“Yes. He picked out a rose from the flower shop for me. When I asked what I should do with it, he said, ‘If you allow me, I’ll put it in your hair.’ And then when he brought me home he asked if he could take the rose with him. I said, ‘What are you going to do with a wilted rose?’ He said, ‘It’s not a wilted rose. It’s filled with the fragrance of your hair.’”

“It sounds like dialogue straight out of a Bollywood movie.”

“I think it’s romantic.”

In the dark I couldn’t see Mohini’s face, but her voice sounded soft and dreamy. She was happy and I didn’t want to blow out her dreams, but I thought his words sounded made up. Was he an actor who had rehearsed the scene a few times before performing it for Mohini? I wondered.

Anoop had only three weeks off, and so the marriage had to take place quickly. The marriage was fixed on one of the auspicious dates that the pundit had given us, only ten days after Mohini and Anoop’s engagement. Again, as the bride’s family, we had to arrange for the hall, the priest, the dinner, and the flowers. With Foi’s help, Mummy managed everything.

Mohini’s wedding preparation took a lot of my time. I saw Sarina at school, but I couldn’t go to her house. I missed sitting on the balcony watching the waves, the ocean breeze ruffling my hair. I missed talking with Sarina, and seeing Neel.

While I was helping Mummy with the invitations, I saw a list of special people to whom we were personally going to deliver them. When I saw Sarina’s name on it, a brilliant idea smiled upon me.

“Can I go to Sarina’s house this Sunday?” I asked.

“The house of a wedding is like a house of bees. Mohini is queen, but you’re not. I need your help. We have a list of people that we have to hand deliver the invitations to.”

“Mummy, you’d better go to Kirti Auntie’s house first; otherwise she’ll be offended.”

“She’s first on my list. We should also go to Sarina’s house to invite her family.”

“Sarina’s family?” I said, as if I were surprised. “When you go to Kirti Auntie’s house, I can go to Sarina’s house.”

Mummy rested her hand on her chin. “I don’t know. How would it look if Pappa or I didn’t go with you to invite them?”

“You don’t have time. Besides, they won’t mind if I go alone. Kirti Auntie and all our other relatives would.”

“Yes. Tell them how sorry Pappa and I are for not being able to come. Tell them how much we want them to come to the wedding.”

“I will.”