"Kisi ki nazar na lage meri Nandu ko" chachi smiled after applying a kaala teeka beneath her ear and Nandini could barely resist the urge to roll her eyes. But when she saw amms coming towards her with her famous aarti ki thaali she couldn't stop herself.
"Amms please" she groaned for the zillionth time. "Main border per jung ladne nahi ja rahi hoon"
"Chupkar kanna" amms reprimanded her immediately and Nandini took out her frustration by making a face at Aryaman who had let out a derisive snort at Nandini's obvious irritation which she couldn't express openly in front of amms. Because no matter what she said, it wasn't going to make any difference to amms's deeply ingrained religious beliefs. "Meri kanna ko duniya ki saari khushiyaan milein" amms prayed as she started doing her aarti. "Ise apne her kaam mein kaamyaabi mile, aur please Aiyappa ji, bahut jald ise ek achha ladka bhi mil jaaye"
"Amms no!" Nandini nearly wailed as both Rishabh and Aryaman who had been trying to gobble one of chachi's famous unique recipes bhindi pasta burst out laughing. She tried to derive some pleasure from her imagination in which she was making them eat salt cake, egg khichdi and dal manchurian, more of chachi's unique dishes which both her brothers absolutely hated but it didn't help much. The truth was that her family's relentless search for a perfect groom for her and amms's daily prayers for that were getting on her nerves. Had it been in her hands then she would leave for work without having any breakfast as it would save her from being fussed over (in other words tortured) unnecessarily. But that was impossible as being the typical bhartiya naari, both the crazy (ssshhh...don't tell anyone!) ladies woke up at 5 a.m. everyday so that amms could rehearse for music and chachi could offer the holy water to her favorite deity Surya Dev. Then she went to wake up Nandini who felt like a biggest cheater in the world as she was made to betray her bed every morning. Ah! Such infidelity was intolerable!
Chachaji, who too was present at the table gave her an apologetic smile. He was the only sane and sympathetic member in the family who actually had the ability to differentiate between clarity and nonsense. Not that she thought of chachi's and amms's beliefs as nonsense but yes, she did wish that they stopped praying for her.
"Chal Navya ab jaldi se bataa" chachi said excitedly "kya aaj Nandu ko uska Shah Rukh Khan milega?"
"That's it! I'm getting out of here!" Nandini nearly yelled but her movement was blocked by Aryaman who clearly had been waiting for the most anticipated moment. Reaching behind Nandini in a second, he held her upper arms and locked them at her sides. He was quickly followed by Rishabh who held Nandini's calves (where the hell did he learn to maintain a grasp like that?! Damn Aryaman for teaching him!) because of which she couldn't kick Aryaman to free herself.
"Om bhoor bhuvasyaha, tatsaveetur varenium, bhargo devas syadhi mahi, diyo yo naha prachodayaat. Is mantro ka uchchaaran paanch baar karein" Navya chanted. Amms and chachi joined their hands and started doing what Navya had instructed. After their prayers were done, Dhruv, who had been sitting next to Navya on the floor in front of the havan kund stood up and came with a plate of prasad.
"NO!" Nandini turned her face aside.
"Kanna, prasad ko kabhi bhi na nahi bolte!" amms scolded.
"Haan Nandini" Aryaman said in a voice so obedient that Nandini felt like committing murder at that very moment! "Socho, agar tum aisa paap karogi to amms aur chachi ko kitne vrat rakhne padenge use dhone k liye"
"Hai rabba!" chachi kept her hand on her heart. "Arya bilkul sahi keh raha hai. Main ek kaam karti hoon, main aaj hi panditji se kehkar Nandu k liye is hafte Mahamrityunjay ka jaap karwaati hoon"
