Chapter 67
Kabir's Perspective
As Pandit Ji entered the room, all the casual chatter around us quieted, and I felt the weight of the moment sink in. This was it—the official start of the next big chapter of my life. My mom, sitting beside me, shot me a reassuring glance, but I could see the excitement dancing in her eyes. She was practically beaming, and I knew that this meeting had been on her mind for weeks.
"Namaste, Pandit Ji," my mom greeted him warmly, rising from her seat. "We've been eagerly waiting for you."
Pandit Ji smiled and returned her greeting before looking around the room. My eyes automatically found Aditi, sitting with her family on the other side of the room, and I couldn't help but smile. She looked elegant yet slightly nervous, fiddling with the edge of her pallu. Her family—her parents, her younger sister Anaya, and her cousins Ridhima, Atharv, and Arushi—were sitting neatly beside her. They all looked expectant, aware of the importance of this meeting.
"This is the boy?" Pandit Ji asked, turning toward me with a polite smile.
"Yes, Pandit Ji, this is Kabir," my mom said, practically glowing with pride. "And that's Aditi, the girl we've chosen for him."
Pandit Ji turned to Aditi's family and gave them a welcoming nod. Her mom, who was sitting on Aditi's left, smiled warmly and introduced everyone. "This is our eldest daughter, Aditi, and this is Anaya, her younger sister," she said, gesturing to both girls. "And these are my nieces, Ridhima and Arushi, and my nephew Atharv."
"A beautiful family," Pandit Ji said, his eyes twinkling. "Let's begin with the auspicious dates, shall we?"
As everyone nodded, Aditi's mother added, "Pandit Ji, please check carefully. We want everything to go smoothly." Her tone was gentle but firm.
As the rituals continued, Pandit Ji looked around and said, "Everyone, cover your heads, please."
Sitting just a few feet away from me, Aditi had already covered her head with the edge of her pallu, looking every bit serene and composed, despite all the eyes on her. But something caught my attention—Arjun, my twelve-year-old cousin, was also sitting under the same pallu, his head covered along with hers.
My brow furrowed. What was he doing under there?
I leaned in, trying not to cause a scene. "Arjun," I whispered, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing under Aditi's pallu?"
He gave me an innocent smile. "I gave my handkerchief to Anaya. She didn't have anything to cover her head with."
I glanced over at Anaya, Aditi's younger sister, who was sitting quietly, her head now covered with what I recognized as Arjun's handkerchief. Alright, fine. That was a pretty decent move from the kid, but it didn't explain why he was making himself so comfortable under Aditi's pallu.
"You could've asked someone else," I muttered.
He shrugged. "It's fine. There's plenty of room."
Plenty of room? Yeah, right. I gave him a pointed look. "Move over," I said, fishing my own handkerchief out of my pocket and handing it to him. "Here, take this."
Arjun's eyes lit up as he grabbed the handkerchief from me. "Thanks, bhaiya!" he chirped, happily hopping out from under Aditi's pallu to sit next to Anaya.
Finally. But now... I didn't have anything to cover my head. I looked at Aditi, who was trying her hardest not to laugh at the whole situation.
Before she could say anything, I reached for the edge of her pallu and gently pulled it over my head, settling myself under it beside her. I expected her to protest, or at least give me a teasing comment, but instead, she just smiled. That soft, knowing smile of hers that always seemed to hold a million unspoken words.
The fabric of her pallu brushed against my cheek as I adjusted it, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the room had faded away. The quiet space we now shared under that single piece of cloth felt strangely intimate, almost like a silent agreement between us, something that didn't need words.
I caught her eyes again, and there was a flicker of amusement in them. "Sharing is caring, right?" I murmured.
Aditi gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her lips curving into a smile. "As long as you don't hog all the space," she teased quietly.
I smirked, settling in more comfortably beside her. "I'll try not to."
Of course, our little moment didn't go unnoticed. My chachi, always quick to pick up on these things, was the first to comment. "Oh, so now Kabir is officially under Aditi's pallu too, huh?" she said, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.
The room burst into light laughter, with a few of the elders exchanging amused glances. Raghav, who was sitting across from us, leaned back in his seat, clearly enjoying the situation.
"Looks like Kabir's already practicing for married life," Raghav said, winking. "Next time, bhai, maybe you should just ask for your own pallu."
I rolled my eyes, but I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "You're hilarious," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile.
Aditi, on the other hand, was doing her best to remain composed, but I could see her shoulders shaking slightly with suppressed laughter. The elders were trying to hold back their own amusement, but the teasing didn't stop there.
"Kabir beta, you're supposed to be supporting Aditi," my mom chimed in from across the room, her tone playful. "Not take her space!"
Another round of laughter spread through the room, and Aditi finally lost the battle, letting out a soft giggle. She shot me a quick glance, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"See what you started?" she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the chuckling.
I shrugged, still grinning. "Worth it."
Pandit Ji cleared his throat, attempting to bring the focus back to the ceremony. "Shall we continue?" he asked, raising his hands to calm the room. Slowly, the laughter died down, and everyone turned their attention back to the front.
"The engagement," Pandit Ji announced, "will be held next month. And the wedding, three months after that."
There was a collective murmur of approval from the elders. I could feel the tension in the air ease as everyone began discussing the timeline. The elders, especially our moms, looked relieved that they had plenty of time to plan everything properly.
I, on the other hand, was still sitting under Aditi's pallu, trying to wrap my head around the fact that in just a few short months, we'd be married. The reality of it hit me in waves, but there was a strange sense of calm that came with it too.
Aditi was quiet beside me, her eyes downcast as she listened to the conversations around us. When she finally looked up, our eyes met again, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the room. There was a soft, almost shy smile on her face, and I couldn't help but smile back.
The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, and soon enough, it was time for lunch. We all moved to the dining area, and naturally, I found myself sitting next to Aditi again. This time, though, we were no longer under her pallu, but the teasing didn't stop.
As soon as we sat down, Ridhima, one of Aditi's cousins, gave us both a sly smile. "So, jiju," she began, addressing me with exaggerated sweetness. "How does it feel to be sitting next to didi now that you've had a practice round under her pallu?"
The others at the table burst into laughter, and even Aditi couldn't hold back her smile. I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, but she just shrugged, clearly enjoying the teasing as much as everyone else.
"Feels pretty comfortable, actually," I shot back, deciding to play along. "I might make it a permanent arrangement."
That earned me a playful nudge from Aditi, but before she could respond, Sahil, sitting on my other side, chimed in. "Kabir, bhai, don't get too comfortable just yet. You still have a long way to go before you can claim permanent rights to that pallu."
Aditi blushed at that, ducking her head slightly, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips. The banter continued throughout lunch, with both our families taking every opportunity to tease us.
My mom, ever the observant one, noticed how close Aditi and I were sitting and gave me a pointed look. "Aditi beta, make sure Kabir eats properly," she said, her voice filled with affection but laced with amusement. "He tends to forget about food when he's too focused on other things."
Aditi shot me a quick glance before responding, "I'll make sure he doesn't starve, aunty."
The table erupted into more laughter, and I could feel my face growing warm again, though I tried to hide it by taking a sip of water. Aditi's cousins, Ridhima, Atharv, and Arushi, were relentless, calling me "jiju" at every opportunity, while Arjun, still basking in his earlier victory with the handkerchief, kept grinning at me like he knew something I didn't.
Through it all, though, I couldn't stop sneaking glances at Aditi. She seemed more relaxed now, despite the teasing, and there was a quiet sense of ease between us that hadn't been there before. Every time our eyes met, there was a silent understanding, a shared amusement that made the whole situation feel... right.
After lunch, we checked on the gifts. My mom and chachi went over everything meticulously, making sure the sweets, fruits, and saris were perfectly arranged.
As we loaded the gifts into Aditi's car, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of everything that had just happened. The teasing, the laughter, the shared moments under Aditi's pallu—it all felt like the start of something beautiful. Something real.
As Aditi's family prepared to leave, I caught one last glance from her, and in that single look, I knew that despite all the teasing and the chaos, we were both looking forward to what was coming next.
And, maybe, just maybe, I'd get a chance to sit under her pallu again.