In a room,
Of people and colours,
Across the voices and whispers,
My eyes caught,
You and only you,
Smiling at me..
***************************
“Happy birthday” someone said deafeningly close to my ears. I squeled and woke up abruptly only to see my whole family standing in my room surrounding my bed.
And the person who almost made me deaf was sitting beside me, my cousin Kavita. I smiled at my family and got off my bed to touch their feet. It was my birthday today. I didn’t even realize it was 24th February today. Yes I forget my birthday every year, I don’t know how but I do. Haha funny na. But here is my sweet family who never ever forget anything about me. I am the princess of our house. Being raised up in middle class family, I still got whatever I asked. Though I didn’t ask for very big things.
“..agini” I was been snapped out of my thoughts when my father called me out.
“Happy birthday beta” he said in his ever sweet voice. I smiled thanking him and one by one everyone wished me and moved out of my room except my Mom.
“Happy birthday my baby doll” she said caressing my left cheek with her right hand. I slightly tilted my head towards my left and kissed her palm.
“Thank you ma”
“This is your last birthday in this house and in our village beta. Enjoy the fullest” she said her eyes tearing a bit.
Yes, this was my last birthday in this house and as a bachelor too. I was getting married this year . I was an arrange marriage. Abhishek, my would be was from Mumbai. He, with his friends had come to visit our village for some work when he first saw me. The next time when he visited was directly with his parents to ask my hand for marriage. Initially my father didn’t like the idea of marrying me away so soon and that too before Kavita’s wedding as she was elder to me by one year. But my uncle convinced him that he won’t find a groom as good as Abhishek and it was all ok with him if I get married before Kavita. Abhishek was a perfect husband. He worked as an engineer in a firm that payed good. We talked every alternate days on phone. His talks were as sweet as honey.
I asked my mom to give me some time to get fresh and she obliged. I went to the bathroom brushed my teeth and got ready into a beautiful white kurta having a slit halfway from the middle with black leggings. I put on jhumkas on my ears and applied minimum make up. I looked myself in the mirror. I looked ok as usual.
**********
Kavita and me were riding to the ancient temple of our village. Since it was my birthday first thing I wanted to do was pray to God for my future with Abhishek.
I don’t know why but I feel happy today. Of course because it was my birthday but there was some other reason too. I brushed off my thoughts and we descended down the stairs after our prayers.
There were two cars which stopped near the temple coming in our way. As I was scrutinizing who it was someone got down from the car.
She was the head of our village. I went near her and bent down to touch her feet. As I came up, I saw two orbs staring into mine. I don’t know who the person was, but whoever he was he looked dapper in his navy blue shirt which hugged his body perfectly showing some traces of his abs, paired with black pants. He had beautiful black eyes which I thought was staring at me before, but I was wrong. He was looking something behind me to which I turned to look in order to see what exactly he was been staring to. And yes, he was staring at my sister, which didn’t surprise me at all.
She was perfect in all ways. She was pretty with long styled hairs that reached up to her waist whereas I had short hair which reached up to my br*ast. She was wearing black skinny jeans paired up with red long check shirt. She was born model and she looked stunning in all types of modern clothes, whereas I was happy with my Salwar kameez. Though I too wore modern clothes but it didn’t suit me much as I didn’t had curvy body like Kavita. To my surprise she was too staring at him.
For the first time in my life I felt jealous of my sister. Even though I didn’t knew who the person was, I didn’t like the way they were both staring at each other. I quickly rushed towards her and dragged her with me.
*********
“Are you crazy Ragini? Why did you dragged me from there?”
“Because he was staring at you shamelessly so I thought to drag you away from his eyes” I told her reminiscing his black orbs.
“Shut up Rags, do you even know who the hell was he. He was one and only Sanskaar maheshwari, one of the richest and youngest business tycoons in India. His name is on top 5 of India’s youngest business men and you just…”
Sanskaar maheshwari, oh my god. I had heard about him. He was the ruthless, arogant and youngest business man. I had seen him the first time, and I was kinda attracted towards him. How can I? I am supposed to get married in two months and how can I be attracted towards some other man.
“I think he is attracted towards me” said Kavita snapping off from my thoughts.
“Maybe he is Kavita but you shouldn’t drag yourself towards him. I bet you know who and what he is so I think you shouldn’t be thinking someone like him. He may ruin your life forever.”
“Let me do what I have to Rags. And by the way you are the younger one here not me. Even though your getting married before me it doesn’t mean you have grown bigger.”
With this she went. I know I have no rights to take decision, but she is my sister. And I am sure that though this Sanskaar maheshwari was away from his village for years he has same mentality like his brothers. They certainly don’t respect women and this man is the same. “BUT HE IS DAMN HOT.”
************