For the earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II -
"Barkha di, you have to be home on time," Amrita warned her sister. "I am nervous, and I need you," she added plaintively. Barkha was no proof against such a plea and she rushed back home to help her younger sister get ready.
Amrita had got a red with gold salwar set ready, but Barkha put it back in the wardrobe. Amrita's wardrobe didn't seem to have what she was looking for and so she went to hers. She came with a seagreen shimmering crepe sari contrasted with a red embroidered blouse. She was amused at how shy Amrita felt when putting on subtle make up that discreetly highlighted her features and combed her hair such that it framed her lean face.
Then she sent Amrita out so that she could dress up. At the doorway, Amrita hugged Barkha and kissed her impulsively. "Thank you," she said simply. Barkha's eyes glistened though she tried hard to suppress the rising tears. She closed the bedroom door and struggled for a few minutes before getting ready. She could hear the bell ring and Sumesh's family being welcomed. She wanted the floor to swallow her. But as it continued to remain sturdy and unyielding, she slowly made her way to the drawing room, a smile hiding her pain.
Sumesh's sister Priya was introduced. The youngsters had decided to go out for dinner as Meenal and her husband Brij returned home. Since Meenal and Brij would be taking the car back, Barkha had to offer to drive them to the restaurant in the central market area where the rows and rows of shops would give them all an opportunity to stroll and do window shopping.
"Do you enjoy that?" Sumesh asked Barkha.
"Not much, I hate shopping," Barkha replied curtly, wondering if that was his way of asking if she could walk. "But since Amrita loves it, I accompany her whenever I can," she added.
In the car, Amrita and Priya seemed unable to stop talking. Sumesh contributed here and there, but seemed content to watch the bonding between his sister and wife-to-be. Barkha felt dour, and focused on the road, trying not to be drawn in, trying not to miss a word. The girls were sharing notes on which shop to go to, and keen on introducing the other to their own favourite. It promised to be a long evening, Barkha thought and sighed.
The girls were off even before she had parked the car, calling out the name of the shop they were heading for. Sumesh chuckled as he waited for her to park and lock the doors. "You can join them, I have my own favourite stops on the way," she said smiling, longing for him stay with her, desiring that he would go away. He didn't even acknowledge her suggestion and fell in step with her, seeming to enjoy the well-lit pathways and the crush of the hawkers vending their wares. "And which are your favourite stops?"
She initially resented having to share it with him. But the lure of the small book shops was stronger and soon they were stopping, browsing, bargaining and buying books. They had to next shop for a bag to carry it. Their tastes in books differed and they started arguing about the strengths and weaknesses of some of the authors they held opposing views on.
As they crossed a restaurant, Sumesh checked the time on his phone and exclaimed, "The girls have been gone an hour! Let me check where they are." He called his sister. From what she heard, she could make out that as the girls waited for their siblings to join, and kept moving from shop to shop. He asked them to retrace the steps and mentioned the restaurant they should come to. "No, no, Priya, enough of shopping," he said sternly.
He cut the line and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know how they manage it. Dad should put a cap to her credit facility!" Then he asked Barkha, "How about Amrita?"
"She has an add-on with mine," Barkha replied as they found a place for four in one corner. "And I am also guilty as charged. She can pretty much use up as much as she wants... But she is responsible," she added.
"You run your own business?"
"Yes, a content and design services company. We do website, brochure, as well social media and other kinds of content," she replied.
"Oh, really! In fact, we are thinking of revamping our website design and content," he said enthusiastically.
"You need to," she said with a grin and twinkle.
"How do you know?" he asked, puzzled.
"I looked it up when..." then she blushed, remembering why she had looked it up. He also seemed to realise the reason and had the grace to look embarrassed. To ease the situation, she told him, "I will ask my project head to contact you. You can give her your requirements and we can take it forward from there."
"Yes, yes, of course," he said. Just then Amrita and Priya burst in with several bags between them.
"You both have been warming your backs while we were working off our feet!" Amrita accused them in mock anger. And then she hurriedly took out a fuschia and green salwar material. "This is for you!" she said, showing it to her sister. "Do you like it?"
Barkha looked at her sister tenderly, "Yes, very much."
"Don't look at me expectantly," Priya teased her brother. "None of the colours in the salwar shop would have suited you." They burst out laughing. Amrita reached out impulsively and caught Sumesh's hand. "But I saw this divine torquoise kurtha in the store next to it. Priya told me you are very choosy and it was best to take you and buy it. Shall we do that?"
"It's quite late, let's have dinner," Sumesh tried to dissuade her, feeling pleased and embarrassed.
"Let's place our order and go... Please, please, please!" Amrita begged him. He looked at Barkha in confusion. She nodded and he agreed. Amrita sprang up and Sumesh followed her out of the restaurant, leaving Barkha and Priya to order and keep each other company.
The truth hit Barkha hard - the walk and conversation Sumesh and she had shared were like whiff of favourite aroma that she could only enjoy from a distance, never sink her teeth into or taste.
Proceed to Part IV
Part I
Part II -
"Barkha di, you have to be home on time," Amrita warned her sister. "I am nervous, and I need you," she added plaintively. Barkha was no proof against such a plea and she rushed back home to help her younger sister get ready.
Amrita had got a red with gold salwar set ready, but Barkha put it back in the wardrobe. Amrita's wardrobe didn't seem to have what she was looking for and so she went to hers. She came with a seagreen shimmering crepe sari contrasted with a red embroidered blouse. She was amused at how shy Amrita felt when putting on subtle make up that discreetly highlighted her features and combed her hair such that it framed her lean face.
Then she sent Amrita out so that she could dress up. At the doorway, Amrita hugged Barkha and kissed her impulsively. "Thank you," she said simply. Barkha's eyes glistened though she tried hard to suppress the rising tears. She closed the bedroom door and struggled for a few minutes before getting ready. She could hear the bell ring and Sumesh's family being welcomed. She wanted the floor to swallow her. But as it continued to remain sturdy and unyielding, she slowly made her way to the drawing room, a smile hiding her pain.
Sumesh's sister Priya was introduced. The youngsters had decided to go out for dinner as Meenal and her husband Brij returned home. Since Meenal and Brij would be taking the car back, Barkha had to offer to drive them to the restaurant in the central market area where the rows and rows of shops would give them all an opportunity to stroll and do window shopping.
"Do you enjoy that?" Sumesh asked Barkha.
"Not much, I hate shopping," Barkha replied curtly, wondering if that was his way of asking if she could walk. "But since Amrita loves it, I accompany her whenever I can," she added.
In the car, Amrita and Priya seemed unable to stop talking. Sumesh contributed here and there, but seemed content to watch the bonding between his sister and wife-to-be. Barkha felt dour, and focused on the road, trying not to be drawn in, trying not to miss a word. The girls were sharing notes on which shop to go to, and keen on introducing the other to their own favourite. It promised to be a long evening, Barkha thought and sighed.
The girls were off even before she had parked the car, calling out the name of the shop they were heading for. Sumesh chuckled as he waited for her to park and lock the doors. "You can join them, I have my own favourite stops on the way," she said smiling, longing for him stay with her, desiring that he would go away. He didn't even acknowledge her suggestion and fell in step with her, seeming to enjoy the well-lit pathways and the crush of the hawkers vending their wares. "And which are your favourite stops?"
She initially resented having to share it with him. But the lure of the small book shops was stronger and soon they were stopping, browsing, bargaining and buying books. They had to next shop for a bag to carry it. Their tastes in books differed and they started arguing about the strengths and weaknesses of some of the authors they held opposing views on.
As they crossed a restaurant, Sumesh checked the time on his phone and exclaimed, "The girls have been gone an hour! Let me check where they are." He called his sister. From what she heard, she could make out that as the girls waited for their siblings to join, and kept moving from shop to shop. He asked them to retrace the steps and mentioned the restaurant they should come to. "No, no, Priya, enough of shopping," he said sternly.
He cut the line and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know how they manage it. Dad should put a cap to her credit facility!" Then he asked Barkha, "How about Amrita?"
"She has an add-on with mine," Barkha replied as they found a place for four in one corner. "And I am also guilty as charged. She can pretty much use up as much as she wants... But she is responsible," she added.
"You run your own business?"
"Yes, a content and design services company. We do website, brochure, as well social media and other kinds of content," she replied.
"Oh, really! In fact, we are thinking of revamping our website design and content," he said enthusiastically.
"You need to," she said with a grin and twinkle.
"How do you know?" he asked, puzzled.
"I looked it up when..." then she blushed, remembering why she had looked it up. He also seemed to realise the reason and had the grace to look embarrassed. To ease the situation, she told him, "I will ask my project head to contact you. You can give her your requirements and we can take it forward from there."
"Yes, yes, of course," he said. Just then Amrita and Priya burst in with several bags between them.
"You both have been warming your backs while we were working off our feet!" Amrita accused them in mock anger. And then she hurriedly took out a fuschia and green salwar material. "This is for you!" she said, showing it to her sister. "Do you like it?"
Barkha looked at her sister tenderly, "Yes, very much."
"Don't look at me expectantly," Priya teased her brother. "None of the colours in the salwar shop would have suited you." They burst out laughing. Amrita reached out impulsively and caught Sumesh's hand. "But I saw this divine torquoise kurtha in the store next to it. Priya told me you are very choosy and it was best to take you and buy it. Shall we do that?"
"It's quite late, let's have dinner," Sumesh tried to dissuade her, feeling pleased and embarrassed.
"Let's place our order and go... Please, please, please!" Amrita begged him. He looked at Barkha in confusion. She nodded and he agreed. Amrita sprang up and Sumesh followed her out of the restaurant, leaving Barkha and Priya to order and keep each other company.
The truth hit Barkha hard - the walk and conversation Sumesh and she had shared were like whiff of favourite aroma that she could only enjoy from a distance, never sink her teeth into or taste.
Proceed to Part IV
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