An Indian Gilr's Love Story
Tuesday 4 pm, Sneha is sitting alone over a dining table and eating one of the best Indian evening snacks, Masala Puri! Out of no-where, Raj comes, pulls the chair with a scraping sound, and sits beside her.
A surprised Sneha says, "Oh! Hi Raj!!"
Raj replies, "Hi Hi."
Sneha questions, "How come you are here?"
"Just like that. You?"
"Missed this place and Granny. Also, bored with home and work from home. I made Masala Puri, it's good. Wanna taste some?"
"Oh, you made. Sure, I will eat."
Both are eating in silence. The place is all silent. Sneha is trying to focus on eating and enjoy the taste. But she can't. She's lost in thoughts. Both want to look at each other but can't and won't. It feels awkward. Very awkward!
Sneha is grabbing the last spoon from her plate and trying to look ahead. She ends up looking at Raj and it so happens that their eyes meet! Unintentionally. Just in two seconds, Raj spills out the words he has been trying to hide for a long time. "Sneha, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Sneha immediately gets her eyes back on the Masala Puri plate. She is all blank and speechless. This time silence is much more awkward. She's looking here and there, all over the table, trying to think something. Completely clueless about how to respond. Anger is at its end, all ready to shoot up. But she can't express it, knowing that she can't look stupid. But still, difficult to hold it up. A minute passes by. Still looking at the table, Sneha says "What was the hurry? You should have said this after I got married to someone else. Anyways dad is desperately looking for a suitable guy for me" and runs away.
---X---
Recalling to the past, two years back. Sneha is getting down from the car and pulling out the luggage. She is all tired and worn out after the long journey. Her hairs are all messy with a quarter of it stuck over her face here and there. Eyes clearly saying she couldn't sleep a wink last night. Pulling all the luggage to a bench nearby, she sits down.
Sneha starts the conservation, "Mummy, I'm very tired. Now I can't climb two floors with these four bags. You will stay through the whole marriage and events. I am here only for engagement and will get going for my exam, don't know what stuff you got to dump two full bags just for me."
Varu, Sneha's Mom replies to it, "If you were for the whole event, I would have stuffed five bags, just for you."
Sneha gets up and is patting her legs angrily on the floor, "Varu... I don't know what you get in decorating me and irritating me with all that stupid stuff."
"Might be, a son-in-law?"
Sneha with a hot red face shouts, "I don't want a hubby who likes me when I look like any doll. Look at me. now!"
"Ha, now what?"
"He should like me for the way I look right now, all messed up like this."
"Whatever, you get two bags, I will get two bags."
---X---
Right now, Sneha is running to the top of her room and bangs the door 'SHUT'. To the loud sound, everyone who is enjoying the pleasant wind in the garden come in panicked.
Vinay (Uncle) questions, "Raj. how come you are here. When did you come? Just yesterday we spoke right, you didn't say you will be here.
Granny: Why is it that she bangs the door so hard. I understand she is angry."
Over the top in her room, Sneha sits on the floor leaning against the same door she banged. Fingers reach to her lips, to bite up her nails, trying to think something, process all that -that just happened. Brain not working. The brain is just not working. Looks here and there, to find some help. Finds her laptop. Wears up her headsets and is waiting for her co-operate best friends to pick up her call. "Come on. Answer me. Now!"
Rekha answers the call first, "Sneha, Hello!"
Sneha responds, "Rekha, hello hello!" (With that tension clearly heard)
Niki too answers the call, "What happened? Work tension? Say who is irritating you, let's bitch about that bitch."
Sneha is trembling, "Brain not working. I don't know what I just did and why I did so."
Niki worriedly asks, "Hey, what happened? Anything serious?"
"Can we help?" continues Rekha.
Sneha replies, "Dear gods, I messed up everything. True, we girls just can't hide a secret. Neither with you guys nor with him."
Rekha says, "Ok, we have a lot of secrets shared. Which one are you talking about?"
Sneha replies, "Taking my secret photo. That guy. I said, mom too gave clues, that guy."
Rekha replies in sarcasm, "Nikki, we got a lot of entertainment ahead."
Sneha curses them, "Idiots!!"
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