The Wedding Tamasha | PUBLISHED

Chapter 5

'What do you mean you can't come?' Neha's voice pierced Shweta's eardrums.

Two days after she realized her goof-up with the passport, Shweta had thought it was a good idea to call her older sister and see if there was a chance she could implore her to impress on the family the need to postpone the wedding. Neha was better at handling such complicated situations. But for that, Shweta knew she would have to first convince Neha to see the problem from her point of view.

Obviously, that plan had backfired and Neha had started yelling instead.

'Come here and sit down if you want me to braid your hair.' Neha seemed to be multitasking, talking on the phone while getting her daughter, Ria, ready for school.

Ria's chirpy voice floated through the speaker. 'Who are you talking to?'

Shweta heard her say, 'Shweta,' and then scold Ria. 'Sit still, silly girl. Keep your head straight.'

'Hi, Aunt S,' Ria said, before she groaned in pain, 'Ah!'

Shweta smiled, thinking of her adorable little niece. 'Hi, sweetie!'

'Sit still, I say!' Shweta heard Neha admonish Ria again. 'So, you were saying, Shweta? Turn your head this way, Ria.'

Shweta let Neha continue to be distracted by Ria's antics. She heard Ria groan again. 'You know what I'm saying, Neha,' Shweta continued in a wheedling tone. 'Tickets cost the earth. Coming once a year is okay but in six months? That's extravagant. And I can't have Papa pay for our tickets. Can't Simbu postpone the wedding to next year?'

Neha tsk-tsked. 'Look, Shweta. Simbu's waited so long. He's nearly thirty. As it is, your wedding took so long. Now what if Lekha calls off this wedding altogether when he asks her to postpone it again? He and Lekha have waited for over a year. In fact, all of us are tired of waiting. Even Mohan thinks it's high time the love birds got married.'

The mention of her brother-in-law Mohan put a dent in Shweta's argument. Mohan was like an older brother to her and she didn't want to let him down. Shweta scowled.

'Have you called Ma?' Neha asked. 'Papa and she are over the moon.'

The whole point of calling Neha first was to get Neha to ask Keertana. But it didn't look like it was going to work. Shweta heard Ria groan again. 'Why are you hurting the poor child? Should I call you later?'

'No, I'm done. Ria, have you taken your water bottle and pencil box?'

Shweta heard Ria say good-bye to her mother and then to her. 'Bye, Aunt S. Call me over the weekend.'

Shweta heard Neha let out a deep breath followed by the bang of a door. 'So, what were you saying?'

'Mmmm...about having another wedding so soon...'

'Oh, come on, Shweta, you have to be out of your mind! Ma was telling me that the Nambiars have already sent her some sample wedding cards over e-mail. Things are moving quickly.' Then she changed the subject. 'How is Raj? Shouldn't December be a good time for him too?'

Shweta wished she could say 'No.' Or tell her that he wouldn't come. Or that she didn't know where he was or what he was doing.

In the meantime, Neha got busy with something in the kitchen.

Shweta hung on, as she heard sounds of a spoon and the opening of the microwave at the other end.

'Mmm...' Neha finally got back to Shweta after a long slurp of her drink. 'Ah, at last I get to sit down and drink my tea in peace. What were you saying again?'