5. What Shaadi?!

Khushi: Ek gaana gaa-gaa kar mera dimag kha jayenge.She said as she came out of the house.Me: Uske liye dimag hona bhi zaroori hai.I said as I appeared out of nowhere. Khushi: Haan, itne saalo se kha rahe ho, khatam hi ho gaya hai, tabhi tere saath reh rahi hoon.She said as she turned and looked at me. Me: Kyuki teri mummy ne kaha tha ki— Arey, wait teri mummy se yaad aaya, wo tere shaadi wale funde ka kya hua, hm?Khushi: Pehle yaha se nikle? Mujhe late ho rha hai. Car mei baith, fir batati hoon.Me: Okay.We sat in the car and I started driving.

Me: Ab bata.Khushi: Maine us din ke baad se mummy ka phone hi nahi uthaya.Me: What the fuck- It's been a year.Khushi: I know, ab agar ghar kisi se baat hoti hai to bhaiya ya fir papa ka phone hi hota hai jispe mai call karti hu. To mummy zyadatar uthati nahi hai aur agar uthati bhi hai to kaat deti hu. Papa aur bhaiya ko mere "vivaah" ki itni jaldi nahi hai, par pata nahi mummy ko kya chull hai?!Me: Abey yaar bas tu ye championship jeet ja. Second bhi aa gayi na to tu national mei hi nahi, international mei bhi select ho jayegi aur wo din dur nahi jab tu Olympics mei gold medal jeetegi.Khushi: Bas-Bas itni ummeed mat dila.Me: Abey yaar, tu kar legi. Ye championship to aaram se jeet jayegi aur agar ek baar jeet gayi na phir teri mummy kya tera poora khandaan kahega.Khushi: Kya kahega?Me: Yehi ki "Shaadi?! Hehe, abhi nahi, beta. Abhi to 100-150 saal hain. Aaram se jiyo."Khushi: Wah! Matlab mai kunwari maru?Me: Maine kab bola kuwari mar?Khushi: 100-150 to jeene wali hu nahi mai, toh kunwari hi marungi.Me: Nahi, itni jaldi nahi marne wali tu. Mera poora khoon pi ke maregi aur beta mere mei bahut khoon hai. Itni jaldi khatam nahi hoga.Khushi: O khoon! Gaadi rok, aa gayi mai apni "Manzil" par.Me: Bye! Kal mai aaungi, okay?Khushi: 'Kay, bye!!

In car...O.T.P.~ Jk: Are you free?Me: No, I'm expensive.Jk: [Sigh]Me: What? I'm genuinely not free.Jk: Okay.Me: But why did you call?Jk: Are you free on Sunday?Me: Hmm.Jk: Come over at the apartment.Me: Okay, [Call Hung up] - But- Hello? Sunday ? Leave it.

At embassy...

I opened my drawer which I open the least as compared to other drawers, one of my pen's ink was finished so I thought to take a new pen. I opened it but found a paper inside it. I took it and sat on a chair. It was a letter by YooChan.In that letter it was written:

"Hi, Anshika! YooChan this side. I know the time you will read this letter, I'd be gone and I won't tell you where I'm. I have also blocked you and Khushi so that you can't contact me and I changed my number too so that you can't track my location. I know you have power. I am sorry but I don't want to remember you 'cause I know that remembering you isn't good for my health. I just want you to know, that we both know that we can't forget each other this easily but still I'm trying and I request you to do this too. It hurts when I remember you and think about you. I want you to know that I'll always love you the way I did before. I miss you so much. Have a good life. I want to see your family soon with your kids and your husband. I love you...~Yours truly, Lee YooChan".

Reading that letter, I was already shedding tears but now I was crying hard.Me: I miss you too. Would we never meet again?

Sunday...O.T.P.~ Me: arey aa rahi hu baba sabr.Jk: Jaldi!Me: Okay-Okay. [Call hung up]I reached his apartment by taxi as he said.Jk: Sit in the car.Me: But what happened?Jk: You'll know soon.We reached the restaurant and I sat on a table reserved by him.Me: Ye sab kya hai?Jk: Khana thanda ho jayega, jaldi.Me: O- Okay.After finishing our meals we went for a movie and in that movie when the day passed we couldn't know.

At last, we decided to go to the beach and see the sunset there. We were talking while walking there and holding hands.

Me: Can you promise me something?Jk: Hmm.Me: That you'll never leave me.Jk: Ansha...Do you think I will ?Me: No.Jk: Then why this promise?Me: I trust you but I don't trust my fate.Jk: Aw, I will never leave you, Anshu. You're my everything. How can I leave you when I love you, hm? Oh, see the sun.Me: Wow! It's so beautiful.Jk: Just like you.I chuckled and suddenly he turned me in front of him and lifted me up and said "I love you" and kissed me. While coming back home, it was raining and it was all dark. I was enjoying the rain. I love rain. Not gonna lie it was such a romantic weather. Yeah, we were a little more romantic that day as compared to other days and obviously completely drenched. Q

I can never forget that day. We spent the whole day together. It's been a while since we spent time like this. Okay, back to the story. And this year also passed. Khushi accepted Namjoon too and we spent this year with so much fun and celebrated New year too. We went to MAMA and MMAs that year and we did whatnot. Well, now it's gonna be a storm in all of our lives. This was unexpected. Let's begin.

Jk: Ah-Ah, yah! I won!Me: No, I won.Jk: This race was so tiring. I was saying that it is a bad idea now let's go freshen up.Me: Hmm.

At his house...

After we got fresh we both went into our bed. He was lying beside me. Yeah, we were living together for some months.Jk: Anshu... ?Me [while closing eyes]: Hm?Jk: Let's get married.Me: What the fuck! Are you serious?!Jk: I am.Me: I need more time.Jk: I can't wait now. It's already been two years. Now, how much more time do you need to understand your partner?Me: But-Jk: But what? You told me that YooChan's wish was also this.Me: Jungkook, I know it has been two years but don't forget, it has only been one year of our relationship, two years of knowing each other. Date karte hue itna time nahin hua hai and moreover, why so sudden? Jk: Eomma called me today. She was saying to me that she wants to meet my girlfriend and wants to know about her and her family.Me: Why didn't you tell me before, baby?Jk: So are you ready now?Me: [Sigh] I'll think about it, hm?Jk: Pokie-Me: Mon! Then suddenly I got a message from Nishita that she wants to talk to me. I replied with an "okay" . Jungkook asked me that who it was and I told him. As it is well said "Toofaan ke pehle ki shaanti", that night was also quiet but the next day was not normal. As Nishu said that she wanted to talk to me so I went home straight from embassy. I rang the bell and she opened the door without any expression.

Me: Hello!Nishita: Hi, andar aa.Me [I sat]: Kya hua?Nishu [sat]: Dekh, baat thodi serious hai, isliye mazak mat kariyo.

Me: Theek hai, par bata to sahi hua kya? Aur Khushi kahan hai?Nishu: Wo Namjoon ke saath vacation par gayi hai aaj bi, to maine socha ki usey disturb na karu.Me: Aur tu yaha akeli hai?Nishu: Nahi, Taehyung hai mere saath. Abhi wo apni mixtape ko lekar kaafi busy hai. Par abhi wo matter nahi hai.Me: To kya hua? Bata...Nishu: Maine apni mummy ko Taehyung ke baare mei bataya.Me: Oh, accha— Wait... WHAT?!Nishu: Ha. She was saying ki mai shaadi kar loon aur bol rahi thi maine tere liye ladka bhi dhoondh liya hai. Hadh toh tab ho gayi jab unhone ye kaha ki Anshika ko bhi ab shaadi kar hi leni chahiye.Me: Wow! What the f-Nishita: Toh phir mujh par raha nahi gaya. Maine bol diya ki meri life mei koi aur hai and that's Taehyung. Aur hum dono ek doosre se bahut pyaar karte hain aur ek doosre ke saath bahut khush hain. Me: Phir unhone k— kya kaha?Nishu: [Sigh] Age poochi.Me [gulped] [nervous tone]: Aur tune kya kaha? Nishu: Uski age batayi, obviously... aur yehi thi meri zindagi ki sabse badi galti!Me: Aur yehi mai soch rahi thi.Nishu: [Sigh]Me: Phir unka kya reaction tha?Nishu: She said, "Tujhe hamne korea boyfriend banane ke liye bheja tha ya actress banne ke liye? Aur uski age? 11½ saal bada? Tera dimag sahi hai? Aur Anshika kar rahi hai ye sab?"Me: TUNE KYA BOLA?!Nishu: Kya bolti? Khud ko bachane ke liye bol diya ki—Me: ki kya?!Nishu: Ki tera bhi boyfriend hai aur tujhse 10 saal bada hai!Me: Haye mujhe pata tha ki meri kismat acchi nahi hai par ye nahi pata tha ki itni buri hai! Meri maa, apni maa ko samjhao ab aisa kuch nahi hai!Nishu: Ab to maine sab bata diya.Me: Mujhe nahi pata. Mai jaa rahi hoon.Nishita: Toh ab meri shaadi teri shaadi pe depend karti hai?!Me: Nishu!! Bhool jaa. Just- Just forget it ki tune ye sab apni mummy ko bataya aur agar wo kuch kahe to bol dena ki prank tha aur abhi mujhe koi shaadi waadi nahi karni hai. That's it. Bol dena ye aur what does that mean ki teri shaadi meri shaadi pe depend karti hai?Nishu [while tears in her eyes]: Mujhe shaadi karni hai, yaar. Taehyung aur mai decide kar chuke hain. We were soon gonna contact each other's family too magar pata nahi tha ki kal ye sab ho jayega. Maine darr ke maare abhi Taehyung ko bhi kuch nahi kaha hai ki ye sab ho chuka hai aur waise bhi Anshika, Jungkook aur tu, tum dono ko ek saath kitna time ho chuka, itna to mujhe aur Taehyung ko bhi nahi hua. I am sure ab tak Jk ne bhi terese ye baat kehdi hogi ki let's get married but tu nahi maani. Baad mei dekhenge bolke ruk gayi hogi, haina? Yaar, tu alag soch rahi hai. Tu ye soch rahi hai ki pehle sab kuch samajh le aur ham ye soch rahe hain ek baar shaadi ho jaye. Itna ek doosre ko samjh chuke hain aur jitna samajhna bacha hai utna fir shaadi ke baad samajh lenge. Agar simple words mei bolu na to 'You want more time and we don't wanna waste more time' aur meri shaadi teri shaadi pe isliye depend karti hai kyuki meri mummy ne kaha hai ki agar Anshika ke parents uske boyfriend ke saath uski shaadi ke liye maan jaate hain to mai bhi teri shaadi ke liye taiyaar hoon. Isliye, please ab tu dil se nahi dimag se kaam le. Hamne ab tak apne relationships mei apne age-gap ke baare mei seriously baithkar ek baar bhi nahi socha but ye bhi nahi socha ki agar hum log sach mei ek doosre se pyaar karte hain toh shaadi bhi karenge aur kya phir hamare age-gap ko lekar hamare parents manenge? Aur tere parents itne strict hain, hamesha se tujhpar accha baccha ban'ne ka pressure tha, isliye tu waha se bhaag aayi. Aa gayi idhar. Ho gayi settle but ab tere aur mere pyaar ki baat hai, kab tak bhagegi? Till when? Kabhi na kabhi to rukegi na? Toh ruk jaa warna thak jayegi aur phir bhagne ki takat nahi rahegi. Please, I beg you. And, Anshika? I have known you for years. I know this too, that you're kind of scared of this marriage thing since- I don't know, what, forever? But till when? You love Jungkook, right? Then you don't have to be scared. He's not toxic, he's understanding. He doesn't have anger issues which you fear. He looks at you with nothing but love in his eyes.

She was just making me understand but I was crying. We both never talked about it before that day. Our age gap, it's too much. Yes, it's significant in Korea but according to Indian typical middle class brown parents, it's like a generation gap.

Me: I- I will try.Nishu: Thank you so much. I love you.She hugged me and I hugged her back.Me: I love you too.We broke the hug.Me: And yes, you were right. Jk said that thing to me, yesterday.Nishu: Anshika, please, haan?Me: Hm. Now I'm going. He must be waiting for me.

Nishu: Yeah.T

hen suddenly my phone rang.O.T.P.~ Me: Yeah?Jk: Where are you?Me: At home, why?Jk: Nishita ke saath?Me: Hm.Jk: I was worried.Me: Yeah, I am just coming. I was talking about you and you called. Sau saal ki umr hai.Jk: Matlab mai tumahre saath sau saal jiunga? Wow! Aur hum apne baccho ke baccho ko bhi god mei khilayenge ? Wah!Nishu: Jk, sapne to tere bade badhiya hain, par pehle shaadi to karlo. Bacche baad mei kar lena.Jk: Haye, us din ka bhi bade mann se intezaar hai.Me: Ruko zara sabr karo. Aa rahi hoon ghar. Abhi saara intezaar khatam ho jayega.Jk and Nishita laughed.Jk: [Laugh] 'Kay, come fast. [Call Hung up]

Me: Khyal rakhi, hm?Nishu: Hm, bye!With that I drove to his house.

We had our dinner that was made by him and then we both laid on the bed. I was having a look at some of the treaty documents between India and South Korea, and he was listening to some songs.Jk: Hey,listen!Me [eyes stuck on papers]: Hmm?Jk: I have just listened to an old Indian song.Me [eyes still on papers]: Which one?Jk: Look at me.Me [while turning the page]: That's not an Indian song, I guess.Jk: I said look at me.Me [while turning face towards him]: Hm- What— is this?Jk: Hamari shaadi mei abhi baake hafte chaar!!Me: Jungkook— [Laugh]Jk: Mahine beet gaye—Me: Oh god— [Laugh]Jk: Ye din bhi ho jayenge paar—Me: Jk [Laugh] I— [Laugh]Jk [while lifting me up and went round and round and round]: Milan ki jaldi hai—Me: Oye— [Laugh]Jk: Milan ki jaldi hai. Plane ki dheemi hai raftaar— Me: Accha ji? [Laugh]Jk: Mera bas chale toh main doon uski chhat pe plane utaar...Me: Mera ghar todne ka iraada hai?Jk: Maze sasural ke loon mahina poora wahan guzaar...Me: Acchiyaa? [sarcastic]

Jk: Usey lekar lautu— Ho sang lekar lautu— Usey lekar lautu, main jiska iklauta haqdaar!!Me: Itna pyaar? [Laugh]Jk: So! What did you decide?And here my smile faded. I was just worried about my parents reaction that's why I was ignoring the topic of marriage till now.Me: Jungkook...Jk: Ne?Me: To be honest, I also want to marry but—Jk: But what?Me: But our age gap...Jk: Huh?!Me: Today Nishu and I were talking about this. I don't know what our parents would think.Jk: We never thought of it.Me: Exactly!Jk: [Sigh] Anshika, hume baat karni hogi.Me: N- Nahi!Jk: Kyun?Me: Tu- Tumhare parents? Unse? Nahi-Nahi-Nahi! I ain't ready. Mujhe bhaut darr lag raha hai.Jk [while cupping my face]: Why, my baby?Me: What if they don't accept us? What if they don't like us together? No, I am not gonna meet anyone. I am-Jk: Shhh... [Sigh] This is not my Anshika. She is confident, right? Jo hoga dekha jayega, hm? Think positive. They will accept us happily, okay?I nodded and smiled but personally I was so scared that what will everyone think.

Next Day...In car...O.T.P.~ Pari: kya yaar, didi? Aa jao na. Aapke baap ka kya jata hai? Pichhli baar diwali par bhi nahin aayi thi upar se, insta par mera account hai nahi jo mai aap se wahan baat kar saku aur mummy papa ko aapne waha block maar rakha hai.Me: Samjha kar, yaa, nahin kar sakti mai unblock. Pari: Toh phir mai bhi Insta par account nahin bana sakti. What if mummy ko pata chal gaya?Me: Fattu! Abey, teri umr mei — Ig, Twitter, Sc — sab chalati thi teri behen aur tu? Ek account nahi ban raha aur waise tu baat karne ke liye mare ja rahi hai.Pari: Accha, jiju kaise hain?Me: Pehli baat, kitni baar bola hai abhi jiju mat bulaya kar usey. Shaadi nahin hui na abhi humari Pari: Haan, I know-I know par ho to jayegi na kisi-na-kisi din, aur unko kisi-na-kisi din mera jiju ban'na hi hai to abhi se practice chalu kar dete hain.Me: Chup! aBhI sE pRaCtIcE cHaLu KaR dEtE hAi. Bhenchod-Pari: Haan-Haan, do gali, do. Mai abhi mummy papa ko batati hu.Me: Ye cheez bahut purani ho gayi. Kuchh naya try kar. Mujhe pata hai tu nahi batane wali hai.Pari: [Whine] Ah, mai na-Me: Sorry, mai na baad mei baat karungi. Bye! [Call Hung up]Pari: Ye hamesha aise hi karti hain!

O.T.P.~ Me: Haan, Jk? Bolo.Jk: Maine hamari Busan ki tickets karwa di hain, kal teen baje ki flight hai.Me: B- but Jk- [Call Hung up] Hello?! Jk?! What the actual fuck it is?!

I came back from the embassy and found him packing a bag.Me: What are you doing?Jk: I told you about the flight. I am packing bags and your stuff too. I know what you want ther-Me: Stop it!Jk: What happened?Me: I told you I am not prepared and still you-Jk: I want you get rid off of this fear. Just come with me and be confident.Me: But-Jk: Anshu?Me: Pokie- [Puppy Face]Jk: Mon [Chuckle]Oh I forgot y'all to tell this. Actually, this is our style. One says pokie in place of okie/okay and then the other one says mon means Pokiemon [back to story].

Jk: So as  we are going tomorrow, let's prepare our bags.Me: Okay. We started packing our bags and I didn't go back to the embassy and after packing I also sent an application for that day and for the upcoming holidays too.

Next Day...We, we our luggage and and in our comfy clothes, went straight to the airport and boarded.

and then landed in Busan at Twilight.

Busan's atmosphere was way better than Seoul and Itaewon. We were in front of the the door of his house. My heart was beating as fuck like someone is hammering on it. He rang the bell.??: Ne?! Nuguya?!Jk: Eomoni! Jungkook Imnida!!I took a step back and hid behind him. The door slightly opened and I was standing behind him. I saw a lady opening a door.His mom: Omo!!She hugged him so tight and I was just standing there dumbfounded. His father, elder brother and sister-in-law, also came out and while they were hugging him, a servant took both of our bags and took them inside.His dad: Oh my god! Just look at you, after seven months?! This is not ri- Who is she?Jk: Uh- she? She is my-Me: Anneyong haseyo, Anshika Imnida.I bowed and introduced myself before jungkook could say that word "Girlfriend".Jung-Hyun: I guess his friend. Come inside, dear.Jk: No, she isn't my fri-Me: let's go in.We both went in and they said us to sit on the couch.

I was holding Jk's hand so tight and his mom noticed it.His Mom: Anshika?Me: N- Ne, Ajhumma?His mom: Are you deciding to break my son's hand?Me: Huh?! A- ani. Je- Jeosanghamnida !His Dad: Gwaenchanh-ayo?Me: N- Ne, Ajusshi-Jk [while sipping tea]: Eomma, appa! She is my girlfriend I was talkin' about. Sorry, I didn't tell you before that she is coming with me.His Mom and dad: Oh, she's your— WHAT?!Jk: Girlfriend, wae?His mom: She?Jk: Ne.His Dad: Don't mind, dear, but what's your age?Me: Twenty-six.His Dad: And you are thirty-six, right?Jk: So what? I love her. She loves me. Isn't it enough?His mom: Do you love him?Me: [Silent]His mom: DO. YOU. LOVE. HIM?Me: Ne.His Sister-in-law [Mumble]: [Sigh] I thought today's day was so good. No dramas, just peace . But no, 'DRAMAS' are the other half of this house.Jung-Hyun: Did you say something?His sister-in-law: Nothing, I will open the guest room for them [Mumble] after all I know they will be here for some days. Now, more food for so called special guests.Jung-Hyun: Stop murmuring and go!His Sister-in-law: Yeah-Yeah.His Mom: Yeobo, she doesn't look Korean.Me: Um it's because I am Indian.Jk: Okay can we talk tomorrow about this? I'm already tired. Let's go, "yeobo".He yawned and stood up while putting his hand on my shoulder and taking me with him. We both got fresh and when I got out of the bathroom, I saw that as always he was still sitting on the bed shirtless, while scrolling through his phone.

Me: Yah! How many times have I told you to not sit like this?Jk: Why? Am I too hot to handle?Me: Just shut up and wear this otherwise you will catch cold.I said it while passing his pyjamas to him. I was settling our clothes in the cupboard and he suddenly back hugged me. Me: Yah! Leave me! It's not your apartment.Jk: Hm, it's your soon gonna be sasuraal.Me: [Chuckle] Are you that much confident?Jk [he turned me lifted me up]: Hm... Humari shaadi mei-Me: [Laugh] Ow! Not again.Here we were having fun, but our room's window was open and his mom was watching us.

The Next Day...So to impress his parents I woke up at 6 a.m. and from the available ingredients there, I made some dishes. His mom came into the kitchen after 2 or 2 ½ hours and saw me.His mom: What are you doing here ?Me: A- Aunty, I thought to make some dishes. So—His mom: So what have you made?Me: Basic tteokbokki, Hotteok, Kimchi-jjigae, Bibimbap and Veg Japchae.

His mom: This much? By just yourself? But everything's veg. Don't you know how much we like meat? Especially JungKook.

Me: Aarata. But I'm vegetarian so—His mom: Ah... Makes sense.Me: Yeah. Uh, I hope you like it.I bowed and was about to leave the kitchen when she said something.His Mom: Let me taste them first. Then I will give you remarks and then you can go.I turned around and she was already seeing me.Me: Ne.She tasted all the dishes.His Mom: I don't do fake appreciation but these are 4.5 out of 5.Me: W- What?His Mom: Yeah-Yeah, it's good but it could be better.Me: Okay.With that she left the kitchen and I ran to our room. I was about to wake Jk up but he hugged me.Jk: Congo, you got 4.5 out of 5!Me: You were there?Jk: Hmm.

At the dining table...His Dad: Mmm... Who made this Bibimbap? I love this!Jung-Hyun: And I love this jjigae!His sister-in-law: I like that Hotteok.His mom: Whatever the dishes are but I love this Japchae the mo— Uh, I mean I like it.His dad: If you both also liked the dishes so who made them? Both of you never appreciate your own work.Jk: My soon gonna be wifey, dad. Everyone was so shocked, that even after I was indian, I made them so well. They liked it and they accepted me after knowing my background.

At evening...O.T.P.~ Me [crying]: Please, dad. Please, I'll die.