Page 90 of Can This Be Love?

‘Beta?’

‘When am I getting married?’

‘Why?’

‘Mum! The date! At least I should know the date?’

‘Oh sorry, yes. The ninth of December. Just finalized it with Anjuji.’

Why was the date so familiar, I wondered to myself as I cancelled the call. Then it hit me a few seconds later. Anu was getting married to Saumen on the ninth of December!

34

15 September 2013, 8.00 p.m.

&nb

sp; Purva, Pitajee and I were sitting in our living room playing Scrabble. Let me rephrase that. Purva and I were playing Scrabble while Pitajee was playing another form of the same game, the rules of which changed every now and then as per his convenience. To show his displeasure at me pointing this out to him, Pitajee had just picked up a cushion and was aiming it at me when Anu burst through the door, her face awash with tears.

She sank to the floor, her face in her hands, her body racking with sobs. Pitajee reached her first, sank to the floor with her and held her in his arms. For a few seconds, no one spoke.

‘What’s wrong, Anu?’ said Pitajee as he gently rocked her. Purva and I looked on, worried and helpless.

‘My wedding lehenga is ready,’ she said simply and sank further into the ground, crying harder than before.

It was only when Purva wiped the tears off my face that I realized that I was also crying.

20 October 2013, 2.00 p.m.

‘Kasturi Beta,’ said Vijaywada, coming to my desk and placing a paternal hand on my head.

Now what was wrong?

‘Yes Sir?’

He heaved a deep sigh, sat down and then proceeded to stare at me with undisguised pity in his eyes.

‘You are getting married, Beta, are you not?’

I had distributed invitations and a box of sweets to everyone in office. Of course I was getting married.

‘Yes Sir. I hope you will be attending the wedding. It will mean a lot to both Purva and me,’ I said primly.

‘I have been thinking…’

Never a good sign. ‘And?’ I probed, worried.

‘I think I have figured out the perfect gift for you.’

‘Okay? What is it?’ I said cautiously. Anything could happen now. I did not trust the man sitting across the desk from me.

He smiled. ‘My brother who lives in the US is visiting India.’

‘Okay? So?’ Oh my god! Gifts from America?

‘He is a famous ENT surgeon.’

I gulped with slight difficulty.

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