As I made my way into the marriage hall, I could not find any familiar faces. I had come to a friend’s wedding reception yet I was feeling so lonely and irritated.

The events from the previous evening still haunted me and try as much as possible, I couldn’t shake them off my mind. I decided not to come to this reception yet I needed to break out of the cage that I have found myself in. Since this was also my best friend’s wedding reception I cannot avoid it as well. So with a heavy heart and a fake smile, I dressed up decently, made my way into this "party loving crowd", wished them and promptly took my place in the last few rows of the hall.

"Son, what are you doing here?" a huge voice billowed from the room next to me.

It was the bridegroom’s father.

I am like this second son and he had demanded that I be there from the first second the marriage started till the very last.

How can I go to him and explain what happened yesterday? Would he believe me? What would he say?

"Hello Uncle, sorry I couldn’t make it yesterday. I met with an accident and had to go to the hospital. And I didn’t want to come here like that to the wedding." I lied to him.

I normally do not lie to him or to any other person. Only when I am sure it will not affect anyone, I sneak in a white lie.

He looked at me and smiled.

"I know what happened. I asked prashanth yesterday when I did not see you and he told all that happened" in his usual smiling face he replied.

I cannot lie to a friend. And on his marriage, I did not want to spoil his mood. So I made him promise he would not say it to anyone. But it looks like his desire to see me live made him tell it to uncle.

As I stood there, not knowing what to answer, he took me by my hand and made me sit in the first row where everyone could see me.

Without a word, he left me there and vanished like how he always does.

As the minutes turned into hours, I found myself looking at what everyone is doing.

As mysteriously as he vanished, Uncle came back with a huge smile in his face.

This time closely following on his heels, head bowed and with a smile, she came and sat next to me.

"My first son’s marriage is over and I was thinking about you. When prashanth told me what happened, I knew what I had to do. Talk to her and let me know what you decide" Uncle whispered in my ears.

With that, he whispered something in her ears and with an even bigger smile, walked away from us.

I did not know what to say and what to do. So I took my phone and started playing a game, like I always do when I am bored or nervous.

"What is your mobile number?" she quietly asked.

"Hmm. What?" I mumbled at this sudden turnaround.

"No, I thought maybe you would not be comfortable talking to me here and I am not comfortable as well. So I was thinking I’ll call you tomorrow and talk to you about what Uncle had said" she gently whispered.

"Yeah, that’s what I was thinking as well" I reverted back with a very stupid smile on my face.

After we exchanged our numbers, she quickly left.

Dumbfounded and still in bit of shock, I was watching her leave.

Just as she neared the exit, she turned, smiled and left me in a state of bewilderment!