Popcorn

22. Balance

Amitosh and Malini kept passing weird glances to each other, seeing Rachna laughing to the absurd and blunt jokes the prospective groom cracked. Harshan was fuming in anger, the girl who was about to kiss him the previous day was entertaining the annoying groom. Dheeraj and Suchitra were embarrassed with their eldest grandson who kept passing taunts at the weird groom and his tantrum throwing mother while Rakshan was chuckling at his brother's frustration. After their fight in the trip, Harshan had again distanced himself from Rakshan. 

Ayushi found the entire scenario, quite entertaining after all it was she who was the mastermind behind the entire fiasco. When Rachna confessed her love for Harshan to her last night, Ayushi professed the Mission Jealous Harshan to make him realize his love. At the moment, Rachna was happy as the plan was executing well.

Harshan didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't want to love Rachna but he didn't want her to love someone else too. He felt like knocking his head with a hammer. Aditi who was running late behind the anniversary preparations made her entry into the house. After the introductions, she sat beside the irritating mother of the groom as it was the only place available.

Rachna stood up to collect the samosa and chutney plate from Nirmal to serve them to the guests. Aditi who had bent down to pick up her fallen phone, lifted her head and banged on the tray, making the bowl of green chutney splatter all over the face of the groom's mother who now looked like a green goblin. Aditi quickly apologised and stood up to show the way to the restroom to her. When the lady took a step forward, Aditi unknowingly stepped on the lady's floor sweeping loose end of her saree, making the lady to trip straightly on the floor. The family who had suppressed their laugh earlier could not control anymore. They burst into fits of laughter looking at the red swelling popping out of the green goblin's head. The lady was literally shooting death glares which made Aditi to sit down quietly next to Amitosh.

Finally, washing up with the help of Ayushi, the lady came back to the hall and started blabbering about her worrisome condition. Suddenly Aditi saw a cockroach on the floor and screamed making the groom who was drinking hot coffee to spill it on his lap. That was the last step to add fuel to the fire, the groom and his mother silently stood up and left the house.

The entire house sighed a sound of relief, free from the nuisance except Aditi. Harshan jumped on Aditi, hugging her tightly squeezing the life out of her, soon followed by an over-excited Rachna. Aditi stood perplexed wondering why everyone were hugging her when she had successfully sabotaged her cousin's groom matching ceremony. Ayushi shook her head in exasperation looking at her naive butterfingers.

******

Rachna noticed a forlorn Harshan sitting on the platform, dipping his legs in the pond water. She silently sat beside him. They both kept staring at each other trying to decipher what the other felt for them.

Putting a full stop to the nerve-wrecking silence, Rachna chimed throwing pebbles into the water, "I didn't know you're so jealous."

"I am not jealous." Harshan countered pulling the pebbles from her hand.

"Yes, why would you be jealous? I'm not your girlfriend, right!" Rachna stated pulling the pebbles back from his hand. Testing the waters, Rachna raised her question softly, "Harsh, do you have a girlfriend?"

Harshan stared back at her and then shifted his gaze to the still water.

"I had"

Rachna was taken aback. She hadn't excepted that. She was looking for a reply like no or I'm seeing a girl right now sitting beside me but this answer was not in her books. She heard him further continuing after a minute of silence.