A strange Encounter

I had to attend a wedding on a week day (I just hate going to ceremonies). The plan was to attend office, get ready in the evening for the function and leave in the office cab. On the way, I would join my family and reach the venue.

Since I had to attend office first, I was wearing a very modest dress (indeed the weirdest dress of all as far as going to a wedding was concerned). It was so new that it had not been sent for fitting yet. Let me tell you very frankly, I would be looking not less than an aunty in that jhola. And I don’t know why mummy likes it like that only. Anyways, in the evening, I put on a modest make-up which would adorn this jhola-attire a liitle and convince people there, that I am also one of the guests!

It was only when we reached the venue that I came across the bitter realisation that amongst four of us, I was the one who was looking the odd one because of that not-so-good attire. And the moment, I entered in, I discovered, it was not amongst the four of us, but amid the whole crowd. Even my cousin sister was wearing an immaculate lehenga, and her nice hair-do was hundred times better than my open-unattended hair.

But the good thing was what I said to myself - “Now, you can eat what you want without caring about your dress!” So casually, I started roaming around food stalls, eating chat, gol-gappe, ice-cream, bhel-puri, what not. I even didn’t mind eating alone because there were not much familiar faces around.  I loved salad the most and I would go to food stall every now and then to take my favourite – Kiwi.

 But who knew that there at the food court, near my favourite Kiwi, the threat of the day was waiting for me.

A feminine voice interrupted me - “tum kiski taraf se ho”.

I looked at her – a lady wearing red-green saari with golden border, curly hair to the length of the neck and make-up (obviously). I had never met this lady. Her smile depicted as if she has caught a thief red-handed.

To be honest, my first thought was, “definitely, she is thinking I am one of those anonymous people, who enter into any marriage ceremony for free food! Damn, I am looking this ugly?”

I said to her, it’s my cousin’s cousin’s marriage (Shit, I even didn’t know we were from boy’s side or girl’s). Nevertheless,  my answer didn’t change her mischievous smile.

“Who are you”, I said with a smile pregnant with fear.

“Tum mujhe nahi jaante”.  These were exactly her words, I mean doesn’t it sound a bit scary!

Besides, she threw one more question on me, who you have come with?”

“My family – mummy, daddy and my brother”. And just like an accused person tries to wangle evidences to prove his innocence. I looked around to find the three of them. But, holy hell, I really couldn’t see anyone. “I guess, they would be busy with some relatives. By the way, who have you come with?”  I threw the ball in her court this time. 

“I am alone”. O god! She just said this like a ghost in a horror movie.

I desperately started looking around for my family screaming in my heart, “kahan marr gaye tum sab, mujhe akela chhod ke”.

And there at a distant table, I saw them sitting with few relatives, eating cuisines so happily oblivious of the fact that their daughter is being traumatised by a ghost in the wedding. (Ghost in the wedding? – Such a strange mix!  But at that time, it made sense).

Instantly, seeing them nearby boosted me up. “There’s my family. Let me take you to them”.

Now, that was the not less shocking when we were approaching to the table together, and the moment I reached there, she had disappeared.” Was she really a ghost?”

I took a seat with my family, and in not more than a minute, I narrated everything that has happened in the last 5 minutes. Yes, for the last 5 minutes, my tikki chaat was lying uneaten on the table which my brother had brought for me. And now, I was in no mood to take even a single bite.

My eyes were roving here and there looking for that women so that I could show her to my family or to other relatives who could recognise. Anyhow, I had to end my curiosity. I didn’t see her anywhere for a while. When I stood up again and went to the food stall again to look for her, there,  a few chairs away, I saw her, with a man, supposedly her husband. But wait a moment, she said, she has come alone.

I immediately summoned my cousin sister (the same one wearing lehenga) and pointing at that lady, I asked her if she knows her. I took a deep sigh when she said, “Kaun,  woh? Arre woh toh meri bhabhi hain”.

“And that would be your brother”.

“Brother? No, she is sitting with her kids”

Jesus! She was talking about someone else. And about that lady, even she didn’t have any idea.

I came back to the table and having a sip of water, I saw her passing by in my front only looking at me. Her mischievous smile was fixed on her face. Immediately, I showed to my family, “that’s that lady”.

I was wishing if anyone would say, “oh ye, ye toh teri bua (chachi or whatever) hain”

But, they also didn’t know her. Rather they also started noticing her like me. And every time whenever she passed by, she never looked at anyone else, but only me.

That time, I started pushing my mind to recall, who that lady is? Maybe I know her. Maybe an old friend, maybe a friend’s mother? Maybe a cab-mate for a day?

So many thoughts were going on in my mind, and it started causing headache. Fortunately, in a while, mummy asked daddy, “chalen?”

Huh! Time to escape!

We stood up, and were looking for bua to bid bye. When just then, that same woman I saw coming behind Mummy and passed by from a distance. Why is she playing like this?

Perhaps, my brother got mesmerised by the bright ‘paan’ stall offering different varieties near the exit of the farmhouse. I went with him to have ‘paan’ and came back. Now, our mouths were full with the sweet minty flavour of paan. I guess, our lips got red too, when he murmured, “she is just behind you, closer, closer, closer, and... “She came close to us and asked mummy to come in the corner.

I chewed that paan in the anxiety, what, that lady is telling my mother, complaining about me? Or telling my mum that her missing daughter resembles me?

Oh god! Let me reveal it to you, the woman was thinking about me for her son and she had liked me in my simplicity (that jhola, the chappals and low make-up) so much that she had been looking the entire time to meeting my parents alone so that she could put forth her solicitation. I mean, she had been checking me out all that time for her son when I was thinking her a ghost!!!Lol!