"What were you thinking when you said, she's divorced so she's a bad omen?" I growl, Angshu behind me fumes with anger as well. He doesn't like to shower his anger on anyone so, he stays silent.

"Mom, she's a guest and Bratati's sister. How could you say that?" Angshu asks to his mom however, his voice doesn't show his anger.

"I-I didn't say that..." she answers.

"Sulekha aunty said that I know, I've heard it," I say.

"Ye-" she pauses to look at me, "but how can you heard in the the second floor?"

I blink at them with a gap in my mouth then close it after realising the bathroom is at the end of corridor and open my mouth again like a fish as nothing comes in my mind.

Shoot! If anyone wants to hear something they need to go through the corridor or they have to be in the bathroom.

"Yes! How did you know?" Angshu asks as well.

"I-I..." I try to find my excuse, "I was near the corridor," finally say with a straight face.

"But we were talking in whispers."

"Ah! Well, my hearing is quite great but that's not the issue here!" I tap my foot, "I saw Agni leaving the corridor."

"Beta! I would never want such a great girl to go through this. I will personally speak with her." Aunt Laxmi says, "even if Sulekha disapproves of the idea, I would not treat her like a bad omen. I've heard how her ex in laws had treated her. And I agree with her to get a divorce with such family."

Aunt Laxmi's reply manages dumbfound me and slowly a smile appears.

"Bratati is really upset," Angshu grumbles beside me.

"Why did you say that to her?" My mom asks with a glare.

"I could not find her and hadn't had her number, so I had to."

"Let's go talk to her, Laxmi, shall we?" Mom ask Angshu's mother and she nods.

*****

"It's alright aunty. She has been going through a lot that's why I was upset but I'm fine now," Bratati says with a weak smile which assures she isn't fine.

"I didn't mean to hurt her when I love that girl! And she's a great cook!" My mom loves anyone who can cook even if that person is a terrorist. If he can cook, he'll get my mom's support.

All of them laughs and Bratati says, "She wasn't like that before. She was like a shy and very introverted person and clumsy one. That's why she engraved a tattoo on her left upper chest to hide her burn marks."

We all become dumbfounded.

"What?" The word comes out before I can stop it.

"Yes. She used to be very clumsy and once when she was small like only nine years old. My aunt was boiling water and she grabs it by hands. She yanked her hands along with the pot. It fell on her chest."

She shivers at the memory, "She got a nasty mark there and everyone in school used to bully her."

"The mark was a thing, her ex husband used it against her when he used to torture her both physically and mentally." A few of her jaw muscles twitch like she can just kill him now, if he is here, "It almost destroyed her." Her palms turns to fists as if a guilty with sadness slowly wrapping her in their embrace.

If my mom and aunt Laxmi has been feeling guilty, now their shoulders slump low and eyes go down.

"All of the tattoos on her to hide the nasty marks she had from her husband." Bratati's voice has a mixture of anger and hurt. As if she still can't take whatever happened with her di. There are so many questions arise in me, however, I have no power to ask.

My knuckles turn white as Bratati finishes her last statement. I have been feeling strange whenever my gaze fall on the tattoos but now I know the reason. She has hid it under the carved inks and has turned it into her achievement like wounds from battles.

Angshu behind me can't see Bratati's face, even he can feel the dolour of Bratati's heart.

"I've got an idea!" My mom says enthusiastically snapping all of our attention.

"What?" I ask.

"We'll cook her favourite things!"

The grief that has surrounded us fades and turns to a moment of blankness. Our eyes and mouths are frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise, and we stare straight at mom.

"Mom, please don't joke in the middle of a serious conversation," I say.

She glares and pouts at the same time, "Aren't people like to have their favourite dishes when they are sad?" That has been my mom's thinking. She used to cook my favourite meals whenever I felt upset. However, I don't remember if that could cheer me up. More or less, I had less appetite.

"No, they aren't!" I shake my head which she disregards, anyway.

"I'm going to make the special recipe." Aunt Laxmi beside her joins her as well and asks Bratati, "What's her favourite dish?"

"Err..." she looks between them, her face fills with confusion as the two women directs their gazes at her with faces of mini aliens, and are eagerly waiting for her answer, "she likes sweets and anything with chicken?"

A weird grin spreads across my mom's face as if her brain is forming something deliciously sinister recipe and I narrow my eyes down at her.

*****

I sniff. Tears run through my cheeks to my beard like the Ganga-Yamuna rivers and I wish I have worn my sun glasses as I cut the onions and Angshu plays a song in his sound box, 'Jiya jaale jaan jaale, naino tale, dhuya chale, raat var dhuya chale.'

I sneeze and slice the reddish-purple thing which is slightly larger than a golf ball while the scent rises into my nostrils and I sneeze again. I swear, I need a space suit. Mom has started her magic skills on the oven, humming a sweet music. She has grilled the chicken and now will be preparing the recipe of Biriyani. She has already made two sweet dishes as Agni loves sweets. Laxmi aunty is preparing payes* garnishing it with cashews.

Bratati and Trayi have confined Agni in her room, engaging her in conversation while we prepare her a surprise. Our dad's and Dev have gone to bring us snacks, choco chips which are also from 'LoveBites'.

While everyone of us preparing for a grand surprise - which I don't know if will work or not - Angshu is only selecting songs to cheer up her mood. According to my mom, it will work as no one can say no to food even if they are sad or angry.

"Shall I make coffee for you guys?" aunt Laxmi asks.

"She likes tea," I inform as I wipe the tears from my face and suddenly, I feel silence takes over the kitchen. No sounds. Not even the song is playing and my mom's hums are stopped as well.

I turn my head and see Angshu and our moms are looking at me with narrow gazes.

"You know quite a lot of things about her, I see," my mom says eying me up and down and my face burns with heat however, I reply with a straight face, "She always takes tea, that's how I know."

"And you've been observing her lately."

I slowly turn to the onions and start chopping, "No...!" all the while my ears remain red as well as my eyes.

About one hour later when everything is ready, Angshu gives Bratati a message and we start with decorating the table with snacks, tea cattle and cups. Our dining hall fills with guests and friends while Bratati and Trayi come down bringing along Agni. She's wearing a red kurti* with a black bottoms and her piercings are shining in the bright yellow lights of the room.

Trayi has called over her friends and they arrive shortly after Amit, Barun, Jatin and rest of our friends come and I join them.

My mom, aunt Laxmi, aunt Sulekha and other two of their friends pour tea in cups and serve everyone while I point my mom and aunt Laxmi to talk with Agni.

They get near her and say, "Agni beta, it's your favourite tea with malai."

Agni looks up to them and takes the cup with a small smile while Amit says to Angshu, "Vai(Bro), turn around. Today is kaal ratri. You can see Bratati tomorrow all you want." Everyone starts laughing while the couple shy away from each other.

The whole room fills with various kind of gossips and conversation when Trayi proposes grabbing our attention, "Why don't we organise a program tomorrow?"

"What kind of program?" Dev asks mirroring everyone's thoughts.

"Like, dance, music or anything."

"I'm way old for dancing," my father says, "you guys do the program."

Trayi pouts, "Why? You guys sang together last year when I got first in my collage."

They shrug but Trayi is adamant to let them go easily.

"We'll do antakhsari like we did there," Dev suggests.

"No! It became only two person competing each other. That's boring!" She's got a point. Last time, only Agni and I were singing. Not a single person sang any song.

After serving all of us snacks, we decide that we will do a dance program and Agni and I will do duet singing as well. And we have only one night to rehearse. With my knowledge on the only dance steps - drunk dance with kicks and punches - I'm sure I'm gonna ruin the dance program and become a laughing stock. Dev doesn't want to participate in the dance as he will be having his big clients and seniors as guests and he doesn't want his reputation to ruin over a dance. Amit, however, doesn't care and Jatin did a simple nod.

It's six pm and all the bachelor, the newly wed couple and the married couple: Barun and Kanchana are in our garage for rehearsal and my sister is leading the whole team to our doom.

"I am horrible at dancing, why don't you girls dance?" I ask Trayi.

"No!" She fumes with anger every time I retort the idea and giving me glares. I'm sure she's got mom's glaring technique and she is very persistent just like her.

As she's our choreographer, she decides who will dance a single and who will dance in a chorus.

About two hours later, I huff as my back and knees ache and now I'm one hundred and two percent sure that I'm gonna ruin the program also will definitely make myself a laughing stock.

"Spare me, Trayi! I don't want to be a laughing stock!" I growl as Agni comes laughing and stretches out her hand. On the other hand, Trayi's face starts to heat up then she takes a deep sigh and says, "Fine!"

"You men will always be as boring as sloths, however, sloths are a bit cute," she says glaring at both Amit and me, and turns to teach her friends and the other participants who have joined her while I stand up with the help of Agni.

My brows twitch, "I can't believe she's my sister."

"Well, she just wants this occasion to be memorable." Agni says.

"Yes, by making me a fool!"

She laughs, her violet locks dancing with her shaking face.

"I think, I'll take a break." I say and she leaves my company to join Trayi.

Amit is actually a great dancer and he stays with them while Dev, Abhishek and I come out and go to a corner in our garden.

Dev lights a cigarette and says, "it's okay, we are never meant to be dance anyway."

I nod.

*****

"What did you say?" I ask my hands clench in tight fists.

"I'm paired with Agni!" Amit says his smile glowing like the sun in a bright summer sky.

"Oh! In which song?" Dev asks as if he can't take it anymore and I'm sure, I'm feeling the same.

"It's a secret," he winks at us, "however, she's an amazing dancer. No wonder, Trayi wants me to pair with her," he says like he has achieved a gold medal in Olympics.

"I thought you are with Sneha." I say with a gritted teeth.

"Oh I am. However, sometimes, you want to taste a different dessert."

I snap my head at him. He won't ever change. I don't know how Sneha is interested in him.

However, I take a turn and go to Trayi. We need to talk.

_________

- Glossary -

Payes- A sweet dessert made with rice, milk, sugar and other ingredients like cashew, saffron etc.

- Songs -

1- Jiya Jaale, Jaan Jale(1998)- Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and M. G. Shreekumar & composed by A. R. Rehman

______

14th October, 2020