by Rohan Dahiya
“Oh. My. God.” Everyone who was still indoors turned to Geetu. She wasn’t still reeling from shock, or upset about the broken doors. Sunaina gasped and Gayatri stifled a laugh as Geetu held up inky hands to her face. Kama’s eyes looked like they might pop out of her head and she lifted a finger to her mouth. When she checked her face on the selfie mode of her phone camera, Geetu realized the ink had leaked from her pen and now spread across the lower half of her face like an ocean. The phone slipped from her hands and fell. She no longer had air in her lungs to turn into a cry.
Asim picked up his sunglasses from the table and offered everyone a kind smile. He twiddled his moustache and brought his hands together in thunderous claps that hit everyone.
“Jolly good show. If you’ll excuse me now I’m going for a nap. Leela might be expecting me.”
Vir turned to Gayatri and whispered. “How about we let them sort this on their own?”
She picked up the keys and led the way out.
Chapter TWENTY ONE
THE BOUGAINVILLEAS
HAVE WILTED
(DENOUEMENT)
It was the morning of the wedding. Surya Shroff woke up with a knot in her stomach that only tightened as they donned their bridal crew robes and took pictures in front of the lightbulb-lined mirror for social media posting. It had been the quickest dinner party, with everyone halfway ready to sleep or drink in private and prepare for the full day ahead. Just like that she was going to be somebody else.
Sunaina stood at the entrance of the suite balcony, smoking a cigarette watching the marquees set up. In the dull pre-morning hour the peach fabric was as stark as the moon.
“It’s going to rain.” Surya remarked.
“It’s not going to rain.” She stared at the indigo sky – a terrible sign for dawn. It was going to rain.
“I know it will. It’s my wedding day and of course it’s going to rain. The sunrise photo I’d drafted to post is going to go to waste and,” she sighed, “it’s going to rain.”
Sunaina fidgeted with the hair tie. Her skull dully protested the severe ponytail Surya had insisted for ‘aesthetic purposes’.
“Don’t open your hair it’s going to fucking reek of smoke before we even get out.”
“I’m not, I’m not touching it.” She leaned forward, just out sight, to retie the string a little looser. The cigarette burnt relentlessly in her mouth and she held her breath and shut her eyes, grappling with the knot.
Sunaina leaned back and took in the form of her sister, seated in full bridal glow that had nothing to do with the enormous mirror setup. She had to admit though even with the crew documenting every move behind the scenes, Surya’s vitriolic disposition hadn’t worn out.
“You know that gold facial has done wonders. You almost can’t even see the rash on your cheek anymore.”
Surya snorted, still stung from the slap. “It burns every time I touch it.”
Sunaina ducked her head back out. “I’m sorry.”
“Listen but maybe we should do waterproof make up just in case it rains, you know what I mean.” Surya couldn’t move her head but the make up artist rushed over for a touch-up.
“Way ahead of you. I have this liquid foundation, see,” she spread it on her hand and blew it dry. Then she spat on it and scrubbed with a finger to show that it wouldn’t smudge.
Sunaina watched her bewildered and when six pairs of eyes turned to her for approval she nodded her head with gusto.
“Hey is that what you’re doing with your hair?”
Surya whipped around to stare at her. “Why you don’t like it?”
There were three stylists working out the folds and ends of hair extensions that draped across the back of Surya’s chair and hung several feet behind like a train.
The head stylist glowered at Sunaina.
“No. Forget I said anything. It’s like a shart, it just flew out of my mouth.”
Surya flushed. “Is there anything you can keep to yourself?”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about – okay this is ridiculous. Just forget I spoke in the last two minutes.”
Ria entered, though still in her bridesmaid blush robe her hair was perfectly coiffed into a high ponytail. No one missed her towering fuck-me heels.
“Hey, woah I love the hair Su!”
“Thanks I was going for the whole Shakuntala meets Surya vibe.”
“It looks super chic.”
“Wait why is your hair like that? Ria, no, I told you that all sisters and bridesmaids need to have soft undulating curls. I don’t see undulating.”
“Oh that’s totally fine, I’ll curl the end of my ponytail and it can sit in the front.”
Surya exhaled loudly and turned her head as much as possible to one of the stylists.
“Could you curl her fucking hair after you’re done with me?”
He grunted in assent.
She turned back to Sunaina.
“Wait, honestly tell me what you think of the hair.”
“It’s fine, no really. I didn’t know you were going to tie it up or something …”
“Obvi, it’ll be a perfect braid that flows over my shoulder to my knees.”
Sunaina nodded vigorously. “Perfect.”
She reached behind and opened her hair. As it fell around her like a curtain the stylist stood up.
“Wait, do you need extensions too?”
“No, I’m fine just like this.”
“But you’re going to get it styled right? Everyone has to follow the aesthetic of the wedding.” Surya sipped her glass of wine.
“For sure.” Sunaina tied her robe tighter. “I’m just gonna head to our room and help Gayatri pull out the outfits.”
Surya had already turned back to the mirror.
“Seems like it’s gonna rain.” She said to Ria’s reflection.
“Oh nuh-uh, I checked the forecast and iWeather’s like never wrong. Also I cannot get my hair wet I’ll die.”
“Wait Sunaina, before you go I really need your help today. You cannot let things go out of control.”
“Of course, what do you want me to do?”
“Just keep the vibe like super chill alright? You have to make sure everyone’s being happy and positive because I can’t deal right now.”
“Sure thing, Su. Whatever you need.”
She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
The air conditioning was brutal in the hallway, or perhaps the overcast had penetrated the hotel itself. The lights brightened as the windows turned sepia under the blanket of rain-heavy clouds. Sunaina hugged herself and walked quickly to the room she was sharing with Gayatri, who was being subjected to a final barrage of hairspray. She was drowning in enormous hair rollers but Sunaina bit her lips and headed straight to the bathroom.
Gayatri snatched her glass of wine and sipped vigorously, admiringher croquembouche of rollers.
The hair stylist cleaned her comb and remarked, “It’s going to rain.”
“It’s not going to fucking rain, god can you keep the vibe happy here? My sister’s getting married.” She refilled her glass and settled onto the bed, unbothered by the fact that her robe had come undone.
A high pitched cry rang through the rooms like an alarm, everyone kept their glasses of wine aside as more squealing and commotion ensued, ricocheting down the upper level rooms. Gayatri stood up heart hammering in her chest, when Geetika burst through the door without knocking. Zoya, who’d been a thorn on everyone’s side because she’d insisted on pre-approving all footage with Gayatri, followed ashen faced.
“You didn’t tell me he was coming!” she was panting. “Nearly caused a bloody stampede downstairs, there was a panditji from somebody else’s function who totally lost it at the entrance.”
Gayatri gaped at her. “Dude, what are you talking about?”
“Gayatri are you on crack? I’m so mad I will … I will spank you right now!” Geetu was livid beyond reason, they had a schedule to follow and a gu
rudwaara to get to.
Zoya was already dressed in an unnecessary bright silk dress. She made an impatient noise as if Gayatri were asking all the wrong questions.
“Neil is here! Neil fucking Kapoor is here!”
“What. The. Fuck.”
They heard a toilet seat slam and a hurried flush from the bathroom.
“Where is he?”
“He’s waiting in the spare room at the end of the corridor to your left, just follow down from the lift area. I swear if there are any more surprises I will shoot you down.”
“Don’t worry there’s security everywhere, no one is coming up.” Zoya quipped.
“Shit.” Gayatri set her glass on the table and darted out the door.
“Good luck.” Zoya called out, and then to herself, “I should go check on Hassan.”
“What?” the door slammed behind Sunaina.
Geetu stared between them and grunted at her niece to handle the situation.
They watched as Zoya tried to compose her features but failed to recover and instead settled on cockiness. “Hassan. We’ve sort of been seeing each other.”
The mornings of a wedding are generally known to be stressful, and with everyone on edge it is considered polite to take care of all personal problems with as little as possible distress or noise. All missing drawstrings and shortage of safety pins are sorted in rushed whispers. Everyone is responsible for dressing themselves and showing up on time. This was one of the worst moments for Sunaina to hear about her father’s latest romance and as she pounded down the hall her ‘OH HELL NO’s echoed into every room so by the time Lakshman had intercepted her, half the family and their plus ones were watching.
If she could’ve seen him amongst the crowd of family members in various stages of dressing Sunaina would’ve avoided him entirely and made her way on to her father’s room, but she didn’t. They stood still for a moment; he’d caught her before she could knock him off with the force of her rage.
Zoya caught up with her but Sunaina shrugged her off, backing her up against the wall so hard her head bounced.
“Back off me you slut!”
Lakshman held on to her wrist with reverence, his eyes set her skin on fire. But she was already burning with her shame and her anger. She wanted to push him off but when she tried he just held on tighter.
“Wait, Sunaina listen to me. Listen, I don’t know what’s going on but I know if I don’t tell you I think I might die.”
“Can you let me go I have to speak to papa, right now!”
“Sun-Sunaina listen please, I’m trying to tell you,” she wriggled her way out so he had to run after her. “Sunaina I love you!”
Someone in the crowd gasped.
Between squirming her way past his ocean-eyed grip and spewing acid at Zoya, she had nowhere to run. “Lakshman, don’t do this. I can’t –”
The sound of her name roared across the hall cut her short. Hassan had emerged with hair still wet from the shower.
With an audience of every family member watching Sunaina walked over to him, hands furiously fisted. Geetu felt she might faint. Asim regarded the scene with mild interest. Sunaina for her part didn’t care anymore that her father had fractured his arm in two places and dislocated a thumb.
“Papa –”
“Hassan –”
“SHUT UP ZOYA.”
“Sunaina what the hell is going on? You’re making a bloody scene today of all days?!” His voice rang all the way down the hall.
“That’s not even what you’re worried about papa, and now I finally get it. I get why the Commander is always so pissed off with you – because you just can’t help but disappoint, can you?”
Asim leaned in to Dev. “Who’s the Commander?”
Dev buried his face in his hands, unable to control his laughter anymore.
“I get now why Geetu bua always is on edge when you’re around, because you’re a selfish reckless piece of garbage. You’re garbage, papa. That’s why Tina left too, right? That’s why Pranab uncle’s always running after you because he has to clean up your shit and you just keep churning out more and more like a man-child. The ink on your divorce papers hasn’t dried and you’re already piledriving into the first whore-hole that’s willing –”
The slap that cut her off was one they’d talk about for years to come. Hassan didn’t know it just then but he’d irrevocably severed ties with that blow. Half of the audience was too stunned to react the other knew it was a long time coming, Sunaina Kochhar was just a spoilt brat who needed to learn the ways of life.
They turned at the sound of a door and Surya emerged to remind them of the day. Her hair was a vision, tied into a thick braid that trailed almost to her feet. It was halfway decorated with pins of golden webbing. Sunaina swallowed thickly and blinked away her tears, pushing past everyone to her room. Lakshman made to follow but found himself with a locked door to face.
“Get. Your. Shit. Together.” Surya clapped between every word, spat out at the army of relatives. “All of you. Get it together now!”
Eyes widened at the tone of her voice but no one made a move.
“You need to go downstairs for the breakfast in exactly twenty minutes. Whoever isn’t there, will be fucking stabbed so hard.”
She called out to Sunaina as the crowd hustled back to their rooms. “And you. Absolutely not the time for whatever episode of Revenge-of-the-Sana-Monster this is. Get dressed and come to my room.”
Neil gaped at her.
“If you say anything about the hair I’ll kill you.”
He dissolved into laughter. As soon as their eyes had met Gayatri knew she’d never been happier to see him.
“It’s not so bad.”
She noticed how his eyes crinkled when he laughed.
“Please, I look like a snapchat filter.” She grumbled.
“Oh yeah, you do! Wait, come here,” he pulled her in and took a photo of them.
“You’re disgusting.” She reached into his pocket for the pack of cigarettes and immediately withdrew. “Is this you apologizing for ignoring me for the past few months?”
His eyes softened. “Whatever helps my case to be honest.”
Suddenly aware of her exposed skin, she wrapped the robe tighter and lit the cigarette from the other end of the room.
“It looks like it’ll rain today.” He sighed.
“Don’t say that to anyone you meet.”
“So, she’s really getting married huh?”
“What do you mean?” She didn’t look directly at him.
He shrugged.
“I don’t know, just feels like the sort of thing you’d say at a wedding.”
“Is that how hopeless you are without a script telling you what to do?”
“Hey I’m here aren’t I? No one told me to be here.”
“Why are you here?” Her heart lodged itself in her throat.
He walked over and knelt at her feet. The weight of his chin resting on her knee was enough to drown her. “I came for you, it was instinct.”
“Don’t say that. No. You don’t get to be total jerk and then pull this out of the bag.”
“Why not?” he followed the trail of her billowing smoke.
“Because I have enough to deal with from my garbage-people family. They’re all fucking crazy and I think if I’m here long enough I might lose my mind too.”
“That’s bullshit.” He rested his cheek against her thigh.
“It’s not. And fuck you.”
Neil looked up at her with an indulgent smile. He stroked her hand with a tentative finger then dropped it to his side. Then he reached up and took her hands in his, weaving their fingers together.
“So, what? You’re here to tell me you’re madly in love with me now that you’ve had your share of finding yourself in the world?” she snapped.
“I never said ‘I love you’, and definitely not madly.”
She shoved him off. “Then what’re you doing here?”
“I don’t know. It was so long since I saw you I was beginning to forget how you looked … and I can’t sleep.” Neil went from cocky to vulnerable so fast she lost her breath. “I can’t find anything to dream about. I don’t know where to hide. I don’t sleep anymore Gayatri.”
“Oh really.” She sneered over crossed arms. “So how long will you stay with me? Shall I prepare coffee, or prepare my life?”
“Coffee, yes. Your life, maybe not so soon,” he sighed. “What do you want?”
“I don’t have your answers Neil. I just think it’s rude to inflict your life on someone before you’ve sorted it on your own.”
“Fine,” he sighed gruffly. In the next moment he pulled her into a kiss.
She pushed him off. “You don’t get to do that Neil.”
Gayatri looked into his eyes and kissed him.
He pulled back. “Are you sure about this?”
She drowned the end of his sentence in her kiss. Neil let out a moan and they lost themselves in gasped breaths even as the hallway screaming hit the other side of the door. He was everywhere, hands and lips and the smell of his skin – she couldn’t have pulled herself away even if she wanted to. He pushed her up against the door and laid a trail of kissed along her neck down to her collarbone. At the lightest touch of her hands he stopped.
“You have to go,” he breathed hotly against her.
“I have to go.” She nodded.
She kissed the top of his head. “I don’t love you, Neil.”
“Good because I don’t love you either.”
“You will break my heart.” She corrected her robe. “I know it.”
He looked up at her, searched her eyes. She could tell he was lost, the moment growing colder as he searched for words. Neil stood and swooped her into a rib-crushing hug. “Never.”