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Yes. He was a lovely person. But there were two people in a marriage, in any relationship…And the other half of this one, Raashi herself, wasn’t quite as lovely.
“It’s time.” Her mother appeared behind the two of them. “Let’s go, Raashi.”
They waited for her to rise but Raashi couldn’t move. Her feet seemed to have become blocks of concrete welded to the floor.
“Raashi?” Veda’s hand tightened on her shoulder, an unspoken question hovering.
“You’ll have your Akka in the same house with you.” Her mother spoke, her voice cool and detached as always. “You couldn’t ask for a better situation than that.”
There was so much truth to that statement.
“Raashi?” Veda knelt before her, not bothering about her expensive saree or the innumerable creases she was putting in it. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. No one will force you.”
“Of course she has to do it,” their mother interrupted, her voice brisk as ever. “It’s too late to back out now.”
“You’ll come to the mandap willingly or I’ll drag you there, kicking and screaming.”
She closed her eyes, his voice echoing in her head.
“The shame to the family if this doesn’t happen is too great. Your father and his will not allow it.”
Raashi forced herself to her feet, not for fear of shame but because Raashi Gadde did not renege. Broken as the friendship might be, she wouldn’t do that to him. She may not be the best that humanity had to offer but she would do her best by him. Harsh had stood for her when no one else had. She would not leave him hanging.
“But once all this drama is done.” Her mother adjusted Raashi’s saree pleats, not meeting her eyes. “If you want to come home,” she looked up now and cupped Raashi’s cheek. “I will bring you home myself.”
Now the tears wouldn’t stay contained, flowing freely down her cheeks and ruining her carefully applied makeup.
“Your brother will break the door down to get to you,” her mother smiled, even as she dabbed at the tears streaming down her daughter’s face.
“He won’t need to,” Veda added. “I’ll unlock it from the inside.”
Raashi laughed, a small, broken sound but a laugh, nonetheless.
“But today,” her mother said, grasping her shoulders and forcing her to stand straight. “Get through today for everyone.”
“And for myself.” Raashi took a deep breath. “Let’s go, Amma.”
Her courage stayed with her, strong and unbroken, as she went through the many, many rituals. She stared now at the white cloth that separated Harsh and her, willing it to fall so she could look at him. So, she could look into his eyes and see what she hoped to see, the friendship they’d forged and maybe even, dare she hope, something more?
But when the sheet finally fell and she looked into the eyes of her bridegroom, all she saw was rage.
Thirty-Nine
HARSH
Harsh held one finger up to the bartender who nodded and reached for the bottle of tequila behind him.
“Do you want to take it easy?” Agastya materialised beside him like a stealth operative.
“It’s an open bar at a wedding reception.” Harsh didn’t bother looking at him. “My wedding reception. I think I’m entitled to a little fun.”
“Key word there being ‘little’.”
“You know,” Harsh said conversationally. “I’ve always wondered if you were born with that stick up your arse or it got shoved up there at some point?”
He could sense Agastya stiffen beside him and a pang of shame streaked through him. But it was swiftly buried by the anger, hurt, and misery that seemed to simmer right under his skin.
The tequila appeared before him, the perfect serving in the cut crystal glass and he took a deep, appreciative sip.
