Welcome to the family. ❤AmandaDeLeon788 ,Aviksha98 and FatimaBourtoukal.

AMBAR SINGH DEOL

"Can't I just wear a tux ?" I ask my younger brother looking away from the mirror.

"Mom's clear about wearing traditional for the ceremony." He replied as he unwrapped the fancy turban packaging and gave it to me. I kept it on my head and looked in the mirror again.

Couldn't that fireball of a woman choose a darker colour for contrast to her lehenga (dress). I don't look good in light shades. She's most probably doing it to get spotlight. Becoz I'm handsome enough to overshadow her beauty.. That spoiled brat.. Plus why is this shirt so embroided.. So unmasculine.. If that's even a word.

You must be wondering why I am doing this, right ? Going ahead with this wedding ? It's not my father on the death bed. Why do I care ?

Well, I am wondering too.
When Samayra left the hospital room, his father looked at me with hope in his eyes and placed a hand on his heart as if his heart still had a lingering effect of the block. It must be, he has a major blocked artery after all.
"You should call your parents, son. We need to get this done soon. I don't know how much time, I have left." He said in a slow voice as if in pain.

What do you tell your former senior officer, and a very old man who says that he is on his death bed, when he asks to get married to his daughter.

Let alone former senior officer..
How can you ever tell No, to a man so old and gravely ill ? So, I called my mother being the empathetic hero that I am. She was overjoyed at finally getting me into the evil chains of wedlock. And Today is the day I loose my freedom.

I'll be sharing my bedroom and my closet and I'll have to hear her annoying voice in my home. Why did I say yes ?

Why couldn't I take a small dent on my conscience and say no to a dying man..
But instead, I destroyed my life.

"How is bhabhi (sister-in-law)?" my brother asked me.

"Oh she's right out of a fairy tale." I say sarcastically as his eyebrows do a teasing dance of going up and down.
"Like a dwarf from the snow white and seven dwarfs.." I say wanting to get him off my back.

"What bhai (bro), why can't you be romantic ?" He says in an annoyed tone.

"Chetan.. my head hurts at the thought of marrying her. Don't annoy me or I'll literally beat you to pulp." I warn him.
"Seems like a good time to enter." I turn and see my only friend and junior from work Avinash enter.

"Any new leads into the case ?" I ask refering to the drug racket.
"Is this man serious ? He's talking about work two hours before his wedding ?" He says laughing at me.

"He's gone mad" Chetan says and I was about to put my jutti (traditional shoes) as I pick it up and throw it on him hitting him on his arm.

"So.. Whiskey or Scotch ?" Avinash asks.
"Rat poison ?" I say annoyed.

"Are you ready ? " My mom says announcing her entry into my room.
"Can I say no ?" i look at her giving my best puppy face.
"Ambi" mom says.
(Ambi means raw mango in native Indian tongue.)

"Mom.. Am I not your favorite son? " i say as the footwear I had thrown on my younger brother comes flying back on me hitting my chest.

"I am her favorite son." He says and I pick up the footwear again to hit him.

"Sometime I wish, I'd just had a daughter.." my mom sighs.

"Instead I had two fools for children." She says as Dad screams after her.
"Reena, where's my Rolex ?"
"That's my favorite child.." My mom says refering to dad, as we stand dumbfounded at the 49 year old child of a 47 year old woman and she walked out leaving us with a warning.
"You have 10 minutes."

"I hope atleast you are the favorite husband." Chetan says and I throw the footwear with full force this time, he tries to run and it hits his back.

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I sit ready for the ceremony, where we take 4 rounds of the holy book and tie the knot. My family was already seated in the place of worship when I looked up to see unknown people enter, which were obviously her family. So, it's time. She's gonna be here and my heart starts thumping in anticipation and I remember the girl in white shirt, I saw at the precinct and then the one in traditional wear in that restaurant.
I remember her crying in my shirt at the news of her father's sickness.

And finally I hear the clatter of the bangles and Kalire (letdowns).

(The golden petals bound to white pearls, tied to her wrists are called Kalire.)
She sits down beside me and we try to avoid eye contact. The ceremony passes awkwardly and after everyone congratulating us, then we were ushered off to Lunch planned by her family. We were married. My life was tied to hers and her to mine. I was letting it sink in. I am not alone. Not in any decision I make..

She sat with me in the car that Rehaan had got decorated for us with red roses.
Blatant waste of money.

We drove to the venue decorated which was a party hall, I got out of the car from one side and noticed she was having difficulties with her heavy ass dress. So, I decided to open the door for her. She was mid way getting out, and I pulled the door wanting to get this over with. What I had failed to notice, was that her Kalira (the golden petal letdowns attached to her bangles) were actually stuck in the car handle.

She gave me a death glare and I looked down to notice the broken pearls of her jewelry running down her dress.
I think I just broke it.. Shit.. Good start Ambar..

Outstanding..

Pissing off your already angry bird lookalike wife five minutes after the wedding ceremony.

"Ayra, do you need any.." A woman in her late twenties came by my side to help her and paused mid sentence looking at the broken piece of jewelry.
"Umm.. Shit.. okay.. We got this.. Let's remove the other one." She said panicking.

"I am fine, just let's have lunch." She said as if trying to suppress her anger under the four cameras pointing on her face two of which had been following me since I stepped out of my room this morning.

"No, the photographer is ready for a photoshoot before that." She says removing the other kalira and helping her out of the car.
I saw her standing at 5'4" while I was 6'2".. But when I saw her in that bridal attire..

A life sentence with her didn't seem too bad. I could see her in my future, and it wasn't dark..

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Reet