Chapter 19: Chapter 19

“It’s not that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but it’s your best friends who are your diamonds.”

Shree’s Perspective

My aunts and their kids were ready to have a catch up again. I rolled my eyes as I knew what they are going to ask.

How’s your mother in law?

Does she act like vamps? Do they treat you good?

How’s your husband? He seems a good man.

Good, good! Give us good news soon. I’m looking forward to become grand aunt soon.

“Butu! Sit here. See it’s for your mother in law.” Mom unfolded the sari and I realized that even I brought gift for them.

“Mom, I forgot Abhimanyu’s mom has sent gifts for you all. Siya, go and bring them from my room.” Siya quickly followed and came back with gifts.

“You are still very irresponsible.” Buadadi glared me and I looked down. “Pack two packets almond for her, it will sharpen her memory.” She ordered mom.

“I didn’t forget it’s just slipped from my mind.” I defended.

“What is the difference here?” Charu bhabhi giggled and I engaged myself with packing new gift.

“Shree, when will Abhimanyu come, I have to make dinner. You guys will stay for dinner.” Mom asked rather stated.

“Actually he will not come today, I want to stay here for few days, so his mom said, she will send him after three days.”

“Okay, come and help me in the kitchen.” She ushered and I followed.

“I know something is bothering you. What is it?” Mom asked while chipping veggies and I sat on the kitchen counter.

ESV pushed me, encouragingly, ‘Okay babe! Count three and blurt it out. I’m sure your mum will pass the test of being a mum.’

“Mom, Abhimanyu is not what he looks.” I spoke in a breath and she frowned.

“He is, I don’t know, why behaves strangely. It is like he wasn’t ready for the marriage.” I desperately tried to explain.

“Did he say that to you?” Mom asked. He said he will never accept me as his wife and never give this marriage a chance. I wanted to say this but I thought it could probably give my mom heartache so I thought to play smart.

“Kinda. He is not good in adjusting.” I slumped my shoulder and mom put her hand on mine. “Do you remember what I told you once about human nature?” I nodded to it recalling her words.

“That some people pull the facade of being what they are not just because they want us to believe the fact. You said this referring buadadi.” I recited her words and mom smiled.

“It doesn’t only imply on buadadi, it can also be apt for Abhimanyu.”

“He is like a maze, mom!” I made a face.

“And a maze is needed to be solved. It’s very easy to give up Butu but it takes courage to struggle and then come up with better outcomes.” Mom preached.

“Remember what I told you on your wedding day?” Mom smiled, and I nodded. How can I forget that?

“So just try. I know you are a warrior, try to make your marriage successful.” Well, that’s just the indirect way to insinuate that I’d got no option.

***

“Humph!” Rhea gave an incoherent nod, slurping mango juice when she heard my Edda, pushing me to the edge to kill her.

“Humph!” She did that again and turned to me. “So basically he blatantly refused to accept you and this relationship?”

“Did I say it wrong that you’re repeating it?” I furrowed my eyebrows and she raised her hands. “Alright! I was just wrapping my mind around it. Then what you’ve thought?”

“Wow! Rhea you proved an aid here.” I rapped out wryly. Idiot! “If I had known, I would’ve never recapitulated it to you.”

“Are you sure he is not impotent?” She quipped again and I grimaced, “No, he is not. Don’t go there, he was sinuously mad at me yesterday and to get him in good mood, I’d to do things.”

“Things?” Her ears perked up and a sly smile crept on her lips. “What things?”

“Making a fool of myself!” I rolled my eyes and she crouched back. “Ah! I thought you guys kissed.”

“Splendid! Here the man is not accepting me and you want me to kiss him. Bravo!” My tolerance surpassed its boundary, “I suggest you just take your butt off my bed and move out.”

“Don’t be mad, darling!” She messily kissed my cheeks, “I will make your married life back on track.”

“Let’s see.” I muttered and she poked me. “But are you sure, he is not impotent-”

“RHEAAA!!”

“Hey I was thinking of giving a treat to all our friends. What’s say?” I asked and she nodded. “Cool idea. Here or somewhere outside?”

I looked around and whispered in her ear. “Plaza!”

Rhea beamed and gushed, “You go, get fresh, till then I will inform everyone.”

I took my dress and ran inside bathroom, Ah! My room, my bathroom, my jeans. It seemed Abhimanyu didn’t fit in my life, nonetheless, I will see what I could do about that.

“Hey mum, I was thinking to give a treat to my friends. You know, I couldn’t invite all of them in wedding and also some couldn’t come.” I broached the topic on lunch, though I knew she wouldn’t object but still.

“Sure! Are you inviting them home?”

“Nah! I thought to arrange it nearby hotel.”

“Fine. But don’t be late.” I rolled my eyes at her regular warning. Am I not married and free to be outside as long I want? But no, in India, no matter how grown you’re. Your parents will still look at you like a toddler.

“Let me go first mom!”

“I will come with you Di.” Siya announced and I saw trouble. Damn! If I took her with me, she would tell mom that I went clubbing not in hotel.

“No!” I barred. “Actually the booking should be registered. You know, they don’t permit impromptu entries.”

“Really?” She raised her eyes at me. “Did you register entries before asking mom?” And this also caught mom dad’s attention.

“No, I mean I will make the reservations now.”

“So the discussion is over. Reserve for her as well.” Dad said and Rhea pinched me surreptitiously “How now?”

“I will do something.” I whispered back.

“Siyu...” I cooed as she was perfuming herself, looking in the mirror. “Baby, I want to talk something.”

She turned to me and smirked. “That you guys are going somewhere else.”

“How’d you know?”

“That doesn’t matter di, what matters is where are you guys going?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Clubbing and you can’t come because you are just eighteen but you don’t have ID.” I explained and she pondered. “Okay, drop me at Bhavna’s home. I have an important project to discuss with her.”

“Oh!” I scooped her in a hug, “I love you my baby sister.” I kissed her cheek. “I will pick you up while coming and will bring whatever you want.”

“Mexican Qualazonie, Pepper corn stew and tacos with red hot sauce. Per item full plate.” She listed and I grinned. “Done!”

“Bye mom. Will be back soon.” I hugged mom after getting dressed and mom made a face. “Why aren’t you wearing sari? You should look like newly married.”

ESV remarked, dramatically, ‘Sari in club! Woman you got to need to attend fashion classes badly. Your fashion sense sucks!’

***

“Heyy!” I almost leapt on Aarti and she studied me. “You’ve changed Darling. Marriage effect?”

“Nah! Makeup effect!” I guffawed and then hugged Josh, Anup, Akshat and Mrigank.

“Congratulations!” He smiled and I pouted. “Why didn’t you come to the wedding?”

“Ah! I am so sorry for that. I had to rush Chennai, so I couldn’t make it.” He apologized and I gently slapped his arm. “No need for that.”

“Arey leave it! How’s your husband?” Josh chipped, I rolled my eyes frantically. Ah! Not again, why everyone is so desperate about him???

“He’s good!” I averted but Aarti hit her shoulder with mine. “How was your wedding night? Han!”

“I am going loo, will join you guys shortly.” Akshat rushed away.

“Amm...I’ll go get the drinks.” Mrigank excused himself and Anup stuttered. “I will...will go and order starters.”

“You don’t want to go anywhere?” I looped my lips and raised my eyebrows at Josh who rested his elbows on the table, cupping his palm and smirked. “Nah! I more likely want to hear what happened that night!”

We girls made a horrified face and he laughed his ass off, I smacked his back. “Dog! I will kill you.”

“Easy wild cat.” He ducked and stood up. “I am going to join Mrigank, you girls enjoy. I anyways, have no interest in theories.”

“Why?” Aarti called up seductively. “Not interested in girls?”

“Not in you.” He rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving a sulking Aarti behind.

“Ignore him!” She muttered mostly to herself and sat beside me. “Now explain!”

“Hah!” I sighed dramatically. “That night is unforgettable. It literally changed my life, you know completely upside down than fantasies.” I said wryly but the best part was, she couldn’t gauge it.

“Really?” She squealed, excited and Rhea and I exchanged glances.

“Am...Yeah really!” I rolled my eyes. “Btw, what’s going on in office?”

She made a poker face. “You just ruined my mood. Yesterday bulldog made me work like a bull and at the end of he gave me quotations to type and all day long, he lied in his den like a hog.”

I chuckled. “At least, my marriage saved me from the torture.”

“Show me your henna.” Aarti pulled my hands. “It’s so deep.”

“Shree...” Rhea sang and I glanced at her. “You know what dark henna means?”

“Please!” I showed her hand and they both laughed. Soon the guys joined us and I enjoyed the day on its peak.

“Come on guys let’s leave. It’s 10pm.” I took my satchel and stood up and they followed.

“Rhea, you stay. I will drop you.” Akshat interrupted and I gave him a look. “That reminds me,” I took a plastic fork and kept it near his neck, “You are getting engaged and you didn’t even tell me.”

“I was about to.” He shuttered and I scowled. “Shut up! When you had to propose her, you came running to me. Now, I am the last one to know about your engagement.”

“Ah! Don’t worry you will be the first one to know about our marriage.” He grinned, cheekily before hugging me.

***

“Butu! Pack this with you.” Mom passed me a wrapped box and I huffed. “Mom, why don’t you give me all this at once? It will be easy.”

“Whatever! Did you pack Vidhi’s gift?” She asked and I nodded. “Hmm...Good, make sure you don’t leave anything unpacked.”

“Yes mom!”

Today, Abhimanyu was going to pick me up. My three days of happiness ended here. For I knew the moment, I step in his home; he would back to his jerk incarnation. Thankfully, he didn’t call me these days and I enjoyed a lot with my family and friends.

“Di, mom is saying call jij to ask when is he coming?” Siya told and I nodded dialing his number.

Abhimanyu’s Perspective

“This is eleventh.” I grinned, showing my cell phone which vibrated with her call, to Kartik.

“That’s stupid you know.” He rolled his eyes and Bharat chuckled, spinning the paperweight on my desk.

“At least pick up, before she cuts.” Kartik said and I hummed. “Of course” and swiped the icon to red mark “not.” I smirked cutting the call.

“But tell me why are you not picking it?” Bharat queried and I scrunched my nose. “Let her have the taste of her own medicine. She just irritated the shit out of me in one day only. Huh!!”

“What do you expect her to do after you blasted the bomb on your wedding night?” Kartik scoffed.

“I did that because I wanted to go fresh with her but I never thought she would behave childish,” I mocked. “Besides she said I married her for sex.”

“Then why didn’t you tell her about Divya? You should’ve told her everything—” I cut Bharat in between.

“I wanted to, but when I cleared my mind to tell her, she became maniac. She called me impotent, can you guys believe it?”

“What?” Shock crossed its boundaries and the look was visible on their face.

“Yes, she thinks I married her to hide my impotency.” I rubbed my forehead.

‘If you don’t call me in next two minutes, I’m going to call your mom and tell her that you are not coming to pick me up’. The message read and I chuckled amused.

“What happened?” Bharat asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“She is blackmailing me!” I replied, typing my reply. ‘Why? Didn’t you ask me not to come?’ and hit the send button.

“Who?” Bharat scowled and I showed him the message. “Shree is blackmailing me to tell mom everything if I don’t call her.”

“What if she does?” He raised his eyebrows and I shook my head. “She is not even that childish.”

‘You don’t try to mess with me, Mr. Over smart because I will not tolerate’. Her message pinged and it’s pretty evident that she was pissed off.

‘I’m just abiding your commands, ma’am’. I replied.

“Since you’re too engrossed in messaging your wife, we will take our leave.” Kartik cleared his throat and I waved absentmindedly.

“Saale…you could’ve asked us to stay at least for formality.” Bharat smacked me and I laughed. “I thought you two were giving me privacy.”

“Yes yes, privacy and all.” Kartik teased and they both went away while I eagerly waited for her message.

‘When are you coming? *Please*’ her message came and I immediately typed my reply. ‘In an hour’.

“Hello?” I picked up when mom called and the question directed to me was where I was.

“Go and bring my daughter soon. I’m missing my child.” Mom whined and I rolled my eyes, “It’s been only four days of marriage and you are yearning for her.”

“Why aren’t you missing your wife?”

“I see there’s no chance of argument here. Relax! I am going her home right away. Bye!” I disconnected the call and swiveling my blazer around my shoulder, took my car keys.

I walked to the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. Clicked opening my car door, I sat, fastening the seatbelt and drove to her home. I parked the car as the watchman opened the main door. I climbed out and took the nectarines with me. I stepped on the stairs and pressed the door bell.

Strangely enough, she opened the door and looked at me dazed. Coming out and closing the door behind her, she scowled at me. “What the hell was that?”