"ujhde se lamho ko aas teri
zakhmi dilo ko hai pyaas teri"

JANHAVI

For the past half an hour, I have been sitting in the very same place with my typical blank face. Mine and Raj's family were kind of having a row. Obviously this was too much for my family to entertain. But to be honest I was not that much surprised. I am rather habituated with worst situations and have lost the capability to express pain. Ishan ji on the other hand was sitting on the bed, on the verge of tears as it seemed to me. I looked down at the crumpled paper in my hand. Raj's letter.

Maa,

Please don't misunderstand me but main yeh shaadi nahi kar sakta. I have high ambitions regarding my career and I have got a job in a Highly esteemed hospital in the US. Jiske saath aaplog meri shadi dene wale the, she is not apt to live with me there. I'm so sure that a simple girl like her won't be able to settle and accomodate herself out there. Main do logo ki zindagi barbaad nahi karna chahta isliye mujhe ye karna pada. Please mujhe maaf kar dena. I know Maine khud use pasand Kiya tha par main sachmein repent kar raha hu.

Raj Kishan.

This was the fifth time I was reading it. This was a lot to take in but maybe this is what I deserve. I don't deserve love and happiness. My fate is to suffer alone.

He is right, I'm a plain and simple girl and I have not done any higher studies. Why would anyone marry me?

My trance was broken by my father shouting at the top of his voice. "Meri eklauti beti hai! Agar aaplogon ko shaadi deni hi nahi thi toh yeh sab natak kyu kiya?? Ab kaun karega usse shaadi?"

I laughed inwardly.

As if he actually cares!

It was Raj's father who spoke this time, "Dekhiye Sharma ji, humne yeh jaan bujh ke nahi kiya. Agar yehsab hoga Hume pata rehta toh kabhi shaadi ke liye Haan nahi kehte. Please samajhne ki koshish kijiye!"

"Samdhi ji, ho sakta hai aap sach bol rahe hain par meri beti ka kya hoga? Dekhiye hum sadharan log Hain, aapki tarah utna highfy nahi hai. Agar meri beti ka aaj kanyadaan nahi kar paaye toh aur uski kabhi shadi nahi hogi" my mother said weepily.

After thinking for a while, Pranav ji spoke up again."Ishan beta idhar aao".

Ishan came towards his father. While pointing at Ishan, he said "Bhabhi ji, aapko pata hi hai, yeh mera chota beta Ishan, aapki beti se teen saal ka bada hai. Agar aaplogo ko koi aitraz na ho to Ishan aur Janhavi ki shaadi karwa sakte hai hum."

I watched Ishan's expression turn from sad to confused to horrified. Before Ishan could say anything I stood up. "This isn't happening uncle, main Ishan ji se shaadi nahi kar sakti".

Ishan turned to me, scanning my eyes for any expression; but I was as expressionless as ever.

My father shouted at me "Tum chup karo! Bado ke beech mein nahi bolte yeh abhi tak sikha nahi kya?"

Suchitra ji was the one to speak now. "Ishan beta, tumhe kuch nahi bolna?"

To my utter surprise and horror, Ishan ji stuttered for a while before nodding his head for a no.

Ishan why are you being so dumb!

My thoughts were voiced by Shubman, his best friend cum brother, who was in the same room. "Ishan what do you mean? Tujhe kuch nahi bolna? Do mahine pehle waale break up se abhi tak move on nahi kar paa raha hai and you are agreeing to get married? Apni unki, sabki zindagi barbaad karne ka socha hai kya?"

Meri zindagi toh barbaad hi hai.

"Shubi tu chup kar" said Ishan.

Shubman scoffed at Ishan ji. Pranav ji and Suchitra ji had no other way than sacrifice the life of their own son. Nobody even felt the need of asking for my opinion.

My father patted Ishan's head "Accha decision liya bete, Kishan ji chaliye shaadi ka samaye beeta ja raha hai. Poonam, beti aur daamad ko bahar lekar aao Varamala ke liye." And he left the room. Pranav ji also trailed behind him.

Oh God! Why is this happening to me? Raj felt that I'm a simple girl aur yaha Ishan toh celebrity hain! How would he survive with me?

ISHAN

I had no other option other than agreeing to this. Bhai has shattered Maa Papa's image and I have to do this as a bare minimum. I know Janhavi ji is already is love with Bhai but I can't bring him back right?

I had already called her Bhabhi once or twice.

I was being called in the mandap for varmala. Cameramen were constantly clicking pictures of us, some of them were also from the paparazzi but

Jo hona tha wo ho gaya na, aur chupa ke kya fayeda.

I looked at the person I was getting married to. Janhavi ji. She was looking pretty in her bridal attire but I never looked at her in that way. She was supposed to get married to bhai today. She was standing with a blank face. Throughout the whole drama even I was in the verge of crying but I didn't see her shedding even a drop. I was feeling very bad for her, she had planned her whole life with bhai. The way she looked at him with those eyes full of love!

We were given flower garlands to put it on each other's neck three times, it was a ritual. "Janhavi haso photos le rahe hain" whispered her mother. I saw her plaster a fake smile on her face, with a look that this was a happiest day of her life.

Damn she is such a good actor.

Soon we were sitting infront of the agnikund, doing the rest wedding rituals.

The pandit ji called me "Ishan beta, biwi ke maang mein sindur bhar do" giving me a handful of vermillion. I took it and reached Janhavi's forehead. She closed her eyes,

it couldn't be with shyness so maybe with frustration

and after taking a moment, I swapped the vermillion on her forehead partition.

"Vivaah sampann huya"

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