“Which reminds me,” she continued. “Are you all set to steal the shoes?”
I paused at the door, wondering what Ryan had planned. As the best man, he would bring his A-game. Even though I wanted to stay away from him, I would have no choice but keep an eye out for his tricks. A part of me approved but I ignored the voice. “I won’t let you down.” I promised. I steeled myself as I joined my family to welcome the groom’s family.
The game was about to begin.
3
Ryan
A white horse, decorated in a heavily-embroidered costume, stood at the entrance to the 7-star hotel, in the middle of Manhattan. The task assigned to the horse was rather important - deliver the groom to the wedding temple.
After being force-fed half a dozen Indian sweets by every other woman in a saree, Arav was blessed profusely for a long, healthy life. Only then was he allowed to climb the horse for his journey to get his bride home. A bit of drama, but the excitement of the moment transcended everything else.
Arav had a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes begged me to intervene. I had no idea where to even begin, so I did the next-best thing. I smiled back at him with a thumbs up. Then I snickered at his crass response.
The moment Arav sat on the horse, the crowd around him erupted in cheers. That seemed to signal the traditional Indian music band waiting around us to start playing. For a moment, I was disoriented by the sudden blaring noise of the trumpets and dholaks playing a songI had never heard. But people around me had started to sway a little, shoulders shaking slightly. Maybe it was popular Bollywood music.
I was craning my neck to find my car, thinking I’d have to drive to the wedding venue next door, when hands grabbed me to pull into the crowd. People danced all around me, and a cacophony of hooting and whistling added an intense fervor to the mix. Rita was already there, matching steps with her newfound friends, the henna on her hands a bright orange against her fair skin. I swayed to the tune but my usually enthusiastic self was less-than-enthusiastic about doing this crazy dance.
The wedding party’s dancing was surprisingly well-organized. Some women had formed circles,, and some men and women had paired up. Even as we danced, we were constantly moving toward the hotel next door, where Nisha’s family was waiting to receive us.
Rita slid up next to me--a fact I didn’t realize until I felt her arms snake around my waist I pried her hands off me. I didn’t want to give her any wrong signals.
“Dance, Ryan. This is so much fun!”
I turned toward Rita’s slightly slurred voice. “Are you drunk?” I asked, shocked. Sober Rita was mildly irritating. Drunk Rita was a pain in the neck.
She pouted in response and bent forward to kiss me. It was easy to duck her attempt, and I sighed in relief as a couple of girls pulled Rita away.
It felt wrong to be touched by Rita. I used to enjoy meeting and dating beautiful women, but the charm had begun to wear off. And since I met Anshi a year back, I could never go back to the dating world the same way. It all seemed so pointless and superficial. And, now that Anshi was back in the picture, every date I had in the past just seemed just wrong.
The walk to the wedding venue was short and before we knew it, we faced the bridal party waiting at the elegantly decorated entrance of the hotel. Huge flower garlands hung on the walls of the building, and colorful lights surrounded them. It felt like Christmas.
As we got closer, I saw the famed Kamlesh Jain, Nisha’s and Anshi’s father and one of the richest men in America, smiling broadly at the oncoming party. Having met him a couple of times while visiting his house, I was used to his grim, businesslike expression, so the smile was surprising.
I looked up at Arav, still on the horse. His eyes were glued to someone in the dancing crowd, and he had an amused look on his face. . When I followed his gaze, my eyes widened at the image of Rita dirty dancing with one of Arav’s dozen or so cousins. He looked back at me with a raised eyebrow and I shrugged. If Rita found her happily-ever-after with his cousin, good for her!
I continued dancing while searching for a glimpse of Anshi. The people in the bride’s party were dressed in pretty much the same colors and fabrics as those in the groom’s party, and I was sure I would mix up the two sides sooner or later. In the sea of faces, only one was familiar, and I finally found it. Anshi was staring at me with a slightly amused expression. Her headphones were gone and she stood stiffly, tension rolling off her everywhere except for the little uptick of her lips.
As we neared the entrance, the fervor around me only increased, as if the groom’s party was trying to prove to the bride’s family that they were indeed very excited for this marriage. I had started to sweat in my sherwani and I was sure every other man dancing his head off had, too, but it didn’t seem to bother them. I envied the women, who had more airy lehengas, with thin, long scarves modestly covering their bare stomachs.
I looked back at Arav and was shocked to see what looked like a curtain of white beaded flowers tied to his head. Was he going to spend the whole wedding with his face covered like that?
“Sehra.” I whipped around to find Anshi close, moving her shoulders rhythmically to the new tune. I did a quick scan of the bridal party to find almost half of the people missing. “It’s called a Sehra. It's a traditional headdress for the groom to wear that until the end of the wedding.”
“Why?” I asked. I had no real interest in the reason. I just wanted her to keep talking to me. The dark kohl lining her brown eyes made them mesmerizing. She just shrugged and turned to match steps with a young girl next to her. I felt bereft without her gaze on me, and I suddenly wished I had her for myself.
After a few moments, she tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find her still dancing with the same little girl. “You are doing it wrong.” .
“Doing what wrong?”
“Tap your leg like this, and raise your right hand…” She paused to push my right hand way up. “Now move your fingers in a clockwise motion as if you are fixing a bulb in your kitchen.”
The little girl giggled as I followed Anshi’s instructions, happily fixing an invisible bulb in the humid skies of New York City. They joined me in the bulb-fixing dance move. Of course, they did the move a lot more gracefully than I ever could but it was easy to forget my inadequacies when I could watch Anshi laugh freely. I got the feeling it was a rare sight. .
"You should do that more." I whispered loudly in her ear. The music drowned out everything.
"What?" She backed up and stared at me.
"You have a really great smile,” I shouted. “The kind that feels like sunshine on a really dark, bleak, cloudy day". She slowed down, taken aback by my compliment. I hoped to see that smile continue but all I saw was a thousand questions in her eyes.
"Is that your best pick up line?"
Not again. How would I ever get this woman to talk to me if she didn't believe anything I said? She started moving away from me, towards the hotel entrance to join her family. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me. She almost bumped into me but I held her in my arms. She wriggled under my grasp, but her eyes were lit with amusement.
I gave her my most charming smile. "If I used my best pick up lines, you would have asked me out." She rolled her eyes and wrenched free from my grip. "Do you want me to try a few?" I asked hopefully. I watched, mesmerized, as she let her head fall back a little and laughed heartily. She shook her head, her amused eyes meeting mine. I would be lying if I said I didn't dream of waking up to that smile every morning.
We moved another inch closer to the entrance of the wedding venue . The afternoon sun wasn't kind to the dancers and I unbuttoned the top button of my sherwani. At that moment, I felt for Arav. He couldn’t unbutton his sherwani no matter how much he wanted to. I looked forward to the air conditioning that Anshi had mentioned back at the hotel.
I stumbled forward as Rita bumped into me from behind. She deliriously wrapped her arm around mine and put her head on my shoulder.
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"I love this, Ryan. “I’m having so much fun. Your friend should marry more often. Tell him I’ll recommend some good divorce lawyers if he promises to invite me to his next Indian wedding."
I thanked God the music was so loud that no one could pay attention to Rita. I wouldn't want to invite the wrath of Arav's family for planning his divorce while he was on his way to marry his supposed first wife.
"Good idea. Keep that to yourself for now though," I said. She pouted in response.
There was a sudden change in the party’s atmosphere. The music stopped and the dancers parted to the side in front of me.
I looked back in time to see the decorated white horse walking towards the front of the crowd. I moved aside quickly to let it pass. Everyone was in awe. Even the horse had a stupefied look on his face. Arav's head turn towards me but the sehra had hidden his whole face. I imagined his freaked-out expression and couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head and looked forward, taking a deep breath.
Unknown to him, I took a deep breath too. I felt nervous and jittery. It was time. Time for Arav to step into his new world with Nisha. I was happy for him, but also a little sad. I wasn’t going to have Arav to myself anymore. I hated myself for feeling that twinge of jealousy, almost as if I was a third-grader and someone stole my best friend.
It didn’t help that his marriage reminded me that I was still single. I didn’t want to dwell on that fact, though, so I shook the negativity out of my system and focused on walking behind the swishing tail of the horse.
Arav dismounted and the crowd grew even even more hushed.
Adorned in a golden saree, Sohni Jain, Anshi and Nisha’s grandmother, stepped forward with a plate full of traditional welcoming items. Anshi stepped up behind her, and our eyes locked. She had gone back to being silent and serious, but I knew a mischievous girl was still in there waiting to be uncovered. Her eyes moved to my arm, still linked in Rita’s, and I could swear my arm heated up under her scrutiny.
Arav stepped forward and bent to touch Sohni's feet. I was always amazed by this display of respect for elders in his family. Sohni blessed him by patting him on his bent head. When he straightened, she lifted the veil slightly as if confirming it was indeed Arav. Jokes were thrown around, lightening the mood. Sonhi put vermillion on his forehead, then hugged him, welcoming him inside. She repeated the same with Arav's aunt and uncle, and they stepped onto the huge lawn, which had been lavishly decorated for the wedding.
I made the line to follow them when I was stopped by Anshi, who had a plate of her own. A host of bridesmaids had materialized with welcoming kits behind with Sohni, and they waited to put vermillion on us as a sign of welcome. Anshi looked tense as she put a small dot of the orange-colored powder on Rita's forehead. She sprinkled rose water on her, then put a thin garland of exotic white flowers around her neck. Rita smiled widely at her and held my hand in hers. Anshi definitely didn't miss the gesture as she turned towards me, the smile completely wiped off her face.
She took a pinch of vermillion and raised it towards me. I bent slightly so that she could reach me. Her fingers carefully slid up my forehead from between my eyebrows to my hairline, her eyes locked with mine the entire time. I missed her touch the moment she withdrew her hand. She took the garland from her plate, a little hesitant this time. She handed the plate to a girl assisting her and took the garland in both hands. I bent again and she put the garland around my neck. She smelled like lavender. I smiled at her in that little window when her arms were around me, creating -a little bubble exclusive to us. She aggressively sprinkled the rose water in return, as if chiding me for my inappropriate smile. The moment she was done unnecessarily drenching me, she turned and walked away as fast as she could.
Rita chose that moment to tug me onto the lawn. I walked with her, keeping an eye on where Anshi was headed. Thankfully, she led us to a crowded spot under a huge tent set up in the middle of the lawn. A raised temple was set up in the middle of the tent. There were three seats set up, which were reserved for the bride, the groom, and the priest. Soft rugs lay all around for guest seating. Mercifully, cool air blasted from air conditioners set up in the tent.
Arav waited at the threshold of the temple, surrounded by his family. I untangled myself from Rita's grip to move closer to him. "What's going to happen now?" I asked, as I joined his side.
"This is the moment, man,” he said distractedly. “Make sure my shoes are safe."
I looked around and saw two other men holding shoe boxes identical to the one Arav had entrusted me with.
"Vikas and Sid. My cousins. You know what to do." I waved at his cousins and they nodded conspiratorially. I looked around to find a few eyes on me and I straightened up a bit.
"How much did you say was at stake again?"
"A lot of money," he hissed. I nodded in understanding.
A man with the event tag on him handed me the original shoe box and left after wishing me luck.
"The moment I step into the temple, pick up my sh..." Arav stopped mid-sentence as we all got the first glimpse of Nisha walking towards us. I heard women gasping, and an excited chatter fell upon the crowd as she walked down the aisle to stand opposite to Arav. He stepped forward to meet her in the middle of the temple, leaving his shoes behind. All eyes were on the bride and the groom, except for mine, Vikas’s and Sid’s. And Anshi’s.
Let the games begin.
4
Anshi
Ryan bent down to pick up Arav's shoes and stuffed them in the shoe box he was holding. I stepped closer to him. A quick grab of the box from under his arm should be easy. He looked slightly tense holding the box, and an involuntarily chuckle escaped me. Ryan had no idea how intense joota chuppai could get.
I was only a few steps away when I stopped. Two other men holding identical shoeboxes huddled with Ryan. I strained to keep an eye on the boxes they were holding, but they had formed a tight circle. It was impossible to peek at what was happening within the circle.
The box had to be snatched before they dispersed. So, I picked up my pace to crash the stupid silent party they were having right in the middle of the wedding. I was only a couple of steps away when they broke their huddle and turned to me. All three of them had identical boxes and nauseating smirks. But it was Ryan's smirk that was the most grating, because it somehow made him look more enticing. I returned his smirk with a sweet smile of my own and moved to stand next to them. The other two groomsmen walked away with the boxes, leaving me alone with Ryan.
Soft chatter sounded around me while the high-pitched voice of the priest chanting Vedic mantras droned on in the background. I bristled at my failure to grab the box right when Arav left his shoes. I definitely underestimated the groomsmen’s level of planning and now I didn't know which of the three boxes had the shoes. I had already texted my little bridesmaid minions to investigate the other two men, but they were only fifteen years old. I didn't have much hope there.
I plopped down on the rug next to the temple to watch the wedding and hoped Ryan would join me. He walked up to me and gave me a smile before sitting down. I wanted to punch the air for the small victory. He crossed his legs and put the shoebox in his lap.
"Nice try," he said, his voice dripping with mirth.
"Don't get too comfortable," I said. I tried not to stare at his mesmerizing blue eyes. This close, they were even more arresting. I immediately regretted being so close to him. Ryan Penn made my heart go crazy, and now was not the time for crazy. Not when twenty thousand dollars was at stake. His smile had dimmed to something different; something more intense. I averted my gaze. I was glad I was tan enough not to show signs of blushing.
I looked at the box from the corner of my eye and considered just grabbing it and making a run for it, but that would be too dramatic and disrespectful so close to the temple.
"So, how long does this wedding take?" Ryan asked. My skin tingled under his gaze.
"About three to four hours," I said, without turning. I
heard him gasp, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. He had no idea how tiring Indian weddings could get. “But then, guests mingle with others freely during the ceremony choosing to attend some parts while skipping others. And it’s a perfect calorie binge destination. Do you want some Indian sweets? Or maybe sherbet? We will have appetizers out, too, in a short while. You want to go get some?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you being so nice?" he asked. Head inclined, he assessed me. I batted my eyelashes and smiled at him.
"I want to be as welcoming as possible to our guests."
"Gotcha. I’ll pass." He answered with his smirk back in place. "By the way, you really don't need to up the sweet act that you’re putting on. If your intention is to distract me, I am already distracted enough. By you. What's that perfume you have it on? It's driving me crazy."
I fidgeted, tamping down the urge to sniff myself. My cheeks warmed and I looked away, wondering whether the shoe money was worth being subjected to Ryan’s irresistible charms. "It's Chanel," I replied softly.
"Ah...it's always Chanel," he said. He locked his arms around his bent knees. I couldn’t ignore the shoebox that now sat between us, unprotected.
"Always? How many women do you go around sniffing?"
His ensuing chuckle wasn't the answer I was looking for, but when he turned to me, his eyes were alight with mischief. I gazed at his upturned lips, noticing the way a carefree smile slid so easily onto his face. I pursed my lips and ignored his infectious smile. I tried not to dwell on how little I smiled and how much I wanted to.
"Would it bother you that I might have spent enough time sniffing other women's perfumes?" he said.
It was my turn to smirk. "You overestimate yourself. Sniff all you like, just don’t sniff me. I’m good."
"You should consider giving me a chance.” He leaned in and said, “I can assure you no one would sniff you the way I would."
Love by Surprise Page 3