Amidst Our Erred Stars

12

I feel like my saree is going to undrape anytime and I'm going to embarrass myself in front of everyone present in the temple.

I tried my best to drape it after watching three tutorials, I just looked a little pregnant after doing the pleats, and while I didn't expect my mother to help me, she actually didn't'.

I am meeting Sahaj and his family in about...five minutes.

My parents look like they cannot wait to get this done and leave. Same guys, same.

I had a full plan of wearing comfortable jeans and a t-shirt and continuing my day until his mother gave me the saree and started talking about how she was so excited yet disappointed that we didn't choose the traditional way of getting married.

The marriage that was supposed to happen in the court was moved to happen in a temple instead after they talked with my parents. Sahaj tried his best to convince them to keep everything simple but his mother had other ideas.

I just didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't want to fake the vows over a man that didn't matter to me.

I was fully expecting Rehan to show up at the house early in the morning but thankfully, he didn't.

My eyes caught Sahaj's mother's, her smile widening upon seeing me as she left her husband and son standing where they were and approaching me, she pulled me in a hug.

This woman's love language is touch and she cannot help herself.

"You look so pretty." She said once she broke the hug, rubbing her waterline before putting some Kohl behind my ear, "Nazar na lage."

I wish it was my own mother doing the gesture, it would've meant a lot more, everything this woman does just makes me feel like I'm betraying her.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, looking at my stomach, "Seerat, did you drape the saree yourself?" She asked.

"Um...yes." I nodded.

"Oh, where are my manners?" She face-palmed before turning to my parents, "Good morning Mr and Mrs Tanwar, I'll just take Seerat with me for a minute, why don't you join Sahaj and his papa?" She asked.

My father nodded before starting to walk away.

Sahaj's mum held my hand and started walking too...to God knows where, "Horrible people." She muttered under her breath, "I am happy that you're getting away from those baby stealing idiots."

Baby steal- Oh.

I hummed, no more lies from my side. I'm quitting lying from today.

She helped me with the saree in the secluded place in the temple since there wasn't any washroom available nearby, at least I didn't look pregnant anymore and the pleats weren't getting under my feet.

"Did you like the saree?" She asked once we were done.

"It's pretty." I nodded, looking down at the gold silk embroidered saree, "Thank you so much for this."

"Sahaj chose it." She told me excitedly, "I am glad you liked it." She added, "Let's go before they start fussing about where we are."

The saree doesn't feel pretty anymore. What the heck was he thinking while choosing a silk saree?

As we rejoined Sahaj and his father, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered within me.

Sahaj's mother's warmth and kindness only served to deepen my guilt. She deserved a daughter-in-law who truly cherished her, not someone like me, trapped in a web of deceit.