7 ~ Shadi fix.
I'm sitting in the hall, half-listening to the elders talk, half-lost in my own relief.
It's over.
It has to be.
After everything I said, everything I did, no man like him would ever agree to this.
I almost smile to myself.
Finally.
"Chahat... Mukti!" My mother's voice cuts through my thoughts, unusually bright.
She came towards us and I noticed her face was glowing.
Glowing?
Something feels... off.
Before I can process it, she walks straight past me and pulls Mukti into a tight hug.
"Finally!" she says, her voice filled with overwhelming happiness. "Shaadi fix ho gayi tumhari."
(Finally! Your marriage is fixed.)
My smile drops.
For a second, I think I heard it wrong.
But Mukti doesn't react either.
She just stands there in my mother's arms frozen.
"Unhone haan keh di," Maa continues, almost emotional now. "Kartik ne haan keh di."
(He said yes. Kartik agreed.)
The words echo in my head.
No. No, that's not possible.
My eyes slowly shift to Mukti and she's already looking at me.
Like she's trying to understand something that doesn't make sense.
Maa pulls back from the hug, cupping Mukti's face lovingly.
"I'm so happy," she murmurs.
Then her gaze flickers toward me for a brief second and her expressions changed slightly.
"Agar Chahat gharpe hoti..." she says casually, almost as an afterthought, "toh yeh rishta hone hi nahi deti."
(If Chahat was at home, she would never have let this relationship happen.)
She walked away after that, continuing to talk to the others, completely unaware of the storm she just left behind.
Silence falls between me and Mukti.
Before I can say anything, her fingers grip my wrist tightly. "Room mein chalo."
(Come to the room.)
There's no softness in her voice.
She drags me with her before I can even react properly.
The moment we're inside, she shuts the door.
"What did you do?"
I blink at her. "What?"
"Tumne kya kiya?" she repeats, stepping closer. "Why didn't you make him refuse the marriage?"
(what did you do?)
Her grip tightens slightly around my arm.
"I did," I say immediately, frustration rising. "Maine sab kuch kiya, di."
(I did everything, sister.)
Her brows knit together.
"I clearly told him I'm not interested," I continue, my voice getting firmer. "I literally told him he should reject this proposal himself."
I run a hand through my hair, still unable to process it.
"I did everything wrong. Everything that would make any decent man walk away."
Mukti stares at me, searching my face for lies or mistakes but there's nothing because I'm just as confused as she is.
"I don't understand," I whisper, more to myself now. "He should have refused..."
Mukti steps back slightly. Her face paled. This wasn't relief but worry.
Without another word, she turns and grabs her phone.
"Di..."
But she doesn't stop.
She walks out quickly, heading upstairs toward the terrace leaving me alone again.
But my mind is stuck on one thing.
Why?
Why did he say yes?
After everything I did...he agreed.
A strange uneasiness creeps into my chest because this wasn't supposed to happen.
Not like this.
The same day we got the call from the Singhaniyas.
Mumma informed that they want to do the engagement within a week. And marriage within a month.
The words hit like a shockwave.
A week?
A month?
Why so fast?
I looked at Mukti and saw her staring back at me. There was something in her eyes I've never seen before.
Blame.
"I didn't know..." I start, my voice softer now. "I really didn't know he would say yes." I muttered slowly for only her to hear.
She doesn't reply immediately, she just looks at me and that silence hurt more than anything she could have said.
Because the truth is...I don't know either.
What made Kartik Singhaniya agree?
Next morning.
I stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around myself, staring at my reflection for a moment longer than necessary. My hair dripped water down my back.
I dried my hair and saw she was already awake, sitting on the bed.
She glanced at me once, then looked away again.
I grabbed my clothes from the cupboard.
A black t-shirt with faded ripped blue jeans.
I quickly dressed, tying my hair into a high ponytail. A little kajal, lip balm...just enough to look presentable.
I picked up my bag, glancing at her once but she didn't look at me this time.
"I'm leaving," I said softly.
But she didn't respond
.
.
.
College felt like a different world.
Groups of students laughing, arguing, rushing to classes...everything was exactly how it always was and for a second...I almost felt relieved.
My eyes scanned the campus automatically.
"Ishika..." I murmured, looking around for her but she was nowhere to be seen. "Great," I sighed under my breath.
Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I headed toward my class.
The classroom was already half-filled.
And there of course...
Rivan was sitting casually with his group, laughing about something.
The moment his eyes landed on me, his face lit up.
"Chahat!" he called out, waving his hand. "Idhar aa!"
(Come here!)
I walked toward him, my eyes still scanning the room.
"Ishika kahan hai?" I asked as soon as I reached.
(Where is Ishika?)
"Aa jayegi," he said casually. "Tu baith."
(She'll come. You sit.)
Before I could respond he grabbed my hand and pulled me down beside him.
I stiffened instantly.
"Rivan..." I snapped, pulling my hand back sharply.
He barely reacted, still smiling like it was nothing.
I didn't respond and my sight fell on her.
"Sorry, sorry, late ho gayi!" Ishika's voice came rushing in as she entered the class.
(I'm late.)
She dropped into the seat next to me, slightly out of breath.
"Ina nahi aayegi," she said quickly. "Tabiyat theek nahi hai uski."
(Ina will not come. She's not feeling well.)
"Hmm," I nodded.
Classes started soon after.
The professor walked in, notes began and lectures continued. Everything was... normal.
And yet nothing felt normal because no matter how hard I tried my mind refused to stay here.
It drifted again and again back to him.
Kartik.
Focus, Chahat.
I stared at the page in front of me, but the words blurred.
Next lecture got cancelled as the professor was absent.
A rare blessing.
"Chalo, playground?" She suggested, already packing her bag.
(Let's go.)
I nodded, not really caring where we went as long as I didn't have to sit inside a classroom pretending to focus.
So the three of us...me, Ishika, and Rivan ended up at the far end of the college playground, under that old tree where half the college had probably sat at some point.
The grass was warm under us, the shade just enough to keep the sun from being annoying. A few students were playing cricket in the distance, shouting over something, while others just lounged around like us.
I opened my notebook, flipping through the pages of my Business Administration notes, trying to concentrate.
She sat beside me, already highlighting important points like the overachiever she was.
Rivan leaned back against the tree, doing absolutely nothing productive and her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and her entire face changed.
Ayaan. Of course.
"Main aati hoon," she said quickly, already getting up.
(I'm coming.)
I didn't even look up properly, just nodded slightly.
"Ja, ja," Rivan teased. "Privacy chahiye madam ji ko."
(Go, go, Madam needs privacy.)
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway before walking a little far from us, phone pressed to her ear.
And just like that...It was just me and Rivan.
I kept flipping pages or at least pretending to because the words weren't registering again.
But then I felt it, that look and stare.
I stopped flipping the page mid-way and looked up.
Rivan was staring at me and not even trying to hide it.
My brows pulled together slightly.
"Kya?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
(What?)
He didn't answer immediately. Just kept looking at me with that same expression.
And that irritated me. Without thinking, I reached forward and pulled his hair sharply.
"Pagal hai kya?" I snapped.
(Are you crazy?)
He winced, then immediately laughed, rubbing his head.
"Arre!" he chuckled. "Maar kyun rahi hai?"
(Hey, Why are you hitting me?)
"Toh ghoor kyun raha hai?" I shot back.
(Then why are you staring?)
He leaned forward slightly, still grinning.
"Tujhe dekh raha hoon," he said casually. "Acchi lag rahi hai aaj."
(I'm looking at you. You look good today.)
I rolled my eyes, looking away as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"Main roz hi acchi lagti hoon," I shrugged and he chuckled.
(I look good every day.)
He was always like this.
Cheesy, flirtatious and a little annoying but harmless. He never crossed his line. Never made me uncomfortable beyond these small, stupid moments.
So I let it slide most of the time.
"Padh le thoda," I muttered, going back to my notebook. "Test hai."
(Study a little. There's a test.)
"Tu padh le, main dekh lunga," he laughed.
(You read it, I'll look it up.)
And for a moment everything felt easy.
Simple.
Like it always used to.
I heard footsteps and saw Ishika as she came back, a strange excitement on her face.
"Kya hua?" I asked.
(What happened?)
"I'm going," she said quickly, picking up her bag.
"Where?" I frowned.
"Ayaan se milne," she said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.
(To meet Ayaan.)
Then, that mischievous smile.
"He has planned something," she added, almost whispering.
I couldn't help it. A small smile formed on my lips.
"Achha..." I nodded, amused. "Ja phir."
(Really. Go then.)
She grinned wider, nodding eagerly.
"Phir mujhe sab batana kya hua." I muttered and she nodded.
(Then tell me everything that happened.)
I watched her go. Then my sight fell on the watch. It was time for another lecture.
"Chale?" Rivan nudged me.
(let's go?)
"Hmm."
We got up and headed toward the next lecture.
We sat together again.
The professor droned on in the background.
And somewhere in between the topic shifted as he asked.
"Kya soch rahi hai."
(What are you thinking?)
"Mukti di ki shaadi fix ho gayi," I said casually, not looking at him.
(Mukti Di's marriage is fixed.)
He glanced at me. "Achha? Kis se?"
(Well? From whom?)
"Ek businessman hai," I replied. "Kartik Singhania."
(A businessman.)
The name felt... heavier than it should.
Rivan nodded. "Oh... nice."
"Engagement ek week mein hai," I added.
(Engagement is in a week.)
He looked surprised. "Itni jaldi?"
(so soon?)
"Haan," I shrugged lightly. "Sab rush mein ho raha hai."
(Yes. Everything is happening in a rush.)
The conversation ended there.
The lecture ended and I immediately ran towards the auditorium. It was buzzing when I reached.
I had to look after the annual day arrangements being one of the committee members.
Voices overlapping, music playing faintly in the background, people moving around with lists and files in their hands, it was chaotic in the most organized way possible.
I dropped my bag on one of the chairs and immediately got to work.
"Timing fix ho gaya?" I asked, walking toward the group handling performances.
(The timing is fixed?)
"Haan, 4:30 slot pe dance," someone replied.
(Yes, dance at 4:30 slot.)
"Music final?"
"Almost. Ek track pending hai."
(One track is pending.)
"Costumes?"
"Designer se baat ho gayi hai."
(I've spoken to the designer.)
I nodded, mentally ticking everything off.
For the next half an hour, I moved from one group to another...checking, correcting, finalizing. Hosts, lighting, entry sequence everything had to be perfect.
By the time we wrapped up I was exhausted.
Honestly, joining this committee felt like one of my worst decisions right now.
"Sab kuch toh decide ho gaya hai," Gaurav said, stretching his arms lazily. "Ek baar headboy ke saath discuss kar lete toh... sab aaj hi confirm ho jata."
(Everything has been decided. If you had discussed it with the head boy once... everything would have been confirmed today itself.)
I opened my mouth to respond but before I could say anything...
"Chahat Rathore!"
I turned.
The peon stood near the entrance.
"Haan boliye."
(Yes, tell me.)
"Aapko Dean bula rahe hain."
(The Dean is calling you.)
I nodded anyway. "Theek hai."
(Okay.)
Picking up my file, I walked out of the auditorium.
My steps were slower now, not because I was lazy but because I was tired.
Everything felt... too much today.
As I walked through the corridor, I spotted the headboy at a distance.
Perfect.
I could just quickly update him and get done with it.
I adjusted the file in my hands and moved toward him but the next second I collided with something hard.
My balance shifted slightly.
"I'm so sorry..." I said automatically, looking up.
And froze.
Kartik Singhaniya.
My breath caught in my throat.
For a second everything around me disappeared because he was standing right in front of me.
The same intense presence, the same sharp eyes.
The same man who had turned everything upside down without even trying.
My fingers tightened around the file.
My heart started racing.
Before I could even process it, the Dean's voice snapped me out of it.
"Chahat."
I blinked, my gaze shifting past Kartik and that's when I noticed him standing right behind.
The Dean continued, completely unaware of the storm inside me. "I want you to welcome our chief guest Mr. Singhaniya."
My throat went dry.
Welcome him?
My eyes flickered back to Kartik for a split second.
His gaze was already on me.
I swallowed hard.