Page 61 of Since the Night We Met
Meera crossed her arms, looking like a dream in her midnight blue saree with tiny scattered sequins like the remnants of a sky, and asked her, ‘Are you sure you’re not going to commit a murder and run away?’
‘Not yet,’ Siya answered honestly.
‘That’s progress,’ Raghav muttered with a smile. He wore a matching kurta as Meera’s saree, appearing in sync with her.
Kashvi held her at an arm’s length, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘You look—I mean, Di—’
‘You’re crying already?’ Siya asked, wrapping an arm around her. The bell sleeves of Kashvi’s pistachio lehenga caught in her bangles, and the sisters giggled.
‘She’s right, you look divine,’ Meera noted, her fingers pressed against her lips to keep the sob in.
‘Oh God, you too?’ Siya asked, her throat constricting with emotions.
‘Shut up. You cried at mine. Now it’s my turn,’ Meera said, pulling her into a tight hug.
‘She’s been crying since the parking lot,’ Raghav said, moving to wrap an arm around her. ‘Kashvi had to redo her eyeliner, twice.’
‘I just can’t believe that the neurotic little mess I had to bribe with brownies to play ghar-ghar is getting married today,’ Meera said, blinking back tears.
‘She’s still neurotic, but she’s also the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. You look just like Maa did on her wedding day. See,’ Kashvi said, as she turned Siya around to face the mirror.
She hadn’t even picked out her own wedding lehenga, instead depended on Meera and Kashvi to pick something out for her. And she realised they’d done a great job.
The red was deep, threaded with muted antique gold zari in floral and peacock motifs. The blouse curved across her collarbones in a sweetheart neckline, beaded with golden beads. Instead of fabric, the thin straps over her shoulders were made of pearly strands. The maroon dupatta veil pinned over her head looked like an evening sky studded with little glittering stones.
She’d made sure to keep her makeup minimal, insisting only on a bold red lipstick and kohl smudged along her waterline to hide the bags under her eyes. And yes, Kashvi was right, Siya could see the resemblance. It made her miss her mother a little less.
‘So, what are you guys doing here?’ Siya asked, turning around.
‘Well, we wanted to see you and make sure that the bride hadn’t run away,’ Meera said.
‘And I had to give you this from Abhay,’ Raghav said, pulling a cream-coloured envelope out of his bottom pocket. ‘He told menot to read it, which I took personally, but I guess I can let it slide just this once.’
Though he tried to lighten the mood, Siya could barely hear it. Her gaze was fixed on the envelope as she slowly reached out to take it.
Meera squeezed her shoulder once and softly said, ‘We’ll be waiting for you downstairs.’
Siya nodded, unable to speak beyond the lump in her throat. Kashvi touched her arm to reassure her, then the three of them walked out, leaving her alone with the letter in her hand.
Siya sat down on the cushioned chair again and she peeled the flap open carefully. Something cool and metallic slipped out from within, clinking softly against her palm.
Her breath hitched when she realised it wastheanklet, the one he’d bought for her that one night four years ago.
The anklet was made with twisted silver links, interspersed with tiny bells and charms shaped like seashells. It was imperfect in a way that made it feel more real. The soft chime of it made her recall that night in vivid detail.
She remembered the humid salt air at the beach with the chaotic swirl of people out to celebrate the beginning of the new year. Abhay had pulled her toward a jewellery vendor’s stall cluttered with trinkets. He’d spotted the anklet immediately, half-buried under oxidised bracelets, and insisted it had her name written all over it.
She’d laughed then because she hadn’t expected him to kneel down right there in the middle of the fair and put it on her. She’d kept it on until morning, until that phone call from Dhruvwhen she came to know about the lies and betrayal, and left it on his nightstand before slipping out.
Her fingers curled around it instinctively and then she noticed the folded note still tucked in the envelope. She swallowed hard as she pulled it out and unfolded it. She recognised his messy scrawl and began reading.
Jaan,
I hope it’s you reading this, and not some random stranger because Raghav managed to misplace this despite my strict instructions.
Siya cracked a smile, but it vanished when she read the next line.
Now that I’ve made you smile, let me come to the point. You’ve already heard most of the things I’ve ever wanted to say to you, but there’s one thing I haven’t said yet. Today is the best day of my life because I get to marry the woman I’ve been crazy about all my life. I’ve only imagined this in those reckless, stupid moments when I thought maybe you’d come back to me. And now that it’s here, now that it’s happening for real, I feel like I’ve stepped into a dream.
