Her heart fluttered when she heard the sound of the key turn in the lock. She quickly adjusted her maroon silk sari with the yellow border, the one that had caught his eye, and waited eagerly for his footsteps. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… Yes, exactly seven steps before he stopped, hesitated for a few moments, then removed his shoes one by one and arranged them neatly side by side on the shoe rack. She smiled. He had been mindful of taking his shoes off every day now. “I am not used to it, but I will if you want me to. It’s probably a good thing to do anyway.” As he settled down, he would pick up the TV remote and, without looking at her, would say in his smooth baritone, “So how did you spend your day, anything interesting?” Shaan Ahuja found himself bowing to tradition and agreeing to an arranged marriage to the beautiful Ruhi Sharma. He went through the motions but had no intention of carrying through on his vows. His last foray into matters of the heart with an American girl had left him scarred and unwilling to try again. Thoroughly disillusioned and disgruntled he wasted no time in making his intentions clear to Ruhi on their wedding night. But, he was completely unprepared for what his new wife had in mind.

Excerpt

Ruhi saw Debo examining her curiously and realized that the sari had slipped off her shoulder while tending to Anu.

 

“What is up, dear? Where is your mangalsutra and sindoor? I noticed earlier but didn’t bring it up.”

 

“Umm…the chain broke. I have given it for fixing.”

 

“Then what about the sindoor?”

 

“I…The whole thing fell on the carpet yesterday and made a mess. I have to go get some more.”

 

“Ruhi look at me.” Debo gently propped her face up by the chin. “You consider me like your elder sister, right?”

 

She answered with an apprehensive nod.

 

“Then there are certain things, which are essential for a married Indian woman. It doesn’t matter what your husband may say, but you should not take them lightly. You should never go without your sindoor because it is an auspicious symbol of your marriage and also a sign that indicates your love will prosper. Therefore, even if you don’t have your wedding necklace, you should at least wear your sindoor.”

 

“Yes, di, I will try to get some as soon as possible.”

 

“Soon? Why not now?”

 

Ruhi felt trapped as Debo dragged her to a tiny shrine and picked up a small silver receptacle full of the vermilion powder.

 

“I can put it on, di, give it to me.”

 

“No, I have a better idea. Shaan!” Debo called out.

 

Ruhi felt upset; her body began to tremble.

 

“What is it, bhabhi? Time for food?” Shaan appeared, smiling along with Sujoy.

 

“Shaan, I didn’t expect this from you. I know you love your wife dearly, but letting her go about bareheaded. It is not right.”

 

“Let them be, Debo, they are a modern couple. It’s their life. You don’t have to interfere.” Sujoy chimed in acutely embarrassed; his wife was quite the traditionalist.

 

“You keep out of it, Sujoy, I know my sister. She will listen to me.”

 

She handed Shaan the receptacle and urged him, “Take this and put it back where it belongs with God as your witness and don’t ever let her go unadorned again.”

 

Then as he hesitated, she asked, frowning, ”Is there something wrong between you two?”

 

“No, of course not.” He looked at Ruhi who had grown completely silent.

 

“Go ahead, Shaan,” Bee said softly, giving him permission.

 

He pinched a small amount of the red powder and placed it firmly in the parting on her forehead. Not entirely certain why, but this makeshift ceremony appeared more meaningful to him than the one on his wedding day.

 

“Perfect! Now my mishti bon looks like a bride, a very beautiful bride.”

Simi K. Rao was born in India and has been living in the United States for several years. Her contemporary romance novel An Incurable Insanity, published by Tate Publishing, was released on October 8, 2013. An Incurable Insanity is her first foray into writing. The inspiration for the story came from what she has seen transpire among and within the immigrant community. Some of the experiences included are her own; some have been garnered from friends and casual conversations with acquaintances. She also writes poetry, is an avid photographer, loves to travel, and is a practicing physician. She currently lives in Denver with her family.

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