"We need to talk maya" i grumbled.

She was so. . . Scared. Of me. It made my heart clench.

She looked beautiful in that pink lehenga of hers. My eyes travelled down her face and stopped on her lips. God i wish i could kiss her.

". . .here?" She said. I barely heard anything.

"What?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped. She was trying really hard to mask her fear but i could see it.

"Its my brothers engagement maya. I am supppsed to be here." I countered.

Her face suddenly turned pale. She sat on the nearby bench and clutched her head in between her hands. She was heaving.

"Maya.. maya are you okay?" I knelt beside her and held her arm.

She suddenly jerked my hands away.

"DONT TOUCH ME" she yelled.

I took my hand back and waited. She took 3 deep breaths and stood.

She walked towards the fridge and gulped down three cups of something in a steel container. Then braced her hands on the fridge and took another 3 deep breaths and turned towards me.

If looks could kill i would be dead by now.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I said.

"Im hoping you'll spontaneously combust". She grumbled.

A chuckle rose from my lips.

"Listen i dont know what your plan here is, but im not gonna ruin my cousin's life and get her involved with that family of yours" maya snapped.

"What? There is no plan maya. I didnt even know tara was your sister".

That was the truth. I had no idea she will be here. This was an absolute arranged marriage. But when i saw maya today talking with arjun i lost it. I wanted to go to every temple in the whole fucking world and face plant on the floor and thank them.

This was my last chance to mend our messed up relationship.

"Sure. Just like you didnt know about . . . Ughhhhh" she started pacing and had another drink. "I have to stop the wedding now dont i?" she slurred.

"Whoa.. go easy on the sugar there jumpy" i grabbed the glass from her hand.

"Heyyy..." she stumbled. Thats one hell of a reaction for a sugar rush.

I sniffed the drink and ohhh myy godd

"Maya this . . is. . . Why are you drinking this? More like who serves vodka at an engagement?"

She started towards the ceremony but i stopped her. "You cant go out there like this."

"Watch me". She pushed past me and started towards the ceremony.

I could only follow her as she neared her cousins. She went and stood next to a olive skinned guy and his eyes went wide when he saw maya and started pulling her away from the crowd another tall guy followed them muttering excuses to the guests around them.

Ohh maya what did you do??

________________________________

I have to stop the wedding. I have to.

I cant let tara go into that family. All of them are cheaters and betrayers. Including their mom. Ughhh she married our principal.....

I have to save tara from getting hurt.

That was the only thing in my mind as i waddled towards my cousins. I went and stood by varuns side.

"We have to stop the engangement" i shout muttered into his ears.

His eyes went wide as space saucers.

A few of the guests turned around and gawked at us.

"Are you drunk?" Varun whispered.

"Nooooooo" i slurred.

He dragged by my arm and gestured vivek to follow us. He led me into a corner.

"What is the matter with you? Why are drunk in this time of the hour?" Varun yelled at me.

"More importantly why didnt you invite me?" Vivek said punching my arms.

Varun glared at him.

"Im not drunk i just drank the orange juice." I shrugged.

Varun and vivek was waiting for the rest.

"Which i spiked with vodka yesterday night, also when i was drunk"

"Ohhh myy god" varun walked awy with his hands in his hair.

Vivek was howling with laughter. Varun smacked the back of his head.

I started cracking up too.

"You spiked the entire welcome drink?" Varun asked.

"Not the entire thing, the portion which is in the fridge right now"

"Okay we need to get rid of it." Varun sprinted towards the kitchen but vivek stopped him.

"I think its a little late for that now" we three watched while the workers carried the steel container and mixed the spiked drink with the leftover drink and started handing over to our guests.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

The mantras from the mandap were almost at the end and the ring exchange will happen now. But i couldn't let that happen.

"I have to stop it" i pushed up and started towards the wedding while varun lifted me by the hip and took me away.

After drinking 3 bottles of water and a trip to the bathroom my head was a little bit clearer. I was on the 4th bottle of water when i saw adhi's eyes on me.

I faced away from him and mouthed 'creep'. A smile spread on his face which i gracefully ignored.

The bride and groom rose. Jeevan uncle handed tara Arjun's ring and Arjun's dad handed him Tara's. And the moment he put the ring on her finger i burst into tears.

My tara is engaged.

I looked around and saw varun tearing up too. Tara also placed the ring on Arjun's finger. They both interlocked their hands and the pandit pronounced them an engaged couple.

The crowd cheered and i was the loudest. The date for the wedding was fixed on the april 3 2020. Barely two weeks and tara will be a married women and will move out.

Ughhhhh!! Why did we have to grow up so fast??

The photosession was going in full speed. People Im not even familiar with poses with them and they were smiling. PAINFULLY.

I bet tara is regretting the decision to wear heels.

After the photoshoot tara came back to get out of the lehenga and to wear something lighter for the party. I went to help her. And the moment we were in the privacy of a locked door i dropped the bomb.

"Adhi??? My brother in law is your crazy ex from college??" She gaped.

"Yes. And now you're engaged to his brother"

"Ohh crap. Is arjun crazy too?" She looked shell shocked.

"No i dont think so. From what i got from talking to him, he's a gentleman"

She sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Thank god". She started to undress and put on a simple yellow ankle length dress.

"Are you okay? I mean with him being here and.."

"Im fine. Dont worry about me we have something else to worry about " I started cracking up

Tara started smiling too "What is it?"

"We spiked the drink"

________________________________

The moment we walked into the party the first thing I checked was the drink section. And guess What? Empty.

Well... who know aunties had a thing for orange flavoured vodka.

The party has started Arjun was waiting for tara to cut the cake. The moment he saw her his face lit up.

That my friends is the face of a whipped man.

He whispered " You look beautiful" to her and tara blushed.

Ohh god they were cringingly adorable.

The cut the cake and gave it to everyone and the party started. Food and ice cream were flowing across the room.

Tara was talking with arjun smiling, blushing. But Tara's smile dropped the moment she saw adhi. And he also had that knowing face.

"We should talk later Adhi. You know get to know each other." Tara said in a saccharine voice.

"Uhh huh" Adhi murmured and looked at me I looked away.

The party was . . . Well. . . VODKA.

Everyone was dancing.

Everyone.

Including my grandma.

Even my dad was swaying to the music while talking to someone. He was smiling.

So he can smile. Good to know.

I saw my cousins in a corner and moved towards them leaving the love birds alone.

I saw varun had the orange juice in his hand. " Dude why are you drinking this knowingly?"

Varun put a finger to my lip and said

"Its done maya. Every one drank it. Why shouldn't i then? Here have this and be like Elsa?"

I took the cup "huh"?

It was vivek who answered."let it goooooo"

I laughed. Then it was all a blur of hands and legs.

We danced, we ate, we drank then we danced again. A gazziliion pictures were taken in dhriti's phone. After a while tara and arjun joined us too.

I saw adhi standing with his cousins. All of them were dancing but not him. His eyes were clear as the day and it was always on me.

The night washed away all my fears and pain and drowned them in alcohol.

"This is the best night everrrr..." I screamed to the crowd and they cheered. Dancing into the night.

_________________________________

I take it back.

It was the best night ever which is giving me the worst hangover ever.

Tara had gotten in late last night. The couple wanted to down some time alone. And me being the best cousin allowed it.

It was almost 12 in the morning. My head was pounding even after i popped an aspirin.

My phone was dead. Crap. What do I do now?

As I walked through the corridor i noticed that none of my family was awake.

The party had ended at 2 in the morning. Everyone was tired. Everyone was drunk. So no one was up.

Makes sense.

I made extra strong coffee for the whole family and left it in the kitchen. They're gonna need it.

Trust me.

I took my coffee and walked to the living room and saw vivek sprawled on the couch in only his boxers.

Yuck.

I threw the table cloth on top of him and switched on the tv and sat on the floor and folder my legs under each other.

I took a sip of my coffee

"Mmmmmm sweet heaven".

The tv turned on and a news channel popped up automatically.

The reporter was frantically saying something. I turned up the volume and saw what the fuzz was about. The prime minister made a speech last night.

God is he changing the currencies again?

They played the speech from lastnight again.

Prime ministers face popped up and he started addressing people.

Dear citizen of india

Due to increasing spread of the pandemic corona aka covid19, It is hereby declared that the country will be on lockdown for the next 21 days.

The cup fell from my hand and broke. Warm coffee was drenching my pajamas.

God no. This doesn't mean what i think It does.

Which means there will be no public transport or private transportation allowed. The streets will be blocked. Temples, malls,theatres will be shut down. Only necessary facilities like grocery shops, hospitals and police station will be working.

Corona is an airborne virus which is spread to contact and close proximity. So please wear a mask and use sanitizer after touching a public surface. Maintain atleast 6 feet distance with each other.

The spread of covid is increasing day by day. I request all of you to stay home for the next 21 days and hell the country to fight this. Anyone breaking the rules will be prosecuted.

Stay home stay healthy

jaihind.

His face vanished.

This is not happening.

I can't leave here for 21 days. No one can. Which means. . . .

Adhi can't too.

*****************************