The Great Indian Wedding Romance

34. Final Round

On two separate occasions since the morning after their rooftop rendezvous, Chetna had managed to corner Siddharth to quickly and urgently whisper a hurried, "Leave." or, "I do not want you to stay."

Every second that ticked closer to her engagement made her worried that Siddharth would actually stay for every ritual of her impending nuptials to Bharat because his response to her requests was either a casual head shake or an amused, "Do better."

He was not budging. She had tried every expression, tone or manner. Stern, desperate, coaxing, he would just look at her and shake his head.

They were now less than two days away from her engagement. She was panicking. She was getting pulled in a million different directions trying to prepare for it. There was always something or the other, or someone or the other to attend to. Being the bride she had to endure conversations and advice from all of her annoying relatives.

One extremely awkward moment that she would recall and cringe for the rest of her life was when her mother tried to give her a sex ed talk.

She was in the process of sending her outfit out to get steam pressed when her mother walked into her room. She should have guessed the awkward nature of her business by the way her mother looked around to see if anyone was around and then shut the door.

"Chetna, sit down."

Chetna was confused but obeyed nonetheless.

This was uncommon yes, but not unheard of, her mother wanting a tete-a-tete.

"Chetna, you are going to begin a new journey in your life."

Chetna just nodded waiting for her to go on. She figured that her mother was having an emotional moment owing to her other daughter getting married. This was understandable.

"You know that there are some things that are going to be new for you."

Her mother paused and then exhaled.

"You will have certain duties as a wife that you will need to fulfil. Duties you do not know about. Bharat Ji might have some expectations..."

She trailed off and Chetna had a sinking realisation as to what her mother was alluding to. She stood up immediately and said,

"Yes, mummy. I understand my 'wifely duties'. You do not need to explain anything to me."

"But, don't you want to know about what you should do for your first night?"

Chetna left the room in the middle of her last sentence so that the last part was a faint echo through the curtains. She only went back in when she saw that the coast was clear and her mother had left.

So now, a few hours after the initial incident when Chaarvi waltzed into her room and settled down on the bed she knew from the tickled expression on her face that she had bumped into their mother.

"So, mummy told me that you would not listen to her helpful advice."

Chetna scowled at her sister as she laughed.

"Stop being such a sour puss. She gave me the talk too."

"Good for you," Chetna said still trying to clear her room of the mess. Her room was perpetually a mess these days.

"She thought that maybe I could talk to you," Chaarvi said, clearly enjoying herself.

Chetna chucked the piece of clothing, she was folding, at her face.

"You are my little sister. Act like it."

"I'm a married woman. I have more experience." she shot back.