A few days ago, I attended my cousin Sia's wedding.
I'm trying to make sense of what I've seen so far.
Sia had been in a relationship with a guy for the past year. His name was Karan. Both were in their thirties, so they got married quickly. I had never seen Karan before, and I hadn't spoken to Sia in years, but I thought it was a wedding, so it would be fun.
The wedding was taking place at a small resort.
Everything was perfectly filmy. Light rain, the sound of the ocean, and the scent of white flowers.
The groom arrived first. A tall, blond man in a black suit.
He stood in front and smiled.
He smiled when Sia entered the mandap.
He smiled when they took the rounds.
He smiled when everyone clapped.
He exited the hall smiling.
At first, I didn't notice anything strange.
But at the reception, when he joined the guests, I realized his smile was different.
From a distance, everything seemed fine, but up close, something was off.
He was looking at everyone, but he wasn't looking at anyone.
Just a wide, frozen smile that didn't reach his eyes.
I convinced myself he was smiling for the camera or a little shy.
But things got even weirder during dinner.
He was sitting at the table with Sia, smiling and eating.
Yes, smiling.
I mean, his mouth was barely opening, but he was still taking bites, chewing, and smiling, showing his teeth all the while.
Have you ever seen anyone eat while smiling?
No, because it looks inhuman.
When he came to our table, I couldn't take my eyes off him.
His blue eyes flickered back and forth, his face as still as a mask.
There was no warmth, no emotion. Just a fake smile.
I whispered to my sister, "There's something wrong with him. Why is he smiling like that?"
My sister laughed, "You're crazy. He's just happy."
But I knew it wasn't happiness.
He kept smiling the entire evening. First dance, toast, cake cutting—every single moment, the same broad smile.
Even while drinking champagne, he showed his teeth without spilling.
It felt as if his muscles were moving at someone else's will.
After a while, I went to the washroom. Probably to calm my mind.
And that was my biggest mistake.
As I washed my hands in the washroom, a back door opened.
I looked in the mirror—Karan was standing there.
His skin looked milky in the whiteness of the tubelight.
His blue eyes bulged like frogs.
And he was smiling.
He didn't smile at me.
He was already smiling.
He came over and started washing his hands at the sink next to mine, while the other three sinks were empty.
Our shoulders collided.
I mustered up the courage to say, "It was a great wedding, congratulations."
He slowly turned his head and looked at me.
No response. Just that smile.
My heart started pounding.
Then I remembered that he hadn't spoken a word all day.
Not during the vows, not to any of the guests.
Just nodded, smiled, and remained silent.
I slowly began to back away.
His gaze darted along with mine.
When I reached the door, he stood as if he'd suddenly grown taller.
His eyes were still fixed on me.
Then he stopped smiling.
His face sagged. His cheeks sagged. His forehead sagged.
And then I saw his skin begin to peel away.
As if his face were separating from his true self.
I froze.
And then he smiled again.
His face snapped back into place.
Everything looked the same.
I somehow managed to escape and grabbed my sister.
"We have to get out of here, right now."
She said irritably.
"Don't make a drama, everything's fine."
And just then, Karan returned to the hall.
He walked past me and put his hand on my shoulder.
It's been three days.
The skin where he touched me is burning.
When I look in the mirror, it seems my face has become a little loose.
As if the skin is slipping down.
And... I've started smiling more now.
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