The Imperfect Couple (Complete)

Chapter 2

The wedding day
 
Charu peeped out of the room to spot her mother busy attending the guests. She sighed in relief and gave a final glance to her mother. Convinced that her mother won't come any time soon she clutched her golden yellow lehenga and tiptoed towards the small storeroom inside the room'
 

As she entered the storeroom, her black eyes lighted up instantaneously on seeing the basket covered with a red cloth. She impatiently sat down uncovering it as her mouth watered with saliva. Yes, there were ladoos in the basket and that too one her favorite motichoor ladoo. She grabbed two of them in both her hands and started stuffing her mouth in haste. As she ate the first morsel fresh tears clouded in her eyes as she realized how hungry she was'

She hadn't kept a morsel in her mouth since morning, partly due to the continuous rituals throughout the day but mainly due to her anger and frustration. She didn't want to be discovered like this by anyone at least, not by her mother. She had stubbornly refused all her pleadings to eat something since morning and didn't want her to know that she had finally given up.
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Renuka smiled in between her tears standing on the threshold of Churu's room. She found her like this; her little teenage daughter eating the ladoos hastily. She silently admired the delicate and innocent beauty of her loving daughter. In her wedding attire, she looked like a fairy. Fairy stuffing ladoos! Renuka,s smile widened with the amusing thought. The act wasn't at all graceful for a bride but the sight was still enchanting for the mother 'my cute innocent princess' still a kid at heart'

The last thought disturbed Renuka. She knew that it was too early for her marriage as she was too innocent and inexperienced to understand the new phase of her life. Would she be able to perform the duties of a married girl? Would she accept her new family and her responsibilities? Would her new family understand her?
 
But soon discarding her own trail of thoughts and fears, Renuka stepped out as she didn't want her angered daughter to get embarrassed for eating!
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As she was getting full and her hunger subsided, the depressing thoughts returned. She moved back to the mirror after covering the basket again and sat in a dignified bride like posture.
 
She hadn't been able to think of the marriage since morning as she felt too hungry to think properly. But now looking at her bridal reflection in the mirror she conjured up another scene.

Sanyogita eloping with Prithviraj Chauhan on the day of her swayamvar'

With some women chatting sounds approaching her room she came back to reality. As the women escorted her to the mandap she thought in dismay, 'Wouldn't my Prithviraj come to rescue me?'
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The young boy in cream-colored sherwani looked adorably cute with the slight frown on his forehead. He hadn't been able to step out of the house the whole day and now this wedding drama was getting into his nerves.

Soon the priest announced the arrival of the bride. Annoyed and uninterested, he did not look up fixing his gaze on the holy fire in front of him. He had refused to meet the girl as he was not at all interested in this marriage and fearing that he may change his mind even Sarojini didn't force him. But he couldn't control himself on hearing the appreciative remarks meant for the approaching bride. Finally, he gave in.

As his eyes fell on the mesmerizing beauty which looked a bit familiar, dressed as a bride, he forgot to blink for a few seconds. Dressed in golden lehenga with heavy golden ornaments, the fair features reminded him of the decorated idol he had been seeing in the temple where his grandma took him on his birthdays. Not that he got attracted or something. The thought came to him more as an obvious fact than any kind of admiration'
 
The bride halted in her tracks as her eyes fell on the boy in the bridegroom's dress.

'Aditya'? Her senior in college'? Niru's crush'? The playboy'? She felt like running from the hall at once.

And then he remembered why the face looked familiar. He had seen her long back. College' First day of freshers' The ragging session' A crying girl' Damn'
 

Sarojini moved towards the bride with a broad smile and took her to the mandap. Charu sat down without sparing another glance at the boy. Adi himself did not look again at her as he remembered how annoying he had found that silly crying girl that day. He looked away in frustration. What a mess his grandma has got him into'

Oblivious of the revolting thoughts of the young couple, three faces were beaming with delight to see the adorable couple. Sarojini was boundlessly happy and contented that day. She knew that there could be no girl better than Charu for her Adi and that she could say as she trusted her daughter in law, Subhadra. Renuka and Subhdra were close friends and Subhdra used to tease Charu calling her, her daughter in law. Sarojini's eyes got teary remembering her beloved daughter in law whom she considered no less than her own daughter. How dearly she wished Subhdra to be present on this auspicious occasion.

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Two hours later'

The sacred mantras were being continuously chanted by the priest. By now Adi was bored like hell.

But Charu? She wasn't listening at all. Another physical weakness had overpowered her stiff form and annoyance. And this time it was sleep. With her eyelids getting heavier with every passing moment, Charu momentarily lost her balance but each time opened her eyes before falling.

Adi saw the sleepy girl from the corner of his eyes with complete disgust. He felt like shouting 'take the baby to her pram!' Why? Why did his grandma wanted to marry him to this kid, who couldn't even stay awake after 1 p.m?

He was cursing his destiny when he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth to control his temper. The drowsy girl finally fell on his shoulder. Fuming with anger, the irritated boy shrugged his shoulder rudely making the girl wide awake. Charu looked around embarrassed and then looked daggers at the inconsiderate boy. Adi returned her look with equal animosity and the duo quickly snapped their faces away in opposite direction.

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Charu stiffened herself commanding her features to remain straight as she proceeded towards the exit with her mother and the whole gathering. She was still too angry to show her pain to her own mother. And why should she? Her mother only was responsible for all her miseries; her broken dreams... her tears won't even affect her mother.
 

Renuka walked with her daughter holding her shoulders lovingly with tears clouding in her eyes. Charu kept moving ignoring her sobs but as she reached the threshold her heart sank'

She would have to leave in a few minutes, leaving behind everything that belonged to her. Her home, her room, her childhood soft toys and her-her mother'

She turned to her mother scared and restless suddenly realizing what she was about to lose' no more of the security and assurance she felt in this house with her mother around.

She stared her mother helplessly too scared to pretend her indifference any more.

"Maa." She broke up in her mother's arms crying uncontrollably. Renuka tried to calm her sobbing daughter but to no avail. Charu was completely out of her senses. The whole gathering was now in tears including Sarojini and Sanjay.

"Don't send me away maa. Please." She pleaded in between her hiccups. A fresh stream of helpless tears left Renuka's eyes at the heartfelt plea of her little daughter.

Getting strangely disturbed by the scene, Aditya got into the car frowning. Moments later, Sarojini urged Charu to proceed towards the car.

As Charu reached the car, she turned back with a final hope that her mother would stop her. But she didn't. She looked away and sat in the car while Renuka's heart sank at the extreme disappointment she witnessed in her daughter's eyes just a while ago'
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