Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  “Shut up, Nate,” I said smiling and looked away.

  Nate jumped with joy and said victoriously, “Yes!! I knew it.”

  She danced around the kitchen and finally came to where I was sitting to give me the big sister hug.

  “The one time I don’t warn Nick to be on his best behavior, he totally took advantage of my baby sister,” Nate said very dramatically and added, “I need to start my research on Nick.”

  I giggled and asked, “Who is your research resource, Srini?”

  “Oh yes, obviously,” Nate said shrugging her shoulders.

  “Nate, the guys are very tight. I doubt if you can get anything out of Srini about Nick,” I warned her.

  “Challenge accepted,” Nate said with confidence and added, “I am going to try my level best to get all of Nick’s history.”

  “Stop it, Nate. I don’t think that’s necessary. We have known these guys for many years, and I don’t think we need to worry about it,” I said to Nate comforting her.

  “I agree but I feel like it’s worth getting the scoop from Srini if Nick is serious or is messing with you,” Nate said possessively.

  “Do you know what Nick does for a living?” I asked Nate curiously.

  “I know Srini and Nick work for the same company, but Nick also takes care of their family-owned company with his brother and sister,” Nate said in a steady voice.

  “The best thing about Nick is how humble he is in spite of all the wealth,” I said smiling to myself.

  Nate nodded in agreement and suddenly shrieked making me jump.

  “Nate, you need to stop making such sounds and actually speak,” I said to Nate in an annoyed tone.

  “I know. I am sorry. I am still connecting the dots. Nick planned the basketball thing for you and it was very clear that you were impressed,” Nate said winking at me.

  “Yes, I was. I wasn’t sure then, but he made it very clear today that he likes me,” I said to her blushing.

  “Oh, how exciting. I am so happy for you. Meera, we need a strategy for the ceremony on Saturday,” Nate said getting excited.

  “Nate, you are overreacting,” I said trying to calm her down.

  “I am not. Let’s wrap up dinner and pick our outfits for Saturday,” Nate declared.

  I laughed and said, “Okay.”

  We had dinner together after a long time and finally settled down on my bed as I pulled out the outfits that I could wear to the ceremony.

  “You have to wear a lehenga, Meera,” Nate stated after I laid out a couple of the traditional Indian outfits.

  “No, Nate it’s too complicated.” I complained thinking about how I needed to wear a long skirt and a crop bodice that was heavily adorned with threadwork, crystals, or other materials. The lehenga is a traditional north Indian outfit that has a long pleated skirt, a top, and a large scarf called dupatta orchunni that could be draped in many different ways. Traditionally, the outfit leaves the midriff and lower back bare to allow for airflow on those hot summer days, and women draped the scarf in such a way that there is minimal exposure of the mid-riff but maximum airflow.

  “And I am going to freeze in this weather,” I whined.

  “Listen to me, Meera,” Nate said with a twinkle in her eye. “You are meeting your ‘might be’ in-laws for the first time, and it’s best if Nick’s family see you in a north Indian outfit because their family is from northern India.”

  “Ohh gosh, c’mon Nate. Now you are being overly dramatic,” I teased. “Nick and I have not been on a single official date so we are technically just friends.”

  Nate rolled her eyes and said, “Really? Here are your choices. You wear either a sari or a lehenga. Pick one,” she challenged me.

  “Aargh,” I said irritated at Nate.

  A sari is beautiful but is a bit more complicated than a lehenga. The sari being the single piece of fabric that makes up the long skirt and the scarf that needs to be draped on the torso made it all the more complicated. To add to the complexity, the pleats that make up the bottom half of the outfit had to be put together as part of draping on the outfit.

  “Okay, I will wear a lehenga,” I declared looking at the ceiling.

  “I will wear a silk sari then.” Nate announced with excitement and added affectionately, “and when people see you in that outfit, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind as to why Nick is crazy about you.”

  I blushed and said, “Stop it, Nate. You are being silly.”

  “The lehenga suits you best because of the dancer body you have from the classical dance and the Bollywood moves, and it compliments your structure very well,” Nate said trying to make me feel good about wearing the outfit.

  “Okay. Whatever you say sis,” I mocked affectionately.

  “Now that we know what our outfits are, on to jewelry,” Nate declared.

  “I am going to pick a pair of festive earrings that go with my outfit, and I will wear my watch. That’s it, I am done,” I said and started to get up to put the outfits I laid on the bed away, but Nate would not budge.

  “Meera, you need to wear a maang tikka and if possible, a nose ring,” she said half scared that I would yell back at her.

  I laughed and said, “Nice try. I will wear the tikka but no nose ring.” The Tikka is a traditional piece of jewelry worn on the forehead, and it is composed of a chain with a small hook at one end and a decorative pendant at the other end. The idea is to have the hook hold the tikka in place by latching on at the hair end while the pendant falls on the exact center of the forehead. I didn’t mind the tikka because it would brighten my face.

  “Enough of my stuff. Nate what are you going to wear?” I asked trying to distract her.

  “I will wear a sari with yellow gold jewelry,” Nate declared.

  “Okay good. The best outfit for you is a sari, Nate. Has Srini seen you in a sari yet?” I asked Nate with excitement.

  “Actually, he hasn’t,” Nate said smiling at me.

  “You should wear a traditional silk sari, and he may actually propose on Saturday,” I teased her.

  “Okay, stop. Now you are sounding like how I did a few minutes ago,” Nate said giggling.

  “Do you know what the plan is after the ceremony?” I asked Nate.

  “Srini and I don’t have plans. Do you guys have plans?” she asked curiously.

  “Who? You mean Nick and me?” I asked and started laughing when she nodded.

  “Nate, we don’t really do things together yet,” I clarified.

  “I will ask Srini what we are doing after the ceremony,” Nate said to me.

  “Nick said he is sending us a car so I need to make sure we have a ride on our way back as well,” I said to Nate.

  “I would think that Nick will take care of it, but there is no harm planning because he is going to be busy with the stuff at home,” Nate said agreeing with me.

  Chapter Six

  The outfit I had chosen for the ceremony at Nick’s house was a pink and deep red ombre crepe lehenga highlighted with the darkest red patchwork and embellished with crystals and gold embroidery work. My blouse was cropped and had the gold threadwork with short sleeves that were made of a net-like material giving the translucent look. The scarf that had to be worn like a sash was a dark red net fabric with embellishment along the corners. My mom had picked this out for me when she was in India last year, and I was wearing it for the very first time. Nate had picked a beautiful pink silk sari. She decided to wear traditional temple jewelry to go with her sari. Traditional south Indian saris were perfect for winter as they are woven with pure mulberry silk and gold threads and tend to be thick and also very light.

  “Meera, we have thirty minutes before the car arrives,” Nate said as she walked into my room in her soft pink Kanjeevaram sari with matching ruby temple necklace, heavy earrings, and her jingling bracelets. She looked stunning with the ivory gold thread work blouse and her hair pulled back in a partial braid.

  “Nate,” I squeaked with ex
citement and said, “You look so beautiful. You look like a bride.”

  She smiled and said, “Thank you sweetie, but it is your day today. I want you to rock Nick’s world.”

  She took one step back to examine my outfit and frowned.

  “What is it Nate?” I asked concerned.

  “You have such a great body, why are you covering it up with that scarf. The idea is to show some skin.” She said and started adjusting the way the scarf would drape on my shoulder. After a lot of back and forth, we settled on a happy medium where my midriff was visible in one certain angle only. The scarf material was too delicate to be pinned to the outfit so Nate took good care and tucked the scarf in so it stayed put.

  “Meera, your blouse is only half way hooked,” Nate said as she closed the couple of hooks on the back closure of the blouse.

  “You have no idea how hard it was to hook them.” I whined.

  Nate went back into her room for some finishing-touch makeup while I worked on my makeup. I put on some basic foundation to brighten my face and emphasized my eyes with a dark eyeliner and very light eye makeup. I put on a deep red long-wear lipstick to go with the deep red in my outfit. I partitioned my hair in the center to place the forehead jewelry, tikka, and leave my hair open in loose natural waves. I looked at myself in the mirror as I put on my earrings and was pleased with the way the combination of the outfit, jewelry, and makeup worked out that night.

  Five minutes before the car was supposed to arrive, I got a text from Nick.

  Nick: The car will arrive in the next few minutes and it will be right outside your staircase entrance.

  Me: OK. Thanks. We are ready to leave.

  Nick: I am waiting for you.

  Me: See you soon.

  I grabbed my clutch with my essentials and went into Nate’s room to let her know that the car was arriving in a few minutes.

  As I walked into her room, she turned and stood staring at me.

  “Nate?” I asked alarmed.

  “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look absolutely stunning, and I have never seen that glow in your face. You are in love, Meera,” she said hugging me lightly.

  “Ohh Nate, that’s your sisterly love talking.” I brushed away her comment about me being in love and said, “Let’s go”.

  “Where is Srini?” I asked as we stepped out of the apartment.

  “He texted me a few minutes ago that he had arrived at Nick’s house,” Nate said and stopped short at the top of the stairs outside the main entrance.

  “Keep moving Nate. I am right behind you,” I urged.

  She turned around slowly and said, “Did Nick mention that he was sending a super fancy stretch-limo to pick you up?”

  “What? A limo?” I asked looking up in surprise.

  The limo driver saw us at the top of the steps and smiled as held the door open for us.

  “There is no going back now. Just enjoy the ride,” Nate said as she held my hand and led me down the stairs.

  Nate and I sat in the limo in utter silence for the first five minutes taking in the whole limo experience. Riding in a limo for a ceremony like the one we were going to attend seemed very weird. Nate broke the silence and said in a squeaky tone, “We need to take a picture and send it to mom and dad.”

  She added the text, “I am your Ms. World, and I am with the beautiful Ms. Universe riding in a limo,” with the picture and hit send.

  “Mom and dad will have a lot of questions for us tomorrow,” she said grinning.

  Nick’s parents lived ten miles north of where we lived in an upscale neighborhood, and as we rode through the neighborhood in the limo, every house either looked like a mansion or a princess castle.

  The limo slowed down as it pulled into a massive driveway through a large set of open entrance gates. We caught first sight of one of the most magnificent homes that Nate and I had ever seen. The other houses that we were drooling over on our way were no match to that house that looked more like a mansion.

  Nate and I gazed at the Georgian colonial estate that seemed to spread over multiple acres of land. The driveway circled around an open space with lush green grass where the ceremony setup was in progress. As the limo slowly rode along the circular driveway, the few people that were out in the lawn area looked up to see who was arriving. We were there forty-five minutes before the ceremony started so I was pretty positive they were all immediate family or close friends that had come early to help out with the arrangements.

  “This is it Meera, show them why Nick is crazy about you,” Nate encouraged.

  “Stop it, Nate,” I blushed and looked through the window to find Nick, eager to see him. Nate spotted Srini in the center of the podium who was walking towards the center of the driveway.

  “Meera, look I see Srini walking towards us,” she said to me pointing in Srini’s direction. “So, Srini knew Nick had sent a limo for us,” Nate said smiling and asked, “Do you see Nick?”

  I shook my head and continued to look as the limo approached the center of the driveway. The limo pulled into the center of the circular driveway and stopped in front of the massive entrance of the house.

  “Game on!!” I said smiling at Nate and took a deep breath as I stepped out of the limo very slowly and carefully. I smiled and thanked the limo driver who held the door for us. I took a step out as Nate was getting out and saw Srini walking towards us smiling. Nate and I started walking towards Srini. I continued to scan the group for Nick, but he was nowhere in sight.

  As Srini approached us, I noticed the group behind him had stopped doing what they were doing and were looking in our direction.

  “Nate, I think we are overdressed,” I said nervously.

  “Stop it silly, they are all admiring two beautiful girls and trying to figure out who Nick’s special friend is,” she giggled.

  We were a few feet away from Srini, and I saw him start to laugh, but before I could inquire about what was so funny, I got a whiff of the familiar cologne from behind us.

  “Hello, beautiful,” I heard Nick whisper in my ear as he slid his arms around my waist from behind. I shuddered as I felt his hand on my bare midriff. One of his arms had managed to find the gap in the fabric and was now very gently caressing my delicate skin.

  He planted a kiss on my cheek from behind, and I felt him glance up to look at his family in the background.

  “Hi Nick,” I said through my breath and blushed at the thought of him showing me off to his family.

  He gently released me, gave Nate a hug, and said, “You look beautiful Nethra.”

  Nick took my hand in his and led me towards the group with Nate and Srini right behind us. He was wearing a deep red silk kurta, which is essentially a straight cut, loose fitting shirt that hits below the knees. The color of his kurta complimented my outfit and had simple threadwork along the mandarin collar; it looked very elegant and aristocratic.

  “You look good in traditional clothes, Nick,” I complimented him looking up at him through my lashes.

  “Thank you, my lady,” he said smiling and setting my cheeks on fire.

  As we got closer to the group, I almost instantly recognized Nick’s immediate family. Nick and his dad were similarly built except for the fact that Nick was almost a half-foot taller. I recognized his mom instantly, as she looked similar to Nick’s aunt who was our neighbor in India. She looked absolutely beautiful in a heavy silk sari and iconic coin jewelry. She had a very pleasant smile, and she was beaming at Nick as we walked towards them.

  “Mom and Dad, this is Sameera and Nethra,” Nick introduced us.

  “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Bhatia. It is really good to meet you,” I said taking Nick’s mom’s hand in mine.

  “It’s our pleasure to meet you, beta (child),” Nick’s mom said affectionately.

  An elderly couple were sitting to one side of the center stage, and I saw them looking at Nate and me. I excused myself from Nick’s parents and walked towards them smiling.

  “N
amaste,” I said as I approached them placing my palms together and then, as I got closer to them, I bent down to bow to them and touched their feet to pay my respects. It is a common gesture in Indian tradition to get blessings from the elders in the family by touching their feet with your palms.

  “I am Sameera, Nikhil’s friend from India. You must be his grandparents,” I said as I squatted in front of them.

  “Yes beta (child), we are. Thank you for coming to the ceremony,” Nick’s grandmother said warmly.

  “You found the love birds,” Nick said to me looking at them fondly as he sat down on the chair next to his grandfather putting his arm around him.

  Nick’s grandmother complimented my outfit, and as we were chatting away about outfits and jewelry, I noticed Nick’s grandfather say something to Nick in his ear, to which Nick looked at me and nodded and smiled at his grandfather. I made a mental note to ask Nick about that conversation, as I was pretty sure it was about me.

  “Sam,” Nick called out to his brother, Samraat. I almost jumped as I thought Nick was calling me. My friends from grad school addressed me as Sam.

  “Hi Sam, I am Sameera,” I said to his brother shaking his hand.

  Sam laughed and said “Nice to meet you too, Sam,” I smiled back at him.

  “Hi, you must be Sameera,” I heard a female voice from behind.

  I turned to see a very well-dressed woman in a very ethnic designer sari. She was as tall as Nate and looked stunning in her trendy jewelry.

  “Yes, and you must be Ann. I am so pleased to meet you,” I said as I reached forward to give her a hug.

  I turned to Nate and said, “Nate, this is Nick’s sister, Ann.” As Nate and Ann exchanged pleasantries, I felt Nick’s intense eyes scanning me. I very slowly shifted my gaze to meet his eyes across the group of spiritual heads that were gathering to begin the ceremony and winked at him. I saw him smile and run his fingers through his hair not fazed that I caught him staring at me.

  The ceremony started right on time, and we sat down on the thick blankets that were spread on the grass right behind the podium where Nick’s mom and dad performed the rituals. It is part of the culture for people to sit on the ground while performing or attending such ceremonies.