One Cuppa Chai

°18°

A few hours later, I found myself in a cramped minivan with two plastic caskets of shaguns lovingly squished into my lap while the driver bobbed his head to a peppy Hindi song with sexual innuendos not caring for the family audience in his van that he was driving to Warangal. According to Harish's father, it was a hierarchical tradition that the reception took place in the boy's hometown. Which was very convenient for them anyways while we had to adjust our family in a little minivan to go there and host another goddamn function.

Besides that, I couldn't take that I spent a whole three hours sitting behind Siya and her brand new husband who were whispering sweet nothings while Shrishti was sort of clawing at my face and kept mumbling something in my ear which I strongly suspected was abuses in baby language.

What the prime relief during the entire ordeal was that Anusha and her rogue boyfriend went missing because she probably thought her parents were hunting her down or something. My attention was diverted when I felt my scalp hurt.

"Now, now Srishti." I chided when she pulled my hair as if telling a pet to obey. I didn't have a reputation for being good with children. I was surprised that the toddler was even choosing to sit next to me.

She did a little gymnastics with her body and I tried to hold her, the caskets wobbled threateningly in my hand.

Someone slapped my shoulder. "Don't let her peep out of the window."

Well, if you'll give me a hand here, damn you, aunty.

I dozed off at some point of time and then was rudely awoken when the bus jerked to a halt.

Again began the mechanical process of dolling up and sitting behind the couple to collect the big blocks of hideously sparkling presents and separate them from the gift cards.

I glanced up at Siya and Harish who had huge smiles on their faces for every unknown stranger who wished them over-enthusiastically. Siya, my sister; I'm proud to say was doing pretty good, greeting the guests politely and enquiring after them like a well-bred girl. I understood that she was also partially bubbling with excitement for the beginning of a new flowery life. A little shudder crept up my spine as I imagined myself in her place, blinding camera flashes and the endless torment of interacting with all those different kinds of people.

A clean, simple nightmare.

And then my mind immediately decided to conjure up Kabir and myself on a stage.

Exchanging glances and smiles or probably even little secretive comments as I'd seen a few couples doing onstage, with the glow of a flushed bride-to-be. And the best part would be that Kabir would charm his way, chattering with the unknown guests, while I will be having a little artificial smile on my lips just standing by his side. I guess, people will assume a bride is shy if she doesn't speak much and in this case, would be very favourable to me.

He would probably clasp my hands in his firm hold and give me that reassuring smile of his every now and then.

Well, if you put it that way, it doesn't sound that bad actually.

Then I realised what I'd fantasised about and felt my skin flame up.
What is wrong with you, you under-age twit! You didn't even start your freaking college and you're already...

Kabir's voice floated above me somewhere: "Not now obviously. Maybe someday no? That is if you're still interested in me."

Geez, this was not helping. Kabir was such a charmer. And me, the coward who was hopping around with some flimsy feelings.

When I wasn't with him, everything I should tell him sounded perfectly sentimental in my head. And then when I reframe it when I see him face to face, with his inquisitive cognac eyes gazing at me as if it was boring into my very soul, I sounded like a creep even to myself.