Vahia/Vivah (Marrriage)

Jack put his arms around me and asked Detective Green, who was looking at me like I was insane “Can we go know? I need to get my sister home”

The detective nodded and Jack basically pulled me away along with them. We piled back into the car and I finally stopped laughing and lapsed into silence as I stared out the window. We stopped at someone’s house, Merry’s I think, and Caleb, Merry and Katie piled out after giving me hugs and saying that they’d see me in a few hours. I didn’t know why I would see them in a few hours but I was suddenly too exhausted to ask much less care. Alex moved up to sit beside me and started to put his arm around my shoulders but I moved away from it. I didn’t need to look at him to see the hurt and surprised expression on his face but I didn’t care. Both Jack and Alex tried to talk to me a few times but I couldn’t get anything past the pressure in my chest and simply stared outside through un-seeing eyes. 

After what seemed like hours we finally pulled up to my house and got out and I saw a family friend Jinder Uncle’s car parked out. I started to grab my bags but Alex and Jack told me to head inside. I tried the front door and not surprisingly found it unlocked and walked in. I could hear my parents talking with Jinder Uncle inside but could quite make out what they were saying.

They must have not heard us pull in or me come in because no one came to the door to see who it was. Putting my purse on the shelf in the coat closet, I took of my shoes and headed to the living room but stopped just outside when I heard my name mentioned.

Listening closely I realized that it was Jinder uncle talking and he was saying “Hah. Menhu Danny da phone aya see. Oh galla galla vich Rory bare pochan daya see. Ke oh khe karan daye ya. Ke tode kise naal gaal te nehe chalan daye (Yeah.  Danny called a couple days ago. While we were talking he started asking me questions about Rory. About what she’s doing lately, what type of girl she is. And whether there are talks about marriage with anyone yet)?”

I stood there in shock wondering if what I was hearing was what they were really talking about. I knew that Jack had told them about Kevin’s death and I couldn’t believe that they would even talk about such things at a time like this. Much less the face that they knew I was totally against even talking about marriage until I was done with my education.

While I had been listening Alex and Jack had come into the house and I felt Alex come and stand behind me before he slowly put his arm around my waist as if waiting to see if I’d reject his embrace again. Surprising even myself I felt my body sag against his before I turned around and wrapped my arms around him. Without saying a single word we stood there quietly listening to the conversation happening in the other room.

Still unaware that we were home my dad said “Ah Danny de munde da naam ke se. Menhu lagda me onhoo meliya va (What is Danny’s son’s name. I think I’ve met him)?”

Uncle replied “Ohda naam se Gurrinder liken ohnu Gary akh de se (His naam is Gurrinder but everyone calls him Gary)”

Tightening my hold on Alex, I heard my mom say “Ha. Menhu pata eh koon ya. Vadiya munda va. Soonha lagda. Rory toon char saal vadha va (Oh I know him. He seems like a nice kid. Good looking. He’s about 4 years older than Rory)”

They were quiet for a moment before Jinder Uncle spoke again. “Menhu pata ya ke Rory booth choti ya ajhe liken Danny akhan deya se ke je apa hoon engagement kara de ye vahiya tdo teen saal vich hoon jo ga (I know that Rory is young but Danny said that we could possibly do the engagement now and then the actual wedding can be in 2 or 3 years)

It was quiet for a moment again before I heard my parents say something to each other I assume but I couldn’t decipher what it was. Then my dad cleared his throat and said to Jinder Uncle “Toon Danny no akh ke ase sochan de se. Haan no Rory de naal thorde gall karne se (Tell Danny that we are thinking about it. We need to talk to Rory about this a little bit)

By this point I had started shaking in Alex’s arms again accept it was anger not grief causing it. Before Alex or Jack, who had come in and listened to a fair bit of the conversation, could stop me, I walked into the room.  All three gazes swung around to look at me in shock and I could tell that they weren’t expecting me to be standing there.

I grabbed my mom’s hand and practically dragged her out of the room and went into the first available room I saw, the study. After I shut the door, I opened my mouth and tried to think of something to say but could not get my head to work. We were silent for a moment before I finally said “Mama I can’t believe tose eh karan de se. How could you? Tonhu pata va kea j Kevin na ke hoya. Leken tohe still vahiya deya gala karan de se. It doesn’t even matter ke me vahiya de gal tak nahe soon na chone (Mom I can’t believe you are doing this. You are talking about my marriage when you know that Kevin died today. That my best friend died today. I’m not even going to go into the fact that I don’t even want to think/talk about marriage for a few more years)” and then surprising myself and my mom I burst into tears and ran out of the study and up stairs into my room…