Silently Falling in Love: Again (Edited)

Chapter 12 - Wedding

Anjali – 1997

I woke up at six am to prepare for my wedding. I was so nervous. Getting ready would take hours. God knows how heavy my lengha was, but it would surely keep me from racing around. My mother and aunts gathered around me to tie the lengha around my waist.

My mom stood behind me. "I can't accept my baby is getting married. The years passed by so fast. Rima's already married and now you. That leaves Rakesh and then you'll all be gone leaving my home empty."

"Oh mom, you recognize none of us are that far away and we always come home. Plus, Rakesh and I haven't lived at home in a while. But, if you're going to be sentimental, then please do it before my make-up is applied." I joked.

She smiled back at me.

She held out the lengha for me to step into and then pulled it up over my waist and pulled the strings tight.

"You've lost too much weight since we last tried on your wedding dress. Hopefully, after marriage Raj will fatten you."

"I expected all brides lost weight before the big wedding day."

"But you already looked perfect."

She pulled the lengha higher and adjusted it until she was satisfied with the way it rested on my waist.

I pulled off my t-shirt and slipped on the blouse. I pulled my long hair away and my mom connected the hooks in the back.

Once my foundation was applied, the hairdresser came in and combed my long hair. She spent at least thirty minutes combing it out and putting God knows what products in to create a smooth shine to it.

"Those flowers are pretty," the hairdresser stated as my mom left the room. "Are they from Raj?"

"No," I said, "They're from friends that were unable to attend."

She styled the front so that my hair covered my forehead and then pulled it back in a ponytail. Once she was happy, she pulled out slivers of hair from the sides to curl later.

I wasn't about to tell her they were from Josh my college sweetheart who hadn't been invited but had sent me flowers and a note saying it still wasn't too late to change my mind, he'd be waiting.

I told no one, not even Katherine, that he'd approached me at Charlies' birthday party telling me he was so sorry, and would I take him back. Years had gone by and I'd never heard from him but as soon as I was engaged, he wanted me back. I wanted to throw the flowers in the trash, but if I did that, it would cause a scene and more questions, so I left them on the dresser as they stared and taunted me while I got ready for my wedding.

The hairdresser went to work on the back of my hair twisting and turning it into a delicate updo that wouldn't even be seen since I would wear my duppata over my head, as was traditional. Raj preferred my hair down and for me not to wear the duppata, but who was I to argue with thousand-year-old traditions. Being a bride to me always meant wearing some shade of maroon and covering my head for the traditional ceremony.

I had loved Josh with all of my heart and given him all of me and that wasn't enough to make us permanent. Instead, I was marrying Raj who liked me, figured out we were compatible but hadn't truly told me he loved me. At least not in that passionate way; not how Josh had. But as I'd learned the hard way someone could love you and not want to marry you while another person could agree to marry you but not love you with all of his heart. Ironic, wasn't it?

An hour later she was all but finished. "Let's get your duppata on and then we'll put on the lipstick last."

I nodded as my masi came in and wrapped the duppata. She started with folding pleats and then tucking it near my belly button and then taking the leftover material and draping it around my back and over my head and lightly grazing the other side of my head. She kept space on both sides of my head, so the covering was light.