When plans fall apart
The wedding discussion continued long after breakfast had ended.
The entire Raichand family remained gathered in the sitting area, surrounded by notebooks, tea cups, and countless opinions. What had started as a simple discussion about dates had now evolved into a full-scale planning session.
Saraswati Devi was explaining the importance of certain family traditions that had been followed for generations.
"No matter how modern weddings become," she said while adjusting her glasses, "some customs should never disappear. Traditions are not just rituals. They are memories passed from one generation to another."
Dadaji nodded in agreement.
"Your grandmother is right. People often remember the decorations and photographs, but years later, what stays in their hearts are the moments spent with family."
Bua smiled softly while making notes.
"That is exactly why I want this wedding to feel personal. I don't want it to look like a commercial event where everything is perfect but nothing feels meaningful."
Meanwhile, Shristi and Radhika sat together discussing possible color themes while Aarav occasionally interrupted with ridiculous suggestions that nobody took seriously.
"What about a superhero theme?" Aarav suggested confidently.
"No," four people answered simultaneously.
"What about a cricket-themed wedding?"
"No."
"A royal pirate wedding?"
This time even Dadaji looked up from his tea.
"Aarav, if you have no intention of helping, at least don't create new problems."
The entire room burst into laughter.
Even Aarav couldn't stop laughing at his own failed ideas.
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the balcony area.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the source.
Siddharth had just entered the room.
But something was different.
The playful smile that usually lived on his face was gone.
His expression looked worried.
His attention remained fixed on the phone pressed against his ear.
"Jess, please listen to me carefully," he said while walking toward the center of the room. "Nothing is impossible to solve. You don't need to panic before we even understand the situation properly."
The room immediately grew quieter.
Siddharth rarely sounded this serious.
"Baby, please stop crying first," he continued gently. "I can't understand anything when you're crying like this. Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what happened."
The family members exchanged confused glances.
Even Aarav stopped joking.
Siddharth listened for several seconds before speaking again.
"Okay... okay... I understand."
His voice softened further.
"Listen to me. I'm talking to Mom about this immediately. You don't have to carry everything alone. We'll figure out a solution together."
A pause followed.
Then he added reassuringly,
"Trust me, alright? Nothing is falling apart today. Just give us a little time."
By now, Bua had already stood from her seat.
The concern on her face was becoming obvious.
She approached Siddharth and gave him a questioning look.
"What happened?" she asked silently through gestures.
Siddharth lowered the phone slightly.
"It's Jess."
Bua immediately extended her hand.
"Give me the phone."
Without hesitation, Siddharth handed it over.
The moment Bua placed the phone near her ear, her voice became warm and comforting.
"Jess beta, this is Mom speaking."
The entire room remained silent while she listened carefully.
After a few moments, her expression changed.
Concern slowly replaced curiosity.
"Oh dear..."
She sat down slowly.
"No, no. First stop crying. Crying won't help you think clearly."
Everyone watched her attentively.
Whatever had happened clearly wasn't a small issue.
Bua continued speaking patiently.
"Listen to me carefully. We are a family. If one person faces a problem, everyone helps solve it together. You're not alone in this situation."
A few moments later she added,
"Give me some time. Let me discuss everything with the family. We'll find a solution."
Then she smiled gently.
"And I want one promise from you."
She waited.
"Stop crying and drink some water."
A small smile finally appeared on her face.
"Good girl."
After ending the call, Bua placed the phone on the table.
The room immediately filled with questioning looks.
Nobody needed to ask.
The concern was visible on every face.
Finally Meera spoke first.
"What happened?"
Bua released a slow sigh.
"There's a serious problem."
The room instantly became alert.
"The wedding planners Jess hired have canceled all their commitments."
Several family members spoke
simultaneously.
"What?"
"Canceled?"
"At this stage?"
Bua nodded.
"Apparently one of the senior partners met with a major accident. Their company is temporarily shutting down operations for several weeks."
The room fell silent.
Everyone understood the implications immediately.
Dadaji frowned.
"How much work had they already handled?"
Bua looked toward him.
"Almost everything."
That answer made the situation feel even heavier.
"The guest management system, venue coordination, wedding décor planning, transportation arrangements, hospitality management, vendor communication, event scheduling, accommodation planning..."
She paused.
"Even the wedding gown appointments were being coordinated through them."
Kavita's eyes widened.
"That means almost the entire wedding framework was depending on those planners."
"Exactly."
Siddharth dropped onto the sofa and ran a hand through his hair.
"Jess is completely overwhelmed right now."
Nobody blamed her.
Anyone would be overwhelmed.
Especially someone who had spent most of her life abroad.
Bua continued explaining.
"She knows very little about organizing a traditional Indian wedding. Most of her confidence came from knowing that professionals were handling the arrangements."
Shristi nodded immediately.
"That makes sense. Indian weddings aren't simple events. They're practically military operations."
Even Dadaji laughed softly at the comparison.
But the concern remained.
Meera leaned forward thoughtfully.
we have not got too many days for the wedding preparations?"
"That's exactly why she's panicking. Every day matters now."
Silence settled over the room again.
For the first time since the discussion started, the excitement of wedding planning had been replaced by uncertainty.
Everyone began mentally calculating the amount of work involved.
The guest list alone would require weeks of coordination.
Then there were venues, decorators, caterers, accommodation, transportation, invitations, outfits, rituals, schedules...
The list seemed endless.
Aarav looked around the room.
For once, even he had no joke to offer.
The challenge was simply too large.
As the elders exchanged thoughtful glances and the younger generation tried to process the sudden crisis, nobody noticed one particular person quietly observing the entire discussion.
Radhika.
She had remained silent throughout the conversation.
But behind her thoughtful eyes, something had already begun forming.
An idea.
A possibility.
A solution she wasn't yet ready to speak aloud.
And perhaps, without realizing it, the wedding crisis that had suddenly entered the Raichand household was about to become the beginning of something much bigger.