THE STORY OF LIFE | A 21ST CENTURY RAMAYANA

PHOTOGRAPH

"Shruti, your hair is already perfect, its not even that hot outside, why are you setting it again and again?"

"You wont understand," she said, still in a false makey angry tone. "Its not that cold either now, and if my hair gets messed up again, first, the pictures will turn out bad and on top of that..."

"What?" Shatrughan asked, sending her pause whilst checking himself in the mirror.

"You are going to make fun of me again, in front of everyone."

Shatrughan shyly smirked as he sensed her demand for attention, as he quietly stepped behind her and clasped her, his head on her shoulders as the two of them looked into the others' refection In the mirror.

Shruti brought up a shy smile as she was reminded of her childishness, and kept the curler away.

"See, you're looking so pretty, simple and sweet." He said, himself dressed in a turtle neck and over jacket, and she in a similar shaded long Indian gown. "Im glad you didnt call any designer in," he chided.

"Well, if you remember the fact that I too can use my own brains and dont need anyone to help me, every time."

"True," he giggled. "Except for the time you need to eat mud..."

"I swear Shatrughan.." She turned in his grasp as he smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Ill be waiting downstairs, come soon," he said before heading down to the rest of his family.

Shruti smiled as she saw his two selves, while at the same time reminding herself that, somewhere, she was the same. She could be the woman who could grasp the entire household and its people in one hand, while be the giddiest child the world had ever seen in the other.

She picked up her dupatta before heading down to join everyone, ready to embrace the already beautiful day.

—————

Everyone sat around on the sofas in the living room, by the time Shruti went down. All of them took a few preliminary pictures on their phones while admiring how the other looked. It been long, very long, since any of them had enjoyed this kind of positivity in the room.

"Di, you are looking so pretty!" Urmila told Siya running her hand over Siyas red velvet dress sleeve. All of them had decided to wear dresses based on the Indian couture, bringing out the beauty in them by tenfold.

"And you are looking better than me, Mila!" She replied. "All of us are!"

"Ofcourse all my children are bound to look beautiful," Janak laughed, looking elegant in a smart suit himself.

"Where's Lakshman? Are the photographers coming with him..."

Just as she was about to finish, all their heads turned at Lakshman, looking sharp and bold, entering with a photographer and his team jubilantly.

"Attention everyone!" He said. "This is Mr. Ali Hafeez, the city's top photographer. And guess what, he's actually our junior from school! The batch after Shatrughans."

"Oh, wow, thats a nice coincidence!" Ram said as he stepped ahead and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, and thank you for agreeing to this at such a short notice," he said.