𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 2
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
"Mina, yeh dupatta mujhse nahi hoga," I say, grabbing the dupatta and tossing it to the ground. Mina rushes over and puts it back on my head.
"Hold on, bobby pin," she says, fishing through the drawers for one.
*Knock knock*
Mina and I exchange terrified looks. I hastily cover my face with the dupatta. Mina moves to open the door.
"Pooja, tune mukh kyu dhaka hai?" Rani Aunty, Mina's mother, comes near me.
"Mami, woh hamare ghar ki tradition hai na," Mina says, grabbing Rani Aunty's hand before she can touch my dupatta. I struggle under it.
"Oh, yesa hai. Pooja beta, sab aagaye hai. Jab ham awaaz dein tu Mina ke saath aana," she says as she leaves. I take my deepest breath ever.
"Mina, I'm so anxious-what if I make a mistake?" I say, feeling the anxiety rise within me. Mina sits next to me and consoles me.
"Don't worry, mein aur Aman Bhai honge waha par. I guess Aman ne Raj aur Payal ko bhi keh diya hoga," she reassures me.
Taking off my dupatta, I turn to face Mina. "Kya?"
"Not Raj. Last time he blamed me for eating his ice cream. I mean, I ate it, but he shouldn't have blamed me in front of everyone," I complain. Mina shakes her head and gives me a light slap on the forehead.
"Tum dono ki nok-jhok abhi side mein rakho, ok?" she says. I grin a little and nod, but there's anxiety beneath my smile.
"I'm not afraid of Aunty, it's Dadu. Mahadev save us and give Pooja di buddhi. Phasa diya ham sabko," I say, feeling the weight of the situation.
"Take a deep breath, Nisu," Mina instructs. I follow her lead, breathing deeply and slowly.
"Pooja di ko aane do, chodungi nahi unhe," I say, slamming my hands on the table as I get up from my chair, red in the face.
"Relax, relax, relax," Mina says, pulling me back to the chair.
"Pooja Beta," Badi Maa calls.
I quickly put on the dupatta and sit quietly. Badi Maa walks into the room. I feel her presence behind me, and my heart begins to beat faster as her footsteps grow closer.
"Kinni badi hogayi meri pyaari beti," she says, touching my head. I immediately feel horrible for her. When she discovers the truth, how will she respond?
"Aaj agar Radhika didi hoti na toh teri rishta ke baat par mujhse bhi jyada khush hoti," she continues. The moment I hear my mother's name, my heart tightens. My mother, who left this world when I was 11.
"Teri shaadi ke saath saath ham Nisha ke bhi baat karte the," she says, placing a kala tika on my neck and giving me a head kiss. Tears well up in my eyes, but I quickly wipe them away before they fall.
Badi Maa grabs my hands and leads me downstairs. Through the thin fabric of my dupatta, I see our elders and a few men sitting across the hall. There aren't many, but there are enough to unnerve me. Our uncle, Dadu, the women of our family, and the groom's side are all present.
I look at each person individually. Aayein, is Pooja really getting married to an old man?
"Dadaji, apke bete nahi dekh rahe," Dadu asks.
"Woh aate honge," a man from the groom's side responds. Me, Mina, Aman Bhai, and our other cousins gather together, discussing what to do next.
"Yaar, kuch soch," Mina says, biting her fingernails. I can't think of anything; my brain feels like it's moving in slow motion.
"Nisha, tu khud soch. Tere pass itne sare ideas hote hain. Movies mein dekha hoga kuch," Raj says. I peek at him through my dupatta. We have old beef, but I'll take care of that later.
"Idea!" Mina exclaims, flicking her fingers. Everyone gathers in a circle.
"Nisha, unke upar chai gira deh," Mina suggests, wiggling her brows. Our expressions shift from excited to worried.
"Teda meda mukh bana le," Payal suggests.
"Yeh waise hi teda meda hai, hehe," Raj teases.
"Tu chup kar, varna pit dungi," I warn, just as Mina stops me from punching him.
"Majak mat kar, aur socho," Aman Bhaiya says. We all go back to pondering what to do to get this wedding canceled.
"Nisha, tu faint ho ja," Raj suggests. Everyone glares at him.
"Faint kaise hogi woh, pagal," Payal says, smacking his head. Dono bhai behen ek jaise hain.
"Yaar, tum log mujhe aur nervous kar rahe ho," I say, fanning myself. This dupatta is suffocating me.
"I will do something by myself. Don't panic me," I declare. We all disperse and start to prepare the snacks.
""Chai?" Badi Maa arrives and takes a look around.
"Are Haramkhor, ye sab kya hai?" We all look at each other, knowing we've eaten all the food meant for the guests.
"Orr yeh Nisha kaha chali gayi?" I try not to laugh, but my habit of laughing in the worst-case scenarios takes over, and I burst out laughing.
"Pooja, are you ok?" Mina steps in front of me, shaking her head, but I can't control it.
"Pooja, teri awaj ko kya hua?" Badi Maa inquires, clutching my shoulders.
"Woh-woh Mami *cough* khasi horahi hai iss liye," I say, trying to change my voice to match Pooja Di's deep husky tone.
"You were fine until this morning," Badi Maa says, arranging the trays and shoving them into our hands. I end up holding the tray with tea.
"Don't be nervous, tumhare hone wale sasural wale hain." With that statement, we all look at each other and burst out laughing. Sasural kitna ajeeb hai.
"Kyu hass rahe ho? Inn bachon ko koi samajh nahi sakta. Masti band karo aur chalo," Badi Maa sighs and exits the kitchen.
"Why are you all laughing? Parama Di bula rahi hai." My heart begins to race. I glance at my cousins, and we make our way to the hall where everyone is chit-chatting.
"Here they are." We walk slowly because I'm worried about my dupatta slipping off my head and the tray being too heavy.
"Aare beta, apne dupatta-" One of the uncles says as I serve tea. I can't see the groom here. I should have looked at the picture when Badi Maa showed us.
"Uncle, woh hamare yaha tradition hai. Bride sirf dulhe ko apna face dikhati hai," Payal Di makes this up on the spot.
"Yesi tradition, naya trend hai kya?" Everyone laughs at Prem Uncle's remarks. We add our phony laughter as well.
"Haan uncle, naya trend hai," Mina says nervously, positioning herself directly behind me and firmly grasping my shoulder.
"Dulha udhar hai," Mina gestures to him. He is seated apart from a few other individuals, his back to us.
"Tu wahi ja aur apne karname shuru kar," Mina whispers. I look at her, and she nods reassuringly.
"Pooja, dulha waha hai," Raj teases, drawing everyone's eyes to me. This is why I will never get married.
I slowly make my way towards him. He is surrounded by men in their 20s to 30s. Since his back is to me, I can't see his face.
With the dupatta in one hand and a teacup in the other, I walk cautiously with every step. I still don't know what I will do, but I know I've messed it up.
When I get close, I set the cup down on the table and clear my throat. "Umm, aap..."
I become so tense that I can't speak, and I begin to panic. I turn to face my cousins, who are subtly pleading with me to call him.
"Suniye." When I finally speak, it's barely audible. My index finger feels like it's trickling as I tap on his shoulder.
"Bhai," one of the guys hints to the man to turn around.
As he turns, he bumps into me, causing me to twist my feet and fall.
( 🤦)
Nisha finds herself in Zayn's arms the next moment. He holds her by the waist and, though he can't see her eyes, he notices the beauty of her honey-brown eyes and her pouting lips peeking out from under her dupatta.
As their eyes lock, her dupatta slowly begins to fall, revealing her gorgeous face. Something about her nervousness and sparkling eyes affects Zayn deeply.
With his other hand, he brushes her hair out of her face, unaware that everyone is staring at them. Those behind them hum songs and give teasing looks.
"Gorgeous," Zayn murmurs, bringing Nisha back to reality with his first word. God knows what she is thinking.
"Ahm, let's leave them alone for a while," someone suggests. Nisha quickly covers her face with the dupatta as Zayn remains preoccupied with her attractiveness. He can't seem to look away.
"Chai," Nisha says, not so unintentionally spilling tea on him.
"Oh my Rama!" Nisha exclaims, ensuring she gives the weirdest reaction possible.
"Hey Prabhu, Hari Ram Krishna Jagannath Premanandi, yeh kya hua?" she continues, embracing her inner drama queen.
"It's ok, I will do-" Zayn starts, but Nisha grabs a dupatta and turns her face to the other side.
"Nahi, yeh acha nahi hua. Maine aapke kapdon pe chai giraya," she says, confusion gripping Zayn. He wonders, "What is this girl doing?"
Thankfully, everyone is outside in the garden, with cousins watching from behind the stairs with sly glances.
"Jyada laga?" Nisha asks, picking a tissue paper from the table and starting to help him.
For the entire moment, Zayn can't take his eyes off the beautiful woman in front of him.
"Aap ek kaam kariye, inko utaar do," Nisha suggests. As Zayn furrows at her remark, Nisha casts an awkward glance at him.
"I mean, aap yeh dry cleaning ke liye rakh do," Nisha says, averting her eyes from the embarrassment.
( Embarrassed hona is your daily routine, start your drama, Nisha )
"Uff, mein toh thak gayi," Nisha says as she leaps onto the couch, lifting one leg and squinting at Zayn.
"Sit down," she says in a fake accent to annoy him. Zayn, slightly smirking and confused, sits across from her, finding her intriguing. He turns to face Nisha, who is also staring at him.
"I have a secret to tell. I don't know if you'll marry me after that," Nisha says, attempting to fake cry. Zayn nods.
"Oh no, my head, I think I am going to faint," Nisha pretends to pass out, holding her head.
"Are you okay?" he asks, getting up from his chair to embrace her. "Hold on, I will call the doctor."
Nisha gives a quick glance and shakes her head as Zayn turns to face the elders outside. "Are, aap chinta mat kariye, mein din mein 10 bar faint hoti hu."
Zayn is confused as Nisha stands up straight and grins as if nothing happened. She reclines on the couch, mulling over her next move.
"Yeh Nisha kar kya rahi hai," Payal whispers as the cousins peer through the stairs.
"Pata nahi, but bahot maza aaraha hai," Raj says, grabbing his phone to record a video.
"Can I tell you something?" Nisha asks. Zayn sighs deeply and nods.
"Go ahead," he says. Nisha gives him a small smile and moves closer, her body touching his. He retreats a bit and rests on the sofa's arm, looking wary.
"App," Nisha says, leaning in closer. Zayn raises his eyebrows.
"App yeh shaadi ko reject kar do," she orders. Zayn frowns and tilts his head.
"Why?" he asks. Nisha rolls her eyes and sits up straight.
"Yeh baat bahot serious hai," she says in a serious tone, as though about to reveal a dark secret.
"Meri Pinky Minky real nahi hai," she says. Zayn scowls at her strange remark, raising an eyebrow.
"What's Pinky Minky?" he asks. Nisha shyly bites her fingernails.
"Rehne do, aap jaanke kya karoge," she scoffs, holding the edge of her kurti. "However, there is another, and very important, reason," she states.
"What is it?" Zayn asks, fed up with her antics.
"After what I tell you now, I am 100% sure you will reject this relationship," she exclaims, clearly pleased with herself but secretly wanting to flee.
"I, I like girls," she says. Zayn, staring at her, replies, "I also like girls." Nisha facepalms as he begins to tease her.
"Not like that. I like gi-guy-girl," she stammers, locking eyes with Zayn and feeling nervous under his intense gaze. His Honey brown eyes, his muscles showing through his suit, and his curly permed hair make it hard for her to lie.
"Maybe I should just be honest with you," she mutters. Nisha looks at her cousins, then turns back to Zayn with a serious expression.
"The bride is not really me," she admits. She expects anger or shock but gets no reaction from Zayn.
"I will explain it to you, so please do not be angry," she pleads. "We had to do this since the real bride ran away."
"Are you angry?" she whimpers, staring at him.
"No, I am not upset. Rather, I am glad the bride fled," he replies. Nisha's expression changes from confused to shocked to excited.
"Will you turn down this relationship?" she asks, leaning in with a smile.
"Yeah," he says. Nisha leaps up and runs to her cousins.
"He turned it down," she announces. Each person's face brightens as Nisha confirms, and they start to celebrate, whirling around each other.
"Nisha?" Rani Aunty's voice cuts through the air, and the real drama begins. Everyone slowly turns to face her as she puts her hands on her waist, giving them a big, ominous look.
"I knew something was off," she says, stepping forward. Nisha gulps nervously and glances at Zayn.
"Mami, I will explain-" Mina tries to intervene.
"Abhi Dadu ko batati hu," Rani Aunty says, glaring at them.
"Aunty," Zayn approaches her. Her expression softens as she looks at him.
"Beta, tum. Inko maaf kar do, bache hain, masti karte hain," Rani whines. Zayn looks at all of them, who hang their heads low and murmur.
"It's okay. Aap yaha sambhal lo. Mein meri family ko bata dunga," Zayn says, and then he leaves.
🪷
"Beta, kya hua? Ladki pasand aayi?" Dadu asks as Zayn walks toward them. Dadu gets up from his chair.
"Mujhe yeh rishta manzoor nahi hai," Zayn says, joining his hands in farewell.
"Par beta," Mr & Mrs.Roy both follow their son.
"Ghar chaliye. I will explain," Zayn says. He feels happier to reject the relationship with Pooja because someone else is ruling his mind.
"Inhe kya hua?" Parama says, walking inside and seeing the aftermath of the chaos.
"Nisha?" Parama looks at them in disbelief as everyone gathers in the hall. All the kids stand in front of them.
"Yeh sab kya hai? Pooja kaha hai?" Dadu steps forward.
"Nisha, Aman? What's happening here?" Parama asks. They exchange quick looks, and Nisha pushes Aman forward, who looks back at her in betrayal.
"Mami, woh Pooja..." Aman glances at Mina, who is twitching her fingers, and then at Nisha, who is biting her nails. Raj looks everywhere but at them, and Payal is getting scolded by her mother.
"Pooja di bhag gayi."
🪷
"Mera gaal tomato jaisa laal ho gaya, dekh," Nisha says as they all sit in her room, attempting to treat swollen cheeks.
"Do not touch. Dadu ne itna zor se mara," Raj says, touching his scarlet cheeks that resemble tomatoes.
"Ab se koi masti nahi," Aman exclaims, looking at them sternly.
"Bhai, we didn't do it on purpose. You'll only get slapped; I am grounded," Nisha says, sitting sadly on her bed.
"Ye sab Pooja ki wajah se hua hai, pagal ladki," Nisha says, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Let her come back. We all have to beat her ass," Payal says, lying next to Nisha.
"Woh toh Dadu kar hi lenge," Raj says sarcastically.
Nisha
You know how boring it is that I can't go out for a whole week? Dadu gave us all such a hard slap that my cheeks are still tingling.
"Par woh banda, Matlab Ki Mr.Roy the bahot handsome yaar," Payal says, unbraiding her hair while I study my book and her.
"Yeah! I thought he would get angry, but he left without saying anything," Mina continues, resting her elbow on the table.
"I have heard the Roy family is very dangerous... they seem to be involved in underworld activities," Payal gasps at Mina's words.
"Really?" Mina nods, and Payal and I exchange glances.
"Like mafia, gangsters?" I add.
"Yes, but jyada kuch public nahi hai unke baare mein," Mina hugs her pillow and says.
"But Parama Aunty toh keh rahi thi woh log India ke biggest business family hai, Dadu Toh Waha Kaam Bhi karte the" Payal says.
"Haan, toh thodi na sabke saamne apna real roop dikha lenge," Mina says.
"Yaar, hame yeh rishta hone dena chahiye tha. Socho, Mafia jiju kitna cool hota," Payal states dreamily.
"Ikr, mein unko meri college ke kutto ko sabak sikhaati," I add, visualizing the bullies getting beaten by cool Zayn Roy.
"Par ab kya faida," Payal gives an eye roll.
"Haan, but I think we should thank him," Payal says, receiving stares from both Mina and me.
"Kyu?"
"He indirectly helped us."
"No need. Raat bahot ho gayi hai, chalo sone," I state, lying down on my bed.
As if he isn't running through my thoughts. Yaar, I hate this so much when someone else takes over my mind. He is really attractive, and his captivating expression, body language, and hazel eyes all contribute to his allure. Kash, meri aisi boyfriend hoti... Leave it! I am Okay Single.
Ｔ𝙷𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 ✨
Feel free to ask questions and Correct me,
Comment and Share your reviews
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲
𝚂𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛....
ISHQ SHUFIYANA Every
Monday/Thursday
Follow me on Instagram 🫶🏼
Write a comment ...