The reflection in the mirror showed a pretty girl. About seventeen, with a striking face. Usually, it was aglow with a kind of innocent happiness, that reflected who she was : A happy go lucky youngster, who loved her life, except for one thing. She was, to put it bluntly, fat. Obese. At the present moment of time she was also miserable. It didn't help either to have an older sister who was slim and svelte, with a figure to die for.
It hadn't mattered a lot when they were growing up, she had been content to be in her own world, peopled with books, and food. In fact, being the younger of the two, she had been the darling of the family, indulged by everyone, including her sister. Cocooned in their love, she hadn't much cared that she was overweight. Except for the occasional snide comment thrown her way, her friends had accepted her as she was. Trouble started when she had her first crush.
The marriage took place from her home. Her sister's N R I groom was a sweetheart. She had warmed to him immediatly, on meeting him. He, on his part had taken the trouble to get to know her. They discovered a mutual love for books and chocolates, that endeared them to each other. The excitement leading up to the marriage had engulfed the entire household. Her clothes for the marriage had been skillfully stitched, but at the fittings, seeing her sister twirl in her finery, a strange envy was born in her heart. Everything her sister wore seemed to enhance her figure and made her seem even lovelier then she was. No one saw her leave the room quietly, her clothes flung on her arm.
Trying them on in the privacy of her room, she was aghast. Why had no one ever made her realise she had put on too much weight? The beautiful lehengas (indian skirts) and sarees, exquisite silks in beautiful colours, seemed drab, over the top, when she wore them. Still, her parents and friends assured her she looked beautiful, her brother in law even joked, that had he wished he was not commited. Borne on the wings of their love and indulgence, she recovered her smile and sailed thru the ceremonies. Then he came.
The first cousin of the bridegroom was, in todays' words, hot. Tall, suave and handsome with an accent to die for, he had all the girls at his beck and call from the moment he entered her home. She first saw him as she came down the stairs, her hands loaded with flowers. Her pretty face, glowed above the flowers, and busy negotiating the stairs, she almost tripped, as he swung up from where he was sitting to help her down. As their eyes met, he smiled, " Heck! " he drawled. " I almost had you in my arms there." Blushing a beetroot red, she allowed him to take the flowers from her hand.
"Who are you ?" he asked. Recovering her wits she retorted, "Shouldn't i ask you that ? This is my home after all. " Smiling impudently, he said, " In that case, i'm too tongue tied to reply. You Indian girls have got my head spinning with your beauty." Just then, the door burst open, and her cousins streamed in. Seeing him there, they crowded around him, preening and pirouetting before him. With a shrug of helplessness, he turned away, a "See you later, " drifting her way.
Stunned she stood there, her heart thudding within her chest. Then recovering her wits, she fled upstairs. and now she stood before the mirror, giving it a piece of her mind. Head whirling she found herself floating in the air. "He called me beautiful !" she was ecstatic, then again despondent, "He just saw my face ! " Today was the last reception. The last time she would see him, she thought. Slowly she got dressed. The hairdresser was trying different hairstyles on her, but she was in a world all her own. "What if i don't see him at all again." to a despairing "He'll not even look at me again. So many girls are throwing themselves at him."
She stood at the doorway,with her parents, greeting the guests as they came in. Her eyes anxiously scanned the entrance again and again. Nervously, she kept looking at her reflection in the mirror,across the hall, chiding herself for longing so to see him. "You dont even know his name, cool it ! He was just being polite. These Americans are all flirts." But her heart would listen to no reason. The second she saw him coming from afar, it was racing like a runner off the blocks.
Coming nearer, he saw her. Eyeing her from top to toe, he came near and bowed low, looking up at her almost mockingly. "Hi stranger, " he whispered as he drifted close, too close to her. Tongue tied she stared at him. The long red silk kurta made him seem like Krishna incarnate. "With the gopis tripping all over him, " she thought wryly to herself. It seemed to her as if she never lost sight of him the entire evening. When she dropped a spoon, he emerged from under the table with it. When she sank on a chair and slipped off her killer heels, he made as if to reach for her feet, and laughed as alarmed, she backed off. Floating on a cloud, she was on her way to the wash room when she heard someone say her name from within.
The girls stood powdering their noses. "Did you see her making eyes at him ? Gosh ! As if a hunk like him would have anything to do with her. I mean, has she even looked at herself in the mirror. She and her sister are like.. like Laurel and Hardy." As the women sniggered, she staggered away from there, tears spilling from her eyes. This was the last straw." Here, sit down." said a voice beside her. Holding out a tissue, he drew close and dabbing gently at the tears, he said, as the girls emerged from the washroom, "Lets go dance." Rooted to the spot they stood, as away from the crowd, he drew her close and slowly waltzed her round them.
A year later, she stood in front of the mirror, sweating profusely from her exertions, her eyes lingered critically on her reflection. The obese youngster was now a curvacious woman. By no means,svelte, but her full figure drew attention wherever she went. Next year he was coming to India to pursue his doctorate, her facebook friend. She knew that this time around , she was prepared.
It hadn't mattered a lot when they were growing up, she had been content to be in her own world, peopled with books, and food. In fact, being the younger of the two, she had been the darling of the family, indulged by everyone, including her sister. Cocooned in their love, she hadn't much cared that she was overweight. Except for the occasional snide comment thrown her way, her friends had accepted her as she was. Trouble started when she had her first crush.
The marriage took place from her home. Her sister's N R I groom was a sweetheart. She had warmed to him immediatly, on meeting him. He, on his part had taken the trouble to get to know her. They discovered a mutual love for books and chocolates, that endeared them to each other. The excitement leading up to the marriage had engulfed the entire household. Her clothes for the marriage had been skillfully stitched, but at the fittings, seeing her sister twirl in her finery, a strange envy was born in her heart. Everything her sister wore seemed to enhance her figure and made her seem even lovelier then she was. No one saw her leave the room quietly, her clothes flung on her arm.
Trying them on in the privacy of her room, she was aghast. Why had no one ever made her realise she had put on too much weight? The beautiful lehengas (indian skirts) and sarees, exquisite silks in beautiful colours, seemed drab, over the top, when she wore them. Still, her parents and friends assured her she looked beautiful, her brother in law even joked, that had he wished he was not commited. Borne on the wings of their love and indulgence, she recovered her smile and sailed thru the ceremonies. Then he came.
The first cousin of the bridegroom was, in todays' words, hot. Tall, suave and handsome with an accent to die for, he had all the girls at his beck and call from the moment he entered her home. She first saw him as she came down the stairs, her hands loaded with flowers. Her pretty face, glowed above the flowers, and busy negotiating the stairs, she almost tripped, as he swung up from where he was sitting to help her down. As their eyes met, he smiled, " Heck! " he drawled. " I almost had you in my arms there." Blushing a beetroot red, she allowed him to take the flowers from her hand.
"Who are you ?" he asked. Recovering her wits she retorted, "Shouldn't i ask you that ? This is my home after all. " Smiling impudently, he said, " In that case, i'm too tongue tied to reply. You Indian girls have got my head spinning with your beauty." Just then, the door burst open, and her cousins streamed in. Seeing him there, they crowded around him, preening and pirouetting before him. With a shrug of helplessness, he turned away, a "See you later, " drifting her way.
Stunned she stood there, her heart thudding within her chest. Then recovering her wits, she fled upstairs. and now she stood before the mirror, giving it a piece of her mind. Head whirling she found herself floating in the air. "He called me beautiful !" she was ecstatic, then again despondent, "He just saw my face ! " Today was the last reception. The last time she would see him, she thought. Slowly she got dressed. The hairdresser was trying different hairstyles on her, but she was in a world all her own. "What if i don't see him at all again." to a despairing "He'll not even look at me again. So many girls are throwing themselves at him."
She stood at the doorway,with her parents, greeting the guests as they came in. Her eyes anxiously scanned the entrance again and again. Nervously, she kept looking at her reflection in the mirror,across the hall, chiding herself for longing so to see him. "You dont even know his name, cool it ! He was just being polite. These Americans are all flirts." But her heart would listen to no reason. The second she saw him coming from afar, it was racing like a runner off the blocks.
Coming nearer, he saw her. Eyeing her from top to toe, he came near and bowed low, looking up at her almost mockingly. "Hi stranger, " he whispered as he drifted close, too close to her. Tongue tied she stared at him. The long red silk kurta made him seem like Krishna incarnate. "With the gopis tripping all over him, " she thought wryly to herself. It seemed to her as if she never lost sight of him the entire evening. When she dropped a spoon, he emerged from under the table with it. When she sank on a chair and slipped off her killer heels, he made as if to reach for her feet, and laughed as alarmed, she backed off. Floating on a cloud, she was on her way to the wash room when she heard someone say her name from within.
The girls stood powdering their noses. "Did you see her making eyes at him ? Gosh ! As if a hunk like him would have anything to do with her. I mean, has she even looked at herself in the mirror. She and her sister are like.. like Laurel and Hardy." As the women sniggered, she staggered away from there, tears spilling from her eyes. This was the last straw." Here, sit down." said a voice beside her. Holding out a tissue, he drew close and dabbing gently at the tears, he said, as the girls emerged from the washroom, "Lets go dance." Rooted to the spot they stood, as away from the crowd, he drew her close and slowly waltzed her round them.
A year later, she stood in front of the mirror, sweating profusely from her exertions, her eyes lingered critically on her reflection. The obese youngster was now a curvacious woman. By no means,svelte, but her full figure drew attention wherever she went. Next year he was coming to India to pursue his doctorate, her facebook friend. She knew that this time around , she was prepared.
kya baat! though i dont understand the love thing a bit!
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