Lot Like Love: A Bengal Romance ✔

Chapter 1

Guys! It's me, Haruka and it's another new story! I don't know when I'm gonna finish every stories! XD

Anyway, I've added ¹, ², ³ on the songs which I'll be putting in the songs list and * for glossary to let people know what are the meaning, or why the phrases are used (as it's a bengali story so it will have bengali and hindi metaphors and dialogues even some Indian movie reference)

*Shehnai's sound comes from the overly decorated pandal.

"Areeh waah! Decorations ta khub sundor hoyeche Ghatak da. (The decorations are perfect, Mr Ghatak.)"

"Haha!" Giving a proud smile Mr Ghatak says, "Dhanyabad dada! Sobi upor walar icha." (Thank you! Everything is the wish of God.)

Following by another set of pleasantries that the bengali families tend to throw at each other.

"We're glad you liked it. After all, we're going to be a family," the bride's father, Mr. Ghatak, a tall and sweet-tongued man says *pouring oil-expensive one-in his words as aunt Anu and Sulekha giggle as well as their husbands, and Mr. and Mrs. Banerjee following suit: my parents.

Whole Banerjees, Mukherjees and Chatterjees of our family enter through the gate which is decorated with plastic orchids and other kinds of non-existence plastic plants that nobody seems to paying any attention. Not that they are well aware of botany, but they are busy. Busy with gossips and spicy tales of their neighborhood.

"You know, the Das Bari(House)! Their youngest daughter ran away last night." A few gasps come as the aunty continues. "Apparently, it was a boy with whom she ran!" Another round of gasps continues the story.

The lights decorate most of the gate's big structure and there are various flower vases stand near their entrance. It is broad daylight of 11 a.m. in January. Still a cold day but in a wedding, nobody cares to wear warm clothes. Especially, the females who has left their sweaters and cardigans in the cars as it will be hard to show off their ornaments and expensive sarees-on which they probably have spent hours to annoy the poor shop keepers-in them. The men, however, have worn simple jackets, simple trousers and have kept their mint-condition-over twenty years old-tailored coats for tonight. Guess, men doesn't have anything to show off other than their leather jackets. So, we all come out from our cars and in our normal yet simple warm clothes which happens to be jackets.

"Aditya, let's go to a side," Dev whispers behind my ears as I stretch out my body. Well, after a long three and half hours ride Kolkata to Maithan, Jharkhand, my shoulders and joints have become stiff. Besides, we need our refreshments that is cigarettes.

"Let's go!" I nod as I trail behind him following our total bachelor group, however, Barun is not bachelor as he's already-sadly-married with Kanchana.

When entering the house, Kanchana glares at Barun and the sahnai song changes into 'Kuye me kud ke maar jaana, yaar tu shadi maat karna'¹. (Die by drowning in a well but friend, never get married)

Barun turns around, hides the cigarette in his closed fists and storms away to the nearest tree like a police officer has seen him in a non smocking zone.

I chuckle, "What? Afraid of your wife?"

"Yaar, I'm doomed after getting married. Don't ever do that man," he says and all of us burst out in laughter, "Angshu is so gonna regret it. I'm saying you."

"Oye, don't worry about Angshu, for now, we'll inhale cigarettes for you. At least, we can do this much for you, man," Amit says and we all laugh again as Barun groans.