinting with playful challenge.

The younger aunt smirked right back, shifting the now-empty tray to one hand while the other settled confidently on her waist. "Just wait till one of your children's marriage. I'll dedicate a whole gaari-geet album to you."

Her words set off another wave of laughter, louder this time.

"Okay..." Bhushan set his empty cup aside with a soft clink and pushed himself up from the chair, his palms pressing against the armrests. Pulling a soft, polite smile over his face, he said, "You all enjoy your buying, I have to meet some people."