Year: 1930

Country: British India/Pre-independent  India

West Bengal, Chakravarty House

"Shiuli," Saudamini clicked her tongue for the umpteenth time. Her palms had turned greasy after rubbing the warm almond oil in between them, as she gently dabbed it over her niece's dark tresses. Her fingers gilded and massaged her scalp thoroughly. Shiuli cracked a few nuts and popped it in her mouth, "But why?" She whined back, curling out her lips.

"But why do you want me to marry?" Saudamini childishly huffed, "Won't you miss me after I leave?"

"You know very well that I am no longer a child, Kaaki," Shiuli deadpanned. Saudamini smiled softly, brushing the teeth of the comb down her locks while the later popped a nut in her mouth. The cool breeze guzzled with her free long tresses that were pushed back on the side of her shoulder, her white veil shifted from her head. And it had been two years ever since she had adopted the color. Her wrists and neck bare, hairs always let loose and partition empty, that's what her life had turned into at the tender age of sixteen.

And an easy target to be pitied. She could roll her eyes vividly at the people passing their own assumptions and judgements, and every second person exaggerating their words of sympathy for her.

She accepted her fate, or she rather made herself believe she had.

"Please Kaaki, at least consider him once!" Shiuli spun around, halting Saudamini in the process. Her lips shifted up in a disinterested look. "He's so so handsome!"

"Handsome? He is nothing but a proudy head for me," Saudamini scoffed, rolling her eyes. Her fingers moulded Shiuli's hair into three chunks and began intertwining them firmly, "What the heck did you see in him?"

"You can't be so judgmental at a single glance," Shiuli made a face, crossing her arms, "At least try to speak to him? Maybe he is different?"

"Really? How come you know that he is different?" Saudamini waggled her brows.

"Uff, I am just talking about the vibes, okay? He seemed okay to me."

Saudamini halted herself from chuckling, "Seriously? He is definitely going to eat up my head! Haven't you seen how much he praises himself?"

Shiuli tried to argue but shut back. She was somewhat correct, that man did appear a bit self-obsessed and proudy. The way he was trying to indirectly praise his wealth and family, his behavior might be appealing to the girls but Saudamini definitely wasn't into him. Anirban wasn't different for her anyhow. And she just couldn't, couldn't think about marrying him or anyone at that moment.

"Yes but people can change, don't you know about Mr. Darcy?" Shiuli rested her cheek on her hand, inhaling a deep breath. Saudamini raised a brow, "Mr. Darcy?" Of course, not everyone had the Pride and Prejudice novel at their homes, that too a translated version of it. Shiuli seemed to have the privilege of having a newspaper editor as her fiance. 

 She sighed dreamily, "Damn his character is so...."

"Dumbhead?" Saudamini innocently answered, making Shiuli squint at her, "Don't you dare call my Mr. Darcy a dumb-head!"

"Hmm, seems like Anurag needs to be notified about your growing love for a fictional character." She winked, making the latter gasp, "Why are you dragging Anurag in this?"

"Why can't I? He's secretly giving you romance novels without any idea of the family and this is highly concerning!" Saudamini animatedly spoke, making Shiuli's ears turn pink as she looked away, "No....that is completely false, okay?"

"How is it false?"

"Why are we talking about me?" Shiuli flipped her now made braid to one side and spun around, facing Saudamini, "The conclusion is you are going to talk to Mr. Anirban!"

"No, I won't talk with that proud head anytime soon." She shook her head, standing up after grabbing a handful of peanuts and gobbling it in a go. Her saree glided across the comb teeth to clean it, making Shiuli frown, "Please, Kaaki...." Saudamini deadpanned at her with a disinterested look and shook her head.

.

.

.

"Please, have one more."

Anirban was trying not to glare at the guy beside him, who was stuffing his mouth with the sweets. He shut his eyes, subtly trying to slap his forehead. His uncle was busy talking with Mr. Chakravarty, and this was the best time for him to have a glimpse of her.

Woo her, basically.

And what made him bring his best friend along was just so he could muster the courage to propose to her. What seemed like a piece of cake before was now definitely troubling him, for he spent his last night sleepless and flipping on his bed with wide eyes. Till the day, he was confident about his looks and his art of wooing, for he had done that with any woman if he had a chance, and barely he had screwed up that time.

But there was a clear difference between flirting and proposing.

He couldn't think about even one line that he could think about except those cheesy ones that would make a woman clasp her heart and blush. But a look at Saudamini, kind off subconsciously, gave him a hint that she might not be easy to woo.

It had been three days. Freaking three days since he had had a glimpse of her, and oh man did his gaze appear to have been frozen on spot, then and there. His jaw had dropped open, for she was no less than a walking dream on earth. With her wet knee length dark and thick tresses being dabbed softly with a towel and the white saree being unable to conceal her voluptuous contours, his youthful desires had taken a straightaway jump till the rooftop.

Her gaze met him from the balcony for a second, her brows slightly crossing as she halted dabbing her hairs; Anirban inhaled a deep breath and curved his lips up in a winsome smile. But all she did was look away after a while, and walk away from there.

Shy and coy. Definitely.

He couldn't just get her out of his mind. Moreover, he had always got what he wanted.

And he was confident enough to win her too; maybe after a bit of persuasion. No woman can deny his charm, how could she? That's what he felt since yesterday; but the gravity of the situation seemed to be levitating upon him now.

She won't deny him, right?

"Subhankar," Anirban subtly poked his arm, "Will you stop stuffing these rosogollas and come with me now?"

Subhankar looked at him a bit confused and blinked, his brows raising up as he suddenly recalled why he had accompanied him in the first place. His father was busy striking the antique deal with Mr. Chakravarty, and this was the time for them.

"Oh yes..." He tried chewing the sweet ball fast and closed his eyes firmly to take the gulp, "Yes, you go I am coming."

"Subho," Anirban glared at him. He coughed for a moment and put down the sweet plate, standing up and brushing off his kurta. Anirban sighed, shaking his head. He could've easily reprimanded him regarding his antics, but that would mean a hush-hush verbal exchange through saccharine smiles and gritted teeth in the pretext of everything normal; he didn't have much time for it.

"Umm, uncle....Saudamini?" Anirban nervously asked Mr. Chakravarty, who halted speaking in between and passed him a wrinkled smile, "She might be in the courtyard,, dear."

Anirban did a mental victory dance; this was his chance and he wasn't going to let it go.

He adjusted his shirt collar around his neck and inhaled a deep breath of confidence.

She can't deny him; and he was sure about that. 

★★★★★★★★★

First chapter 😍✨

What are your thoughts regarding Saudamini and Anirban? 🌝✨

Maine pehle bhi kaha tha ab bhi keh rhi hu, Anirban is gonna make your ovaries burst ;)

Signing off for today!

Nushkie