MALANG

18. The unexpected wedding gift

Vani's POV:

"You still haven't given me my wedding present!" I pouted as I checked my reflection in the bedroom's mirror. Damn, I looked really hot in red!!

Nitya who had been struggling with my kamarband for quite sometime now, glared at me with an annoyed expression etched on her pretty face- "You fussy woman, can't you just wait for some time?"

"I have been waiting ever since the wedding date got fixed!" I sighed animatedly. "For which golden moment are you waiting, Nitya? And why the hell are you even waiting? You are not some random guest that you'll have to hand me the gift only when you see me sitting beside my husband!"

Nitya stood upright and continued glaring me with the same level of annoyance.

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. "I meant to say- you are family, Nitya. And family members should give their gifts the earliest."

She didn't say anything but marched towards the wardrobe to pull out an ancient looking wooden box.

I had never seen that box in the last eight years of living with her.

Or maybe I never bothered to see her belongings.

"Err..what is this?" I asked nervously.

With her anger now replaced with calmness, she answered softly- "My jewellery."

"Jewellery? But I thought you left them with your parents before shifting to Jaisalmer forever."

"I kept this one with me." She was looking at the box with an expression I couldn't fathom anymore. It gave me a clench in the guts.

She opened the box slowly and after inhaling the view for a split second or so, turned to face it towards me.

"Do you like it?"

My jaws dropped to see the content of the box, for there was a beautiful pair of gold anklets inside that was stud with diamonds and rubies and emeralds and if I was not wrong then it would have surely cost a great fortune to its owner.

"Its...  its beautiful... so beautiful." I couldn't help but run a finger across of the length of the ornament.

"Its yours."

I looked up at her with disbelief. "No, its yours."

"It was mine when dadisaa gifted it to me on my eighteenth birthday. She had inherited it from her ancestors I suppose... it has a long history, this pair of anklets. But I hope you wouldn't mind that.... This was the best gift I could think for you, Vani." Her green eyes lit up with love. Mine got clogged with tears. Sure I had wanted an amazing gift from my bestfriend on my wedding day, but this? It was far beyond my dream or imagination. It was just too much for me.

"I can't keep this." I closed the box shut. "Its yours. Its you family's."

"And you are my family too." A beautiful smile lingered on her lips that seemed more precious than the anklets themselves. She sat down on the floor near my feet and opened the box again. "Let me tie them around your ankles?"

By the time she was done, I had turned into a messy crying puddle. Thanks to the makeup artists who suggested this water-proof makeup, but I swear asking Nitya for a gift was my greatest blunder ever.

"Dare you cry before your vidai, bitch!" She hissed as she snatched a towel from the bed and dabbed my face softly. "Don't mess the makeup. We are just about to leave in fifteen minutes."

I felt a fresh rush of tears around my water-line. Leave in fifteen minutes? Leave this place? Leave Nitya? ...Oh how was I supposed to get accustomed to this big a change?