Chinmayi's POV:

What is the answer to life?

Who defines beauty?

What is the concept of God?

Should I become an agnostic?

Am I a part of someone's dream?

Or am I dreaming?

Chinnu... Too many questions...

Choice is given to everyone who is a part of this ecosystem. But, what did I miss out in life?

Where did I go wrong?

What was the slip to this dark hole sans answers?

Stop with the questions Chinmayi.

Wow. But, now, real deep questions...

The questions thinned the space in my mind and this made mee claustrophobic.

Isn't honour exercising the freedom of choice?

Was I incapable of all that?

"Chinnu?"

I turned to have a glance of that person who brought me back from drowning in my own chaotic waves of thoughts.

I wasn't really surprised to see Megha, with puzzled eyes pointing in sadness and despair. That is us, I'm in pain, she decrypts even the silence..
That's our telepathy. That is our friendship. That is our love towards each other.

"You okay?", she whispered to make sure that no one's heard her. She plastered a smile on her face to make the conversation look normal and no one other than her understands the real inner situation.

She's the first human I really saw after my clouded string of events. I took a glance around to see what the tailored situation was.

The elders of the family were sitting and discussing things. There was laughter, real vibes of happiness, drops of tears, and smiles resonating everywhere.

I saw Akhila distribute sweets to everyone, while Veera, Eeshwar, Bhai, Bhabhi and Anirudh make a small inner circle, and lost in their deep conversation. I however couldn't find Charan and Ma.

On a second glance, I saw him taking Ma to a room. I was about to follow them, but another voice brought me back to the same spot I was glued for past I don't know how long am I standing in that spot.

"Chinnu, you still didn't answer my question."

"Huh?!"

"Chinmayi Sharma, I have known you for an authenticated amount of time now, and we've done enough crimes to know what every cell and cell components do even without speaking, so, cut the crap and tell me!"

Megha never really gets angry. But if she does, then something is really wrong. Oh right, something is wrong! I am going to get married to a guy whose face is unknown to me. And, my parents did not even think, for a microsecond to turn and ask me if I am okay with the concept of getting married right now.

I am 22 and I have not even established myself to be an independent girl, forget about evolving into a woman and getting married. Also, after seeing two brilliant couples, now three including Veera and Eeshwar ji, experienced the journey of love wandering and seeking them, jinxing with its beautiful feeling.

Then why was the needle of reality pricking me?

"Chinnu, please tell something, you haven't spoken at all. Joshi aunty is looking towards you every once in a while. You haven't gone and spoken to them. You are just standing here and staring at your feet.

You should go talk to Dr. Joshi and his wife and take their blessings, that is the custom. But before you do that, Chinnu please, tell me, what's in your head? "

" I don't know. ", I said truthfully to her.

She meekly held my hand and squeezed it.

" I know what you are going through Chinnu. Charan is not at all happy and that's why he is talking to Ma to clarify things. He didn't let me talk a word Chinnu. I don't know what's happening there, but everyone else is extremely happy about it and mostly overwhelmed too that they gave the oath of words..."

The feeling of being the guinea pig, filled me with anger, sadness  which were immediately befriended by guilt.

It is your family and every decision that they take is for your good.

"Chinnu,  let's go to the room where aunty and Charan are talking. I'll tell Akhila and Bhabhi that I want to use the washroom and I'm taking you with me.."

I nodded my head. That itself took a lot of effort. As Megha left me to myself, a dimension of nothingness smeared onto me. I tried to smile for the world, because, I could now feel eyes on me.

I felt a tap on the shoulder. It was Anirudh.

He hugged me and it felt warm. Damn, I am going to miss all of this! Tears pooled my eyes as it made a mark in his dress. Everyone was still wearing the function's attire and all of this happened in a day. It's tough to believe right?

I know really.

Period.

Seeing Anirudh hugging me, I felt few other joining in, making it a group hug. Wow. Everything is changing so fast that this moment which is actually happening felt like nostalgia experienced from the future.

This is where I belong. It is safe and sound. I do not want to grow up. I am pampered and taken care of well.

Why did my parents and other elders want me to get married this fast?

Did I do anything wrong?

I cried even more. This made Anirudh cry and seeing the both of us like this, Veera and Akhila teared up. Bhai broke the loop and pulled Veera and me towards him to give us a personal big fat love-filled hug.

"Both of my sisters are leaving me and going, huh?

When did you guys grow up?

I still remember teaching Veera how to ride a bicycle and you Chinnu, I let you put make up on me-", he chuckled through the tears.

"Both of you have really grown up to get married, haven't you?"

"Bhai-.", said Anirudh.

"It is our Veera and Chinnu and they are the most brilliant people amongst all of us..."

"Meee?", said a voice from a far off distance, but it did stop for a choke.

All of us turned to look at the person.

It was Charan.

His face was pale and eyes were red.

Despite the ironical sadness, his ways of lightening the mood was always a charm. I beamed at seeing my brother.

Bhai released Veera and me. We exchanged warm looks to eachother but suddenly found ourselves in the arms of our another loving brother.

"If you both leave me and go, what will I do?

Whom will I tease?

Whom will I pamper?

Whom will I spoil?

With whom will I fight for the remote and best bedspread?"

I didn't have answers to any of those questions. Veera hugged Charan and cried harder. I stood there beside her silently resting my head on Charan's shoulder.

That beautiful was our bond.

Bhabhi and Akhila slowly held Veera and me respectively. Charan's hold was too strong and he wasnt ready to leave the both of us.

"Charan, ye vidhai nahi hai...", explained Bhabhi, her eyes softening with a tinge of sorrow.

"We have rituals to do. Where is Megha? Please call her. Let us do it together for all the 6 of you."

Veera and me glanced at eachother for the second time in the whole scene. She smiled softly at me and I tried to reciprocate.

I was so happy for my sister. She is the best role model anybody can get. Her work spoke perfection and her act always was idealistic. That was Veera. She was always the soft spoken one in our house.

She never really put herself first for anything. She didn't even want to take her promotion for the sake of family and it was Charan who convinced her and the family to do so.

For the first time, she really from the bottom of her heart wants something.
And, if I listen to the ways of my mind, it would disrupt the harmony of my sister's life, forget about mine.
Her love is so selfless, maybe this is my way to return it to her.

"Chinmayi beti?", called a voice.

It was Lakshmi Aunty.

"This is my son, Deepak Joshi..."

***