A Big Fat Indian Wedding

Chapter 7

Just when Millie's mother thinks her younger daughter is mature enough for responsibilities, she does something to prove her mother wrong. They're going in circles and Millie only seems to be getting younger mentally, with age.

"You're so stubborn. I raised you wrong." Anger was much subtle to how her mother felt.

"You started, with Rajesh, and I don't even know how many you've checked out by now."

"He's Maya's son. We've been friends for very long. He's a good kid. I don't see why you're over-reacting."

"Ma, but I don't want to get married now."

"We'll have this discussion later." Her mother made the last call. "But you shouldn't have walked out of the store like that." Millie kept quiet, looking down at her hands and wishing she weren't sitting where she was.

Millie had a mental anxiety when it came to arranged marriages and nobody understood that. Perhaps her mother thought she was incapable of finding the right guy to settle down or something. That wasn't true. She had had her fair share of serious relationships that could have last if she wanted them to. But then, she would freak out at every instant that her man talked about the long term which leads her to where she is now. Happy, single and earning enough to splurge like a rich spoilt kid.

"Dahlia got the lady at the store to keep your two lehenga's aside, away from the racks on sale. Promise me you'll go in there tomorrow and pick yours?"

"I promise."

***

Dahlia, on the other hand, had been ecstatic when Aman called her to check on the status of the party he'd planned. It was a local club that was rented for the night, which meant that they had the four walls all for themselves. The booze was unlimited, as long as all of them consumed it with some responsibility and a DJ was available. All in all, it was a stress buster that everyone needed.

"You look amazing." Aman complimented her when they met. Personally she felt she looked like she'd gotten out of bed on a bad day, but he didn't seem to share the same thinking.

"Don't I always?" She teased. Dahlia believed him because he was pretty honest when it came to just the two of them happy-in-love in their relationship. Also because she spent a good load of time to pick out a dress, do the make up, the hair. Tiring, if anyone asked her.

It was almost half an hour before the rest of the youngsters arrived and Dahlia was loving the private time, which they've recently been really short of. With the wedding frenzy enveloping them like a room with no escape, they could very well use the excuse of the party to catch up.

"I love you, Salt." Adam was being super cheesy and Dahlia giggled. But she guessed nobody can express love without being cheesy.

The joke was from many years ago, when they dressed up as salt and pepper for a college party. It seemed quite brilliant at the time but now if you think about it, it's embarrassing enough for Dahlia to never mention it.

"I know, Pepper. That's why we're getting married."

He nodded smiling, before jumping on to the million things he'd planned to do and talk about when he met her. As for her, she always liked attention.

"Fiona told me about Millie."

"Yeah." She sighed. Fi really can't keep anything to herself. "She's being such a baby."

"Dal." To her, Adam seemed to be in favour of Millie which irritated her. "She is still young."

"But I'm doing this to protect her. I don't want to get her heart broken."

"You've made your mistakes, let her make hers. All is she has is time."

"But--" She said looking down at her feet.

Maybe he was right, she thought.

"Just give her time. Okay?"

She nodded in response and soon enough, the hall started filling up. All their cousins and friends were coming in. The girls were all dolled up enough to enter a VIP club with restricted access, with ease. The guys were a little more laid back when it came to the grooming department. It seemed to be going well until Dahlia saw her sister walk in.

She hadn't changed and was still in the dark jeans that she had been roaming around the house earlier in. She had made no attempt at all, but her sister let that one go. She could be tired, doing something, for all Dahlia knows.

Just give it time, Aman had said. That was probably right, Dahlia mentally told herself to wait for Millie to come around. Dahlia was elder and it was about time she acted like one. Not a fight but Dal could surely give her baby sister some silent treatment.

And she spent most of the night, ignoring Millie but at the same time hoping she'd come and talk to her. It didn't happen. Everyone except her own sister, congratulated Dahlia, danced and played games.

But while Dal played dumb, she actually was keeping a watch on Millie out of the corner of her eye. She was drinking too much. Millie that is. And hanging around one of Adam's friend. Dal couldn't get the name right but it was the other guy beside Rajesh.

There was a chemistry, quite hard to ignore. Might be because of the way she was all handsy and he didn't have a problem with that. Or maybe, Millie was drunk. As for Dal, she had little knowledge about her sister's drunk demeanour. But there was something between them.

The two of them seemed to be sharing a lot of interesting talks, so Dal could tell from the distance, and eavesdropping is bad manners, but she couldn't herself longer. She set her glass down determined to go talk to Millie because while Millie had been in merry, Dal was practically losing her mind.

"No. No. No."

Aman caught her just in the nick of time, pulling her back from plunging into another hole filled with drama with her little sister.

"But I'm just going to--Never-mind. You're right."

Aman laughed when he saw the loser look on his fiancé's face.

"I know I'm being such a hypocrite, but Eric and Millie look really good together." Upon hearing him say that, Dahlia's devil mind raced into another plan just when she shut herself down.

"Don't you get me started." She rolled her eyes.

***

I know I'm a terrible person. Omg! I'm sorry :( I love y'all xx