How to Wed A Devil

Chapter 11

Ananya Prasad

Today is Sharanya's engagement. The ceremony is at 6 PM. I reached home in the afternoon. Sid won't be able to make it to the event. So, I will be all alone. I didn't even have time to purchase a dress for the engagement. So I will be wearing an old dress. Mom is very upset with me since I have not done my shopping. Sharanya as usual did not care.

My house is filled with event management people overseeing decorations. My sister is in her room getting ready. I looked at myself in the mirror. I should have at least gotten a haircut. It is a mess. Who am I kidding? My whole self is a mess. I have dark circles under my eyes, my hair is frizzy, my eyebrows not in shape. And don't even start about my upper lip hair and hair on my arms. It is a disaster. If I go like this, my mom will kill me. I ran quickly to the parlor to get at least waxing done. I only have time for that.

By the time I reached home, I just have one hour to get ready and my mom went all hysterical seeing me still in my casual dress. She hurled some colorful words at me and asked me to get ready. Why do we women get all frantic when arranging an event?

I wore a simple peach-colored lehenga and did a small hairstyle with a clip and leaving the remaining hair open. I did a simple makeup and ran downstairs. Just 10 people arrived and the devil and Sharanya are taking couple photos doing cliché poses. My mom ushered me into their bedroom and gave me jewelry to wear. She is mumbling something about me never getting ready on time.

When I finally came back and joined, the function is about to get started. Sharanya is sitting in between my parents and they are opposite to the devil's family and some pooja is going on. My brother Srikanth is standing next to my parents overseeing the arrangements. And Amit dadu is sitting in a chair on the side. I went and stood beside him. He held my hand affectionately and smiled.

Sharanya is looking very pretty. She wore a pink and blue pattu lehenga and is looking like a royal princess. Devil is wearing a Pink kurta along with a blue overcoat matching with Sharanya's. He is looking good today. This is the first time I am observing him. He is about 6 feet and has frameless nerdy glasses. He is lean and medium built. You cannot say he is not muscular but you cannot say he has no muscles. He is in the middle. My sister and he paints a pretty picture.

Finally, after a lifetime, the rituals are completed, and rings are exchanged. The couple is coming towards me. Why are they coming to me?

They came and stood in front of me and bent down to take blessings from Amit dadu who is beside me.

Ohhhh.

Then they took blessings from everyone and started greeting the guests. I slipped away in the chaos to the dining room and on my way, I saw Karthik sir and he waved at me. I smiled and went to greet him.

"Wow. Ananya, I must say you are looking good," he told me with a surprise in his tone.

"You were always in simple dresses with ponytail and glasses," he explained.

"Haha. You are looking good too sir," I told him politely with a smile.

"Oh, stop calling me sir. We are family now. Call me Karthik. And by the way, I always look good, don't I?" he asked me with a wink.

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "Yeah, Yeah".

It is surprisingly easy to talk to Karthik sir. Just then, the devil came to us and we both congratulated him.

"Where is your fiancée?" Karthik sir asked him.

"Washroom", he replied and smiled at me. I too smiled at him politely.

"So, Ananya, where is your boyfriend?" Karthik sir asked.

"Umm...What?"

"That guy, Siddharth right?", he clarified. The devil nudged him in the elbow and glared at him.

"Oh...Uh...Sid and I are just friends, sir. We are friends since childhood. And he is on a shift today. So he cannot come." I replied to him.

"Oohh...So single and ready to mingle with me, huh?", he winked at me.

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him and the devil looked at me with a surprised expression on his face. I was about to reply when my cousin called me. I excused myself and left.

Finally, the party was over by 11.30 PM. I went to my bedroom and was about to sleep when someone knocked on my door and entered. I turned and saw Sharanya.

She looked at me and smiled lightly and said,

"Hi".