After everyone had settled down for the meal, we began discussing the schedule for the upcoming week. According to the Bihari Kayastha tradition, the first events would be Cheka, Haldi, Lava Bhunjana, Mehendi, Sangeet, and finally, the marriage ceremony. My Mathur family and I decided to take a rest since the rituals were set to commence later that evening.

The following day, both families planned to move into rented bungalows for convenience, where the wedding would take place. I had never paid much attention to wedding rituals in the past, but now that it was my wedding, I found myself feeling tired rather than enjoying the preparations.

As time passed swiftly and smoothly, an unexpected moment unfolded during the Mehendi ceremony. We were all joyfully applying Mehendi on our hands, and Dolly sat beside me, looking nervous. In a soft and hesitant tone, Dolly asked me, "Ashwin Sir, are you also feeling nervous with all the attention? I feel like an animal in a zoo." I chuckled softly and replied, "Dolly, to be honest, even though I'm used to people looking at me, I do feel a little nervous at times."

Dolly turned her face and chuckled, saying, "Why does it feel like your staff is treating you like they do in those CEO dramas?" I responded with a playful smile, "What do you think, my soon-to-be Mrs.?" We continued our conversation while the Mehendi artists applied intricate designs to our hands and legs. However, the joyful atmosphere suddenly turned somber as we heard loud voices from outside, but the words were unclear. Dolly and I were about to go out to investigate when we were held back by others.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Later, we learned that my maternal uncle, Kundan Saxena, and my dad were embroiled in a heated argument over some old issues. Meanwhile, my mom and maternal aunt, Rekha, were trying to mediate and stop the altercation.

We overheard a few words from our relatives that left me stunned, but Dolly appeared unfazed. I turned to her, seeking an explanation. She whispered to me, "I overheard something accidentally once when I was studying at your mom's house. Kundan Uncle was scolding Aarti Aunt and accusing her of your alcoholic Dad's abusive behaviour and slander. He also blamed Aarti Aunt for your Dad's failures. I got a little scared and didn't listen any further; instead, I locked myself in a room. I had never seen Uncle Kundan so angry in my life."

A sharp pain gripped my chest upon hearing this revelation. I had never expected my Dad to be capable of abusing my Mom. It suddenly became clear that this must have been the primary reason behind their separation. I couldn't help but reflect on how I had pitied my Dad, believing that my Mom had left him due to his career failures.

After all the chaos subsided, everyone decided to go their separate ways, avoiding further discussion to prevent escalating the situation. The next event proceeded smoothly, and no one brought up the events of the previous day again.

All the families had prepared dance performances for the upcoming event.