Hope you guys are safe wherever you are. Sorry guys for not updating the story. I was busy with online submissions and tests. I will try to be as regular as possible. *crosses her fingers*

I just wanted to share the thing about the weddings that takes place in our side. It's like first the Reception is kept and then the Muhurtam. Why? Shouldn't it be the opposite? Well, here's how marriage halls calculate - the day of calculation starts from afternoon of  a day followed by afternoon of the next day. So, if the Muhurtam and Reception are kept on the same day, it means that it accounts to two days. Since marriage halls can be very costly, especially during wedding seasons, people are okay to  keep the reception first and then Muhurtum.

***

"How can he marry a girl who is still not eighteen?" Mummy fiercely whispered.

"She will turn eighteen by the end of this week. It's okay, these rules were made so that a girl can make a proper decision before marrying," Daddy replied.

I couldn't make out what they were talking about but this thing was shaking a lot. Seated on Daddy's lap and watching trees pass at sometimes with slow speed while other times within a moment was interesting for quite a short time. I was bored. Mummy was talking about 'train'. Wonder what that means!

"Your family decided to marry your brother without even asking me whether the bride would fit our family. Not that my opinion matters to your family but at least for the sake of formality, they could have asked me," Mummy complained.

"Why do you say that? Your opinion matters too-"

"If I say that I don't like the girl your parents have selected for Prathap Anna, would the wedding stop?"

"That's a silly thing to do," he cooed. He removed his previously placed hand from my lap. He then placed it on Mummy's shoulder. This was my time to escape. I tried to slither away and landed on the shaky floor. To my bad luck, he quickly grabbed my upper arm but he didn't pull me on the blue seats.

I looked around, trying to figure out this weird shaky place. Mummy and Daddy were sitting on one side of the small box. To the opposite, there was another blue coloured seat. Yet on top of both the seats, there were two more long seats. To the opposite, there were smaller blue seats where two boys were continuously smiling at me.

I didn't smile back because the smile didn't look like the one Suman bhaiyya and Arya bhaiyya would give when they would play. I bent down to see smaller rectangular boxes placed with some shiny metal chain around it. When I had asked Daddy what they were, he explained that it was to prevent someone from stealing it.

"Your family has never accepted me whole-heartedly," she snapped.

"If that was the case, why did my family agree to accept you as my wife? Please don't talk like this," he concluded.

As the train screeched to halt, I felt a jolt and would have fallen if it weren't for Daddy holding my upper arm.

"Pune! We have reached Pune so quickly!" Daddy said and he let go of my arm. I looked at him as he straightened his shirt. He must be going out of this box. I stretched my arms and pleaded, "Anu will come. Daddy and Anu together."

"No Anu, it will be dangerous, what if we miss the train? You stay here with Mummy. I will be back soon."

As I saw him leaving, I started crying, hoping that he would come back and take me. After sometime, the train screeched and we felt another jolt. But Daddy was nowhere to be seen. Mummy started muttering, "Why does this person have to get down at every station and inspect? He got down at Lonavala to buy chikkis. I wonder what he will buy now."

I clapped my hands as I saw him entering. He held out two plates and said, "See, I bought dabelis. Eat and tell how it is. I felt it was good."

"Why are you getting these roadside snacks? How will you know if they have used gutter water? I don't understand what's wrong with you."

"I bought it from a clean place."

I sighed as I was already exhausted. But I didn't know that I had to travel for another twenty-one hours.

*

I guess it had been sometime since we had got down from that shaky thing yet I while walking I would feel giddy. We entered the house and I saw people applying yellow liquid on a man. He is sitting there and people are turning up one after the other to apply it! Even I wanted to try so I freed my hand from Mummy's grip and ran with my squeaky shoes. Suddenly the house fell quiet. Everyone stared at me. I ran back to Mummy and clutched her dress.

Upon looking at Daddy, everyone smiled. I was made to remove my shoes, wash my hands and greet everyone. These big people asked the same questions – 'how are you', 'what's your name' and 'whom do you love more, Mummy or Daddy'.

The day went by monotonously. What irritated me the most was that these people never let me sleep properly. No sooner did I slip into deep peaceful sleep, some person would come, wake me up and would ask me what my name was.

It went on for two days I suppose. People just poured in the morning and left at night. I assumed there would be peace in the night. It doesn't happen the way I thought. Throughout the night, Mummy and other ladies talk, laugh and sob. I would be made to sleep next to three kids. Out of those three, one was Punit, the destructor. Then there was Raghav and a new person - Abhijeet. I honestly didn't care about them but this Punit would roll and kick my legs. I would push that rock but of no use. I am telling this – one day all of us will fall in trouble because of this Punit's rolling.

Next day, in the afternoon, I was made to eat some watery liquid with rice. I explained to Mummy that I couldn't eat and she said only one sentence – "If you don't eat your lunch, then stay at home alone for we will be going to Chinnappa's wedding."

"Chinnappa?" I asked.

"Yes, Pratap uncle is younger than Daddy so you must call him Chinnappa."

I nodded. How many names do I have to remember?

Grumpily, I sat and ate. Then I was dressed in some frock. Here's the thing – I hate frocks. The inner part of the frock, some white coloured lining, keeps poking me which I hate the most. Before I could be dressed in the frock, I ran out of Mummy's grasp. She dusted powder all over my body and comforted that it won't poke me. But it did.

"Mummy, still poking."

"That's not possible. You're imagining things," she concluded. First of all, I didn't understand what 'imagining' is. Anyways, she must understand what I'm trying to tell. She dusted powder all over my face and put a bindi on my brow.

Similarly, Punit, Raghav and Abhijeet were dressed up. Daddy picked me up and took us to a car waiting outside the house. The doors of the house were locked and whole family boarded the

Mummy joined us and I laughed as she had put a lot of powder. When I pointed it to her, instead of being thankful, she hushed me. But I didn't know other ladies who would talk to Mummy at night were wearing even more powder.

The ride was bumpy. Yet, we managed to reach the hall where reception was going to take place. I had already felt crushed but lest did I know that by the end of the day, I would be crushed into a pulp with severe body ache.

Daddy took me in his arms and he walked to the huge hall. I mean it. It is very huge. From my corner of eyes, I saw those other ladies sneaking inside with their small bags. I tried to move Daddy's head towards them but he was busy talking.

Pouncing at the right moment, Mummy pulled Daddy aside and hissed, "Your sisters went to catch a room. We must go and put our luggage in a good room."

"They won't do that."

"Of course, they would. I saw them with my own eyes."

"I'm sure they wouldn't do that. Even if they did, they would keep a room for us," Daddy assured.

Mummy rolled her eyes. Wow! I tried to do that. I ended up looking upwards. She declared, "I don't trust anybody here. I'm going to keep the bag in a decent room. You just stay here and do chit-chat."

Mummy took me from Daddy and we went inside the hall. That hall was a huge one with a few fans rotating slowly, lots of chairs and my favourites, flowers! Mummy smiled at a few of the guests and rushed to the place where there were a lot of doors.

"All the good rooms are taken! Everyone always does this!" Mummy muttered. She stomped to some room and dropped the bag on the floor. Placing me on the bed, she looked around the room with anger.

Daddy came into the room. I looked at him with both my arms open, signalling him to take me outside. Mummy pointed at another door and exclaimed, "Look! Just look inside! The window is partially broken! Is this the room we get!"

Daddy sighed as he opened the door and looked. "I will talk to my parents-"

"See, I do understand that this is how weddings on our side works. The bride and groom's families stay in the wedding hall so that it is convenient for both the families to perform wedding rites and customs. That doesn't mean we get such rooms."

"Now what's the problem?"

"That there's no need to go and speak to your parents. Should they be worried about the wedding customs or look around for a room? It's okay, I have some rag clothes too, I will tie it near the window," she assured with a calm voice.

"Then why did you've to make a scene for this?" Daddy asked, irritated. I felt prickly in the frock so I started pulling it. In turn, the frills of the frock pricked me even more.

"Scene! I wanted to remove the blind curtain you've for your siblings. You'll always think about them first but they will put themselves first. Anyways, it's no use telling rocks."

"Don't tell like that-"

The door opened and I saw some familiar faces pouring in.

"Anna, if you don't mind, could you take care of Abhijeet? His father will come in two hours perhaps. I've to get dressed," one of them spoke.

Daddy nodded. "I will."

He took the small boy from that woman's arms. All the other people left and he turned to Mummy. She glared at him. I really couldn't understand what was happening but decided to watch them. Anyways, I didn't have anything else to do.

"See? This is what I meant. Anu is younger than him. She will need you more but you're worried about him. Of course, only Padma needs to get dressed for reception. It's fine, even in Mumbai I would take care of Anu. You would never help me. So, go and babysit Abhijeet. If possible, take Punit and Raghav too. What else would you do?"

Daddy left the room with Abhijeet. I looked at the door sadly. I asked Daddy to take me out first. This is not done. Why did that Abhijeet go? I sat with a sad face. After a few moments, I opened my mouth to yawn. Slowly, I placed my head on the bed and curled up. Soon enough, I slept.

Pipipipi pipipi pipipipi...

That noise woke me up. It felt like a minute of sleep. I woke up with a cry. Again, many people had gathered but this time it was different. I recognised two of them – Ammamma and Arun Mama.

Mummy exclaimed, "These rooms are so small! For my wedding, the rooms were so big!"

Ammamma chided, "Chaitra, you shouldn't speak like that. Look at the loud music, Anu woke up."

I saw Mummy wearing a brighter dress. So did Ammamma. Actually, everyone in the room. Now, it was my time to get dressed up. My face was washed, an old frock was removed, a whole powder bottle was emptied on my body, a new frock was put which was pricklier than the previous.

I started crying. So, I was forcefully hushed, my face was washed and powder was smothered on my face. A black bhindi was made on my brow. Two gold colour bangles were put on each of my hands.

As Arun Mama took me in his arms, I directed him where to go. He agreed and we went to the place where there was a huge din.

"Aiyyoo, I don't know where this fellow went. I have been searching for him for the past half an hour!" Padma cried.

"What rubbish! I came ten minutes ago. It's when you realised that Abhijeet is missing," a funny looking man chided.

I looked at her with a hopeful face. I don't cry that horribly even when this frock pricks me. Hope she will learn how to cry.

Padma looked at Mummy and said, "I had given Abhijeet to Manavendra. I don't know where my only son went."

Mummy looked at her with shock.

Mummy said, "Padma, don't accuse your Anna. I'm sure Abhijeet will be here. See, Manavendra is also not here, maybe Abhijeet is with him."

"Chaitra, you won't understand. You've a daughter."

***

I had planned for bi-weekly updates but couldn't. For now I am planning to keep weekly updates. 

Thank you for reading.