Match Made in Wedding | Rajvardhan Hangargekar ✓

Vermicelli and Marshmallow

It was decided. Sai and Raj would accompany me in buying the supplies. Jad really wanted to come along and he even reasoned saying that he'd wear a mask but come on, he is Sir Jadeja, someone was bound to recognise him! Not only Jad, even Rutu had been stubborn. He was concerned about how we would manage with all the rangoli colours, sweets and the D Mart items.

Yup that's right. I had begun by asking Akka, Anmol and Nikhar what colours did they want for the Rangolis, and Amma happened to have overheard it. Phir kya, I was assigned with the responsibility of bringing the 32 items "essential list" that were on the edge of running out, from D Mart.

And since it'd be too much for one person to carry, Raj and Sai had volunteered to come with me.

"Pcchhh...." Jad asked for my attention for the hundreth time.

"Jad.... trust me.... I will not forget to buy your kajukatli. And phuljhari. And Cavin ka milkshake. And everything that you've been reminding me since the past 20 minutes."

He lets out a series of laughs. And I roll my eyes. Thankfully, Raj and Sai arrive in the Angan and we leave.

"Ek baar list dikhana Zara." I hand the list to Raj.

Sai who's sitting between me and Raj in the Auto tries to have a look at it too.

"I can bet my life that Kriti made this."

"Congratulations, Sai Kishore, you've lost the right to live. Devika Pillai welcomes you to hell."

He raises his eyebrow. "Then, who made it?"

"Amma did. Both of them are perfectionists. And isiliye you see it divided into sections."

"I swear. Now I understand where she gets it from. I mean I can understand dividing a list into D mart, Sweet Shop, Rangoli colours but, dividing it further into Pulses, Dairy Items, Vegetables, Fruits, Flours and so on is beyond me. Absolute madness this is."

I hear Raj chuckle. "Trust me Devi, this guy can never see the benefits of planning."

"I really can't. What's the point of spending half an hour curating such a methodical list when you can very well go to D mart, look at the supplies and decide what you need!"

"Well, shaadi waale ghar mien, every minute is precious. We can't afford to stroll through the stacked alleys, debating kya chahiye aur kya nahi."

"I guess you do have a point." Sai scratches his neck.

"By the way guys, when was the last time you visited D mart?" I ask them in a whisper even though our driver seems uninterested in our conversation. He's humming some song that I do not recognise.

"Last week."

"Last year."

I look at Sai surprised. "Last year?"

"Yes. Anmol and I generally order stuff online and then pick it up from D Mart Ready ke pick up points."

"Ah, makes sense."

When the Auto stops near the D Mart, they get down, excitedly. Even I feel spurts of excitement as the cool air within hits me. Going to D Mart always makes me feel homely.

"I'm going to be in charge of the trolley!!!" Declares Sai. Did I by mistake let a 10 year old come with me, instead of a 27 year old?

"Okay da. You can take charge of it." He walks ahead of us. I look at Raj, who has a smile on his face. He looks at the list and points out that we're supposed to head in the pulses section first. I give him a thumbs up.

*******

"Where is Vermicelli yaar?" Sai asks. He has been guiding the trolley for us for an hour now. He's bound to be tired.

"Sai, ek kaam karte hai, you stay here, have some paper boat ka juice, we'll be back with the rest of the items in some time."

He flashes me his bright smile and I do the same.

"Paper boat ka refrigerator, he's near the paper boat ka refrigerator." I repeat under my breath.

I hear Raj chuckle.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No seriously, say it."

"It's really interesting to see you this stressed about shopping."

I stop walking.

"Stressed? I am not stressed."

"Then why haven't you smiled since an hour?"

"Um...because shopping is a serious job and not something to joke around."

"You sound like Kriti."

"I wish I were her." I mutter before I can stop myself. On hearing this, Raj's smile disappears. He's aware that this is no joking matter. I look around to see that we're in the soft toy section. There are so many kids asking their parents for toys. And most of the parents are obliging. Perhaps the magic of it being the festive season.

Everyone is feeling overjoyed. Except me. I just feel overwhelmed.

I wish I were like my sister, who'd be perfect in every work assigned to her. Will Appa and Amma be able to live with my imperfection after Akka is gone? Once she's gone she'll not be able to hide my mistakes behind her perfection and they'll have to deal with me, firsthand. I hadn't realised how deeply I was attached to Akka. All these years, she'd know about everything that I would do in its entirety and my parents would only hear the condensed, superficial snippets of the truth.

I look up at Raj, expecting him to prod me further. Instead, I find him offering a huge teddy to me.

"Hi, I'm Dev" he makes use of his baby voice. A laughter escapes my tense cheeks.

"And I'm Devi."

"Can I give you a hug?"

"Of course." I say, expecting Raj to hand Dev to me so that I can hug it. Instead he hugs me along with the teddy. I snuggle close to Dev's brown fur while wrapping my hands around Raj's back. After a few moments, I let them and some of my worries, free.

I will figure it out. I guess.

*******

When we reach Sai, we see that he has drunk 4 paper boat flavours, ab tak.

"You know, now I completely, fully, truly understand why people turn to drinking when they're abandoned."

I look at my watch to ask him to stop being dramatic, we hadn't been away that long, had we?

"Dekh li ghadi. Yes, you guys disappeared for 37 minutes, in search of three packets of vermicelli."

I look at Raj for help.

"No, we didn't waste your time aise hi, Maccha. Look what we brought you..."

He hands him a packet of marshmallows. When did he pick it up? He winks at me as Sai's annoyance evaporates.

Later, when we're standing in the line, Sai turns to me and Raj and says, "Marshmallows were a genius idea, but don't think that they'll stop me from teasing you, lovebirds."

We roll our eyes collectively.

Life is strange.

Sometimes while looking for vermicelli, we end up finding a marshmallow, don't we?