Upside Down: A MaNan Marriage

9: Manik

I could have given her less time, but I felt like being generous after witnessing her innocence in the washroom cubicle. I noticed her running, struggling with her bags as she entered the airport. So, I sent my attendants to help her with the luggage. "No, thank you. I can manage." she said to them. "Thank you, that would be all for today" I said sending them away. "I wish you was this stubborn when we both were drunk" I said inaudibly, recollecting the incidents of that fateful night that resulted in this situation.

I had signed the biggest deal of my life with New Corp. Inc. that would take Malhotra Industries to the global market and I beat my arch rival Harshad to it! I wanted to share my happiness with someone, so I called my last dialled number who was Alia. "Baby, guess what?" I asked her sounding a little drunk on the phone. "I signed the deal." I exclaimed joyously. "Good for you, but I couldn't care less." She replied sarcastically. Why was she so mad? Is it because of the discussion related to our marriage that we had earlier? I don't care because she has to be happy when I am happy and she has no right to get mad at me when I am having a good time. So, I cut the call as I was very annoyed with her. I drank a lot of whiskey to forget the conversation I had with her and just enjoy the fact that I am the best. I usually drink wine, but today I was in a mood for something stronger.
Just as I ordered more whiskey, I noticed a young Indian girl who was drinking shots of vodka I presume. Her expressions were so cute to observe. Probably the first time she drank alcohol, I inferred from her expressions. Her friends said something to her and left her alone. She perched on a bar stool a few metres away from me. She looked very uncomfortable in her short dress and was pulling her dress down to cover more of her thighs. Something about the way she was dealing with the environment made me want to know more about her. So, I went to her and said "Probably not your drink" to which she replied "I don't drink." I could definitely see that! She had 4 shot glasses in front of her. She probably meant she has never drunk before. Anyway, I continued the conversation "So what brings a girl who doesn't drink to Vegas?" " I just turned 21, so my friends brought me here" she said. "A great place to celebrate your birthday." I said before she cut me off with her drunk slurpy sentence "but you know what? I hate this birthday!" She said with a sad pout. "Why?" I asked curious to know why she hated this birthday. "Because its not fun at all!" she said. Its Vegas baby, I will show you how much fun this place can be. "Come, lets make it fun." I said stretching my arm out for her to hold. She held on to my hand and we walked out of the bar, giving each other support as neither of us could walk straight alone. Based on my observation, she seemed like a gambling virgin, so I decided to take her to a casino. We walked hand in hand on the ever busy streets of Vegas and reached one of the best casinos in the city, 'The Venetian.' We walked in and showed the guard our IDs. I took her to the roulette table and explained the game to her. " Place $1000 straight up on number 17." I have played this game many times before, and I know that there is no hard and fast rule to win in the game. So, I asked her to place the highest playable amount on the number I hated the most, 17. Her mouth formed a big O on hearing the amount I was asking her to bet with. "but I don't have $1000!" I smiled and handed her plastic coins worth that amount that I had already purchased. She happily took the coins and did what I asked her to do. The staff in charge of the table spun the wheel and to our luck the ivory ball landed on number 17. She jumped in joy and hugged me. This is the first time something good has happened with 17. Maybe she is my lucky charm. I definitely wanted to play more rounds with her by my side.  "Want to play again?" I asked her. "No, thats enough, lets have ice cream." It was her birthday and I had promised to show her a good time, so I walked her to the best ice cream parlour that I know in Vegas. In a small Church adjacent to the parlour, we saw a couple getting married even though it was way past midnight. Such sights are peculiar to Vegas! The bride was dressed in white, and was walking up the isle and her groom stood near the priest. "You know I awlays wanted a Christian wedding." I said to her, thinking of the conversation (or fight) I had with Alia yesterday when I told her that I wanted a Christian style wedding but she didn't.  Why was I sharing my thoughts with her? I don't know, maybe thats what I do when I am drunk.  "Lets do that then" She exclaimed happily. As I was about to take her to the Church, she held my hand and stopped me. "But I don't have a white dress!" She said with her signature pouty sad face that made my heart melt. We took a taxi and bought a beautiful gown for her from a designer store and retuned to the same Church. The priest read us a few questions to which we both replied "I do." Then he made us sign a few papers and said " With the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I herby declare you, Manik and Nandini as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." I moved forward and bent down to reach her lips, she wrapped her arms around my neck to help me and I pecked her lips to seal this "pretend" marriage. Before I could take the kiss forward, she moved away and said "but I am a Hindu, you need to put sindoor on my forehead." Somehow I managed to get something red and put some on her forehead as "pretend" sindoor to satisfy my "pretend" wife. We were sitting in the taxi when I asked "Where should I drop you?" but she was fast asleep. I looked at her, she had no purse or phone which could have details of someone she knew or her Vegas address. It was a big city and I couldn't leave her in that state alone on the streets. So, I took her to my room and carried her to the bed. I put her down, covered her with a duvet and changed into my vest (yes the same one you see on the cover of this story). I lied down on the other side of the bed when I heard her say "this is so much fun! Thank you for the best birthday ever." She snuggled close to me and soon we both drifted off into deep sleep.

Now in hindsight, I wish she was as stubborn as she is now and had never spoken to me even when I spoke to her. I could have stolen from her (not that she had any money on her that night anyway), raped her or even murdered her. Don't people teach their daughters not to talk to strangers!

Pheew! Long chapter...
So, now you know how they got married. Hope you had as much fun reading it as they had in Vegas!
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