Arrange Marriage #3 [MN]: Some Messages Shared: 30 - Page 2

Nupur's pov-

I was wide awake, watching and listening to all the chaos in my house. Everything seemed so messy. My usually quiet and warm house seemed really full of guests and relatives. All types of things were being packed for me. There was atleast hundreds of cosmetics, being kept and decorated. There were a lot of clothes especially sarees, being packed up for me.

From where did all the sarees come? My boutique! Ma knows that I don't wear the things, which I have not designed, so she made sure to bring my entire boutique to home! My aunties and masi's and many more relatives were busy packing up things. I felt as if I was not leaving this house, but this country!

Dressed up in a simple yellow suit, I started wandering and checking out things. When I saw Gunjan's room, I felt pity for my poor sister. The entire luggage was kept in her room. Suitcases were stacked one upon another, and kept in her room. Daily need items were being packed up, amongst everything. It seemed as if I am going to leave the country and go to a desolate island with Mayank, where not even shampoo and soaps are sold!

I was a little bit confused. Yesterday only, I had changed my facebook status, and today it seemed as if they are going to push me out of my own house and send me to his. I was really frustrated that no one was even allowing me to sleep. All night long, they were busy talking, and now, at the early morning, they were busy packing things up.

I couldn't understand if I would need some of the items even! Doesn't Mayank bath? If not, then I am not going to marry him! If yes, then why do I need to carry even soaps, shampoos, deo, perfumes, towels, bed sheets etc? Urgh, I just fail to understand these people. Why to spend money on such things?

I was confused and I was going to trip over something, when two hands helped me to balance myself properly. I looked at my sister, dressed up in a beautiful blue lehenga. Gunjan looked magnificent with all the jewels around her. She was beautifully dressed and it seemed as if she was about to explode.

I said, "Thanks Gunji. Aaj toh tune bacha liya, warna main toh girti. But, yeh sab ghar ka haal kya ban rakha hai? Har cheez bikhri hui hai. But, you are looking really beautiful."

Gunjan looked at me from top to bottom and gasped. Gunjan said, "Diiii. Aap ab tak tyaar nahi hui? Haldi ki rasm bas shuru hone hi waali hai. Aap bhi na!! Duniya bhar ko tyaar karti rehti hain, and khud hi tyaar nahi hui hain!"

I said, "Madam, apna chashma pehen le! Tujhe main tyaar nahi dikh rahi hoon kya? Main tyaar toh hoon!"

I smiled and rotated to make her see me. Gunjan looked at me as if I was talking in French. Gunjan said, "Di! Don't tell me ki aap apni haldi par itni stupid si dress pehen rahi hain! Ma ne aapke liye yeh yellow saree di hai, and woh chahti hain ki aap ise pehene."

She handed me a yellow saree. I was about to open the packet when Gunjan said, "Yahan nahi di, apne kamre mein chalo. Wahan par aap ise pehen kar dikhana." And I had no choice except to follow her.

I went into the bathroom and wore the beautiful yellow saree. When I came out of the bathroom, I found nobody in my room. Gunjan was nowhere to be seen. She had perhaps left the room for some reasons. I was feeling nervous and happy to wear all those jewels. I was feeling that my life was changing like from suits to sarees'.and from being single to being committed.

Gunjan's pov-

I just entered di's room to see the most beautiful sight waiting for me. My very own di was beautifully dressed in a yellow chiffon saree which had a very simple work. The saree was perfect for my di ' simple yet elegant. Her neck piece looked one in a million. The gold seemed less golden, when it was compared to the glow on her face.

She was sitting on her dressing table, and applying kajal to her eyes. This made me shed tears of joy. I knew that there was no need to think like this, but seeing my di in a saree, made me nostalgic and cry for the moments I teased her.

I remember that few years back, when di had to dress up in a saree for her farewell, I had teased her like anything.

Nupur: Gunjan, dekh na, mujhe yeh saree nahi pehenni hai.

Gunjan: Par kyun di? Yeh toh aap par bahut achi lag rahi hai.

Nupur: Woh toh theek hai, par main ise nahi sambhal sakti hoon. Kitni ajeeb si hai yeh. Aur iska pallu, iska pallu itna typical hai.

Gunjan: diiii'.bas! Arre, apni shaadi ke baad toh tumhe sarees hi pehenni padengi na, tab kya karogi? Toh abhi se practice kar lo. Varna baad mein jiju kahenge ki meri patni ko toh kuch bhi nahi aata!

Nupur: Ruk jaa abhi. Tujhe badi shaadi ki padi hain, abhi batati hoon tujhe.

I remember what a dog and cat chase we had. She ran after me like she was going to kill me. All these moments brought tears in my eyes. After few days, she would leave me alone and go to a new house. I wonder what I would do without her. Thank God that Mayank jiju and Samrat live in the same house, otherwise how would I live without her!

I was brought back from my reverie, when Nupur di called me. Nupur di said, "Gunjan, aana. Wahan darwaze par kyun khadi ho? Meri help toh kar." I nodded and went to her. I helped her wearing the gold bangles and making her hair. I felt like staying close to her, no matter what. When she was ready, I hugged her.

Nupur asked, "Tujhe kya ho gaya hai? Achanak se bada pyaar aa raha hai mujhpar. Kya hua?" I just smiled at her and shook my head. I knew that she was far more emotional than me, and if I told her that I was thinking of her bidai, and then she would perhaps burst into tears. And I obviously didn't want to make her cry.

I said, "Tum bahut pyari lag rahi ho. Di, u look like an angel. Jiju toh tumhe dekhte hi reh jaayenge." She blushed a little at the mention of jiju and said, "Par woh thodi na honge yahan par."

By hearing the typical words from her mouth, I smirked and said, "Ohoo. Di, tumhe is baat ka koi dukh toh nahi haina? Vaise jiju se phone par baat nahi hui kya?" She showed her fake anger and said, "Gunjan, tum bahut shararati ho gai ho. Chup kar besharam ladki. Aur haan, for your kind information, maine abhi tak unse ek baar bhi phone par baat nahi kari hai."

Nupur's pov-

Wasn't it enough that I was feeling like I was drifting apart from my family, that Gunjan had to tease me! And I felt like telling her that she shouldn't tease me like this, after all, I am her elder sister! But Gunjan is Gunjan. I just was amused by the look on her face, when I heard my phone ringing.

When I saw the caller name, I was shocked. It was Mayank!!! Now, if Gunjan sees that, then she would surely tease me to no ends! What to do? I am so trapped! Par, Mayank is waqt call kyun karenge? Unhe mujhse kya kaam ho sakta hai?

Before I could hide the caller's name, Gunjan saw his name. She said, "hmm'aur koi keh raha tha ki unki jiju se baat nahi hoti hai. Arre, nahi batana tha, toh mat batati, kam se kam jhooth toh mat bolo di."

I ignored her and picked up the phone. I said, "jii?" on the other side, Mayank said, "Woh, hi Nupur, main Mayank." I had to smile at his introduction and I said, "Jii, mujhe pata hai. Hii."

I could hear Gunjan mimicking my voice and saying "Jiiiiiiii". I was about to throw the pillow at her, when Gunjan said, "Acha acha main jaa rahi hoon. Mujhe koi shauk nahi hai kabab mein haddi banne ka." And she just left, while I felt my cheeks being warm.

I had no idea what to talk to him. I couldn't talk just anything, while I wanted to know him more. After a long pause, Mayank said, "Tumhe haldi lag gai?" and I replied, "Nahi, abhi toh nahi. Aur aapko?" I could hear him smiling all through the phone. And a smile formed on my lips too.

Mayank's pov-

Only I know how much courage I had to build to talk to MY soon-to-be-wife. She is so shy and delicate that I feared if I could do it. But I had to call her, courtesy a long lecture by Samrat. He had told me that it is a wonderful feeling to talk to your soon-to-be-wife and what not!

But I could feel her nervousness in talking to me. She was just as nervous as I was. I told her, "Haan, mujhe toh lag gai hai. And I am stuck, sitting with this yellow turmeric all over my body. Aur, tum kya kar rahi ho?"

She said, "Woh, main bas tyaar hi ho rahi thi. Aapne Samrat ke kehne par phone kiya haina?" I was shocked to know that she knew that. Was it planned? I just asked, "Tumhe kaise pata?"

She perhaps smiled and said, "Kyunki itna toh main aapko samajh hi chuki hoon. Yeh sab harkatein sirf Samrat kar sakta hai. Aap aise nahi hain." I was shocked that how could a person know someone so deeply, and that too in few meetings only.

I just said, "Yeah, and I guess that you are feeling nervous too. It's so different na?" and she replied that, "yeah, sab kuch bahut hi alag hai. I mean, kitna ajeeb lag raha hai na? Ham dono ki kuch hi dino mein shaadi hone waali hai, aur ham kitne alag hain." I felt that she was finally opening up to me.

I just smiled and said, "Yeah, and I guess that's why we are together. And I guess ki ab mujhe phone rakhna chahiye cause ma bula rahi hain. So bye. And take care. And yeah, I called kyunki ma ne kaha tha ki tumhe inform kar doon, ki haldi Samrat lekar aa raha hai."

She just said, "jii theek hai. Main ma ko bata doongi, rather Gunjan ko bata doongi. Umm, bye, take care." I don't know about anything else, but it sure was a different feeling. She was mine but still I knew that it would take time for her to open up. I smiled inspite of the tacky smell of haldi, coming from my body parts. Eeek!

Nupur's pov-

I knew what all does this meant. I was officially his. And today's ritual would bring us a step closer. This rasm is so pure and so divine. You just feel the colour of belonging all over your body. I could see various people colouring my hands and feet.

I remember that when I was young, I used to ask my mother that what for is this rasm meant for. Ma had told me that this ritual meant the colour of belonging. I was being coloured from the haldi of their house.

Gunjan suddenly asked, "Di, tumhe ajeeb nahi laga raha hai? Aur tumhe haldi kyun lagai jaa rahi hai? Aur yeh haldi tumhare sasuraal se kyun aayi hai? Hamare ghar mein bhi toh haldi hai! Aur jiju ki utri hui thodi si haldi ko tumpar kyun lagaya jaa raha hai? Aur yeh ganda nahi lagega kya? Batao na."

What was I feeling? What was I supposed to feel? Mujhpar kisi aur ka rang chadh raha hai'ek aise insaan ka, joh aage jaakar mera hamsafar toh banega, par mere liye abhi ajnabi hai. I just don't know, if this is what I have always wanted from my life. But yeah, this was surely a dream. I am just happy and confused regarding my own thoughts. Khush hoon ki Mayank jaise ache hamsafar ke saath apni life ki nayi shuruvaat karoongi, aur saath hi saath apnon ke saath bache hue sirf kuch din hain mere paas.

But before she could ask any more questions and I could reply to her, ma said, "Gunjan, tu kitne sawaal poochti hai! Acha sun. Nupur ab us ghar ki bahut banne jaa rahi hai. Toh woh ab uska ghar hua. Is rasm se ladki par ladke aur uske sasuraal ka rang chadta hai. Aur haldi sasuraal se aati hai taaki ladki unhi ke ghar ke mahaul mein ache se rang jaaye."

Ma took a brief pause before continuing. And ma said, "Aur rahi baat tere jiju ki uteri hui thodi si haldi ki, toh, Gunjan beta, aisa isiliye hota hai kyunki ab ladki ko ladke ke rang mein dhalna hota hai. Yahi kaam ladke ke saath bhi hota hai. Abhi thodi hi der mein tere jiju ko bhi teri di ki uteri hui thodi si haldi lagai jaayegi, taaki woh bhi teri di ke rang mein rang jaaye, aur teri di se poori life pyaar karein."

I was suddenly glad that my face was covered with haldi. This enabled me to hide the little blush on my cheeks and few tears in my eyes. After this ritual, I felt myself closer to his house and Shilpa ma. This haldi ritual is surely the colour of belonging. It was because I felt myself belonging to them.

After all the ritual and the fun-masti, I went to remove the haldi. After removing it, I could see a new glow on my face. There was something new in me. I was glad to be able to see and feel everything. The new phase in my life had begun. Unknowingly, I was becoming someone else's and I was quiet enjoying it. Maybe unka rang mujhpar chadh raha hai'maybe the haldi really works.