12 ~ Makeout and sweets #2
That alone felt strange.
I followed her into the room, closing the door behind me as we both moved around in silence, removing our jewellery, undoing the heavy layers that had weighed us down the entire evening.
The moment I slipped out of my clothes and into something comfortable, I exhaled deeply.
I sat on the edge of the bed, running my fingers through my hair, trying to ease the tension still sitting stubbornly in my shoulders.
Mukti di lay down beside me, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
And then her voice broke the silence.
"Waise... Kartik itna bhi bura nahi hai."
(Actually... Kartik isn't that bad.)
I turned my head instantly. My brows furrowed slightly as I looked at her.
She was... smiling.
A soft, almost shy smile playing on her lips.
"Aur handsome bhi hai," she added, glancing at me as if she was expecting something from me.
(And he's handsome too.)
My throat went dry.
I just nodded slowly without saying anything.
And she let out a small breath, almost relieved.
What. Just. happened?
This was the same Mukti di who had been upset, distant, barely speaking to me. The same one who had blamed me, avoided me, looked at me like I had ruined everything.
And now she was smiling. Talking about him like nothing had happened. Like everything was... fine.
My fingers curled slightly against the bedsheet.
A strange uneasiness settled in my chest before I could even process it further her phone rang.
The sound cut through the room sharply.
She picked it up without hesitation and the moment she spoke something inside me froze.
"Haan, Kartik..."
(Yes, Kartik...)
My breath hitched.
Kartik?
My eyes snapped towards her. He called her? My mind struggled to catch up.
All evening...The way he had looked at me. The way he had ignored her. The way everything between us had felt so intense, so wrong, so charged and now.
He was calling her?
Talking to her like everything was normal?
Confusion twisted inside me.
I watched her carefully.
The way her face softened.
The way her voice lowered slightly.
There was an ease there.
A comfort that hadn't been there before. Then her eyes flickered towards me and then she stood up.
"Main aati hoon..." she murmured, already walking towards the balcony like she needed privacy.
(I'll be back.)
What is going on?
Why was he calling her now?
I leaned back slowly against the bed, I glanced at her figure in the balcony.
before staring at the ceiling, my heart still not steady.
Because no matter how much I tried to ignore it something didn't feel right.
The next day felt normal like nothing had happened.
Like the chaos of yesterday had been wiped clean overnight.
Mukti di was back to herself calm, composed, even smiling at times. Mumma and Papa were busy again, running around with preparations, discussing lists, calling people. The house had slipped back into its usual rhythm, and yet I couldn't.
Even when I went to college, I wasn't really there.
Lectures came and went, professors explained things, students scribbled notes-but my mind drifted elsewhere. Every now and then, without warning, his face would flash in my head. His voice. His words. The way he had looked at me.
And no matter how much I tried to push it away It stayed.
By the time I reached home, I was already exhausted, not physically but mentally.
And the moment I stepped inside I stopped.
Singhaniya's were already there.
All of them.
My eyes quickly scanned the room. His dadi, his father, Seema chachi... everyone seated comfortably like they belonged here already.
Except Him.
My shoulders relaxed just a little. At least he wasn't here.
Seema chachi's gaze fell on me almost instantly. It moved from my face to my outfit. Jeans and a simple top but the expression she made was enough to say everything she didn't. Like I had committed a crime.
I ignored it.
Without reacting, I quietly started walking towards my room, hoping to disappear before anyone could stop me.
"Chahat, idhar aao beta." Dadi's voice.
(Come here, dear.)
I paused.
"I'll just..." I tried to excuse myself, but before I could finish, she reached out and gently pulled me towards the couch.
"Baitho yahan."
(Sit here.)
And just like that I was sitting beside her.
I exhaled softly, trying to focus on the conversation happening around me.
Pandit ji sat in front, flipping through his diary, discussing dates.
"Ek saal baad ka muhurat hai..."
(The next auspicious date is after a year.)
Too late.
"Phir aath mahine baad..."
(Then after eight months.)
Still far.
"Chhe mahine..."
(Six months.)
Mumma's face tightened slightly.
Then he said, "Sabse kareeb... teen hafte baad ka muhurat hai."
(The nearest auspicious date is three weeks from now.)
The room fell silent for a second.
Three weeks?
I glanced at Mumma, she looked unsure.
"Itni taiyaari karni hai... itni jaldi kaise hoga?" she said hesitantly.
(There's so much preparation to do... how will everything be managed so quickly?)
Papa, however, nodded calmly.
"Ho jayega. Manage kar lenge."
(It'll be done. We'll manage.)
And just like that the decision was made.
Three weeks.
Everything felt like it was moving too fast.
Too sudden.
But when I looked at Mukti di, she was smiling.
And somehow, that made everything feel... okay at least for a moment.
Sweets were brought out, boxes opened and laughter returned.
I reached for a piece of barfi, my fingers trembling slightly. Dadi made me eat sweets along with maa and papa.
I forced a smile, and took the sweet from the plate. "Dadi, aap..."
(Grandma, you...)
I stopped because when I turned, Dadi wasn't there but he was.
I hadn't even noticed when he came.
One moment, Dadi was in front of me, her hand outstretched for the sweet. The next, she was gone...moved aside, swept away in a wave of conversation.
And in her place stood him.
My breath hitched.
My hand froze in the air, the sweet still held between my fingers right in front of his lips.
For a second neither of us moved.
My heart began to race, faster and louder, my fingers trembling ever so slightly as I stood there, caught completely off guard.
But before I could react, before I could even understand what he was doing he reached for my wrist.
I looked at everyone they were busy in discussions.
And then, slowly he leaned in. His head dipped toward my hand. His lips parted slightly and he ate the sweet from my hand.
His mouth closed around the barfi, his lips brushing against my fingertips in a way that was far too intimate for a room full of people.
My pulse spiked violently. My breath caught in my throat. Every nerve in my body ignited as I felt the faintest brush of his lips against my skin...warm, soft and lingering.
He held my gaze the entire time. His eyes never left mine.
I pulled my hand back instantly, my heart pounding violently in my chest.
Heat rushed to my face but he didn't move or look away.
He straightened, chewing slowly, his gaze still fixed on me like he was deliberately dragging the moment longer than it should have been.
Like he wanted me to feel every second of it.
I swallowed hard, my eyes dropping for a moment before I forced myself to look away completely.
Because standing there under his gaze felt more dangerous than anything else.
"Haaan, Chahat..." Seema chachi's voice cut through the moment, laced with a teasing sweetness that felt anything but innocent. "Apne jiju ka muh meetha karao. Saali ho tum unki... sabse pehla haq tumhara hi banta hai."
(Yes, Chahat...Feed your brother-in-law something sweet. You're his sister-in-law, so you have the very first right.)
My heart dropped.
Jiju.
The word hit me harder than it should have.
"Arre..." Dadi stepped forward just then, her voice warm, unaware of the storm raging inside me. "Kartik beta, tumhari shaadi ki tareekh pakki ho gayi."
(Oh...Kartik, the wedding date has been finalized.)
He nodded calmly like nothing had just happened.
"Damad ji aap!"
(Son-in-law!)
Mumma's voice followed, cheerful and welcoming as she hurried towards him.
"Kab aaye aap? Humein pata hi nahi chala."
(When did you arrive? We didn't even notice.)
I swallowed hard, stepping slightly back, trying to create distance but it felt useless because even without touching me now I could still feel him.
And no matter how much I tried to steady myself my heartbeat refused to slow down.