The Bridegroom's Sister

I met Niriksha at my cousin Suman's Sangeet function. Suman was getting married to Niriksha's brother Vedant. Ours was a typical filmy meeting. The bride's family was busy in welcoming the Bridegroom and his family and I was a part of the preparations in full swing. And that was the first time that I laid eyes on her. 

Dressed in a beautiful off-white and red saree, Niriksha looked stunning. I couldn't really make out if she was over dressed or under dressed. Or maybe she was dressed appropriately for the occasion. After all, she was the Bridegroom's sister and she was in full demand at that moment. Perhaps I started seeing my own wedding bells and that's why I felt she looked like a bride herself. 

Niriksha was tall, just an inch shorter than me. Her skin was peach and her smile bright. The dimples on her cheeks complemented her chubby face. She was plump but danced better than all the slim girls on the dance floor. She had no care in the world about who was watching her, how her makeup looked or if her hair was messy. She danced for herself confidently. On enquiring from my cousin, I found out that she was three years older than me. She was 26 and I was 23. I was stick thin in her comparison. But who cared? 

After both the sides were done with their dance performances, the actual party started when everyone was dancing together. And that is when I tried to get closer to Niriksha and talk to her. Wherever and whoever she danced with, I was there. Like a shadow protecting her. All I got in return was a stare and a simple smile. But then I realized that she wasn't smiling for me. That smile was for my Mom who was now dancing with her. Apart from that, she royally ignored me all evening. But she noticed me. I didn't lose hope at all. 

All thanks to big fat Indian weddings and never-ending functions with tonnes of customs and traditions, I got many opportunities to meet Niriksha and woo her. And that's what I did. The next day, she spoke to me. Even though the conversation was formal, I was elated. Not only did I speak to her but I also caught her staring at me a few times. That was a positive sign. 

On the wedding day, we exchanged numbers. As I spoke to Niriksha, I realized that there was more to her than just being a pretty face. She was charming, intelligent and humble. We met a couple of times after the wedding too. The more I met her, the more I could see myself falling for her. But in front of our families, we stayed distant so that nobody would doubt us. What we couldn't speak in front of the world we spoke through our texts. It was fun. At times, we texted while sitting opposite each other. Suman and Vedant had no clue that their wedding had lead to a new love story cooking up behind their backs, even though theirs was an arranged marriage. 

We planned our dates according to our schedules and our family's schedules too. We had to be extra careful as a slight mistake would lead to a big explosion if any person of the two families were to know. We met during lunch breaks, on weekends and sometimes during family events too. But Niriksha and I were good actors. We acted as if we didn't have an idea about each other's existence. But when it comes to love, nothing really remains a secret for long. My mother who was Suman's maternal aunt, invited the newly-weds as well as Vedant's family for dinner once. Perhaps it was my fault. My constant stares and winks at Niriksha made my younger brother Dheeraj discover the truth. She blushed all night, making me go crazy. Niriksha looked really cute that day despite wearing a simple green kurti and white leggings. She had left her hair open and had minimal makeup on. All I wished that night was to have her sit close to me, pull her chubby cheeks and kiss them. The inner me just wanted to send both the families to some deserted island and leave me alone with my beloved. Me and my imagination were driving me wild and that's how I was caught.

When me and Dheeraj were alone in our room after the guests had gone, he pounced on me immediately. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, Advik?" 

"Nothing. What would be wrong with me?" I lied but didn't see him eye to eye. 

" You and Niriksha!!!!!! Are you out of your mind????" Dheeraj was too loud. " Don't you know she is older than you?" He sounded as if I was committing a crime. 

"Sssshhhhhh!!!! Will you stay quiet? I know she is three years older than me. And I don't care. I love her." 

" You barely know her. Don't you think it is too early to say that? Is she even serious about you?" 

"Yes, she is." 

" Whatever! Dating Suman's sister-in-law is a bad idea. Get out of it before it is too late." 

" I don't want to get out of it, Dheeraj. I love Niriksha. And she is a lovely girl. You'll realize it too once you get to know her." 

" She may be a lovely girl, Advik. But your cousin Suman isn't. She will make your life miserable. And Niriksha's too. Do you really want that for yourself and her?" 

" I don't know." That was all I could answer. Because I knew my little brother was right. My cousin Suman wasn't exactly the kind of person you would want to mess around with. She was arrogant and adamant. She was selfish and self-obsessed. I remember the way Suman behaved when her marriage was fixed with Vedant. As if she now owned the world. Vedant and his family were filthy rich and my cousin had left no stone unturned to show it off whenever she could. She was everything Niriksha wasn't. My Niriksha was polite, well-mannered and selfless. It was difficult not to love her. 

Months passed by and we kept dating each other discreetly. On a number of occasions, Niriksha shared about Suman's misbehavior with her and her family. She even misbehaved with Vedant too. I quietly listened to her opening up to me. But there wasn't really anything I could do about it. Suman had always been the way she was right now. Maybe, she was even worse now that she was married into a rich household. I couldn't even talk to Suman about it. The first question would be how did I come to know what she was doing at her in-laws' place. I couldn't talk about my source nor could I discuss it with my own family. Due to Suman, me and Niriksha had disagreements too. She would keep telling me your sister did this and your sister did that. It bugged me. But I was helpless. My heart ached when Niriksha would cry her heart out while talking about Suman. Suman was my sister and Niriksha my love. I would have loved to see them getting along well and i was sad that their relationship wasn't sailing smooth. Moreover, my cousin was setting a wrong example about our family as well. Initially, she had been nice to her. Now, she was after Niriksha and her parents to get her married off as soon as possible. Vedant too, was getting influenced by her actions and there were more of fights going on around the same topic. It was definitely a bad sign for us. 

I consoled Niriksha and asked her to stay strong. Even though I had no idea what I was going to do in this situation. I wanted to marry her. But I wasn't ready for marriage at present. I was 24. And marriage was a huge responsibility I hadn't prepared in advance for. Even if I did convince myself, how the hell was I going to break the news to my parents? Would they agree or oppose our relationship? I was confused as hell. Ultimately, I seeked Dheeraj's advice. His first reaction to my situation was ' I told you so'. Even though he had kept my secret safe from my parents, he had never approved of my relationship with Niriksha from the start. 

I clearly remember his harsh words. And I didn't like what I hear. " Are you crazy? Who gets married at 24? Are you even ready to get married? Forget Niriksha and move on in life. There is no future for your relationship. Even if we all accept the age gap, Suman won't. She will make yours and Niriksha's life miserable. She has already made Vedant's life hell as far as I have heard from Mom. She won't spare the both of you too." 

"Who the hell is Suman to control my life!!!! And why are you acting like her Advocate?" I had no clue why my younger brother was acting like my older brother. He just laughed in response. 

" Well, Suman will be your future Bhabhi if you do get married to Niriksha!!!!" 

Dheeraj laughed again. This time, I was bugged. I was in a messy situation and he kept mocking me rather than helping me out. 

Niriksha kept dodging all the marriage proposals that came her way by making random excuses. Two of them were sent by Suman's Mom, my maternal aunt. I wondered why she didn't think of me as a suitable prospect for her. If she had, it would have been so much easier for us. After rejecting those proposals, Suman made Niriksha's life miserable. She tried to poison her in-laws's minds that Niriksha wasn't interested in getting married nor about losing her extra weight to get married. At one point, she even claimed that Niriksha was dating someone secretly. Which was true. Luckily, Suman didn't know that it was her own cousin. The pressure grew higher on my beloved to get married as the days passed. She was reminded constantly about her weight, her growing age and the fact that she was a girl. She didn't have a right to reject someone who she didn't like. According to Suman, she should have accepted the first guy who agreed to marry her. It was a sorry situation for anybody to be in. Niriksha kept listening to the ugly remarks made at her but kept our relationship a secret.

As for me, I didn't listen to Dheeraj's advice. I was too nervous but I had no choice. I had to fight for my love. I told my parents about Niriksha. First, my mom and then Dad. Surprisingly, they didn't react the way Dheeraj did and what I had expected. They were silent after i told them. Neither did they ask any questions. It wasn't normal. My gut instinct told me that something wasn't right. The next day, I was bombarded with questions. When did this happen? Do you even know what you are saying? Are you really so serious about this girl? I answered all of them truthfully. And after that was a deadly silence for days altogether. I was ignored by my own family. My parents and my brother were one team and I was on another one. 

Niriksha didn't have it easy too. Marriage proposals kept coming and she kept saying no to all of them. When her frustration level reached its peak, she vented out the truth. And the poor thing got the worst deal out of it. Suman called her names. Shameless, vindictive, manipulative. The list was long. Just because she chose to get into a relationship with a man younger than her, especially her cousin. This time, her parents and Vedant were on Suman's side. She was left all alone in her home, just like me. 

We waited for months for the situation to calm down at our homes. It was hell for both of us. Constant taunts, emotional blackmails, blame game; we faced it all but refused to let go of each other. Luckily, for us, the search for proposals from Niriksha's family stopped. I started saving and investing. Marriage was a huge deal and I wanted to give Niriksha the best of everything. Both our mothers softened first; eventually giving up the battle me and my love fought together. The four of us met at a hotel, trying to talk things out. What we thought was a declaration of peace eventually turned out to be a unity of two mothers trying to encourage us to break up with each other. They gave us tremendous reasons why we wouldn't work out in the future. Age gap, upper middle-class- lower middle-class divide, and many more. Yet again, we fought together; not allowing our mothers to win. My argument was if there was no issue with Suman and Vedant's relationship, why with us? I left both mothers speechless, leaving them with no choice but to agree. 

Once our mothers were convinced, they started discussing with other family members too. Some still opposed and some agreed. As expected, Suman was still on the opposition side but I didn't care. She stopped chatting and texting me. Neither was her behavior with Niriksha any better. Niriksha was just happy that her brother was supportive of our relationship. After months of torture and torment, both families eventually decided to meet on a Sunday at my house. Niriksha and me were on cloud nine. We were elated and excited altogether. Our dream was finally coming true. I even started getting dreams, imagining Niriksha in a beautiful wedding dress, looking gorgeous as hell. Niriksha started planning our dream wedding in her mind, her shopping, the venue, everything. What we didn't know back then was that our happiness was short-lived. 

On Friday night, I got a call from Niriksha around midnight. That was strange. Since we had spoken two hours back, and she had said that she wanted to rest early. Why was she still awake? 

"Hello. Advik..........." Her voice was in panic mode. I got scared. 

" Is everything okay? You were going to sleep, right? Niriksha......Niriksha.......What happened?" She didn't say a word and kept sobbing over the phone. My heart sank even further. " Please say something, Baby. Why are you crying?"  

" Vedant and Suman........ They are ........... ....." I could barely understand what she spoke. Since she was crying more than she was speaking. 

" Please stop crying, Baby. I can't understand a word you are saying. What happened to Vedant and Suman? Are they okay?" 

I could make out Niriksha was wiping her tears and pulling her nose. She took time until she gathered her strength. " It's all over, Advik. Vedant and Suman are getting divorced." 

" What!!!!!" I was beyond shocked. " What are you saying? HOW CAN THEY?????? I mean, why would they want to get divorced? They were all lovey-dovey the last time I met them. You're kidding. Right. Just tell me you are, Niriksha." 

Niriksha let out a huge sigh. I could actually hear her breathing heavily over the phone. This was too much to digest. She just kept silent. I could hear her parents loud voices trying to calm Vedant down and his screaming in the background. " I gotta go, Advik. Nothing is normal over here right now. We'll meet tomorrow. I'll tell you everything." 

And she just disconnected the call, leaving me all alone with my thoughts. I didn't sleep that night. Not even an hour. I had no idea what had suddenly happened. I felt miserable and I looked too. The next morning, my Mom told me. The news had spread like wildfire and it reached my home too. Suman had been cheating on Vedant since the past few months. This time, she was caught red-handed by her husband. Suman was involved with someone who apparently was richer than Vedant and his family was. What a mess this was! 

In the evening, I met Niriksha. She looked miserable, just like me. Her eyes were red. She must have cried all night to herself, I thought. We both looked at each other as if we were looking at each other for the last time in our lives. I don't know how long we stayed silent. Maybe 10 minutes or more. I finally decided to break the ice.

"I am sorry for what your family has to go through right now."

" It's not your fault. Why are you saying sorry? It is our fate's fault." 

"Don't blame fate!!!!!!!" I literally shouted at her. " It's all because of Suman. Who does she think she is? She criticized you, blamed you, manipulated you. Just because you are dating me! And what is she doing right now? Why didn't she think about her own married life?" 

" It's no use blaming Suman right now. Perhaps this was meant to happen. Maybe it was Vedant's destiny. And maybe this is our destiny too, Advik." 

I was furious. Not only at Suman, but at Niriksha too. Why was she bringing up fate for everything? Why was she giving up now, when we had fought too hard for our love? 

" Don't bring destiny everywhere, Niriksha." I touched her cheeks gently. " I don't know about Vedant and Suman. But we are meant to be together. We will write our destiny together." 

" After what has happened, my parents won't allow us to be together, Advik. Vedant doesn't want to even see Suman's face. Her betrayal has hit him too hard. Even if she does apologize and change her ways, he doesn't want her back anymore. Suman has been fooling around with that man for way too long. And I don't think she wants Vedant in her life. My parents are depressed. They have refused to meet your family tomorrow. They don't want to keep any ties with Suman or any of her relatives after what has happened. After this betrayal, they aren't willing to trust you and your family." 

" And what about us?" I held Niriksha's hand tightly. " We've faced so much together. Just trust me. We will fight and win once again. I'll talk to your family." 

" Even if you do talk and we do try yet again, what will happen? You may be able to convince my parents once more, but what about the hate our families will have for each other after all this? What about my brother? Will he love you like a brother-in-law the way he used to before? Will my parents give you the love and respect you deserve? No. Because Suman's experience will remind them not to."

" I am fine if they all hate me. As long as you love me, I don't care. I'll take all their hate with open arms." I hugged Niriksha tightly, afraid that she will slip away from my arms forever. 

" I love you, Advik. But I love my family too. I can't start a new life with you by making my family unhappy. I can't handle my own family hating me and hating you for something you haven't done. I wanted to marry you with the blessings of our loved ones. But now, that looks like a distant dream never to be fulfilled." 

Niriksha cried hard and I hugged her even tighter than before. " I love you, Niriksha. Please don't go. Please give us another chance." 

" Do you think I have a choice? Do you think I want to go away from you, Advik?" 

I knew she didn't want to. She never easily gave up. But this time she did. Because like Niriksha said, fate had played a cruel joke on us. As she moved away from my embrace, I held her waist and kissed her passionately. Like it was the end of the world. Actually, it was our world falling apart. She kissed me with equal passion. Equal love. As if we were the only two people on Earth. All I wished that this was our happy beginning. But this was our sad end. A sad end to a beautiful blossoming relationship filled with everlasting love, care and affection for each other. And that was the last time I hugged and kissed Niriksha. Because she was mine till that time.

We stayed in touch through our chats for a few weeks and eventually broke up. I met Niriksha's parents again. They didn't budge this time. I tried my best till the end. And so did Niriksha. My family tried too. But, eventually, circumstances failed us all. Vedant and Suman got divorced in a few months. After the divorce, Suman married her lover almost immediately. A year and a half later, Niriksha's marriage was fixed. I came to know about her engagement through one of her friends. I stalked her social media just because I desperately missed her. I still hadn't moved on. I carefully saw all her Engagement pics. Her lips were smiling but her eyes were crying. The pictures didn't lie. She hadn't moved on too. She really didn't have a choice and neither did I. 

I met Niriksha, the love of my life, through Suman, my cousin. And it was again because of Suman, that I lost her forever.