Not-So-Girly-Girlfriends #MissionDesi #YourStoryIndia

The wedding

Narrator.
A grand duplex hall.. Almost like a bungalow, decorated with curtains and flowers. A big chandelier shined right on top of the mandap which was in a square shape with pillars guarding it on its vertices. The pandit sat on one side arranging things while the three sides were left empty.
There was an enthusiastic hustle all over the place. The grooms side had just arrived and were settling themselves. The brides family were greeting all of them. The mains, i.e. The groom, and his close relatives stood by the gate where Alisha's parents stood with a plate of diya and flowers to welcome the groom in sherwani riding a spectacular white horse.
Alisha hid behind her dressing rooms curtain and watched all the rituals taking place. "Oh my god, I still don't believe what I'm doing," she gasped as if the realisation struck her right now as she took her red lehenga in her hand and headed to the bottle of vodka on the couch which she had managed to smuggle the previous night. She hurriedly opens the cap and and gulps down the alcohol.
The door is swung open and a man wearing a black suit enters. She looks at him and wonders what he was doing there. "Vivan?" She says looking at Vivan Desai standing at her door.
Looking at the half empty bottle of vodka in her hand he takes it away.
"What's wrong with you!"
"You can't be drinking at this moment," he said holding her steady.
"I'm drinking since the past few days and you're not authorised to order me. You're not even supposed to be here, don't you and your girlfriend talk?"
"We talk, which is why I am here. I know what has happened, okay? I know everything. And I should be jealous as fuck. I should be angry and we should have had an argument and shit but we didn't. It's the past. Teenage years were supposed to be like that. Infatuation was at its best. And things got screwed up and she shouldn't have done that but shit happened! But why this? You shouldn't be doing this either! That man physically abused you. You don't have to put up a layer of makeup and pretend as if nothing happened for the rest of your life. This doesn't have to end like this."
"I don't know anymore... Today I am supposed to get married. My husband is at my door. Everything is ready, everything is taken care of.. All the guests are here.. All my relatives are here.. And have you seen my parents? Don't they look exceptionally happy to you? How am I supposed to ruin all of this? It's too late now."
"It's not about them! It's about you! They'll be hurt if they figure out that they let you marry to a bastard of a man! Do u want to do that?"
"Just shut up, okay! If Myra had sent you here to put all of this shit in my head then tell her that it was very convincing but not enough. Had she been here then maybe, but then... She sent you.. And it's all fucked up. And I miss them! I want my girls to be hear," she broke into tears and buried her face in his chest and he held her firmly as she sobbed.
"Do you want to do me a favour?"
"Anything that you ask for."
"Then walk me down to where my husband is waiting for me cause I sure as hell won't be able to do it alone."
"Of course," he said as he pulled her away and handed her a few napkins to dab her eyes.

***

On a small stage just across the mandap, a lonely mic was taken over by an overexcited girl. Alisha had just walked outside her room with Vivan by her side. Her father and uncle with the rest of her extended family members waiting for her just down the grand staircase. She took her time to take each step. Nobody rushed her as she clutched Vivan's hand in one of hers and held her lahenga in the other.
By the time she was midway the girl started speaking on the mic.
"I am Tania, Alisha's 'best friend'," she said and Alisha, for a moment looked up at her and thought what a big fat liar she is. "I was supposed to make a speech at the cocktail party but I wasn't really prepared, it was on a short notice but then I would like to take this chance in congratulating the most gorgeous bride and the most handsome groom for this auspicious day of their lives. Alisha is a very sweet girl, great with people, easy going, and fun loving. She is down to earth and a perfect bride material and you, young man, are the luckiest person to have her as your wife. Congratulations and I hope that you both have a happily ever after. God speed." In the mean time Alisha noticed Vicky staring at the girl on the stage with gritted teeth as if she had killed her a hundred times in her head. She saw Zara with almost the same expression from the back of the room. Then a guy patted her shoulder and to her surprise it was Anmay.
***
He held Zara's hand and took her aside in a little private corner.
"I'm so sorry," he told her. She then flicked his hand away from hers and started to leave. He pulled her back and made sure he was heard out. "I made a mistake. I am sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Vicky called me up and told me everything. I shouldn't have jumped into conclusions, most of all I shouldn't have believed her."
"No, let me correct you, most of all, you shouldn't have slept with her."
"You know?"
"She called me up. Did you think that I'd never get to know?"
"No, I was going to tell you once I had apologised. Whatever happened with me and her was a mistake as well. She wasn't what I thought she was. I never realised what I had until I lost you and messed around with her. I shouldn't have done this. I am so sorry."
She started to process the whole apology in her head when she saw Kanish appear just behind Anmay. She then saw Vicky behind Kanish and she knew what was happening. She planned all this.
"People really don't realise what they have until they have actually lost it. Same with you. You realised my worth when you had lost me. You didn't trust me when I was telling you the truth. You slept around with a bitch when I was still waiting for you to forgive me even when I was at no fault. I cried myself to sleep every night. I stopped looking after me waiting for a call from you. I almost went into depression because of you and all you say is a 'sorry'? Well, apology not accepted. Cause when you were fooling around behind my back, someone was making efforts to make me smile, spoil me with complements, make me feel beautiful and mainly showing me what I'm worth. And trust me, I'm not even precious, I'm priceless. And I don't want to hold back the fact that I'm in love with that man," she said looking right past him, straight into Kanish's eyes. "I am in love with you."
He sheepishly smiled and walked over to her taking her in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry Anmay," she said after pulling away. "You've lost me for good."