Chapter 2

"Did you drink?" I asked dad as i opened the door for him. He looked at me with his narrowed eyes.

"I'm not your son. Moreover, i don't drink anymore." He replied and i rolled back my eyes.

"Same thing you said last year, when you drank two whole glass of ...what ..yeah, whiskey. " I offered him a glass of water and sat beside him.

"That was when i didn't knew my condition." My smile halted as he spoke. "Now i will take no risk to harm myself and see you getting marry without joining your mother."

"Dad.." i whined and hugged him. He chuckled. "Everyone is just asking me to marry. Can't i live my life by my own?"

"You need someone to live your life with. Someone to shower your life with happiness and love. Someone who can rely onto you and you onto him." He spoke.

"You lived your life alone."

"I had your mom, then you. I was never alone. But you know that's not your case." He ran his fingers in my hairs that i inherited from my mom. Black, silky and straight.

"Then i will adopt Yash. He already loves me and will fill my life with love." I snuggled more to him.

"And his parents will let you?"

"They can have another after babygirl." I felt his chest moving as he laughed. I smiled knowing it is what i want. His laugh.

"You know, revti ji called to invite us for her niece's betrothal ceremony." Dad informed as he scrolled in his mobile. I kept the glass of turmeric milk in the table and siat beside him, crossing my legs.

"Ofcourse. She won't stop telling me to prepare all the dresses and take active participation in the preparations. She said her son is busy in his company and will come only at the day of ceremony, and now i will have to take his place." Dad laughed knowing how bossy Revti aunty could be.

I looked at the clock and gasped seeing 12. "Its late. Now sleep before i cut all the pakodas (cutlets) for you. By all i mean all. Even the ones you eat with your friends."

Dad scrunched his nose and drank his milk before laying down. I smiled at his antics. He will leave no stone unturned to make me feel happy. Even if it meant him acting like a child.

"You still not told me,how you met Revti ji." I heard my father as i closed the lights of his room. But i paid no heed to him and wished him good night before going to my room, which was just beside him.

Our house was not so big. Its a two room house with a big hall and a large garden. Mom never wanted a two storey building house, as she feared the heigths. A garden that my mom loved. Especially the pink lily one. I smiled at the memory when dad would tuck a pink flower in the back of my head and will tell it to be the blessings from Mom.

I looked at my mobile and swiped the lock screen which had a pink flower as lock-screen-wallpaper and met the one month old myself who slept in her father's embrace and he took the selfie. This picture was close to my heart, because of the pendant. The pendant which lost after a day. It was mom's pendant. The one she designed for me.

I opened the messages and saw Revti aunty's message. I opened it and looked at the pink saree and the orange. She had asked for my recommendation. I typed orange as it suited her fair tone more.

_______

I ran down the hall and looked at the artists who painted the hands of the ladies with henna. The sound system playing the songs in background as the laughters of the ladies echoed the house. Tonight was the betrothal ceremony of Harini and her fiancè, Hritesh. Its a love marriage.

"Aunty see ruchika. She is threatening me to paint my face with henna." I complaint to Revti aunty who glared at Ruchika, her younger niece who was glaring at me. I just smirked back.

"Why to ruin your hands, Ru? Take the cone and then paint." I widened my eyes at Vansh, revti aunty's younger son.

"You piece of a rotten meat! Come and i will show you how to paint." I scolded. Everyone here knows that i never put henna. Its smell makes my head spin. Moreover its a big tedious task as it meant to sit idol and wait your turn to be fed, till you are rid by it.

"Vansh how are you here, by the way?" Sonal Aunty, mother of Harini and Ruchika, asked. The men of the house were asked to go at the venue and ensure everything's right.

"That... i ..i am here to look for your and mom's, daughter in law. You know bro is too busy to find himself one, and i can marry only after him." He showed his puppy eyes and a pout that made him look like a pig.

"Oh so you want to marry? Did kritika say yes?" I teased and his cheeks turned berry. " don't tell me you are gonna marry at the age of 23." He winked at me in return before coming back to his form

"I can, because i have my partner, unlike someone who don't." He mocked. I threw my sandal at him but he dodged it. "I wanted to choose you but then i won't. I don't want you as my bhabhi!!" He whipped his tongue out.

"Shut up!" I hushed and picked my mobile which beeped like fire caught it. It was dad's. Biting my tongue, I picked up and went in a corner as Ruchika and Vansh fought like street dogs.

"Is dad missing me so much?" I ask playfully.

"Maybe." Came the meek reply. It was not dad. I knew it. His voice has never been so dull. "You dad is in hospital, Lavanya." It was dad's doctor, Mr. Kishan.

"Why? Is..is everything fine?" A sudden wave of negativity surrounded me.

"Just come here. As soon as possible, Lavanya." He hanged up. He sounded in hurry.

I stood there, staring at my phone. Wandering if it was real or just a mirage. Unfortunately it was real. I ran, leaving my another sandal there. I could not wait to grab my first one. I sat in my car, ignoring all the callings and started driving as fast as i could. Luckily there was no jam and i reached without any signals that showed red.

"Dad??" I looked at the same receptionist who would always greeted with a smile as i came with my dad but this one time when i came for my dad, she showed me her sympathetic eyes and told me '126'. I ran to the said room, knowing the full hospital like back of my hand. I had roamed around it all the times when dad was in the surgery or was having checkups.