The Unnecessary Alliance

THE PREPARATIONS

VANIE's POV

"It's hideous," Sidya tells Dadi, who rolls her eyes at her in return.

"It's decent, beautiful and appropriate for a wedding."

"No!" Sidya stands up. "I am not wearing this. Come on Dadi, just let me wear the teal lehenga."

I want to pull my hair in frustration, but I try to stay calm.

Since morning they have been fighting over their outfits. I asked Dadi, Ishani and Sidya to be my bridesmaid for the wedding. And then Ishani came up with the idea of matching outfits, and they have been fighting over outfits since then.

"No. I don't look good in teal," Ishani says through the screen.

She lives and studies in Bangalore and couldn't be here a month before the wedding, so she joins us every day through video call.

"That's a you problem, darling. I don't see how it concerns me." Sidya replies.

My eyes widen slightly. I feel the need to defend my little cousin from Sidya's snarky comments, but she is at is before me.

"It concerns you because we are supposed to match our outfits." Ishani throws her hands in the air. "Seriously, are you even taking my suggestions into consideration?"

"You are the reason we are in this mess." Sidya picks the laptop and flips it so that it faces the floor. Then she motions at all the mess scattered on the floor.

Shit!

I have been so busy listening to their demands that I didn't even notice the mess around me. I can already feel a headache coming because of it.

We have been planning a wedding for the last three days now. When I came back from the hospital a week ago, having to plan a wedding was the last thing I expected. But since the date for our wedding was set by my parents and the arrangements for the wedding were my mother's duty, none of it resembled what Aadi and I had in mind for the wedding.

So, we set a new date — the end of this month—, and cancelled all the arrangements my mother made. And now we are planning a wedding from zero.

We divided duties, to ensure proper management. Aadi is supposed to look for a venue and send invites, and I am in charge of approving decorations, and well finalising all our outfits.

Apparently according to my Dadi and Aadi, I am still sick and need to be taken care of. So all the dress fittings, and meetings are taking place here, at our home.

And the place is a mess. The entire floor is covered with fabrics, pictures, paper and random clips. I look in the corner of the room where the designer and her two assistants stand. All three of them look equally confused. Poor them.

"Guys come one, let's just let the designers suggest you pieces individually and all three of you can choose what—."

"No," Ishani says, "I want us to match, please. I couldn't even attend your engagement, let me have one wish. I am not even asking that the outfits should be the same, just similar."

My heart melts a little. She is my lovely little sister, who deserves the entire world. And I missed her so much on my engagement. Just because of a stupid feud that happened between our fathers years ago, she couldn't be there for my engagement.

"Then let me wear the teal lehenga and the two of you..," she points at Dadi and Ishani, "find a way to match my outfit."

My eyes move towards Dadi, who has clearly given up on any chance of convincing Sidya to wear something other than the outfit she initially picked.