KETHAKI
As I sat in front of the mirror, waiting for Maa to finish pleating the pallu of my pink saree, Maithili sat on the bed, looking directly into my eye through the mirror, blatantly glaring at me. I just blink. I didn't have time to acknowledge her. I was already mad, that I didn't wear purple today. Or, would never wear it, ever!
I didn't know what to say or do. My brain was empty, for the first time in more than a decade, and yet, my body knew exactly what to do. My hands and feet were cold. I was sweating. There was a light tingling all over my skin and inside, and my heart was racing with rage.
Rage over what was happening today.
"They should be here in the next 10 minutes, Taiji," Maithili said.
"I know! We are running late! Hurry up, Kethu!" Maa said, and I blinked.
"Me?" I said and looked at myself again. My make-up was done, and my hair was straightened and pinned to the side. I had done my part. It was her who was running late.
"Okay, get up," Maa said, and came over to me, with a safety pin in her mouth.
I got up and Maa started draping the saree around me. There was a lot of fabric and pins, and after five minutes, I was ready. I didn't want to be.
I wanted to run away from this nightmare. A nightmare, ironically, I created for myself.
I said yes.
And no matter how much I wanted, I didn't want to take it back. The look on Papa's face, when I said yes, still hasn't escaped my mind. Then came Maa, who asked me again. Confirming if I wanted to marry a man I hated. And I did. I assured her of my decision, all the while reminding myself that I was doing this for them.
And my belief that he would say no.
I was bound by my love for my parents, but he had no such obligations. Even with Dev uncle's empty threats, I was sure, he would say no.
Because why would he say yes?
But he did. He said yes, and now, we were bound.
Maa turned my face to her and looked all over me. Her eyes were slowly welling with tears and she sniffed.
"Maa!" I said, and shushed me.
Rubbing her finger on her waterline, she smugged her kajal, and then, rubbed it behind my ear. "May this Kala Tikka protect you from all bad omens, evil eyes, and bad intentions."
A tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away.
Her eyes were pinched from the corner, and her nose was red. My mother has always been a wise woman. You could see it in her eyes. And when they were filled with love, her brown eyes seemed darker, and the little golden specks shone. Maa looked at me with eyes so dark, my heart ached.
I said yes for a reason.
So, I smiled and looked her in the eyes. "There is no darkness powerful enough, in this entire world, which can harm a child, especially the child of a woman as strong as you," I said.
It was the knock at the door, that broke the brief silence that befell the room. Maithili walked to the door and opened it. Arti Chachi entered the room and paused at the threshold. With a stifled gasp, she took me in.
"You know, the day I first came to this house, I was angry, hurt and sad," she said, and Maa looked at her. "I walked in with Adhrit, and to welcome me to the family, was this little girl draped in pink chiffon, who bumped into me and fell on her cute little butt."
Maa chuckled a little, and Chachi shook her head. "When she fell, she looked up and saw me. I had tear-stained cheeks, eyes that were red, and a bruise on my forehead. Viraj bhai came running behind you, and when you fell, it was like he lost awareness of the world around him, and it was just you, who mattered. To the point he did not even notice me, standing there with his brother.
"He picked you up, but you couldn't take your eyes off me. You raised your finger, pointing at me, and said, 'hurt'," she finished.
Maithili walked over to Arti Chachi and hugged her from behind. "You were the first person in the family to see my wounds and pain. And since then, you didn't leave me alone. Always around me, trying to make me smile." She smiled and tenderly held my face. "And now, you are leaving too."
By the time she finished, tears were already falling down our cheeks. I heard a sniffle and saw that Maithili too, was crying. "She left to go to her in-laws' house a little too early," she said, as she pulled Maithili a little closer. "And now, you are going."
"Well, technically she didn't want to get married, but you all forced her," Maithili said, and there was a sigh.
"If we are going with technicalities, nobody forced her. We gave her a choice, and she said yes," Chachi replied, and my heart ached.
I did say yes, didn't I? It was my choice. I knew if I said no, nobody would bat an eye and move on. There was no force involved. There was no coercion either. It's just my love for them, that made me want to choose yes. Who was to be blamed? I didn't know. Just, that I had to make a decision and I made one from my heart and not my brain.
So, whatever the reasons were, it was my decision and I was going to live it. I was going to stick with it.
There was another knock.
"Yes?" I called out.
Shiv poked his head inside the room and looked at us. "They are here."
"Oh yes, that's why I was here," Arti Chachi said.
They were here. He was here. We were going to decide the wedding date.
"Ready?" Asked Maa and I looked at her.
No, I wanted to say, but I nodded, nonetheless, and gave her a small smile.
Arti Chachi left the room first, followed by Maa, and then it was Maithili. As she was leaving, she might have realised that I wasn't following her, so she stopped and looked over at me.
"Are you coming?" She asked, and again, I wanted to say no. But I nodded again.
Maithili walked over and asked, "Di, why are you doing this?"
"I have made the decision Maithili," I said, more to myself. "I am going to go ahead with this, but I just..." I paused, and then continued, "This is a little awkward. I am just nervous."
I was nervous. I did not regret my decision to say yes. I was dreading being married. And today would mark the first step.
"You can still back out, you know," she said.
That dialogue soured my mood and gave me enough adrenaline. I looked at her, and said, "I don't back down, babe. You know it."
She raised a brow. "Even if it meant marrying the man you hate?" She asked.
I took a deep breath, shook a little, cracked my knuckles, and adjusted my saree a little. Then, in the clearest voice, and fake courage, I eyed the door and said, "Even then!"
I walked out, and immediately could hear the chatter coming from the living room, the clatter of utensils from the kitchen and Maithili's heels hitting the marble floor, behind me. The cherry and peony air freshener was in the air, but the smell of the food being prepared in the kitchen was mouthwatering. I was expecting garlands and flower decorations all around, but other than the big feast and the small gala taking over in the living room, everything else was normal.
My mind was blank. I had no expectations. At least that's what I thought until I walked inside the living room, with Maithili in tow and was greeted by the most unexpected sight. It wasn't the rare sight of my Dadaji laughing. Nor was it the amount of jewellery laid out on the coffee table, not including the ones Maa, Chachi and Dadiji were admiring. It was Aryan laughing. Laughing at something Shiv had said, but he was laughing.
There was something so wrong with that. First of all, Aryan didn't laugh. His face was permanently frozen in a scowl. Secondly, nothing about this day was funny. Nothing about our situation was amusing. And lastly, how dare he laugh when he put me in this situation. When, this, today, was happening because of him.
As I stood at the door, taking everything in, my presence was noticed, and they all turned to look. All of them, together, and suddenly, I was the centre of attention.
"Come beta. Come and sit by Aryan's side," Tara Aunty said, and everyone waited.
I paused. And then, just when I was about to move, something unexpected and unwanted happened.
Aryan, in his relaxed state, sitting on the two-seater couch, got up, raised his hand towards me, and after tipping his head towards the couch, he said, "Come on!"
I stood there, frozen in shock. Aryan offered me his arm and asked me to sit beside him. If anything, I would have expected him to ignore my presence the way I planned. Not be a gentleman and chivalrous.
I observed the hand he had extended towards me to check for contact poison. Or any pins hidden between his fingers. Maybe they were just sticky with glue, and he wanted to annoy me because maybe he knew I hated getting my hands dirty, least of all sticky.
"Come on, Kethaki. Take his hand," Parth said from where he sat with Shiv. Everybody looked at me expectantly.
He put me in a difficult position, and I stood there frozen when I looked at him again. It was at that moment I saw the hidden demon behind the facade. It was all a game. A game to make me uncomfortable, manipulating others into thinking he was putting effort into our hostile relationship, and making me the villain. That's what he wanted, didn't he? Of course, he did. It was him. Putting me in uncomfortable positions was his MO for taking petty revenge. Attacking your insecurities was his go-to move.
I never had an issue with being recognized or being perceived. I was the head prefect back in school and the president of the law society at university, for Christ's sake. But being the sole holder of anyone's attention, always made me uncomfortable.
And that's when I decided to play his game. And beat him at it.
I took his hand and smiled. "Of course, my soon-to-be-husband."
Silence. Just the clattering from the kitchen. What were they doing in there?
Everybody was completely silent, while Aryan smirked.
Oh, this was so on.
Still holding his hands, maintaining eye contact, I walked around the table, carefully, gracefully, and made my over to him.
His hand didn't have glue or hidden pins and as for the contact poison, I had to wait a while, just see for myself.
His hand was rough. Just rough. There were calluses under his fingers and that roughness was abrasive on my hands. I bet my hands were soft. I knew they were. I took care of them.
Feeling his calluses, I counted how many there were with my fingertips. Slowly brushing them over his palm, I began counting.
Four.
The one between his middle and ring finger was the biggest. The one beside it, and just below the ring finger, was the smallest.
"Gym," I murmured to myself.
"Yeah," he whispered, looking down at me, into my eyes.
My fingers kept touching his calluses, and his fingers tightened around mine. It was then that I realised, that we were still standing. Close, that too. And that we were under extreme scrutiny. I let go of his hand, and slowly, and while trying to maintain my dignity, I sat on the couch and immediately sought my phone.
It wasn't in my clutch, nor was it on the couch or table. Aryan sat down, and I asked him, "Where's my phone?"
He looked confused, and then I asked him again, "What did you do to my phone?"
Everyone was still looking at us.
"I didn't do anything to your phone."
"Then why is it not on me?" I asked.
"That's a question only you can answer."
"Oh god, they are still fighting!" Said a voice, I recognized and loved a lot. I looked in the direction of the voice and gasped.
"Jayveer!" Maithili exclaimed and ran over to our baby brother.
This fourteen-year-old little man didn't look so little anymore and was probably my height. He ran towards Maithili and the siblings gave the biggest hug.
"I thought he couldn't come because of his summer camp?" I asked as I got up and walked over and hugged them. Shiv didn't hold back either.
"Papa wanted to surprise you, Di!" His muffled voice came from somewhere in the circle, and I looked at Adhrit Chachu, who winked at me.
We pulled apart, and Jayveer, looked at me, straight and asked, "You are marrying him?" He asked, and smirked.
There it was. The teenager inside him. The one who liked to create ruckus and the reason for the summer camp.
"And you are marrying her?" He asked Aryan, as he walked towards Parth to sit with him. His best-friend, apparently.
Neither of us answered and looked away.
"Ha! This is going to be fucking awesome!" He said.
"Language!" Maithili, Arti Chachi, Maa and I said together.
He smiled. "Home, sweet home!"
One of the guards knocked on the main door, and Guru Ji entered.
The adults got up and welcomed him. He was the one who got my parents married and would have married Chachu and Chachi as well if it wasn't for the way they got married.
Everybody gathered and helped him sit on the couch. One of the domestic helpers called for refreshments and water to be served. Things are cleared up and food is brought. Everyone bends down to touch Rajguru Pandit Ji's feet and ask for blessings.
"I told you that this marriage would be successful," Pandit Ji told Dada Ji, as Chachu and Chachi took his blessings.
"I had my doubts considering whose daughter she was," said Dada Ji.
We ignored his comment.
"I am still upset that I didn't get to wed you two," Guru Ji said.
Chachu smiled. "Wedding, not really. But, I did come to you to consult the right date and time to marry her, didn't I?"
"So, you", Parth pointed at Chachu, "took your kundli," he asked, Chachi, "to him," he pointed to Guru Ji, "to read them, and know the right date and time to marry Arti Aunty, before you kidnapped her, and forced her to marry you?"
Chachu nodded. "That's right."
"Yeah, even I found that to be pretty weird," said Chachi.
"Heh," Parth said, "Every couple in this room has a weird wedding story, don't they?"
Everybody couple looked at each other, and even though this detail was always there, noticed, it was being acknowledged for the first time.
"Even your parents, Parth," Vaidehi Aunty said.
He smiled.
"Now they are going to be another example," Jayveer said pointing at us.
Parth laughed, and high-fived Jayveer. What was he, twelve?
"Oh, so it's my Kethaki's turn," Guru Ji said.
Papa nodded. "She is marrying this young man," he said, pointing to Aryan, who stood with his parents. "And we wanted you to read their kundli and set a date for the wedding."
"And please read their kundli carefully, Guru ji, because they hate each other" Brij uncle asked. "Bhaiya and Viraj are adamant in getting them married, and somehow convinced their children to say yes, as well."
"We don't want any trouble in our home," Mohini aunty said, and nudged her elbow in her husband, Brij Uncles's, stomach.
"Papa didn't convince me, Chachu," Aryan said. "I made the decision to say yes."
And there it was. His decision. His decision to get married. His decision to say yes. He was the reason for this. This realisation hit me with a force again. Sure, I said yes too. I said yes, but I didn't expect him to say yes, either. Why would he? Dev uncle's threat was just to scare him. He would never sabotage his son's work and business. He knew that. If I knew that, then he knew that! Then why?
To mess with me, of course. To hurt me. To irritate me, annoy me and make my life hell.
"I told you your daughter would get married one day, Viraj," Guru Ji said. "I told you she would be happy, and will find someone."
My skin crawled at his words, and I shifted, where I stood. Happy. With Aryan. The biggest bullshit of the day.
"You did, didn't you?" Papa said and looked at me. I still stood with Maithili and could see the look in his eyes. The same look he had when he told me his reasons for this decision.
"So, look for a date, as recent as possible," Dev uncle said. "We are too eager to bring our daughter-in-law home!"
Oh god.
"Yes! I will finally have a daughter of my own," Tara aunty said.
Oh my god!
"Yes! I want to attend a wedding soon, so please, something sooner," Jayveer said.
My stomach churned.
"Even I can't wait to see how this unfolds," Parth said, and smirked, as he took a sip of his drink.
I was sure my breakfast was in my throat, and one wrong word would bring it all out.
I felt eyes on me, and I looked at Aryan. His gaze burned holes in mine, and I glared back. I didn't hold back the accusations I was throwing at him.
'It's all your fault.'
'Why did you have to say yes?'
'Why are you doing this to me?'
He didn't hold back either. I could feel his cold anger radiating from him. 'You messed up my life,' he said. 'You messed up my plans,' he claimed. 'All that I have done till now, everything is down the drain because of you,' he practically screamed with his eyes.
The contents of my stomach were back in me, and my sickness turned into rage.
"This match," Guru Ji's voice startled me, and I broke the eye-contact. "This match is..." He stopped talking.
I waited. Waited for him to say what was on his face. The confusion, the pinched eyebrows, the slight shake of his head. Everything pointed to one thing, and one thing only.
That we shouldn't get married.
I looked over at Aryan, instantly, ready to rub it in his face and gloat, when I caught the expression on his face. The slight glint and the relaxed wrinkles. He was relieved too.
Well, having a peaceful life was a higher priority, than making mine hell, it seemed. At least he had that sorted.
He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked at me. Both of us heaved a sigh of relief.
"I have never seen a better match in this decade," he continued.
"Nadi, Yoni, Tara, Vasya, all point to an excellent match," Guru Ji continued, and while his words went over my head, his conclusion didn't.
"Health, Mentality, Destiny, Dominance,"Maithili said, as she regarded my confusion.
"Thank you," I told my sister. Her hobby in astrology really came in hand.
"You said that they hated each other?" Guru Ji asked Papa, and my heart stopped, not wanting to hear what he wanted to say.
Maa and Papa nodded. Then waited for him to continue.
Dev uncle and Tara Aunty looked over at Papa and Maa and they shared a look. Maithili and Shivansh looked at each other. So did, Arti Chachi and Adhrit Chachu, Brij uncle and Mohini aunty, Vedika aunty and Parth, the grandparents, all of them. Every one of them exchanged glances which said one thing.
'We knew it!'
"Why do you ask?" Dev uncle asked.
"Their bhakoot is 7, the highest a couple can get, so why are you two lying?" Guru Ji directly addressed us.
"What?" I asked. I did not like where this was going.
"Why are you pretending to hate each other," Guru Ji asked again, and I gasped.
"Love," Maithili said, stifling the laugh that threatened to surface. "Bhakoot is love!"
"But I do hate him!" I said. "And he hates me!"
Guru ji hummed, and then dismissed it, waving his hand. "Then you two will fall in love in no time, after marriage."
I was sure I was about to have a heart attack. My blood ran cold and there were goosebumps all over. I hated it. I hated whatever he was saying. I hated it when anyone said it. I hate that they think they know us better, and just know better!
"9 July, is the date," Guru Ji said.
"But that's next week, Guru Ji," Papa said.
"Yeah, that's too soon," said Dev uncle.
"Next auspicious date is 16 October three years later," Guru Ji said and stared at everyone.
"That's okay!" I said, instantly. When my parents looked at me, I corrected them. "I mean, preparing for a wedding so soon, would be too much to do, on such short notice."
"For once, she is right," Aryan said. "Let's take 16 October 2027."
"Yeah, go ahead. I just can't confirm my presence," Aryan's Dada Ji said.
"Me neither," said his Dadi Ji.
"What do you mean? Where are you going?" Aryan asked.
"Heaven?" They replied.
I could see Aryan's urge to facepalm himself. "Please, don't say that again!"
"Well, you never know about time, Aryan! We could be here, but we probably won't, though. We are old." His Dada Ji replied.
My jaw dropped.
Aryan was rendered speechless as well. We couldn't say anything. Anything.
"9th of July, it is, then!" Dev uncle, said. "Next day would be the reception, and the next day, Kethaki Beta's birthday celebration!"
"What do you think Guru Ji?" Papa asked.
"Yeah, go ahead! Marry them in the next week, on the 9th of July, and pheras should be between 11:36 pm to 1:30 am, and everything would be good."
And just like that, my fate was sealed.
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