Love Started With A 'Boo' | ✓

Episode 6

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘩, 2017
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘢

The pavilion was attractively decorated, the boisterous blaring Band was trumpeting in the chorus and the bantering Baraat had been already ushered inside the enormous open-sky venue.

I breathed enthusiastically looking at the arrangements done so far by the skilful artists and got inside the room where my best friend was bedecked up in her aesthetically appealing bridal attire. After embosoming her and giving her the much-needed pep talk, I eventually left the room and was just proceeding towards the sitting area when Anchal stopped me, the beautiful bride's biological sister who was accompanied with many of her friends and cousins.

"Preet Di, so, on whom are you going to play a prank today?".

I had to do a retake to register her words. New prank? The last one was already proffering me sleepless nights and now this, I looked at her in despair and hysteria. Tantalising amour flashed back in front of my eyes like a movie of what had happened that twilight in the games of escapades and playful vengeance.

I couldn't forget the looks that guy had given to me and then his cynically contemplated words thrown at me on the traffic signal. He was retaliating against me for the boo in the name of berating me for not fastening the seat-belt. After a two-days assessment and reasoning process, I had come to a cankerous conclusion. That person was still miffed at me for shrieking a 'boo' in his tender ears.

I could just pray for my well-bing to Waheguru that he won't be filing a case against me for harassing his ears and his heart too, my mind chimed in jokingly. Having sweats already hazing my hands and forehead, I clamoured childishly, "No Anchal, not today, please. Let the marriage happen on a good and pleasant note. No pranks today".

Disgruntlement engraved her features and Anchal articulated, "Preet Di, if not you then who? Tell me? A marriage without pranks and fun is too blatant and boring, please. Okay initiate from me, give me some dare, I will inaugurate it, then only we'll get some fun". How could I refuse such a great offer, doing pranks on people was my favourite time-pass after all, I giggled haughtily and pondered for a troublesome dare that I'd be giving to Anchal, she was still not compensated for that stunt that she had pulled against me. Her friends too were meditating for a courageous dare that our sweet, sweet Anchal would be delivering today.

"You see that guy? Yes, the one in Purple Kurta, go and tell him he's like a brother to you and you'd like to tie Rakhi to him. Here, take this Rakhi too," the idea had been already thought of, just the execution was left but Anchal was busy in conferring me those How-could-you-do-this-to-me looks, what was running in her mind, we couldn't apprehend. The Rakhi was given by one of her friends only and yes, the magnificent idea was the plant of my cognisance's soil only.

"Di, but I have a huge crush on him since the early days, how could I do..." she paused in the middle only when she discerned what was she saying. We started howling in utter hysteria and delight, the truth was finally out. Playing crush, crush, are we? "Okay, okay, dare change, go and tell him that you love him," trying to help her in her love-life, I gave her the most high-grade idea that I could think of, snickering in between. "Di..." she countered back but couldn't say no and sequentially had to go near that boy who was relishing some coke in his solitude, sitting on one of the plush chairs.

The dare turned pretty well as even the guy looked more sparkling than a kid who had gotten his favourite candy. Indian marriages meant playing cupid many of the times, I mused playfully and waited for Anchal to return from the invisible grasp of that candy-crush guy.