Seema was in a hurry that day. Her parents were arguing about something as usual when she slipped out of the house. She had used a shawl to cover her head, but it also covered a part of her face which the rickshaw driver tried to get a glimpse of during the 20 minutes journey to a shop in Sisamau Bazaar in Kanpur.
It was a busy market and Seema was quite confident that she would go unnoticed in the crowd. Akash was busy with a customer when Seema’s auto stopped outside his shop. He gave a glance at the auto and finished off the deal as soon as he could. Seema decided to wait patiently until then. As soon as Akash got done with the customer he informed his staff that he’ll be back in an hour and got into the auto in which Seema was seated.
Seema and Akash hugged each other when they were a few kilometers away from the market. The auto driver was used to seeing couples getting cozy in his vehicle and never bothered to disturb them. After about 8 minutes the auto came to a halt outside the famous Moti Jheel.
A few minutes later both of them were sitting at a point near the lake from where they could just sit with their feet in the water. It took some time for them to get used to the cold temperature of the water. Both Akash and Seema were waiting for each other to break the silence.
Then with a smile on her face, Seema said, “So Mr. Akash Jaiswal. You are getting married tomorrow?”.
“Yes”, said Akash with a nervous smile.
“And what are you wearing? If I may ask.”
“You remember the sherwani we saw in the mall a few years ago? I had taken a picture of that and got one made exactly like that.”
“Ohh that one? You will look good in that. Pictures will also come out better. Hey that was our first date right?”
“Yes.”
“You remember that movie we saw? And we’d come straight here after it”.
“Of course, I do. I can never forget it. I was so nervous that day.”
Akash was holding Seema’s hand now.
Seema, tries to tease Akash, “So, you are wearing the sherwani that you saw on your first date with me?”
“Yes”.
“Tell me one thing. Why are you getting married if you love me so much?”
Trying to change the topic, “Seema, I think we should leave. If someone sees us here today, we’ll be in trouble. There’ll be a lot of questions and it will be difficult to answer those questions”.
“Let’s wait for a few more minutes please”.
Aksash couldn’t say no to Seema. They both sat there holding hands, thinking of all the good times they’ve had at this place together.
“Do you think you’ll be able to come here after tomorrow?”
“Of course. The wedding does not change our relationship Seema”.
“Well, it does. Never mind, what time is the wedding”, asked Seema.
“7 pm”, said Akash and as an afterthought, added, “You will come, right”?
Akash’s question had a tinge of nervousness in it. Seema sensed it.
She didn’t answer the question for a few seconds, while Akash was waiting in anticipation.
Akash was losing his patience when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
It was Seema’s brother, “You two Idiots know that you are not supposed to meet each other a day before your own wedding?”
