"Y/N, look at this half- saree your uncle bought for you! It looks so fine and branded! It's even your favorite colors - green and red! I already stitched the blouse for you. Go go, quickly wash yourselves up, and get ready! Everyone is eager to meet you!" Amma (Mom) handed me the box containing the dress and quickly turned to Saara and grabbed her hand to greet her.

I looked around my room. My mom removed the posters of Eminem and Hip Hop Thamilzha. She changed my Shin-chan bed sheets and pillow covers with a classic pattern one. She basically tidied my never- broomed room and changed the theme of my room, from dark emo to a 'basic brown girl under her parent's influence' one.

I threw the box on the bed and walked near my Amma who is still holding Saara's hand and asking her about all her family and relatives my mom never met.

"Amma, let her breathe. She just came now." I let out a sigh and my mother gestured Saara to sit on the bed.

"Saara, I also stitched a top, I heard you like to wear long Kurti - Y/N said - that's why." She opened another box and unwrapped a soft blue Kurti with minimal embroidery designs. Saara looks happy.

"Auntie you needn't -- "

"Ahh don't say that! You are like my daughter too! You care for this naughty girl like she's actually your sibling. Look at you! You even lost weight! Is my daughter eating your plate of food too?" 

"AMMA!" 

Saara and Amma are laughing really loud and some of the aunties whom I never met in my life entered into my room and decided to join with them. Angel, too many people in such a small perimeter. Let's find someplace with lesser humans.

As if Amma heard my mind, she asked me to take Saara pond behind our home, to bathe. I signalled Saara to take her things and to leave before those aunties catch us and 'gossip' with us.

............................

"Your mom is so nice," Saara told me, applying the herbal bathing paste I handed her, on her hands and legs. Nobody actually uses this pond since our family dug this pond to store water for our agricultural lands, so we don't actually feel 'that' uncomfortable wearing only a long towel around us while sitting on a shallow bed, our backs leaned against a giant rock, which hides us from our house. 

"Yeah, I know. But she can be annoying too! Just like with this sudden alliance stuff!" I huffed and started to scrub the paste I applied on my legs and hands.

"She's just traditional."

"Orthodox is the word. And also really clueless about Arjun Reddy." I now applied the paste to my face and closed my eyes to scrub my face.

"Whoa slow down di! Your skin will turn red if you scrub vigorously!" Saara is very conscious of her routine and she's a clean freak! Reminds me of another clean freak whose nanny taught him to look after himself- ah I wish that giant psycho talked to me even though I ignored him!

"Saara, you're actually right! Some got into my eyes! Pass me the jug quickly!!" I waved my hand towards Saara to reach, but I cannot touch her, or hear her.

"Saara?" 

Delaying no more. I got up and went deep enough into the pond to immerse myself into the fresh water to get the stuff off my eyes. The bathing powder only works effectively if I let it on my skin for a long time. Ah! what a waste of my time!

I expected Saara to hold her smirk, watching me coming out but instead I see a man dressed in black 'vetti' (also called Vesti, Dhoti Traditional bottom wear that south Indian males wear usually), not wearing a shirt, exposing his recently trimmed chest hair and insights of abs, must have come here bare body just to show off his abs. huff.

What is Prabha doing here?

But he's quite cute looking now, looking at me with a shy smile and innocent eyes, and that kumkum (red vermillion / Sindoor) on his forehead makes him really look good. After a long time, Prabhas didn't make me angry first because he got my attention on his shy smile.

Wait!

Why is he shy-smiling at me?

I slowly looked down. I facepalmed literally and went inside the water again, only leaving my face outside.

" What are you even doing here? In our pond? Who let you here? Where's Saara? "

Still keeping that smile, which broadened by now, he extended his hands to me, as if I'm waiting for him to lift me as if I can't get up myself and walk over there.

"Answer me."

"Priya gave Saara a little surprise because I wanted to talk to you." He told me.

"Priya took Saara by 'surprise' somewhere, so you can have an 'alone' moment with me. is my understanding right?"

He nodded.

"I need to talk with you." He said, this time with his face serious.

"Can't your 'talk' wait until we bathed and dressed? Huh? What's your rush? And If my dad or any of my relatives see you standing here, they would pluck your eyeballs out." I made myself sound threatening so Prabha won't pull any of his stunts again. Little does he know about my parents, they never let me go out of this village if they saw him here.

"In that case, Can I join you there? I hear someone's approaching." He said peeping behind and quickly got in. I felt my body heat up, though it is immersed in ice-cold water while watching him approaching me. He stood a few feet away from me, the water to his torso since he's really taller than me. He quickly kneeled and got into the water, hiding. Thankfully the water is not crystal clear.

"Ammadi, Come outside soon, otherwise you'll catch cold!" One of those aunties I met earlier told me and went back. I sighed. My stomach suddenly tickled realizing who's in the water with me.

I signalled him to come out underwater and he quickly got up. He must be staring at my hands to get a signal - his quick reflex to my sign says so. That made me even nervous.

"Why are you here?" I managed to break eye contact by focusing on the peculiar looking bird singing while sitting on the banyan tree beside the pond. He touched my cheek with his index finger and used it to turn my face to see him. I am literally shaking so much I guess he can feel the vibration - just like how holding scared cats feels.

"I distanced myself away from you because of a condition I have. Priya didn't want me to meet you, it's for both of our sake." He told me while looking around, to see if someone's coming.

"I told Priya to stay for a watch where is she?? " He said this more to himself. I rolled my eyes.

"If your girlfriend didn't like you talking to me, why are you here, inside a pond with me?" I said again rolling my eyes.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend. She's someone who knows me best and cares for me. And as for my relationship status, I'm single." He said winking at me.

"Okay?" I raised an eyebrow while moving a little step back. Is Saara's prophecy coming true? Does Prabha have a crush on me? I waited for him to speak.

"Y/n Come out!!" I heard my mom's anklet sound approaching towards the pond and on reflex, I pushed Prabha into the water by his head and I still have my hand on his head, pushing him deeper, out of fear.

"Come out, brat! The groom's family is already here!!" She shouted enough for the railway station master to hear. 

"Throw my dupatta ma." I extended my free hand.

"It's just you and me. Just come out daughter!" She said but I gave her a look and she threw the dupatta while getting annoyed by me.

I wrapped the dupatta around my wet upper body and started moving carefully not to stumble on Prabha. My mom walked away and I waved my hands under the water and pulled him out of it.

"Just run away from whichever way you came here in the first place!" I whispered while retreating to the land, gathering all my stuff.

"But I didn't finish!" He whined like a child.

"Jeez! Just text me! Don't surprise me like this next time. It's really annoying." I ran away before he can get the water from his eyes and focus on me

.......................

"Y/N, Priya closed my mouth with her palms and just dragged me into the mango garden, where I took my bath beside the pump set with her. I'm sorry I --"

"Yah that's alright. The situation wasn't in your hand. Leave it."

"They're calling you to greet everyone." She said and I rolled my eyes.

"You need to stop doing that. You might accidentally roll your eyes there!" she said adjusting my hair and lead me to the hall.

Mom handed me a giant plate of teacups filled with ginger tea. Ah, the aroma makes me want to grab one for myself but I can't! I lowered my head and went near the oldies sitting on the sofa, assuming they're the parents of the groom since everyone else already has a cup on their hands and sipping.

I eyed for Arjun Reddy but he's not here? The groom should be here. I tried to be not so obvious but one of the men in the hall just shouted 'Mappillai (groom)went to pick up his brother-in-law, he'll be here in five minutes" and the entire population in the crowd laughed. I gave out a fake shy smile while all I wanted to do is to reject Arjun  Reddy as soon as possible.

I went to stand on the corner of the room with Saara. The hall isn't actually a hall. There is no ceiling, our house is inspired by the Karakudi house style, where there's a vacant space in the middle of the house with no ceiling. Here we have iron rods to avoid thieves. So basically these places fit more people than a closed house does.

"Let's listen to the bride to be until the groom comes." Uncle sitting on the sofa suggested and the entire crowd is looking at me now.

"Hi! I'm Y/N AKA Angel but actually the devi---" Saara pressed my wrists and I realized what I had just said! I was about to give my rapper introduction cypher if it wasn't for Saara! Ah so embarrassing.

Thankfully my mother spoke up to stop the awkwardness.

"My daughter studies at a very big college. She is such a dedicated student. She came to our village for months! Give her time, and she'll adapt quickly!" she said as the oldies nodded.

Arjun Reddy entered. He's wearing a white silk shirt and Vesti with golden borders. He greeted everyone and sat on a single chair, put on for him. He looked at me and smiled.

"My son also started working in a big college, while studying!" The old man who I'm assuming to be Arjun's father tapped on his shoulder and laughed. 

"Actually I'm covering for my guide's absence now. Still, they pay me what they pay her. I will become permanent staff there once I get my PhD." Arjun obediently explained.

"So, shall we exchange the plates?"

Wait, what? Aren't they gonna ask me whether I'm okay with all of this?

"What does the boy think?" Someone from somewhere just spoke. The first time I'm glad I have the company of Middle-aged Indian people.

"I don't like her." He said while looking at me without blinking, even for a second.

Okay, nice.

.

.

.

Wait, what?

I gave him a questioning look just like the rest of the population in the household. 

"Did he really said that?" Saara whispered to me in disbelief.

"I don't like this girl." Arjun Reddy rejected me in front of everyone.