Did You Get Your Period?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Uncomfortably, Riddhi smiles and asks, "What does it say?"

Dadi signals her to keep quiet. She's clearly enamored by the drama unfolding in front of her. The mystical aura in the dimly lit room. Shweta grins at Riddhi who smiles back nervously.

"A lot is coming for you in the future. It's all good, don't worry darling. At least most of it. I see that you are going to be doing something tough; engineering or perhaps medical science? It's all good, a bit trying at times, and maybe slightly tough. There is a bit of distraction in the middle; I can only sense it not explain it. A some-what feminine influence that shall lead you to a better path, perhaps. That's all I can say. You will excel but it requires effort." The lady Veenaji says and smiles at Riddhi.

This time, Riddhi smiles back genuinely.

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Three days later, Dadi has set off for her worship tour and the peace has been restored in the household.

Seema is, of course, still infuriated about the visit to the Jyotish and keeps grumbling about it.

"Nonsense. I'd like to slap a case on Veena if the court proceedings weren't so lengthy. Claiming that a ring is going to bring back her period! What idiocy!"

Shweta had of course described the visit in great detail and had gone to lengths to imitate the woman's voice. Seema had assumed that the visit to the Jyotish would just entail reading her daughter's cards or whatever but much to her utter outrage, they had tried to interfere with her ovaries. When she heard the description of the ring, Seema nearly threw a fit. Dadi, had tried to reason, but taking her daughter's gynecological problems to an astronomer had offended every cell of Seema's. And it would be a while before she managed to forgive her mother-in-law for this little stunt.

But today, as the sun streams in, it's a pleasant Thursday evening. Shweta is curled up on the couch with a Sociology book but her heart is fluttering elsewhere. Vaibhav hasn't called in quite a while- it must have perhaps been a scare for him. But she had no way of knowing either. Her mother had taken her cell phone. She had wondered if she ought to contact him but then decided to give him some space. She didn't like the awkward situation her pregnancy scare had put them in, however, she had no choice but to wait. Maybe she would give him a couple of days more before calling him. But then again, he wasn't her boyfriend now, was he? He had technically asked her out, but that didn't mean the same thing as asking someone to be in a relationship, did it? People in movies went out on ten dates but they still claimed to not be in a relationship, didn't they? Mila Kunis in Friends with Benefits didn't call the five-date scumbag surgeon her boyfriend now, did she?

She chews thoughtfully on her lip. Her mother's wrath about her sexual relations has subsided greatly so far and Shweta is relieved. She doesn't know what exactly she would tell Vaibhav if she were to call him. Their last conversation had unsettled her greatly and she was desperate for some form of contact. She had had enough with the drama and was also a bit scared of risking her mother's trust again. She decides to not contact him for a while and stay a bit away from drama. Her heart aches silently for him but she isn't quite willing to acknowledge it. She misses him more than she's letting herself believe and the absence of his voice has made her feel a little lost and empty. She knows she wants him but the depth of her wanting for his surprises and scares her. Was it okay, that her heart rate sped up when she thought of him? Was this how she was supposed to feel about a casual, almost-relationship? Where was the rulebook when you needed it?

She wasn't sure and for now, she didn't want to find out. She wants to call him and laugh and pretend that nothing so serious has transpired between them. But the way his voice had deepened when he had said, "I'll stand by you." It was almost as if he were hoping for the same things as she was. She commands herself to stop her wishful thinking but she still cannot help but wonder about the thousand and one what ifs- which if they were answered in positive would make her squeal with joy.