“Avi, kal woh kya tamasha kar rahi thi tum? Hume tumhari shaitaani ki aadat hain, lekin anjaan logon ke saamne woh kya tha? Bura maan gaye toh?”

(Avi, what was all that drama yesterday? We’re used to your pranks, but what was that in front of strangers? What if they took it badly?)

The family was settled in the living room, steaming mugs held in their hands. Riddhi and Amar were chai lovers, while Namrata was a coffee lover. Avantika had coffee in the mornings and chai in the evenings, best of both worlds.

“Maa, agar itni chhoti si harkat par bura maan gaye, toh aise logon se hume rishta nahi jodna.”

(Maa, if they’re the type of people to take such a small prank badly, then we don’t want a rishta with people like that.)

“Choti si harkat?! Dekhiye! Aapki waje se hi aaj tak yeh itni bakwas mazaak karti hain!”

(Small prank?! Look! It’s because of you that she still plays these stupid pranks until today!)

“Arey! Yeh kaisa insaafi bhai! Saari mehnat meri, aur credit Papa ka. Waise, bacchon ke khushi se zyaada kuch nahi hota, Maa. Agar woh yeh samajh nahi paaye, aur bura maan gaye, toh woh unki ghalati hain, na ki meri. Aur Mr. Adhvay Suryavanshi ko bhi ek chota sa sabak sikhana tha.”

(Arey! How is this fair? It’s my hard work, bt the entire credit goes to Papa. Anyways, nothing is important than your children’s happiness, Maa. If they couldn’t understand this, and they took it badly, then it’s their mistake, not mine. And I needed to teach Mr. Adhvay Suryavanshi a tiny lesson.)

Amar laughed, “Konsa sabak, beta?”

(What lesson, beta?)

“Arey Papa, jab hum baahar baat kar rahe the, tab. I don’t how I stayed in character, chehra toh dekhne layaak tha. Main toh baad mein itni hassi, ki raat thik se so nahi payi.”

(Arey Papa, when we were talking outside. I don’t know how I stayed in character, his face was worth seeing. I laughed so hard later, I couldn’t sleep properly at night.)

“Par didi, kya nataak? Konsa sabak? Batao na!”

(But did, what drama? What lesson? Tell us!)

“Bataoon?”

(Should I tell you?)

A collective ‘haan’ was heard. Avantika smirked and took a sip of her coffee, dragging out the moment.

“So, hua yeh tha ki…arey nahi nahi, kuch baatein toh humare beech hi rehne chahiye.”

(So, what happened was…arey no no, some things should stay between us.)

“Arey, yaar, Avi!”

“Nahi bataungi,” she sing-songed.

(I’m not going to tell you.)

“Acha theek hain,” Namrata interrupted, “bohot hua natak watak ke baatein, lekin mujhe ek serious baat karni hain.”

(Alright, enough of this talk, I have something serious I want to talk about.)

“Avantika, ab toh Riddhi ki shaadi bhi fix hogayi, toh tumhe bhi ab aur logon se milna chahiye.”

(Avantika, Riddhi’s wedding has been fixed, so you should start meeting more people, too.)

“Arey meri Maa! Kal hi toh fix hua na. Date bhi final nahi hua aur tum mere peeche pade ho.”

(Arey Maa! It was literally decided yesterday. The date hasn’t even been fixed yet and you’re already after me.)

Namrata’s face scrunched up in annoyance, ready to argue as long as necessary. Rolling her eyes, Avantika set down her cup and sighed.

“Pata nahi, Mumma. Mujhe nahi lagta ki shaadi hogi meri.”

(I don’t know, Mumma. I don’t think I’ll get married.)

In a blink, Namrata’s anger faded into concern. “Aise kyun keh rahi ho?”

(Why are you saying that?)

“Kyunki jab aap dhoondna shuru kiya, tab se aaj tak mujhe kisi ladke se bhi acha feel nahi aaya. Issiliye toh sabko turant reject kiya. Main shaadi karne ke liye toh taiyyaar hoon, waha koi problem nahi hain. Still, maybe we should take a step back. Let’s focus on Riddhi’s wedding, and Que Sera Sera.”

(Because since you started looking, I haven’t gotten the right vibes from any guy. That’s why I rejected them immediately. I’m ready to get married, there’s no problem there. Still, maybe we should take a step back. Let’s focus on Riddhi’s wedding, and Que Sera Sera.)

“Matlab?”

(Meaning?)

“Papa, gaana yaad nahi aaya aapko? Matlab jo bhi ho, so ho.”

(Papa, don’t you remember the song? It means what will happen will happen.)

“Haan haan, ab yaad aaya.”

(Yeah, I remember now.)

“But you know what Maa and Papa, main toh kehthi hoon ki main shaadi hi na karoon. Abhi ek bache ko theek se palna hain, aur kam se kam ek aur bacha bhi hoga mera, phir main maasi ban jaungi aur mujhe sab bache ke saath time spend karna hain.”

(But you know what Maa and Papa, I say I shouldn’t get married at all. I have to raise a child right now, and I’ll have at least one more child. Then I’ll become an aunt, and I want to spend time with all the kids.)

“Ek bacha, do bache? Yeh kya baat kar rahi hain tu?”

(One child, two children? What are you talking about?)

“Arey Papa, pehla mera business, doosra main adopt karungi. Aur aap sab toh hain mere saath, mujhe phir husband ki kya zaroorat hain? Agar meri kismat mein likha hain, toh woh khud hi aajayenge.”

(Arey Papa, first my business, and second I’ll adopt children. And you all are with me, so why do I need a husband? If he’s in my destiny, then he’ll show up someday.)

“Aisa baatein mat karo, hum toh humesha hain tumhare saath, but you deserve the best supportive life partner, and I know you’ll find them.”

(Don’t speak like that, we’re always with you, but you deserve the best supportive life partner, and I know you’ll find them.)

“Thanks for your faith Maa, lekin ab, Riddhi ke baare mein baat karte hain. Arey madam, maine kaha ki mujhe maasi banna hain, lekin iska matlab yeh nahi hain ki phone mein hi sansaar basalo!”

(Thanks for your faith Maa, but now, let’s focus on Riddhi. Arey madam, I said I wanted to become an aunt, but I didn’t mean build your family through the phone!

A/N : this was a horrible translation. Any ideas to make it better?)

Avantika startled her sister who was absorbed in typing away on her phone.

“Oy, chup kar, usse tang mat kar.” Namrata scolded Avantika, because well, younger children are always Mom’s favorites.

(Oy, be quiet, don’t irritate her.)

“Waise Avi tum theek keh rahi hain. Saaf pata chal raha laal gaalon se ki Adhvay ne hi message kia hoga.”

(Avi, you’re right. You can clearly tell by her red cheeks that she’s messaging Adhvay.)

Avantika high-fived her dad for supporting her. Riddhi hugged her mother, trying to escape the teasing comments. “Friends ko message kar rahi thi…”

(I was messaging my friends…)

Her mumbled words were lost in the laughter.

________

“Ji ji, hum donon pandit ji se puchthe hain, aur jis tareek par sehmati ho, uss tareek par hi engagement rakhthe hain.”

(Yes yes, we’ll both speak to our priests, and whatever date we both agree upon, we’ll set the engagement for then.)

“Theek baat, aur main kya keh rahi thi Namrata ji, shaadi ke baare mein bhi abhi puch lete hain.”

(Absolutely, and I say Namrata ji, let’s also ask about wedding dates.)

Namrata hesitated for a second. She wasn’t a fan of quick engagements and weddings, especially because this was all so unexpected for Riddhima. She would much prefer asking about the wedding date once the engagement was over. Avantika laid an elbow on her mom’s shoulder and nodded reassuringly.

Covering the receiver, Namrata whispered anxiously, “Mangni ke baad hi dekhna hain mujhe. Zyaada jaldi nahi-”

(I only want to ask about wedding dates after the engagement. It might be too fast-)

“Maa, koi jaldi nahi karega. Hum sambhal lenge. Jab pooch rahe hain, toh donon hi pooch lo.”

(Maa, nobody is going to rush. We’ll handle it. When you’re asking, might as well ask about both.)

Namrata nodded but still had a wrinkle in her brow as she agreed to Madhuri’s suggestion. “Theek hain ji, hum phir baad mein baat karenge. Namaste.”

(Alright ji, we‘ll speak again soon. Namaste.)

Cutting the call, Namrata turned worriedly to her husband and older daughter. “Tch, haan nahi bolna tha mujhe! Yeh sab bohot jaldi hoga Riddhi ke liye.  Ab baat ko wapas bhi nahi le sakti, bechari Riddhi, meri bacchi!”

(Tch, I didn’t want to say yes! This is all too fast for Riddhi. Now I can’t even take my words back. Riddhi, my poor child!)

Avantika laughed at her father’s beleaguered face. “Acha suniye bechari Riddhi ki bechari Maa, maine Riddhi se kal poocha tha uski rai. Keh rahi thi ko joh muhurat accha hain, woh hi theek hain. Tum bewaja chinta kar rahi ho. Par kamaal hain bhai! Mujhe agle din hi keh rahi thi ki tum bhi shaadi kar lo, aur yaha bechari Riddhi, joh itni tez nikli ki dekhthe hi pyar kar li, uske liye yeh sab bohot jaldi ho rahe hain.”

(Listen, poor Riddhi’s poor mother, I asked Riddhi her opinion yesterday. She was saying that whatever date is auspicious is fine with her. You’re worrying for no reason. But this amazing! You were telling me the next day that I should also get married, and here for poor Riddhi, who turned out to be so fast that she feel in love at first sight, everything is going too fast.)

She shook her finger at her mother in a disapproving manner. “Itna khule aam favoritism shobha nahi deti.”

(Such open favoritism doesn’t suit you.)

Namrata slapped Avantika’s arm, Avantika not even bothering to move out of the way because she was too busy laughing. Since she couldn’t do the same to her husband, she gave him a glare that promised retribution in private.

“Riddhi baccha, idhar aao.” Namrata called her daughter to sit with the rest of the family.

(Riddhi, baccha, come here.)

She had completed the last semester of her degree and was doing an internship at a famous jewelry company, and she had just returned from work. With a small frown between her brows, she sat between her parents and across from her sister, who was typing furiously on her laptop.

Innocently she looked up at her parents, “Ji Papa, Mumma, bataiye.”

(Yes, Mumma, Papa, what is it?)

Avantika, knowing what was about to be discussed, set her laptop aside and pushed her glasses above her head from their precarious perch on the tip of her nose.

“Pari, hum bas yeh batane chahthe hain ki aaj humari Suryanvanshis se baat hui. Hum donon ne pandit ji se mangni aur shaadi ke tareek ke baare mein pucha.”

(Angel, we just wanted to tell that we spoke to the Suryavanshis today. We asked about the dates for the engagement and wedding.)

Riddhi nodded and lowered her eyes, blushing slightly. “So, the earliest dates are for the engagement in 15 days, and the wedding in two months. Kya tumhe donon tareek manzoor hain?”, Amar asked.

(So, the earliest dates are for the engagement in 15 days, and the wedding in two months. Is that ok with you?)

Riddhi fidgeted with her dupatta as she tried to absorb what her parents were saying. Avantika raised her brows slightly. So, they weren’t going to discuss the later dates that the pandit had given? Perhaps it was because they hadn’t discussed it with the Suryavanshis. But if Riddhi showed any discomfort or hesitation…she would be the first to fight for her.