There were only five more days to the wedding, though the Mehendi and Sangeet would be held the day before, and Vikram was scheduled to return tomorrow. Though the work in Hyderabad was handled, he stopped in Bangalore on the way, so he wouldn’t have to travel anywhere for several months after the wedding. Aanandita had insisted that all the wedding outfits would be made by Athidhi, and everyone readily agreed. It had kept her busy, but all the outfits were almost ready, with only a few last-minute details and alterations left. She had gone to the Rathores’ home to discuss a few of those details and have Ranjani and Deepthi try on their outfits. Normally, fittings would happen at the boutique, but since the wedding was just a few days away, it was simpler to have the alterations done at home. The seamstress was working on the last alteration as Deepthi intently watched her work. Taking this as her opportunity, Aanandita settled next to Ranjani. “Aunty, agar aapko bura na lage, main ek baat poochoon?”

(Aunty, if you don’t mind, can I ask you something?)

“Haan beta, of course! Aur aunty kya, tum Maa bulao mujhe. Actually no, I don’t want to pressure you. You can call me Maa whenever you feel ready.”

(Yes beta, of course! And please, you can call me Maa…)

Aanandita smiled at her cuteness, she reminded her so much of her mother. “Nahi Maa, discomfort ki koi baat nahi hain.”

(No Maa, I’m not uncomfortable.)

“Haaye, kitna accha lagta hain tere mu se ‘Maa’ sunnke. Nazar na lage meri bacchi ko!”

(Haaye, it sounds so good to hear you say ‘Maa’. Keep my daughter away from evil eyes!)

“Aww, thank you Maa, aapko bhi! Actually, main yeh poochna chahthi thi ki, bohot saare log apni beti ki shaadi pehle karwa dete, aap aisa nahi socha?”

(Aww, thank you Maa, you too! Actually, I wanted to ask, a lot of people get their daughters married first. You didn’t think about doing that?)

“Hmm, socha toh tha. Lekin Deepthi abhi bhi choti hain na, bas 22 saal ki hone waali hain do mahinon mein. Aur yahan Vikram toh almost 30 saal ka hain. Agar Deepthi taiyyar hain, toh main sabse khush hoon uski shaadi karwane ki. Par mujhe pata tha ki Vidyut aur Vikram ko convince karna bohot mushkil hoga. Aur mujhe yeh bhi pata tha ki Vikram khud shaadi karne ko jaldi taiyyaar nahi hoga.

(Hmm, I did think about it. But Deepthi is still young, just about to turn 22 in two months. And here Vikram is almost 30 years old. When Deepthi is ready to get married, then I’ll be the happiest. But I knew that it would be really difficult to convince Vidyut and Vikram. And I also knew that Vikram himself wouldn’t easily agree to get married.)

So, I started bringing up the idea of his marriage a little bit earlier. Finally, I thought if he still doesn’t agree, then I’ll ask Deepthi once her post-graduation is done. Lekin woh maan gaya, aur maine socha, yeh bhi theek hain. Pehle agar bahu aayegi ghar mein, then you can help me convince Vidyut and Vikram for Deepthi’s marriage. Warna woh donon apni princess ko kabhi nahi jaane denge.”

(So, I started bringing up the idea of his marriage a little bit earlier. Finally, I thought if he still doesn’t agree, then I’ll ask Deepthi once her post-graduation is done. But, he agreed. And I thought, this is fine, too. First, if our daughter-in-law joins the family, then you can help me convince Vidyut and Vikram for Deepthi’s marriage. Otherwise, those two would never let their princess leave.)

“Maa, main jaanti hoon ki aaj bohot saari cheezein mang rahi hoon, but if I talk with Deepthi about something, would you go along with it?”

(Maa, I know I’m asking for a lot of things…)

Ranjani nodded curiously. “Theek hain.”

(Alright.)

The seamstress had just finished up and let so Deepthi flopped down on the couch across from them. Seeing their looks, she stiffened. “Aap donon mujhe aise kyun dekh rahe hain?”

(Why are you both looking at me like that?)

Aanandita got up and took a seat beside Deepthi, turning towards her and holding her hands. “Deepthi, tumhare bhabhi hone ke haq se kuch pooch sakti hoon?”

(Deepthi, as your bhabhi, can I ask you something?)

“Haan bhabhi, obviously!”

“Baccha, tumhe koi pasand hain kya?”

(Dear, do you like someone?)

“Matlab?”

(Meaning?)

“Matlab yeh ki kya tumhe koi ladka accha lagta hain?”

(I mean, is there any guy that you have feelings for?)

 Her eyes widened and she blushed. She shook her head, “Nahi bhabhi, aise kuch nahi hain.”

(No bhabhi, there’s nothing like that.)

But she couldn’t look into Aanandita’s eyes while answering, and she licked her lips nervously. Aanandita lifted her chin with a finger and looked at her sternly. “Tum meri choti behen ho na?”

(You’re my younger sister, right?)

Deepthi nodded. “Phir accha lagta hain kya bhabhi aur Maa se jhooth bolna?”

(Then does it look good to lie to your bhabhi and Maa?)

She shook her head. “Hmm, ab bolo Deepu, kaun pasand hain tumhe?”

(Hmm, now tell me Deepu, who do you like?)

Deepthi scrunched up her face and tucked away a stray strand of hair. “Umm, actually, koi hain joh mujhe pasand hain. Lekin bhabhi, Maa, mujhe darr lagta hain. Aise kabhi pehla nahi hua, maine kisi ko pasand nahi ki. Aur sirf kuch din hue hain unse milke. Agar yeh sirf infatuation hua tho? Aur mere paas kuch pehla experience nahi hain compare karne ki.”

(Umm, actually, I do like someone. But bhabhi, Maa, I’m scared. This has never happened before, I’ve never liked anyone before. And it’s only been a few days since I’ve met him. What if this is just infatuation? I don’t have any previous experience to compare this to.)

“Tumhara dar main bilkul samajh sakti hoon, kyunki main bhi pehle kisi ko pasand nahi ki. Lekin agar yeh decide karna hain ki infatuation hain ya kuch aur, uske liye mere paas ek solution hain. Main kuch sawaal poochthi hoon tumse, aur tum aankh band karke, sach sach jawaab dena.”

(I can totally understand your fear, because I’ve never liked anyone before either. But if you need to decide if this is infatuation or something more, then I have a solution for that. I’ll ask you a few questions, and with your eyes closed, you’ll answer me honestly.)

“Theek hain…”

(Alright…)

“Yeh batao, dikhne mein tumhe kya accha lagta hain uske baare mein?”

(Tell me this, what do you like about his looks?)

“Hmm, unke smile bohot accha lagta hain mujhe. Zyaada smile nahi karte, lekin jab karte, toh pura room khil jata hain. Aur woh bohot lamba hain, he doesn’t make me feel like a giant. Aur unke aankhein mujhe bohot sataate hain, humesha lagta hain ki meri koi jawaab ki intezaar mein hain.”

(Hmm, I like his smile a lot. He doesn’t smile much, but when he does, it lights up the room. And he’s pretty tall, he doesn’t make me feel like a giant. And his eyes bother me a lot. It always seems like they’re waiting for my answer.)

“Accha ab yeh batao ki personality-wise kya accha lagta hain tumhe?”

(Ok, now tell me what you like about his personality?)

“Isko main ek ek karke jawaab nahi de sakti hoon bhabhi, kyunki mujhe khud nahi pata. Lekin yeh toh keh sakti hoon ki woh bilkul Papa aur bhai jaise hain. Apne parivaar ko sabse zyaada pyaar karte hain, bohot protective hain unko lekar, aur unke khushiyaan mein hi khud ke khushiyaan dhoondhthe hain.”

(I can’t break it down and give you an answer bhabhi, because I don’t know myself. But I can say that he’s exactly like Papa and bhai. He loves his family the most and is very protective of them. He finds his happiness in theirs.)

“Sirf achaiyaan hain, ya koi buraiyaan bhi hain mere bhai mein?”

(Are there only good qualities? Or are there any bad qualities in my brother?)

“Buraiyaan toh sab mein hote hain bhabhi, aapke bhai mein bhi. Maine kaha na, bilkul Papa aur bhai jaisa hain. Aur unke tarah hi overprotective bhi ho jaate hain, arrogant hain, akdu hain, simple baatein samajhne mein tubelight jitna time lagta hain. Jab hum donon aapse boutique mein milne aa rahe the, tab aise hi kisi choti si baat par mujhe bohot gussa aaya.”

(Everyone has a few negative qualities bhabhi, even your brother. I told you, he’s just like Papa and bhai. He becomes overprotective like them. He’s arrogant, stubborn, and takes as long as a tubelight to understand simple things. When we were both coming to meet you at your boutique, I got really mad over some small issue like this.)

“Haan, woh sab toh hain. Lekin aur bhi kitne saare kamiyaan hain Ashwin mein. Jab bhi Harshi ne bola ki bhai yeh green wala cheez le aa, who humesha blue le aate the. Ek saal laga unko yaad rakhne mein ki Harshi ka favorite color ab green hain. Humesha bhool jate hain ki cheezein kaha rakhe hue hain, aur bohot messy hain. Mahine mein ek baar, jab hum force karte hain, ya aur saha nahi jaate, tab kamra ko saaf karte hain.

(Yes, that’s all true. But there’s so many more negative things about Ashwin. Whenever Harshi told him to get something green, he’d get something blue. It took him a year to remember that green is now Harshi’s favorite color. He always forgets where he puts things, and he’s very messy. He cleans his room once a month, when we force him, or when it gets so messy that even he can’t stand it anymore.)

Aur sabse annoying, arey yaar, main kya bataoon! Sirf naam ke do do prestigious degrees hain lekin kuch kaam karna hi nahi aate. High school se leke aaj tak, maine unka saare kaam mein madat ki hain, aur sach boloon toh un mein koi akal hi nahi hain. Company ka naam unka hain, lekin peeche saara kaam mera. Main na ab sochne lagi hoon ki main hi company ka takeover kar loon, because he’s completely useless. Pata nahi itna fizool ka insaan kyun aaya meri zindagi mein.”

(And the most annoying thing, oh my god, what can I even say! He has two prestigious degrees in name only, but he doesn’t actually know how to do any work. From high school till now, I helped him with everything. And truth be told, he simply has no brain. The company name is his, but behind, all the work is mine. I’m starting to think that I might as well takeover the company, because he’s completely useless. I don’t know why such a useless person came into my life.)

Deepthi eyes snapped open and she scowled. “Bhabhi stop it, bohot ho gaya! How can you say stuff like this about your own brother? Mujhe laga ki aap donon ek dusre ko bohot pyaar karte hain, lekin yeh sab kya hain? Harshita’s favorite color, that’s such a small thing to be mad about. Aapko yeh appreciate karna chahiye ki woh ghalat rang toh sahi, lekin joh bhi Harshita ke maange the, usne pura kar di. Arey, ab tak Papa ko lagta hain ki mujhe bade hokar prime minister banna hain, toh color konsi badi baat hain! Aur cheezein bhoolna, messy rehna toh har kisika problem hota. Aapne bhai ka room dekha kabhi, jab hum nahi kehte ki saaf karo?

(Bhabhi stop it, that’s enough! How can you say stuff like this about your own brother? I thought you both loved each other a lot, but what is all this! Harshita’s favorite color, that’s such a small thing to be mad about. You should appreciate that even if it’s the wrong color, he got everything Harshita asked for. Arey, until now Papa thinks I want to grow up and become the prime minister, so how is color a big deal? And forgetting things, being messy, is everyone’s problem. Have you ever seen bhai’s room when we don’t remind him to clean it?)

Aur sirf Ashwin nahi, bohot saare log honge aapke ghar mein joh messy hain. Mein bhi koi clean freak nahi hoon. Lekin joh aapne akhir mein bola na, woh toh saraasar ghalat hain bhabhi. Haan mujhe pata hain ki aap finance mein bohot acche hain aur jab chahe firm ke kaamon mein help karte hain, lekin Ashwin bhi kam nahi hain. Unhone apne dam par aapka firm ka naam theen guna badhadiya, aur woh bhi sirf director ban ke. Aap unke talent aur hard work ko neeche nahi dikha sakte, aur naa hi credit le sakte hain! You simply can’t say such horrible things about the man I love!”

(And not just Ashwin, I bet a lot of people in your family are messy. I’m definitely not a clean freak. But what you said at the end, that’s absolutely wrong bhabhi. Yes, I know that you’re talented in financial matters, and you help out at the firm when needed, but Ashwin’s no less. It was his own hard work that made the firm so much more recognized, and that’s only during his time as director. You can’t look down on his talent and hard work, and you can’t take credit for it! You simply can’t say such horrible things about the man I love!)

Aanandita laughed and rubbed Deepthi’s shoulders. “Shanth ho jao meri sherni!”

(Calm down, my lioness!)

Then, leaning back, she gave a satisfied smirk. “And this, my dear Deepu, is what I call filling two needs with one deed.”

“Kya matlab, bhabhi?”

(What do you mean, bhabhi?)

“Pehla, tumhe yeh decide hua ki sirf infatuation nahi, sacha pyaar hua hain tumse, aur doosra, mujhe confirm hua ki tum mera bhai Ashwin se pyaar karti ho.”

(First, you realized that this is not infatuation, it’s true love. And second, you confirmed for me that it’s my brother Ashwin whom you love.)

Deepthi’s face flushed a deep red as she realized how easily she’d been played, and she hid her face behind one of the decorative pillows on the couch. Ranjani came out of her shock and took a seat next to Deepthi, smiling at Aanandita. “Deepthi, baccha, agar aise hua, toh tumne mujhe kyun nahi bataya?”

(Deepthi, child, if that was the case, why didn’t you tell me?)

She was both extremely happy, and a little bit hurt. Deepthi hugged her mother tight, hiding her face in her lap. “I’m sorry, Maa. Par maina bataya na ki aisa kabhi nahi hua, and I was so confused. Mujhe laga agar serious hain, like it’s not just a childish crush, phir bata dungi.”

(I’m sorry, Maa. But I told you right, this has never happened before, and I was so confused. I thought if it was serious, like it’s not just a childish crush, then I would tell you.)

“Waise, ek secret bataoon. Jabse maine Ashwin ko mila, mujhe bhi bohot accha ladka laga.”

(Should I tell you a secret? Since I met Ashwin, I thought he was a really great guy, too.)

“That’s so perfect, Maa. That means it was meant to be! Also, maaf kijiye, thoda zyaada drama kiya maine. But I must admit, I did have a lot of fun.”

(That’s so perfect, Maa. That means it was meant to be! Also, forgive me, I was a bit overdramatic…)

Deepthi threw the pillow she was hiding behind at her. “Bhabhi, I didn’t know you could be this evil!” “Sweetheart, how can Cupid be evil?”