Lot Like Love: A Bengal Romance ✔

Chapter 2

*Hey people! I know some of you wouldn't understand some meanings, I'll try to add a few glossary at the end of the chapters. Still, if you don't understand something, you can ask me in the comments! XD

'Samne ye kaun aya, dil me huyi hal chal? Dekh ke bas ek hi jhalak ho gaye hum pagal'¹ - the song starts as the bike enters and in slow motion, all of our gazes follows the dark figure of it's owner. (Who has came in front that the heart started to dance? Just one look is enough to make me mad)

"Didi!"

Didi?!

It isn't that I am shocked as I have seen women riding bikes in Mumbai. But what I haven't expected to see one here especially with tattoos. A lot of tattoos. I could make out a few on left side of her neck which is probably the only exposed skin of her.

Bengali people are very modern but in reality they bear very strict beliefs on modern-ness of society. Like, a girl can graduate with degrees, they can earn, they even can wear short dresses (but not too short like bikinis) but if one has tattoos on them, now that becomes out of their modern-ness.

I look around and saw Dev, Amit, Kingshuk, Abhishek, Jatin, Barun as well as our parents are as shocked as me. However, my shock turns into amusement when I notice a few tattoos on her fingers along with some skull rings.

"Ah, my sister in law and her daughter. A moment please, " Bratati's mom excuses herself from the shocked audiences who become more shocked at her non-shocked state.

"They came from New York," she informs and our parents nod as well as the gossiping aunties as they keep feeding on the newly introduced topic.

Aunt Sulekha asked, her eyes sparked with the new information, "Oh! New York? What does she do?"

"She writes. A famous writer." Her grin broadening by each information, "You can see the details on the internet," she adds not backing down to brag more. One thing is very common in Bengali aunties that they find privilege in bragging about others whom they knew closely. It doesn't have to be their own children. Anyone is fine as long as they are total stranger to their listeners.

She goes to her arrived guests and then I notice, another old woman in a off white sophisticated saree, comes down from the bike. Her grey hair is dyed in black and on her nose sits a small glass frame. She looks like a high school maths teacher with her grumpy expression.

"Chhordi(younger sinter-in-law), you are very late. The rituals have already started," Bratati's mom says to the lady.

She smiles and now she looks like a literature teacher of high school. "Agni caused us for being late," she glares at the figure beside her and adds, "We had to go to the jewelry shop, at the last moment."

Agni...

The black figure moves to park the bike and complaints, "I didn't do anything like that! You are the one who decided to change the ornaments at the last moment."

"And you came with a bike! Not a car! My back is paining now," her mother complaints.

She takes off her helmet revealing her black doe eyes and long black hair with violet strands which cascade down on her shoulder in waves and reaches her waist. She has a piercing on her left brow and it makes her totally a badass and cool. A small smile tugs on my lips.

"I could not find a car!" She pulls off her jacket and gloves, "besides, I love bikes."

If my family has been shocked before, now it's time for us to be more shocked than before. As soon as she gets herself out from her leather jacket, her neck and arms reveals carved black and red inks. Not just one or two but a whole lot of them. Her fair complexion contrasts the inks on her skin like paints on canvas.