I wake up at 8 o'clock. People will start coming from 9 am. Thankfully, ma let me sleep longer than everyone else today as I'll kinda do most of the work.

I freshen up and come out of my room. Fariha's door was still closed. Is that girl still sleeping? Hayre. (Oh gosh.)

I open the door and go in to see her peacefully snuggling inside her blanket.

Jar biye tar khobor nai paraporshir ghum nai.
I couldn't help but say.

"OI! Oi uth!" I pull her legs. "Oi mehendi dibina?" (Wake up! Don't you want to apply mehendi?)

She doesn't move. I pull out all the curtains and turn on the TV in her room in high volume.

"Ki hocche taki?" Chachi rushes to the room. (What is happening?)

"She is not waking up." I complain.

"Hay Allah, ki korbo ei meyeke niye! Ei Fariha uth to uth." She starts pulling her hand. To which finally Fariha budges a little. (What will I do with this girl. Fariha wake up now.)

"Mm?" she says half asleep.

"Aj tor mehendi na! Uth." Chachi says again. (It's your mehendi. Wake up!)

"Mm Ma! Ghumate deo." Fariha says in a sleepy voice and closes her eyes again. (Let me sleep.)

"Kisher ghumano? Uth re! Tor mehendi. Tui na thakle ki hobe?" Chachi pulls her hand again. (What sleep? It's your mehendi. What will we do without you?)

"Kal mehendi diye niboni. Bye." She turns around as if it's such a casual thing to say. (I'll apply mehendi tomorrow. Bye.)

Shazad and Rehan enters the room.

"Era dujono uthe gese ar ei meye uthche na!" Chachi said frustrated. (Even these two woke up but this girl isn't getting up.)

"Wait, I have an idea." Shazad runs to her bathroom and fills up a bucket with water. Runs to her and splashes it at her.

oop.

Fariha gets up drenched.

"SHAZAD! I WILL KILL YOU!" she starts running after him as he escapses.

My brother after all.

"Oi oi, pura basha bhije jabe. Ja jeye change ho." Chachi screams after her. So she has no choice but to come back. (The whole house will get wet. Go and change.)

After she goes to the bathroom to change, I go downstairs to see the whole house decorated beautifully with flowers. There was a small temporary stage in the living room and two stools in the middle.

I was just going to eat breakfast when people started coming. It's 9 am already? Oh gosh. I'll eat later I guess.

Ma rushes me over to the stage and makes me sit on one of the stools. Girls gathered around the stage and sat on the floor near me. Beside me, there was a big basket that had 290 mehendi cones. Apparently Chachi made Fariha count them.

Fariha comes out in a beautiful pink dress and sits in front of me. As I'm doing hers first.

"Mehendi r jeno rong hoi." Fariha says as I start applying on her hand. (Hope the Mehendi stains dark.)

"Na hoile amar dosh nai. Toke koto bar mehendi diye disi, rong to bhaloi hoise. Ebar na hoile dula bhaiyer dosh." I smirk while hiding 'Ehsan' in the side corner of her hand. (It won't be my fault. I've put mehendi on your hand so many times and it always stains. It would be my brother-in-law's fault if it doesn't stain.)

Ehsan found the last one too easily. Let's see if he finds this one.

"Shh! Shut up!" she whispered so that no one else around us could hear, but I could tell she really wanted to shout it.

"Hmm. Done with your front. Ja hot." (Move.) I say while taking the 3rd cone and preparing it for whom I'll apply next. 

"Hmm hmm. Ektu bhalo bhabeo bolte pare na." she rolled her eyes and sat beside me on the floor as I start doing Ezra's mehendi. (Can't even say it a bit nicer.)

"Api, you're so good at these. Kabhi mujhe bhi sikha dena please."(Please teach me someday.) Ezra said in awe as I finished half of her palm. 

"Accha I will," I say and focus on her palm.

"Do you want any name hidden in yours?" I ask teasingly.

"No no. No need." she says and then Esma speaks up.

"Api, write-" Ezra smacks her shoulder.

"It's nothing. No lettering needed." Ezra says again.

"Hmm okay," I couldn't help but chuckle.

--

After about 6 hours, I finished one side of everyone's mehendi. So Fariha comes up and sits back down again for me to do the top of her hands.

Hers is harder than everyone else's cause obviously, she's the bride. She'll have a full hand design. Everyone else's was simpler and about half-hand. But they were still time-consuming.

And Honestly cause I knew everyone here, it was more pressure. I knew my designs were good. But I didn't want anyone to go around saying otherwise under any circumstances. So I gave my best with each hand.

"Shabdhane." Fariha said as I pulled her hand towards me. (Careful.)

"Ki shukhai ni?" (Not dried yet?) I say as I gently tap the henna in her hands to see they were still not dried. Which meant now it's gonna take even longer to do her design.

I carefully start doing the design on the back of her hand so that the design on the front of her hand won't get ruined.

-

After I was done with her hands, Fariha pouts at me. Meaning, she was hungry.

"Areeh, I need to apply it on everyone else's hand too na?" I say.

"I know, but please. I can't eat alone. And all the guys are in Rezas' place. So you can only help me. Cause everyone else has mehendi on their palms! I didn't even have anything after breakfast Saru! Pleaseeeeee." she says.

"Accha wait," I tell Ma about Fariha's hunger and go to the kitchen to get her some food.

She hasn't eaten anything after breakfast so she's probably really hungry. I didn't even eat breakfast, but oh well.

I bring her some food and put it in front of her. She stared at me like she was expecting me to figure out something. What is she waiting for?

Oh right. She has mehendi on her hands. I need to feed her. Which means delaying the mehendi application. Which also means delaying my meal.

"Ne ne babu kha." I do a baby's voice and feed her. (There baby, eat.)

She glares at me but then starts eatting happily.

.

After feeding Fariha, I quickly washed my hands and got back to applying mehendi on the rest of the people. 

Thankfully, everyone was patient and didn't complain. Or else I would've lost my mind.

--

It was 10 pm when I finished doing the mehendi of the last hand which was Ma's. Most of the guests have left and it was only Ma, Boro and Choto Chachi, Fariha and Esma and Ezra. Eliza api also left.

I haven't eaten all day. I'm hungry as hell.

Ma left with boro and choto chachi and the five of us were left. 

"So bhabi, are you excited to live with us?" Esma asked excitedly.

Esma and Ezra were basically like me and Fapu. A few months apart from each other. But they were a few years younger than us. Ezra being 22 and Esma turning 22 next month.

"Bhabi??" Fariha asked them with widen eyes. As if it was new news to her.

"Haan! You're marrying our brother. So you are our bhabi na?" Ezra replied casually.

"Dekhsis? Ekhoni shuru hoise." Fariha says to me. (Did you see? They're starting all this.)

"Ki dekhbo? Amar to jealous lagche. Tui amake chere oder shathe ekhon thakbi!" I say trying to sound offended. (What will I see? I'm getting jealous that you'll leave me and stay with them now!)

"Bhabi! Api! English! We are here." Esma says.

"Oh yeah. Also, it's getting so late. Are you planning on leaving? Maybe it's better to stay over today? It will be dangerous." I suggest.

"Hayee. Look how much our api cares!" Ezra said. 

"I know, right? Don't worry api, Ehaan bhai said he'll be here with Kabir bhaia and Rayan bhaia to pick us up." Esma informed.

"Oh then that's fine. Wait who?" I ask in shock.

"Ehaan bhaia. Why?" Ezra says.

"No reason, just didn't hear the name." I lie. Of course, out of everyone, Mr Attitude has to be the one who will come! What are the chances?

I mean, actually he is the one who is supposed to come anyway. Ehsan is the groom and they obviously won't let him lift a finger these few days. And no one else is there. So the chance is technically 100%.

Suddenly, noise starts coming from outside when the door bursts open. Revealing the Syed Men. And Mr Attitude as a bonus. A bonus that I would've preferred not seeing.

"Areh Ehaan. Eat something and then leave okay? Ei Saria! Oke khete de. O jeno na kheye na jai." Dad said and left with Boro and Choto chacha. (Give him some food. Make sure he eats before leaving.)

Of course, I have to make sure! Why not, I don't know, Kabir bhaia? Ehaan is his best friend after all.

"Make yourself at home. Ask Saria for anything. I'm tired so I'm going. Peace." Kabir bhaia left with Rayan bhaia.

What. The. Hell???

Peace? PEACE?? He is your bestfriend! And you're leaving me with him after saying PEACE?

"Come on." I urged Ehaan to the Dining area. We had a big dining area so all of us could eat together. Our kitchen was also joined to our dining so it was easier to serve food.

He silently followed me.

"Sit. And ~make yourself at home.~" I say annoyed and go over to the kitchen to get him some food. I haven't eaten anything all day and here I am serving Mr Attitude dinner!

He sat down. On MY chair! Out of everyone else's, that's the one he had to go to? 

Yes yes the chairs did not have names or specific designation anything. Cause obviously this is not a classroom, it's simply a dinig hall. But we all kinda had our own specific chairs from the start. No one changed places. Everyone sat in the same seat from the start.

I put the food on the microwave and go over to him. Ain't no way I'm letting him just sit on my seat.

"Get up." I say as he looks at me confused.

"This is my seat. You can't sit here. Sit on this one." I point to the seat beside me as it was Kabir bhaia's. "That's Kabir's seat."

"Why? You said to make myself at home. At home, I choose whichever seat I want to sit in. So I'll sit here." He argues back.

The AUDACITY of this guy! Arguing with me about MY seat in MY house!

"Just sit there!" I say annoyed.

Thankfully, he listens and sits on Kabir's seat. I go back to the kitchen to get the food.

When I come back, he was back in my seat!

"What the heck?" I ask annoyed.

"Sike!" he said while smirking. AGH!

I half-throw the plate at him. I wish I could fully throw it. But I'll be the one to clean it. So yeah, no.

While he starts eating, I sit beside him on Fariha's seat and my stomach makes a noise. 

Agh! This thing always makes noise at the wrong time!

"Do you not know there is this thing called 'food' and if you eat it, your stomach will stay quiet." he said. "You don't shut up so atleast make your stomach shut up."

"Oh hello sir? I haven't eaten since yesterday night! I woke up at 8 am from then on, I had to start applying mehendi! I had to apply mehendi on 70 hands! And when I took a break, I was feeding Fariha. And now that I'm free, I have to serve you!" I say annoyed. "And of course, guest rules. You don't eat unless the guest are all fed well. So hurry up and eat fast so I can eat!" I rush him.

I was looking down as I had no intention of staring at him eat, when I felt food infront of my mouth. 

"What are you doing?" I ask confused and horrified.

"Chup chap khalo," he said and shoved the food forward so I had no choice but to open my mouth. (Eat quietly.)

"What was that for?" I ask after taking the food.

"I don't want to get a bad stomach." He said and continued eating.

I was about to question again when he shoved food in my mouth again. 

First time was confusing enough. Now I just stared at him. Ehaan Reza was feeding me? HUH?

He fed me once again and finished his food.

"Where do I wash my hands?" he asked nonchalantly like he just didn't feed me with his own hands. That too, not once, or twice, but THREE FREAKING TIMES!

"Are you blind or what? Obviously at the sink!" I say while pointing to the sink.

"Yeah no shit Sherlock, I was asking where the sink was." he goes up to the sink and starts washing his hands.

.

"Chalo." Ehaan goes up to Esma and Ezra.

"Awh bhaia! Can't we stay with bhabi and api?" Esma said pouting.

"Yeah, api said she will teach us how to apply mehendi." Ezra said right after.

As much as I love these two, I really want to rest. I can't teach designs when I'm this exhausted.

"No, Ma needs you two. We need to go. And you don't have a free hand, where will you practice applying anyway?" Ehaan replies.

"We'll do it on api's hand! That's empty." Esma said.

"Yeah, it's her sister's wedding, she needs mehendi on both hands. We'll apply on her right hand."

No thanks... I don't even know if I'll apply it on my left hand.

"Come on you two. We need to go. Ma said she needs your help." Ehaan urged again.

They all started walking out as Ehaan had the 'You'll be in serious trouble if you don't listen' face.

Right after they leave, Fariha pouts at me again.

"Ki? Abar khida lagse?" (What? Hungry again?) I ask.

"Yes but I can get the food myself now. When are you applying mehendi on your hands?" she asks.

"Fapu! You know-"

"Please! It's my wedding na? Please please please."

"Fine!" I say and take the last half mehendi cone that was left in the basket and start applying a small design.

.

"Happy?" I show her the design and throw away the empty cone.

"Hmm! Thank you thank you!" She pulls me into a hug.

"Hayee. Don't ruin my mehendi! I'm not applying it again if it smudges!" I say.

"Accha accha sorry. Ei chol horror movie dekhi." she suggested. (Let's watch a horror movie.)

"Now? It's almost 12 am!"

"Yes! It will be fun! Besides, it will take some time before your mehendi dries."

"Fine!"

Both of us came to my room as she turns on the TV and put on a movie.

-

"Agh!" Fariha screamed for the 28th time as she crept behind me.

"Shh! If the others get to know they will kill me for letting you stay up so late!" I repeat for the 28th time.

Don't ask me why I counted. I didn't. It's just realisation.

"Sorry sorry. How are you not scared?" she asks surprised like she always did when we watched a horror movie.

"Tor moto shakchunni ke protidin dekhi to. Obbhash hoye gese." I say while chuckling. (It became a habit after seeing a shakchunni like you everyday.)

(A/N: Shakchunni is a Bengali folklore ghost/witch.)

"Hmm? Ar amar to tor moto bhutni ke dekheo obbhash hoi na." she replied. (But I still can't get in a habit after seeing a ghost like you everyday.)

It was our inside joke. I called her 'Shakchunni' and she called me 'Bhutni'. That's how our numbers are saved in each others phone.

"Agh!" she screamed again at another jumpscare so I slightly hit her shoulder.

She hits me back and I do the same again.

Bringing back memories of when we used to hit each other like this while fighting for toys. 

--

Thank you for reading<3