Chapter 5

Jijaji - Brother in law

Haldi - A ceremony involving turmeric done prior to the Indian wedding

"Sakshi didi!!" Divya said as she raised her arms for an embrace

"Divya bhabhi!" sakshi replied as she fell into the arms of her beloved bhabhi. "I can't believe that Arjun bhaiya has agreed to get married!"

"Forget all that there is so much to prepare for!" Divya replied in excitement as she went on to meet the little Riya and Sakshi's husband Vivek. 

"Didi, for you only Arjun bhaiya and Divya bhabhi are important, all of us are second hand why?" Aman asked as he stood there like a dramatic aunty, hands on his hips

"Arrey Aman, why just you brother, your dear Didi has forgotten me and her kids also! In all the excitement, she would've left us at home itself!" Vivek joked

"Jijaji!" Aakash said as he went to hug Vivek 

"Where is Ishika? and badi maa (elder aunt) and mom! where is everyone! you all wait here, I'll call them" Sakshi said excitedly as she took the kids and began her room to room search to announce her arrival

"Aakash, you are here, then where is our darling groom?" Vivek asked

"Meetings" Aakash lied, he had no idea where Arjun was. 

"God! both Arjun bhaiya and Meera are going to be workaholics! god knows what they are going to do!" Divya joked 

"They'll figure something out ya!" Aakash snapped, Divya looked at him puzzled.

"Aakash I was just joking, why are you snapping, early in the morning!" Divya asked him, unable to handle his absurdity 

"I-Im-Im not snapping ya, just forget it, tch" Aakash said as he nodded his head and went to take the table

"Arrey it's okay, Arjun bhaiya must be giving him a hard time, Divya, you don't worry" Vivek said trying to easen the situation as he placed his arm around her shoulder in a brotherly manner

"By the way, Mrs. Divya Aakash Goenka, whose side are you from? the grooms side or the brides side?" he continued trying to pull her leg

"Jijaji, she can be on whichever side, but I am from the bride's side" Aakash replied, knowing very well that Divya was mad at him for his absurd behavior, this way he could try to normalize himself

"And why is that?" Divya asked, her face puffed up in madness

"bhai, I don't get any respect here only! and there, at Niyathi aunty's house, respect, so much respect! so much care and affection, but who cares for me here, jijaji?" Aakash said making a baby face

"Yeah yeah, no one cares na, go make breakfast yourself!" Divya said, slamming a glass on the table and going towards Sakshi

-

"Pick up, pick up, pick up" Aakash chanted to himself as he dialed Arjun's number for the nth time

"What's the matter buddy? you look tense? you were snapping at the table today for no reason and now?" Vivek asked him as he entered his room

"oh no jiju, just a little tired" Aakash said repressing a smile

"Aakash are you ready? Meera's haldi is starting, then we have to be back for Arjun bhaiya's haldi!" Divya called out to him

"Yeah coming!" Aakash replied to her, and giving Vivek a reassuring smile, walked towards her

-

'soni banno cham si chamke

mitthe uthe jhumar damke

palka uth diya ne thum thum ke

main vaari jaava'  (lyrics to a folk song)

the old ladies sang sitting in a corner and bashing the dhols in their hands

"Aakash Jiju! Divya didi!" Sidhanth remarked as he spotted them and went to greet them, the greetings went on with the other acquaintances and they went towards Meera for Haldi.

They pulled her leg a little before smearing haldi (turmeric) all over her face, although she was already adorned with a lot of haldi and mehndi by her friends. In all the wedding festivities they barely had time to speak to one another, Aakash was still unaware whether he should tell anyone about his missing brother or not. 

-

Aakash and Divya entered their house, Arjun's phone was still unreachable, Aakash suddenly had the urge to inform Divya of Arjun's rejection of this marriage already, he stopped Divya from going any further by holding her wrist, "Divya, I need to te-"

"Aakash?" he heard Arjun call him from faraway, Arjun was standing there, holding one of Parth, Sakshi's little one on his shoulder

"Arjun bhaiya? you're back?"

"Yeah, Arjun bhaiya came the minute you left for our new to be bhabhi's haldi" Ishika said laughing as she continued munching on something while Arjun rolled his eyes at the mention of 'bhabhi', here was a woman he had never seen and suddenly she was his family's bhabhi! Aakash nodded his head, pissed, he had been so worried and so confused! There was a chaos in his head which could all be prevented. He looked away and began walking towards his room.

"Aakash, dinner?" his mother asked him expectantly

"I am not hungry mom" He replied as he stomped off

Sakshi raised her eyebrows gesturing to Divya, who nodded in frustration. Divya then came closer to Sakshi and mumbled, "I don't know what's been wrong with him! How am I supposed to enjoy the wedding of the closest people in my lives, like this!" a part of which was heard by Arjun.

As Divya took a glass of water and proceeded to deal with Aakash, to confront him about what was going on, Arjun intervened, "Divya, wait, I'll talk to him, don't worry, he is just a little mad at me" he said and gave her a subdued smile. 

-

"Hey?" Arjun asked as he peeked into the room, Aakash stood there, his top taken off, looking for a T-shirt

"Hey" he replied uninterestedly

"Mad at me?" Arjun asked him as he moved inside the room

"Should I be? Should I not be? You tell me" Aakash replied, his lips pursed 

"I am sorry, I am sorry that I screamed at you yesterday for no reason at all, Aakash, try to understand, I am not ready, I never will be, I can't give her that love or whatever she expects from a husba-"

"And what if I told you that she had no expectations whatsoever?" Aakash interrupted him

"Then there shouldn't be a problem" Arjun replied his head inclining to his right side 

"And what if you hurt her?"

"Aakash, you can't hurt anyone you've never loved!" Arjun justified, Aakash rolled his eyes at Arjun's poetic reply

"okay okay, I'll make sure she is never uncomfortable"  Arjun stated as he thought - ofcourse she wouldn't be uncomfortable, probably give her a credit card with an allowance, besides with all the grandiose of the house, no one can get uncomfortable, coming from his Mom and Dad's circle, he assumed her to be just another shallow spoilt kid

"Just don't be mad ya, your personal life shouldn't be effected by me, I know I've done enough of that, besides now you guys can finally plan a kid ya" Arjun added trying to lighten the mood as he placed his palm on his younger brother's cheek

"Hmm" Aakash replied

"Oyy, cheer up!" Arjun said as he slapped Aakash's back. He wasn't sure of this marriage before but had begun to come around it due to family pressure but now when Aakash said that the girl had no expectations, he became more accepting towards it, maybe she was just another girl marrying for a comfortable life, he could give her that, besides he was worth a lot. He just had to beware that the woman didn't end up extending his bills too much!

Aakash gave him a strained a smile, he couldn't be mad at his elder brother, he wasn't taught to. 

-

The wedding day arrived and in the morning Arjun's haldi ceremony took place, his family was so happy and he couldn't help but spare a smile at the antics of over enthusiastic Sakshi, Divya and his mother. The ladies had put up a grandshow, but the real show was during the ghud chadai or horse climbing ceremony. 

Vivek, helped him put on his Sherwani, followed by a broach adorned turban, that the boys helped him put on. Aman took a bottle of deo and sprayed excess of it on him, which made Arjun jerk back and glare at Aman

"Come on Arjun bhaiya, it's your wedding today, chill out, a little bit dude!" Aman added cheekily

"'Dude'?" Arjun asked him pretending to be furious

"Okay sorry, I meant sir" Aman sighed and shook his head in disapproval

"Oh wow, is my son not ready yet?" Pratibha said as she entered the room and smiled on seeing Arjun, she was followed by Divya holding a jewellery box in her hand, "Well if my boys are set, it's time Divya put the family heir loom around Arjun's neck, it's a ritual done by the sister in law" she said and left to attend the other guests

Arjun smiled to her and got onto the chair in front of the dressing table. Divya came from behind and squeezed his shoulders lightly, "Arjun bhaiya, why are you so stressed?" She asked looking into the mirror

"Divya, it's just pre marital jitters I am sure, every groom gets it, whether he'll be able to keep his wife happy or not" Vivek added laughing a little and slapping Arjun's back as Divya moved to get the heir loom. She bent a little to tie it around Arjun, so that she were only audible to him.

"Arjun bhaiya, all a woman wants is a man who loves her more than anyone else, who would never hurt her, thats it, that's all she needs" She whispered to him "And my heart knows Arjun Bhaiya, that you would never hurt my sister" 

Arjun looked to her and tried to pose a smile but in his head he knew that love was the one thing he couldn't give to Divya's cousin. Soon, everyone left the room to take care of all their duties, leaving only Aakash and Arjun in the room. Arjun took a last look in the mirror, to assure himself that he was doing the right thing, Aakash put his hand onto Arjun's shoulder and smiled to him, "I know that whatever you do will be right, my brother can never do anything wrong", Arjun patted his younger brother's hand and rose up.

Once Arjun got into a very uncomfortable position on the horse, with his nephew, Parth seated in front of him, the music of the band started for the baarat (the wedding parade) and his brothers and sisters began the show that they had organized on the song 'chote chote bhaiyon ke badde bhaiya' (The eldest brother to the little siblings)

It began with sakshi, Divya and Ishika dancing, followed by Vivek, Aman and Aakash joining them. In the end, Aakash and Aman, put on a race as to who would garland the brother first. The excitement for the wedding was certainly more for everyone than it was for Arjun who was just sitting there uncomfortably, on a horse, giving a repressed look

Emotional blackmail really was the bramhastra (invincible weapon) for Indian parents or he would have never been in that situation.

The baarat soon started moving towards the Guptas. They were soon at the house and were welcomed by the entire Gupta Family. The welcome rituals were completed quickly and Arjun was seated in the Mandap, with his turban now changed to the one with dangling flowers that were obstructing his view in all entirety. A tall woman wearing a dark yet subtle Lehenga walked with the help of a few other's towards Arjun, her face was fully covered by a large veil, she was seated beside Arjun.