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The cousins fell silent as seconds ticked past. Duke wanted to say something,
but he noticed his parents’ sour faces from far and kept quiet. He huddled with
his own cousins as they exchanged whispers with each other. He stood up again
and spoke to Ananya after four minutes.
‘Excuse me, madam,’ Duke said.
‘I’m Ananya. What?’
‘Can we go to the grown-ups? I want to talk to my mother.’
‘About what?’ Ananya said and blocked him.
‘Why are you so dominating? Let me go.’
‘Let’s all go,’ Ananya said.
All the cousins stood up from their chairs. We walked up to the grown-ups.
Duke went to his mother.
‘Mummy, I want to marry Minti.’
Duke’s mother gave her son a shocked look.
‘But they have betrayed us, beta,’ Duke’s father said.
Rajji mama dived towards their feet again. Ananya stopped him.
‘Daddy, I have kept quiet for so long, no? everything you have decided. Now
whatever it is, don’t spoil my marriage.’
‘Beta, but hey promised us,’ Duke’s mother said.
‘Mummy, enough! And why this drama of keeping their jewellery? What do you
think? I can’t buy my own car?’
‘Five minutes are over,’ Ananya said, ‘should we pack up or....’
‘What kind of a girl are you? You are not even giving me time to convince,’
Duke said to Ananya.
One of Duke’s uncles stood up. ‘Let’s start-ji. We can’t spoil our children’s
happy day. We are already late for the jaimala ceremony.’