MALANG

17. Wedding Shenanigans

6 months later
Jaisalmer

"Ritu, will you please pass me the straightner?" I asked Vani's cousin who was busy arranging her elder sister's makeup kit.

"Won't you need it yourself?" She questioned back while handling me the philips kera-shine hair straightner.

"I'll get another one." I replied as I wrapped the wire around the straightner's body and stuffed it inside Vani's trolley, precisely in a safe corner amidst her pile of folded clothes.

"Zyada Mother Teresa na bann. Keep the straightner with you. I'll get myself another one, later." Yawning, Vani groggily muttered from the other side of the bed.

"From where? Paris?" I rolled my eyes. She was supposed to be sleeping now... atleast that was what she had said an hour ago before putting me up with the job of packing her luggages.

"There are many electronic shops on the way to airport, you know."

I huffed exasperatedly. "Trust me, your maggi like hairs need this straightner more than I do... I'll just go with the curlers instead." I glanced at the rolling iron lying idly on our dressing table.

Vani didn't answer and I also got up from the bed to head towards our wardrobe. I had nearly packed everything from there that belonged to Vani. The only things remaining behind now were some of her skimpy clothes which I deliberately chose to ignore. The Somanis were undoubtedly open minded, but I was not sure if they were open minded enough to let Vani roam in their house in a pair of camisole and shorts. It was rather good to keep them in our place instead.

I threw a final glance at the wardrobe. It looked empty. My limited number of clothes didn't take much space in there. I sighed deeply. Next evening onwards our flat was also going to look empty like this wardrob. It was already known to me, yet it stroke a chord in my heart which caused a mild ache somewhere deep.

I closed the wardrobe panes with a thud.

Seconds later, however, I opened them again. The green top...my eyes readily fell on a bright neon green top arranged amidst my stack of clothes. I pulled out the top remembering how much I loved it since I brought it last year and how much Vani fancied it as well.

A tiny smile crept to my lips as I closed the wardrobe with a softer thud and hurried back to the bed to stuff the top inside Vani's luggage.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I zipped the trolley and looked up at Vani. "What am I doing?"

She snatched the bag from me and unzipped it momentarily. "This.." she pulled out the green top "...is your favourite, Nitya!"

"But you love it too!"

"I love this flat as well. So are you going to give it away as my wedding gift?" She snapped haughtily. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well.. if you say so.."

"I love you too. What about that?"

I couldn't hold myself anymore. I flung my arms around Vani's neck and broke down into tears. "I.. I will miss you so much.."

She patted my back as if pacifying a two years old. "Its okay. I will visit you whenever I can. Stop crying now. Save some tears for my vidai."

I wailed harder. Never had I thought I would crumble to this empty feeling of Vani's departure. But now that her wedding date was coming close, I couldn't completely dodge it either.

"Stop crying, will you?" She snapped again while wiping my eyes. "I said na I'll come to visit to whenever I can?"

I dabbed my eyelids with my knuckles. "You won't. I know. You will get accustomed to the warmth of your husband's arms and soon forget me."