ArShi One Shots

Silly Pleasure

Khushi nodded at what her mother said absentmindedly. After the conversation started with "Deepa aunty says...", Khushi lost interest in whatever her mother had to say, because Deepa aunty never says anything rational. Khushi juggled between looking at the long queue ahead of her and her watch every two minutes. At this rate, she is going to reach office only around noon. Now, she has to work another Saturday to compensate for lost hours at work. Khushi sighed. Her mother is never going to understand how much these every week Friday temple visits are causing stress in maintaining optimum working hours in office. She is forced to work on all Saturdays. But, who can defy a mother? Not Khushi nor the other young unwed men and women in the long line waiting to pray to Mangalya Lakshmi.

Ever since Khushi turned 21 five years ago, all her mother wanted was to get her married. As if registering in thousand and one matrimony websites and sending out her horoscope to all relatives isn't enough, her mother has to lend ears to Deepa aunty's fancy story about Mangalya Lakshmi in GM Road, who apparently blesses generously young unmarried men and women if religiously prayed every Friday for twelve weeks. Now, this is Khushi's fifth Friday.

Khushi's mother nudged her breaking her from her thoughts. "Pray." she said ticking her chin towards the direction of the god. Her mother's hands were folded in prayer and she was mumbling chants. From where Khushi stood, she could only see sea of heads. No way her mother who was few inches shorter than her, can see the idol from here. She smiled fondly at her optimistic, believer mother.

A little rattle from people behind in the line announced to Khushi arrival of certain someone. She heard a shrill voice argue that she was standing only where she was meant to and she had only gone away to buy flowers, so technically not breaking the line. Khushi smiled looking her friend who joined the line beside her. She was panting probably because of the run she would have made from home to not miss the puja.

"I thought I will get to sleep in today as mom is out of station. But, she called me in the morning and asked me to video call her from the temple to make sure I am here. Who thought moms learning technology is going to be bane to us."

Khushi chuckled at Lavanya's complain. As a dance instructor who works only five hours a day and gets three offs a week, Khushi doesn't understand why Lavanya complains so much about not getting rest or enough sleep. Moving to her right, she made more space for Lavanya to stand leaning on the pillar, sip the water and catch her breath. Lavanya's mother is hell bent on getting her hitched by end of the year much to Lavanya's annoyance. She says it is about some rahu ketu dosh in her horoscope. I am only 23 is Lavanya's reply when asked why she doesn't want to get married.

Khushi and Lavanya lived all their life in the same building and shared nothing but warm smile, but now, the past five week, their temple visit has made them as close as one would expect a school friendship to be. After all, waiting in long queue gives ample time to talk and not to mention the two shopping and movie dates they had together with each other.

"At least we found each other." Lavanya said when Khushi asked her if either or both of them will be married before end of 12 weeks.

True. Thank god they found each other. Neither of them could undergo these marriage proposals and other dramas without the other.

"So did I miss?" asked Lavanya once she was back to normal.

"Arti? No."

"Not arti. Come on, Khushi. You know what I asked."

Khushi chuckled before nodding a no. "You didn't." she said turning her head towards the idol to see if she can see the god yet.

Lavanya looked around her impatiently. "When will they be here?"