The colours of love

Oh! Engagement

Araku, it is a small town. Albeit there are thousands of people visiting Araku, the number of residents are less. It may be because of Space constraints or number constraints, everything in this small town spreads like a wild fire. When I had first come here with Dev, everyone was curious. A quiet and scared girl with a calm and serene man, who may or may be not be married were the talk of the town.

Everything changed in few weeks. In a week. Dev had got a job in one of the lodges as a manager, come to think of it, I do not know why the C.E.O. had to work as a Manager. I mean, he would have a good bank balance right? He easily got acquainted with Leela Aunty, our neighbour and her family. He even made sure, I baby sit, Priya Akka's two year old daughter, who were the owners of the house we lived. Slowly we blended in the Araku society.Now, after 5 years, it feels like I have lived here all my life, and the residents here are my relatives.

Every single person in the town knew about the engagement. But they did not know about Dev, and I kept it that way. My staff was strictly instructed that they call Dev as Mr.Adrith. None of the town people were allowed at the venue at the pretense of security. The bride and grooms photo was not displayed. Hopefully, no drama happens before I speak to Dev about us.

Next morning, I got up early and reached the venue, soon. I wanted to meet Dev. But he was not there. Dev and Akrish had gone to Vishakapatanam airport to receive his Attaya and Mavaya and their daughter, Anika.
So I busied myself in the decorations of the engagement, I sincerely hoped didn't happen.

Ms.Tridha's mother, whose name i don't know because she insisted that I call her, Mrs.Desatla. It reminded of, "You may call me Mrs.Grey," I laughed mentally! Mrs.Desatla, was behind me, every single minute, asking stupid questions.
"This thing is too bright, why is too bright?"
Because they wanted their engagement to be held in open and I cannot control sunlight?
"Is the shade of flowers in the first bouquet and last the same?"
I ordered for orchids, I do not know about their shades, they all look white to me.
"Is the quality of food, at the least, alright?"
Now, this i have to answer.
"Mrs.Desatla, how about you check the food and if you don't like the quality i will order food from seven star, restaurant."
Before she could answer, Anya came and hugged her. "Hey Aunty, how are you? And why are you in this hot screeching Sun?" She asked.
Hot screeching Sun, in Araku, a hill station ? In October, the winter season?
"We will have to do little sacrifices, for the happiness of the people we love. Especially if we have incompetent staff," she said eying me.
Does she not realise that I am right here and I can hear her?

"Oh my, Aunty! You must be tired. Let's sit in the shade for a while,it will help your skin" she said, feeling sympathetic for her Aunty's situation. With that both of them walked away. Thanking Anya mentally, I did the thing I desperately wanted to do, search for Dev.

The entire afternoon, went by, but I could not meet Dev. Either I am at work or he is busy with the guests. I hate that I have to beg for his attention. Selfish? I don't care! Because I was his centre of attention, at one point of time. I hate this feeling.
"Did you talk to him?" Itcha asked, standing next to me.
I had put forth my thoughts, yesterday, she believed that i should talk to him too.
"Noo...! He is too damn busy."
"Atleast, you don't have a witch, haunting you."

After Anya had taken, Mrs.Desatla, she did not come back, to 'haunt' me.
"Yeah! I am glad." I said shaking my head.
"I can't help but notice that you are a 'jerk magnet'. They just love to torment you."
My shoulders shrunk. I held Itcha's hand, looking at my Dev, I said, " I just want to talk to you once, Dev!"
As if on cue, he turned to look at me.
I straightened. His eyes met mine and we stayed like that for a while
He turned back, giving his attention to the person he was talking to.
"Lover's intuition, huh!" Itcha said.
I shook my head.

After another half-an-hour, I saw him talking to Akrish . Akrish was blabbering animatedly, while Dev listened to him, nodding. He even looked amused. I could borrow Dev from Akrish. With that thought I walked to them.

"Poker!" Akrish yelled as he saw me walking towards them. Dev looked around with a raised eye. When he spotted me, he scrunched. "Poker?" he whisper-asked.
Akrish, came and stood next to me.i was curious, about what he was about to do, but kept my stance. He pointed to my face,"Look at this expressionless face. No anger, no enthusiasm, no smile, just static. I feel like, I am listening to monotonous, unplugged version of a song."
Dev's lip curved a little but he pressed them in thin line. Smile already! It's been so long since I have seen you smile. It's fine if you smile at my expense.
"By the way, Annaya, you should dress up now," he said, continuing.
"I..." I started but was cut off by his sister, Anna.
"Annaya! Here you are. I have been searching for you."
Dev, immediately shifted his attention to his sister, " Anything important?"
"No." She then looked at me and then at Dev. She dragged Akrish saying, "You have to get ready. Come soon," with that she walked away.
"Weird," he said. True.
"Mr.Adrith, I need to speak to you."
"Yes, Ms.Manya."
Now what? How do I start?
"You.." I started.
"Annaya, save me." Anya yelled, running towards Dev.
She was being chased by Amay.
"What did you do now?" Dev asked her. By this time,Anna and Akrish had joined the group.
"I did not do anything," she defended herself.
"You did not do anything? So I put the laxatives in Mrs.Desatla's soft drink?" Amay asked.
"You put laxatives?" Akrish asked and burst out laughing.
"Now that was the reason she wass going in out of the washroom an hour ago," said Anna.
"Why would you do that Anya?" Dev asked folding his hands. He looked scary with his calm and intimadating stare. Why did I never see this side?
Anya raised her hand and said, "I did not. And in my defence, she was irritating Ms.Manya, she asked , why were the orchids of different shades? Now, that is ...I don't know. Poor Manya she was answering, without getting irritated . So we did what any sane person would do"
"We? As in Sam helped you?" Amay asked .
I felt grateful that Anya thought about me. It was nice to know, someone had your back. In spite of that, I was getting irritated, I have to talk to Dev. Please go away.
"Ms.Manya, please excuse us." With that Dev walked away from dragging his sister, while I stayed at my place, wanting to talk about our daughter.

After half-an-hour, I realised, Dev is not going to come out of the farm house. Knowing that, I went back to my house to get ready. I cannot, go to the engagement, in sweaty t-shirt right?

I wore simple pink and blue chudidhar and tied my hair into high pony. I did not put any make up. When I reached the spot, the guests had already started to come, and I realised, it was impossible for me to meet Dev. But I still hoped I could talk to him.

All my hopes, went into the drain when Leela Aunty's son, Saketh had got to know about Dev being the groom. Saketh was like a brother to me. Dev had helped him with his studies, at that time I did not know how he did it, but now I know. I could say, he was furious. After Dev left and did not contact me for a week, he helped me search for him. He was there with me through out my pregnancy and he has been an active part of muffin's childhood. It took everything I had to stop him. I wanted the engagement to stop. But not because of the drama we create. My daughter was a Vallabhaneni and she deserved all the riches and luxuries. I cannot provide them to her, just with a tiny company in a tiny place. Unknowingly, her father had provided me with an opportunity and I have every intention of grabbing it. What if Dev had no reason? What if Dev was really a cheat? Then i had to take care of her myself.So I want no problem to the engagement from my side.

At around 6:45, the bride and the groom walked on to the stage. The families joined them too. They did the nischitartam pooja. Just as the, Poojary Gaaru, started reading lagna patrika, Dev's younger chinana fell down, with a hand on his chest.

That's it. The chaos began. The men immediately took him to hospital. Mrs. Poorna accompanied them while Dev drove the car. Mrs.Ishwari apologised for the inconvenience and asked the people to continue with the dinner. Slowly the Vallabhaneni family disappeared. Few of the guests, left immediately, while few had dinner. Seeing the place, which had held the engagement of my daughter's father, I realised, Oh! The engagement!!
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Akka- sister
Attaya- Aunt( father's sister)
Mavaya- uncle (father's sister's husband)
Nischitartam-engagement
Poojary Gaaru- pandit
Lagna patrika- wedding card