Chapter 12: Deciding a date

Suraj was helping his wife tidy up around the house, his son and daughter-in-law had gone to get some sweets and snacks, whilst Meera was preparing biriyani. Muskaan's job was just to keep Jai busy. She had submitted her assignment, which meant tomorrow, Meera would be taking her out to lunch.

"Aap rehne de, aapse mera aacha wala tea set toot jayega. Dekho kaise pakda hai aapne." Rohini says as she tries to shoo her husband away. "Aare, kuch nahi hoga dekh-" and a cup drops from his hand and falls, crashing into hundreds of little pieces.

(You leave it, you will end up breaking my best tea set. Look at how your holding it.)

(Oh, nothing is going to happen. Just watc-)

Rohini glares at her husband as he gives a timid smile to ease the tension.

Meera giggles as she calls her father, "baba, come here and help me please."

Rohini cleans up the broken tea cup before returning it to the dining table.

They were going to come in today to discuss Meera and Shourya's engagement. Rohini wanted everything to be perfect, everyone was coming. Her daughter was already nervous as it is, the last thing she needed was something going wrong.

Ding Dong

"I'll get it!" Muskaan runs to grab the door, as her mother rushes to fix up Meera's appearance. Meera is wearing an off-white raw silk kurti with full sleeves that have antique zardozi embroidery around the wrists and sequin detailing on the sleeves. The kurti is coming down to her ankles, with matching raw silk pants. Her dupatta is made of pure organza, it has Zari embroidered Taj Mahal at every corner.

Meera had let her curled hair left out, tucked behind her ears revealing her mother's gold jhumkha's. Meera took extra time doing her makeup today, although it's not more than every day, she just spend more time steadying her shaking hands. Meera loved how she looked today, especially her outfit, it was her favourite. She only wore once before, when her brother gifted it to her with his first salary. She's been saving it for an appropriate occasion. Looks like today's it.

"Namaste Raj bhai saab, aaye aaye." Suraj settled his guests into their living room.

(Namaste Raj brother, please come in.)

"Betho, Shourya beta, Aarav, betho na, bas abhi Virat aur Anushka aajaen ge."

(Shourya son, please sit. Aarav take a seat. Virat and Anushka will be here any minute now.)

"Ji uncle." Meera heard a deep voice, making her shiver. He's right there, she thought. Rohini gestures to her blushing daughter to wait here, who in return gives her mother a small nod. Meera could hear some murmurs and laughs, Raj had bought along his wife, the twins, his brother, and sister-in-law, his mother and of course Shourya.

"Where is Meera?" Suman asks, earning a snicker from Reema. She's been like that for the past few days, no one knows why, but her attitude towards Meera has changed since Rohan had gotten married. Just before anyone could respond, there was the sound of the door opening.

"Aare, uncle aap log aagaye? Meine aapko kaha tha ki thoda jaldi chalte hai, Virat," Anushka says and she puts the sweets and snacks on the dining table. After they exchanged their greetings, Anushka left to get the snacks and tea for the guests. Shourya watches on as he waits for the one, he's spent all day thinking about. Hiding behind her Bhabhi, Meera takes small steps towards her future in-laws.

(Oh uncle, you guys are here? I told you to hurry Virat.)

Once Anushka sets the snacks down, she moves out of Shourya's view of Meera. His breath hitches, beautiful, like an angel. He thinks to himself. "Namaste" she whispers, collectively to the guests, as she sits on the floor to prepare tea for everyone. She attends to everyone, smiling, asking them how much sugar they would like, before she reaches the man whom she hasn't spared a glance since she got here.

Her hands slightly tremble as she pours in the hot tea in the delicate floral cup, "a-aap chini kitni lenge?"

(H-how much sugar would you like?)

"No sugar, thank you."

Meera put down the sugar spoon and passes the tea over to him, scared she'll spill it. He leans over to grab a hold of the saucer when his finger brush against soft skin. Meera gazes up for a second before letting go of the saucer and moving to sit with her Bhabhi. Her cheeks become rosy as the room watches the interaction.

"Toh, aage ki baat kr lein?" Suraj asks, taking his daughter out of her misery.

(So should we discuss the further details?)

"Bhai saab, mein soch rahi thi ki jitni jaaldi ho saake, hume sagai kr leni chahiye?" Suman says.

(Brother, I was thinking to hold the engagement as soon as possible?)

"Mein bhi yehi soch raha tha, Suraj." Raj speaks in support of his wife.

(I was also thinking the same, Suraj.)

"Ji aacha hai, toh kaab ka socha hai aapne?" Suraj asks.

(Okay, so when were you guys thinking?)

"Do hafte baad hi. Panditji ke rahe the ki tab ka muhurat aacha hai. What do you say?"

(In two weeks time. The priest was saying that the time then is the best. What do you say?)

"Toh 20th October thik hai?" Suraj asks.

(So does 20th October sound good?)

"Bilkul bilkul!"

(Ofcourse!)

Anushka goes over to get sweets for everyone as the families exchange embraces and congratulate one another. Meera gazes at Shourya, who can't seem to take his eye off her. Suman pulls Meera over to sit with her, in between her and Sunita Devi.

"Kitni pyaari bahu mili hai mujhe, haye kisi ki nazar na lage."

(Oh I've gotten such a precious daughter-in-law. Haye, protect from evil eyes.)

"Mere pote ki zindagi mein kushiyan bhar degi."

(She'll fill my grandson's life with happiness.)

Meera couldn't look up as they showered her with love. Her future husband's dadi pulled out 2 small boxes from her bag, she opens the small one first. It contained a small pair of rectangular, diamond earrings wrapped in yellow gold, they were beautiful. The cut of the diamond and the clarity suggested that it was expensive, very expensive.

The earring shone in the small living room, light reflecting straight into Reema's eyes. Sunita devi opened the other, longer box. It contained thick, silver anklets, that had carved elephants and peacocks on them. They were beautiful.

"These are for you beta, when I went shopping Riya told me you love anklets, and I though these earring would look beautiful on you."

"Dadi, you shouldn't have-" Meera began, but was cut of by Sunita closing the boxes and pressing them into her hand. She gave Meera a kiss on the forehead.

(Grandmother.)

"Keep them beta, they're for you."

Suman gestures Raj to pass her the blue bag. "Here beta, yeh aapke liye hai. Baadme aaram se kholna, accha?" Meera nods her head. "But, these. . . ." Suman take out a small pouch that had two golden kangan in them.

(. . . . .these are for you. Open them later, okay?)

". . . . . I would like you to wear now." The bangles had all different kinds of motifs and patterns made on them, they were slightly heavy as Suman slides them onto her wrist.

"Maine Rajasthan ke khas jewellers se banvaein hai, aapni bahu ke liya." Suman smiles as she pats Meera head and gives a kiss on the cheek.

(I got them made from a prestigious jeweller from Rajasthan, especially for my daughter-in-law.)

"Bhabhi, hamare gifts to dekh lo!" Aarav and Riya say as Meera passes the bag and gifts over to her mother.

(Bhabhi, take a look at our gifts!)

"Who baad mein dekh legi." Reema snaps.

(She'll look at them later.)