Part 1 : ~It Had to be You~
Narrator:
**The Scene opens in a crowded place…we hear classical music playing in the background…people chattering, talking, laughing…it' s an event, a party, a wedding perhaps…there are cameras clicking to capture the brilliant smiles given off by the heavily dressed guests…An 8 year old girl dressed in a pretty long white dress with hair neatly tied in a French braid (Muskaan) is seen observing all this sitting on a bench…The clamor around her surroundings makes the atmosphere both noisy and joyful at the same time… She is busy observing each and every action of those she can clearly see in front of her…Smiling every now and then while exchanging glances from both strange and familiar faces she continues to observe…***
Muski (voice over): Mozart found his calling at age five... composing his first minuet… Picasso discovered his talent for painting... when he was nine. Tiger Woods swung his first club... well before his second birthday… Me? I was eight when I discovered my purpose in life. I was at the St. Thomas Church next to the Hyatt Regency in Weehawken, New Jersey. It was my Cousin Aliza's wedding. It was our first big family event since mom had died…by "our" I mean my sister Riddhima and my dad Mr. Shashank Gupta…at that time my dad wasn't in the best shape as it hadn't been long since mom passed away….ridzi was about 5 years old…(Flashback starts)
Little Ridzi: Daddy, can you take me to the girls' room? I have to go pee…
Little Muski: (looks at confused shashank who obviously didn't know how to respond to that, he looked confused and helpless as muski connected the dots and took ridzi's hand in hers) Uh, come on, Ridzi. Let's go. (Shashank sighed in relief as muski took her to the girls room)
**Waiting outside the bathroom for ridzi muski was looking at herself in the mirror when she heard…**
Aliza (the bride): Shit! Shit! (looking in the mirror trying to get something off the back of the huge dress)
Little Muski: (giggled hearing the "S" word)
Little Aliza: (Turned around hearing the giggles) Oh Muskaan!...i am so sorry. (she apologized for her language looking at little muski)
Little Muski: Oh no it's ok…we have cable (muski said trying to sound "older")
Aliza: What will I do….this stain won't go…(muski finally saw the bride was trying to hide a stain on the back of her dress) What'll I do? What the f-- The heck am I gonna do?
**Just then little Ridzi came out the restroom and looked at little muskaan who was smiling as if she had something cooking up in her mind…she took out the ribbon from ridzi's hair and helped the bride tie it so that it looked like there was a bow on the back instead if the stain..it worked out perfectly**
Aliza: Thank you so much, sweetie. You saved the day. Will you hold my dress as I walk down the aisle?
Little Muski: (Nodded her head excitedly as a innocent smiled played on her rosy lips) (Flashback ends)
Muski (Voiceover): And that was the moment. That's when I fell in love with weddings. I knew that I had helped someone on the most important day of their life. And I couldn't wait for my own special day
~~**Muskaan's Present Day Personal Diary Entry**~~
Weddings…what is it about them that attracts me…attracts me to a point that makes me want to go on a search for my perfect man…someone that understands the concept of something as special and soul bounding as marriage a bond that is not only of two people but of souls, of hearts, or perfection… I live in a busy city…a city that never stops…never rests..and never waits…life here is always on a fast track…I feel like I have somehow managed to cope with the chaos that surrounds me everyday… I am a 24 year old women-- a successful, efficient, hardworking Assistant manager at the firm that most people my age can only dream about…it's a place where I feel confident and belonged…this firm is what my life revolves around, my sanity, my days and my nights are all a part of a 23 story building where world's most successful business men walk in and out of every minute that I am there…but one man who is there as a constant is my boss…Mr. Armaan Malik..yes the name is as confident, as successful, as handsome, as desirable, as perfect, and as dreamy as it sounds… a major reason why I willingly tolerate all the confusion and commotion at my office…but the sweet thing is that I am Armaan's PR.. I am the assistant manager…not just the paper work and file cabinets…I am the one who keeps his life in check…his priorities, his appointments, his meetings, his dates…oh of course how can I forget… his endless dates…every week night and weekends trips…do I sound jealous…well I am not… I mean a guy like Armaan-- he is everything…he has everything…money, power, looks, a desirable life… I mean I don't mind it all; it's the way he is... I guess someone like that has a privilege to live like the way he does…anyways everyday as I help him get through his daily routines by reminders, his mocha latte in the mornings, his light lunch, and his dinner orders I have come to realize he has gotten in the habit of me being there for him, around him, someone who knows exactly how he would finish his sentence… that's just my nature…I am not the "outgoing" types as Nikki says…Nikki is my best friend…she is the one girl who have actually able to decipher the confused me…the one person who always tries her best to break my shell and express my feelings but the conserve, shy, and old fashioned me always seem to get my way out her lectures of "living a little"--- but someday I might…I might live a little if only My "mr.perfect" perhaps Armaan comes around and looks at me they way I have been looking at him… My life is in perfect harmony as I have managed to keep it that way…as I have told you that my deepest desire of all is of weddings…I feel like until I find myself the perfect wedding I can at least be a part of others…I love experiencing all the different cultures and customs…And what I have come to realize is that even if the culture is different the concept of this auspicious event is the same…sure in Chinese culture it's all about how to be "polite with people and chopsticks" and in typical Texan style wedding is all about the "Howdy and Cowboy Boots" then there are some other crazy wedding that this professional bridesmaid has been to…I have been to an underwater wedding where I had to practice with the oxygen mask beforehand…whatever the setting is, whoever the people are, and wherever they belong…they all have the same expression as they see the bride walk down the aisle and the same smile plays on groom's lips as he set his eyes only on the one person he has decided to spend the rest of his life with…it's amazing how even with so many people around those two seem to find each other eye locked and lost in each other at the same time, their face reflects the emotions that have persuaded them to make a decision that will require them to go through everything together... that's the least I could express in my words of what wedding is for me and how I feel about it…just yesterday when I was looking through the New York Journal I flipped it over to my favorite section the "Newlyweds" it a section that finds my eyes rather than I find it….every Saturday I look forward reading about the amazing "how they met" and " wedding of the week" stories written by an amazing writer and a true believer in marriage like me in this 21st century by the Name of Mayank Ananad…I wonder what is it that makes him write so beautifully and amazingly about marriage…his words are like my mind except I could never be able to divulge my thinking the way he does on paper, no wonder I am left with no choice but to collect his articles like a kid collects money in one's piggy bank…Anyways tonight I am expected to show up at two different weddings at pretty much about the same time…the good thing is that I only have to worry about getting there only for the moments when a bridesmaid is needed…like walking to the altar, escorting, holding the dress as the nervous bride pees, and catching the bouquet (that god knows when will end up in my hands),…hopefully I can manage both…you see this is my part time job pretty much—a professional bridesmaid, it is not a paid, office working job…it's something I enjoy doing… and I hope I continue to be part of people's most important day of life….anyways gotta go pick up that dress…after all it is what every bride every imagines of…
**Scene shifts to a bridal shop where muskaan is standing with the bride's gown on as ladies around her are hemming and fixing it… she looked in the mirror smiling…she looked perfect she thought….even though the dress was only on temporarily she felt like she doesn't need to take it off anytime soon…**
Tailor 1: Oh my Gosh, You look beautiful…
Assistant 1: It's amazing… like it was made for you…
**Just when another assistant enters with a phone that summoned muski**
Assistant 2: It's for you. It's the bride
Muski: Oh,Great…(she took the phone and mouthed "thank you") Hi, Sophia…
Sophia: Muskaan, is it ready?
Muskaan: Yeah. They just finished hemming it.
Sophia: Does it fit?
Muskaan: (looks at it again in the mirror and smiles) Yeah…Yeah it does… Thank God we're the same size….
Sophia: Are you coming now?
Muskaan: I'm gonna have it over to you in just a minute… Don't worry about anything. This is your day.
Sophia: Thanks, Muskaan…
**After a while Muskaan gets out of there with the dress and other accessories that the bride had requested….she had a lot in her hand as she made her way out on the busy streets where the loud clatter of shoes and noises of people were prominent… Muskaan sees Nikki from a distance and comes to her forcing herself through the crowd**
Muskaan: There you are! You look great. (She saw her friend who was dressed in the designated bridesmaid dress just like hers.)
Nikki: (Quite frustrated but she could never turn down any request that her only best friend made) Thanks! (sarcasm was obvious in her tone as she hugged muski)
Muskaan: Okay. Come on. Let's go…
**They both again made their way through the busy New York City's streets…both nikki and muski had a habit of talking while walking…muski had a lot in her hand and so nikki helped her out by handling some stuff for her…taking something out her bag muski was now facing nikki**
Muski: Here you go…(she handed her some stuff)
Nikki: What's this?
Muski: I brought you a shawl, Visine, Tylenol... a pair of my earrings…you know just in case…besides I know you are doing all this for my sake…
Nikki: Oooh…
Muski: (noticing her hair) About your hair---
Nikki: What? The stupid bride said, "Up." It's up. (She said as they both made their way into the ballroom where the wedding was being held)
Muski: ( Stopped and gave her a pleading look)
Nikki: Okay. I'll fix it..now can we go please…
Muski: Yeah lets go…
**The wedding was on full swing…the bride had loved her dress and everything that muski had brought her…it was perfect..everything was just the way she had wanted and muski was glad that things worked out according to her…Nikki was just bearing the horrible dress and heals for her dear friend muski…Nikki was the sarcastic, more modern, and outgoing types…it was still comforting for muski as she had a support…the big deal at tonight's event was that she would have to somehow figure out a way to run back and forth between Sophia's Jewish wedding and Theresa's Hollywood themed wedding…she had rented a cab driver for the night and whenever she would get the chance to switch back and forths eh would do so…the outfit changing was taking place in the cab itself…As she fixed herself up on the altar for Sophie's wedding after returning from Theresa's for the 2nd time someone noticed her…someone who was sitting in the crowd amongst the guest…a normal bridesmaid usually care about standing up as straight as possible, smiling endlessly, and of course talking to the respective groom's men but muskaan she was different in fact she seemed to completely go against the rules of "bridesmaid"…as she stood holding the brides and her own bouquet she was constantly looking at her watch as if wanting to get out of here as soon as possible…the guy noticing her continued looking at her in confusion and as he tried to follow her with his eyes he wasn't able to do so as she had already left for Theresa's or at least left somewhere as far as he was concerned as he came out to make a call …
Guy: (on the phone) What time is it now? Well, I'm just gonna be about two more hours, so—(before he could finish he noticed muski running out and followed her but could only follow her up until she got in a cab and rushed out) I'll call you back. (he said hanging up the phone looking confused)
**In the cab**
Muski: Go…Go..Go…drive faster…
Driver: Hey lady I am as fast as i could…
Muski: No turning around…you are down to $270 from $300 now (she said as she changed from her very Jewish outfit to a trendy Hollywood themed bridesmaids dress)
Drive: Hey lady we're here…lets go..
Muski: gosh…I am going…(She said getting out the cab)
Driver: wait…wait…lady…wrong shoes…
Muski: Oh no….
Driver: here…(he threw her shoes out the window)
Muski: Jeez can you be any more helpful… (She said changing her shoes)
Driver: Yeah Yeah…just hurry up lady!
**Muski blended in Theresa's wedding pretty quickly as the cab driver waited outside…she helped the bride as she took her vows and danced away to the recent Hollywood themed music that was being played…from dancing, to cutting the cake, and to handing out the thank you cards to the guest she did all so fast that no one even bothered noticing where she went in every 20 minutes or so…except for one curious guy at Sophia's wedding…then as the both brides of the evening made their thank you speeches the one person that was talked about the most in the speeches was none other than Muski and as she stood tall upon the mention of her name and the sound of the applause done just for her…she felt great, she felt exactly what she had wanted to feel by being a part of someone's special day…she felt her purpose was filled as all that was left tonight was Sophia's bouquet throwing ceremony which muski always waited for eagerly and as she stood among the other hopeful candidates she almost saw it coming towards her until she was ran over by them and fell straight right on the floor… she fell flat with her eyes shut tightly…but she could almost feel the people surrounding her in a big circle as their concerned voices echoed in her partially conscious head…."Are you Okay?" "Is she Alright?" among the crowd was the curious guy who had followed her or at least tried….
Muski: (groans in pain still on the floor)
Guy: (who is standing closest to her as the other bridesmaids worriedly looks down at muskaan, seeing muski trying to open her eyes so she could stand up he bent down to help her up) Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy.Just take it easy.
Muski: (Still trying to get up or sit up atleast as she took his hand for support)
Guy: You don't wanna move around too much. (he said then looked towards the hovering bridesmaids and said) I need you to give me some ice.(he said pointing it to one of them) You, give me a bottle of 100-proof liquor...(he said pointing to the rest of them) Okay. This is a serious injury.
Muski: (was now slowly getting up as she held her head with her hand and was leaning for support on his hand)
Guy: (looks around as others too look at him questionable looks) She is Alright. She is fine…folks…just a little bump on the head. Carry on…(he said justifying as muski looked at him lost)
Muski: (balancing herself on her own and getting away from the stranger…she sighed as she rubbed her head lightly) You a doctor?
Guy: No, but Tweedledee and "Tweedledrunk" a.k.a your friends those bridesmaids were bugging me, so— (muski was still a little unstable and the stranger noticed that) Okay. Do you know your name?
Muski: Muskaan…(She was still sitting on the floor)
Guy: Muskaan. Iam Rahul (he offered her his hand)
Muski: Hmm Thank you for helping me. (she said pulling herself up with the support of his hand)
Rahul: Sure. Got it? (he asked to be sure)
Muski: Uh-uhh…(she said unsurely)
Rahul: Okay- You are good? (he noticed she was standing but didn't know that she still was dizzy)
Muski: I'm Fine (she said now standing)
Rahul: Alright… (just as he said that muskaan was about to fall again..she was still shaky…rahul caught her again and supporting her with his arm he held her by her waist) Whoa, whoa. Okay. Why don't we get you a cab?
Muski: (nodded her head but didn't say anything)
Rahul: (held her the same way he had before and led her out) All right. Nice and easy. Let's walk.
**In the cab**
Rahul: I loved the way you change in a cab…. I mean it's an art… teach me sometime (he said casually as muski looked at him and glared with "what!" look) You buzzed past me earlier. I saw you changing gowns.
Muskaan: (Looked away and fixed the flower bouquet that sat between them)
Rahul: You were in two weddings in one night, weren't you? (he questioned) That's a little upsetting, don't you think? (that made her guilty for sure)
Muskaan: They're both good friends... and their weddings happened to be on the same night, so what was I supposed to do?
Rahul: Oh, no. That's not the upsetting part. How do you stand it? I mean, isn't one wedding bad enough?
Muskaan: I love weddings. I always have.
Rahul: Really?
Muskaan: Yeah.
Rahul: Which part, the forced merriment, horrible music or bad food?
Muskaan: [Sighs] Actually, it's meeting upbeat people like yourself. (she said sarcastically)
Rahul: Love is patient. Love is kind. Love means slowly losing your mind.(he persisted even further to annoy her because she was an easy target)
Muskaan: What is it you do again?
Rahul: I am a writer.
Muskaan: Right..(she laughed)
**Just then muskaan's building arrives and the driver stops**
Muskaan: This is my building…(she said getting out the car and just as she is about to get a hold on the flowers rahul gets a hold of them and gets out the cab as well)
Rahul I got it. (he said showing her the flowers)
Muski: No. I got it. (she said reaching out for her flowers)
Rahul: Sure?
Muski: Yeah. (she said taking them, then she turned to the driver and said) All right, sweetie. A hundred and forty. You know what you did.(she started to make her way towards her building but rahul started to follow..Muski noticed and tried to stop rahul) Hey! What's-- No. (then she turned to the driver and said) He's gonna be right back. Hold on.
Rahul: Don't you think it's a whole lot of ritual for something that-- Let's face it-- It's got about a 50-50 shot of making it out of the gate.
Muski: [Sighs] How very refreshing. A man who doesn't believe in marriage. (sarcasm was till prominent)
Rahul: I'm just trying to point out the hypocrisy of the spectacle.
Muski: Oh! That's so noble of you. Do you also go around...telling small children that Santa Claus doesn't exist? 'Cause someone needs to blow that shit wide open (She was angry now as she is having to wait because of him)
Rahul: So you admit that believing in marriage is kind of like believing in Santa Claus? (he was using her own words against her)
Muski: No I-- I don't know why I'm arguing this with a perfect stranger. But, yes, marriage, like everything good and important, isn't easy. Cynicism, on the other hand, always is. It was very interesting meeting you. (she said pretty much all in one breath and tried to walk away)
Rahul: Bye.
Muski: Yeah. (she said crossing the road leaving him by the cab)
Rahul: (Calling out to her) You gonna be in more weddings next weekend?
Muski: I have to go. (she yelled back)
Rahul: How many have you been in, by the way? Just, like, ballpark.
Muski: Good Night (She yelled out last time as she finally reached the door steps to her building)
**Rahul in the cab was sitting alone now thinking how foolish she was to attend weddings for fun…he seriously thought something was wrong with her just then he noticed a planner type notebook was on the taxi floor…he picked it up and turned to the driver…**
Rahul: Hey, you know what? Could you--
Driver: Yeah..
Rahul: (looked at it and opened it and found muskaan's stuff written all over it, the beginning page had a picture of a bride and groom then the planner was filled with her appointments and routine stuff… he thought about something then smiled and said to the driver) Forget it.
Driver: Yup.
~~Muskaan's Apartment~~
Changed in her night suit she hanged her bridesmaids dress in the already overflowing closet, she had to push in her new edition in the closet literally… and as she walked away from it thinking its closed the door flung back open due to the fact that accessories were overflowing from it… tired from the busy day, she made her way in the living room humming her recent favorite song, she picked up the newspaper and opened it up to her favorite section "The Newly Weds"…
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