Chapter 13


    ANUSHIYA VISHWANATH


    One weekter, our house had changed into marriage mode. Yes, the decorations were going on the


    full speed because we didn''t have time like a month or two, just a week so they were all busy. Flowers


    were hanging on the doorways and around our house. Amma and Appa were super busy weing


    guests and Jo was standing beside me helping me to keeppany.


    Last week had been a mess. Which was I didn''t stop getting those mysterious calls, who call just to


    hear my voice. That was insane. In change, I get to hear whoever was on the other side of the phone''s


    breathing sound. And Jo and Akhil didn''t stop cheating and killing others as Sammy calling me every


    day morning and giving me lectures about how to be a married woman and to take responsibilities. And


    also she told me that once I married him I won''t still be the same Anushiya Vishwanath, I''ll be Anushiya


    Smith.


    I was thinking about that week, how they flew very fast as a jet. I didn''t get any phone calls from him. I


    didn''t even call him either. And I even forgot that he gave me his visiting card that I forgot where I kept.


    My life was getting ridiculous and hrious. If I wasn''t surrounded by dozens of people around me in


    our bride''s room in that huge wedding hall, I''d have cried. I don''t know I was a sensitive person until


    then.


    It''s been an hour since we just transferred from our room in the house to our room in the wedding hall.


    Our beautician was doing our touch-up. While thinking and scolding about me in my thoughts, reality hit


    me up with my beautician who was brushing my hair which was sticking on my hair knots. After some


    aahs and ouches and sorry, she finally let my hair in peace and I was d that she leaves my hair and


    went to peat my saree.


    The room was much bigger than our living room. The air conditioner seems working but still was hot


    out there because of people standing inside the room and filling every space around the room to see


    me bride''s getting ready like it was also one the world''s wonder. The room was filled with noise and


    chattering. Some of the aunties were looking at me sadly as if they missed the chance to ask me to be


    their daughter-inw. And some of them were happy for me that I was going to married and moving to


    the US. And even some of them were being jealous of me which I don''t care as if I was marrying a


    person I loved. And some of the children were sitting on their mom''s hips and watching me like


    watching a cartoon on big screens. And some of the teenage girls were giggling at the corner of the


    room as if they were thinking of them in my ce. I prayed to God that, "God, connect them with the


    people they love and care about them and their decisions." To be honest I didn''t like the stage lighting


    on me even I was the heroine of that asion.


    I was looking for my sister and my amma in that crowded room but they were nowhere to see. While


    searching for them, a beautician painted my lips with red gloss. And that''s when I realized how I


    scolded my sister for painting her lips, god knows how many times. I still didn''t like that but I epted


    for my sister''s sake to paint my face and lips for this asion.


    Once the beautician finished her artwork on my face she gestured me to stand and took a photo of me


    to post it on Instagram and Facebook for likes. She asked my permission for that and I said yes without


    thinking about it because I didn''t concentrate on what she was saying. And I was posing her for the


    picture.


    Finally, I saw my mom who was busy weing our rtions and guests. Once she made them seat


    she walked towards me. When she came close to me I hug her tight, really tight which shows how


    much I''ll going to miss her.


    She gasped.


    I pulled myself back and tried to lock my gaze at her because if that hugsts for one more moment I''d


    have cried in front of those of people, for now. Who knows how many people she invited to my


    wedding?


    "Amma?" I was looking at her as her eyes were filling with water, speechless.


    I pulled her into another hug. In that, I said her that no matter what I''ll always be responsible and


    respectful for others and I''d not let anyone scratch my name and family. That was just five seconds hug


    and the conversation within that second was veryrge and emotional.


    "I''m gonna miss you amma?" I told her with shaky words. "Take good care of Jo and appa. I''ll try to call


    you every day, amma. I love you and I''ll always love you no matter what. You know that right?"


    She just nodded.


    "I know dear. Be careful and be good to your husband and your mother and father-inw." She said


    kissing me on my forehead.


    "Where is Jo, amma? I''d love to talk to her before the ritual starts." I told her as she smiled at me.


    She turned her heel and shouted at the crowd to see where Jo was "Jo? Jo?" Once she found her she


    shouted in excitement "Jo! Come over here" she waved at her.


    Jo walked to me and hugged me tightly with her open arm. She said she needs to talk to me privately


    so we walked to the balcony. There were no people over there so we took that spot.


    I scrutinize the balcony for onest moment before speaking to her. "Jo, please forgive me for those


    times when were little we used to fight a lot and cry a lot. Those were all, my fault and you were


    innocent. I was elder than you so I was the one who wants to adjust but I was done all wrong. Sorry for


    beating you and making you cry. You are my one and only lovely sister. We used to fight with words, do


    you remember?" she nodded as her eyes dripping the first drop of her tear. "Those were just words and


    I never meant anything while saying that. I was trying to make you more angry than normal to calm


    myself. That was selfish of me." I took her hands in mine and kissed her knuckle. "I''m so sorry, Jo. You


    know that I never meant anything while fighting with you." She nodded and biting her lip to control


    herself from crying. "I''m sorry. You know, no matter what I''d always love you and I''ll always do." I kissed


    her on the cheeks for the first time since I get a memory of myself.


    I can''t say she was crying or smiling. That was something in between happiness and sadness. She


    held my hand tightly as she spoke. "I know we used to cry and fight a lot. And I also know that you


    didn''t mean any of those words while you yell at me because you were more innocent than me." I


    looked at her confused. "I was the one who needs to ask to apologize because she was truly innocent.


    Sometimes I was the one who started scene-like you know that pencil incident?" I nodded. When I was


    in 10th grade she was in 5th I took her pencil and pretended mine. So I got beat by amma for lying and


    stealing things. "Yeah, that pencil wasn''t mine. I took that pencil from your back bag and put it in my


    bag. I liked the color of that pencil and I wanted to make it mine. I''m so sorry for that to get you beat


    from amma." She looked at me, pleaded. "I''m so sorry. I loved you, I love you and I''ll love you. No


    matter what," She gazed at me for a moment. I was speechless.


    "You''re forgiven." I chuckled, looking at her. "Will you forgive me?"


    She smiled.


    "You''re forgiven." She mimicked me. She pulled me into a big sister''s hug.


    She was looking lost in thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" pulling back from the hug and making


    eye contact with her.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Once our gazes were fixed she started to speak. "I was thinking about stealing that pink ne, your


    mother-inw gifted for you." She said acting like she was being serious.


    "Don''t you dare," I said as I smiled and patting on her shoulder?


    We both were busted into augh.


    We both were turned our gaze down the driveway as the BMW pulled over. The peoples were chanting


    as this was the first time they were seeing an expensive car. I''m not one of them. I don''t like to


    eximed about anyone''s growth or luxury neither jealous. That''s their price for their hard work or even


    smart work.


    As we were staring at the ck BMW with silver border Jo winked at me and gave me a grin. I ignored


    her.


    I saw Arjun hopping out from the car when I saw his with full zoom in my eyes, that was it I was dead.


    He was wearing a veshti and sattai (Veshti and Shirt) the South Indian traditional dress for any ritual


    and important asion. While scanning his attire amma shouts at Jo, from a distance to attend some


    kind of ritual.


    Before I try to see his face Arjun called me out and I can''t even see his face from so much distance. I


    went to Arjun for that ritual and Jo went to take arati for her brother-inw who to-be in few hours. Arati


    is the Indian traditional waving of lightedmps before an image of a god or a person to be honored. In


    performing the rite, the worshiper circles themp three times in a clockwise direction. She''ll also get


    rewarded by her to-be brother-inw for weing him by taking arati.