Until We Met

1

Anjali

My mom asks me to change my dress and gives me a saree. I always wonder why girls always have to wear a saree with jewellery.

Why didn’t boys get ready in a royal attire for match seeing? They only wear a formal shirt and a pair of jeans. They didn’t even need to fix their hair.

Being a girl, however, we have to do so many things. We have to look presentable and we couldn’t let our hair loose. We have to pin it with a clip or braid our hair.

Urggg... I have been trying to comb my hair for the past fifteen minutes but I couldn’t do it.

“Mom, can you please help me comb my hair!” I yell loud enough so she would hear me.

“When will you learn to braid your hair? If this continues, then how will you manage at your in-law's home?” she braids my hair.

“Then I will go for a boy cut so I don’t have to braid it,” I grin and my mom hit my head.

“When will you change Anju? You are not a child. Now you will get married and you‘ll have to behave Anjali,” she says angrily.

This was an everyday thing in our home. Whenever I make a mistake, she would tell me to change, to be less clumsy and blah blah...

“Ok mom,” I said.

She is finished braiding my hair." I am going, you stay here," she says and goes outside.

I let out a sigh and look at myself in the mirror.

“Not bad sweety you are looking beautiful,” I praise myself.

“You are looking beautiful sis,” I hear my cousin-sister Ananya’s voice.

“Thanks, Anu,” I smile at her.

“So tell me about him,” she sits on the bed.

“About who?” I ask her.

“Don’t act innocent Anjali. Tell me about your future husband,”

“I know nothing about him,”

She is surprised, “What are you kidding me?”

“No, I really know nothing about him. Dad said he fixed my marriage with his friend’s son. I didn’t care about knowing about him,“ I say.

“Oh...”

“Anu bring Anjali down” I heard my aunt’s voice.

“Let’s go,” she says, and I nod.

“I have a plan,” I say to Anu.

I tell her my plan. At first, she says no, but I butter her and soon she agrees.

I go downstairs and see everyone sitting in the hall. I slowly go to them and my mom asks me to sit. It feels like I have committed a crime and they are here to investigate me.

I see a couple who seems to be around my parent’s age and a man sitting in between them. He looks handsome in his navy blue shirt. His hair is perfectly jelled and I can see his well-built muscles.

Someone asks me to serve coffee to them. I look at Anu and she shows me a thumbs up which means that my plan will succeed.

I serve my parents and his parents coffee then I finally go to him and offered it.

He looks at me and takes the cup. I danced inwardly for the great achievement.

I asked Anu to mix chilli powder in the coffee and to place it in the last row. She did, and as per plan, I served my parents then his parents.

I put the tray down and sit on the chair. They ask me questions regarding my studies, job, etc. I reply to them. While answering them I look at him through the corner of my eye. I want him to drink it but he was not.

I look at him and he is ready to take a sip. I can hardly control my laughter.

He takes one sip and bang.

I thought he would spit it out, but he didn’t. God, what is he up to. He drinks it in one go. Oh my God is he even human? I mean who can drink such spicy coffee? I didn’t mix much spice, but it was spicy.

I look at his face and he is staring me with red eyes and I gulp.

Just then my parents ask me to take him to my room. What will he do? Scold me? Hit me?

‘Stop reading those dark novels on w*****d,‘ my subconscious scolds.

‘You shut up,’ I scold her.

*********

So what will happen now.…??Any guesses....??