-17-
It was a slightly better day than usual.
The sky was overcast with black clouds hanging low, promising an imminent downpour.
A cool breeze swept through the air, carrying with it the earthy aroma that marked the start of rain.
Jayasvi leaned on her balcony railing, smiling dreamily as she watched the clouds.
She loved the smell of rain, the way it transformed the air, making everything feel fresh and new.
Today, however, she was excited for another reason.
Her cousin sister's wedding from her father's side was approaching, and she couldn't wait to immerse herself in the celebrations.
Weddings were always a grand affair in her family, filled with vibrant rituals, delicious food, and the chance to dress up.
Jayasvi especially loved wearing lehengas, and this wedding was the perfect opportunity to buy new ones.
She had been pestering her mother to go shopping, eager to explore the latest trends and pick out the most beautiful outfits.
However, her mother had been denying her requests, insisting they had enough time and shouldn't rush.
Jayasvi sighed, a bit disappointed, but still hopeful that she would soon get her chance to shop.
Adding to her excitement was the upcoming farewell party at her college.
She needed to buy two sarees: one for the farewell itself and another for the dinner night that her college traditionally hosted to bid goodbye to the graduating students.
The thought of dressing up in elegant sarees and celebrating the end of an era with her friends made her heart race with anticipation.
As she stood on the balcony, lost in her thoughts, she noticed the sky darkening further.
The first few drops of rain began to fall, and she closed her eyes, savoring the cool sensation on her skin.
The rain always brought her a sense of calm and happiness, washing away her worries and filling her with a renewed sense of hope.
Back inside, the house was buzzing with activity.
Her mother was in the kitchen making pakoras and tea for everyone, while her father and grandmother were watching the news about the crops getting ruined because of the untimely rain.
The prime minister spoke about helping the farmers by giving them incentives, but everyone knew how hollow those promises could be.
Regardless of who was in power, it was always the poor who suffered.
Political leaders would only become active in social work when elections approached; the rest of the time, they seemed indifferent.
She sighed knowing nothing could make a difference no matter what one does. She decided to make one more attempt to convince her mother about the shopping trip. She found her in the kitchen, peeling some potatoes.
"Ma, please can we go shopping today? I really need to buy those lehengas for the wedding and sarees for the farewell," Jayasvi pleaded, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Her mother looked up from her cooking, a soft smile on her face. "Beta, we will go shopping, but not today. There's still time, and I want to make sure we buy the best. Let's wait for the weekend, alright?"
Jayasvi sighed but nodded, knowing her mother had a point. She could wait a little longer if it meant getting the perfect outfits. The rain outside intensified, and she returned to the balcony, letting the cool breeze and rhythmic patter of raindrops lift her spirits.
Just then, her phone buzzed. She sighed, looking at the caller ID. It was Aahan. She knew she had been rude to him by just hanging up, and she should apologize for not contacting him sooner.
"Hey," she spoke softly, gazing into the distance.
"You okay? I thought you wouldn't pick up," Aahan said, his voice laced with concern. Jayasvi appreciated how caring he sounded, even though he mentioned helping his father with his business these days.
"I'm sorry. Life has been eventful. It completely slipped my mind to call you," she said, feeling guilty. Aahan had always been there to talk when she needed him, and she felt bad for being so neglectful.
"Hey, it's okay. I understand. You have a wedding coming up, after all," Aahan said jokingly, but Jayasvi was taken aback. How did he know about her engagement? She clearly remembered it was supposed to be a secret for security reasons, as instructed by Gajraaj sir.
"W... What do you mean?" Jayasvi asked, worry lines forming on her forehead.
"I mean your cousin, stupid. Why are you acting scared? It's not like you're getting married soon," Aahan said, laughing at his own words. Jayasvi laughed nervously, still feeling anxious.
"Sir, you have to attend this meeting," someone said in the background.
"Hey, you can go. Work comes first," Jayasvi said softly.
"After so many days, I finally get to hear your sweet voice, and these people have to disturb me," he grumbled, making Jayasvi smile. He was so good at flirting that it seemed like he was into her, but she knew he thought of her as just a friend. Oh, how wrong she was.
"Go. I'll talk to you later," Jayasvi said.
"Okay, I'll talk to you later," he replied, hanging up. He was about to get up when he remembered something.
"Mr. Kashyap, I want you to get the background knowledge of Kusha bhabhi's sister and her fiancé," Aahan instructed, smirking to himself.
He was sure that with this information, he could win Jayasvi over.
Her voice was literally melting sweetly in his ears.
He could literally imagine how she'll scream under him.
Her soft skin would feel so soft to touch.
Her eyes rolling back as he'll finish inside her and have her cum all over his hardness.
"Sir, the meeting," Gautam Kashyap reminded him, seeing Aahan's distracted smile.
"Yes, yes, coming. You go and check the preparations first," Aahan said, trying to focus.
He was aroused and found it difficult to stand up at that moment.
"Damn you, Jayasvi. Even the thought of you does this to me.
You'll be so gone when I have you all to myself, doing everything I wish with you, making you enjoy every moment of it. "
Stop it, Aahan. If you keep thinking like this, you won't be able to attend the meeting. He told himself, taking deep breaths and wiping the sweat off his forehead in the air-conditioned room.
Jayasvi looked into the distance, reflecting on her life recently. She missed Raghav so much but knew he would message her whenever he was free. She didn't want to trouble him or appear clingy. She felt lucky to have someone like him in her life.
A month passed with Jayasvi studying more seriously as the wedding coincided with her entrance exams for her master's program.
She was nervous about the exams, prompting her to focus intensely on her studies.
She was thankful for being diligent this year in completing her assignments, unlike her classmates who were now asking for her help.
It was 10 a.m. when she woke up. She had fallen asleep at 2 in the morning.
Her conversations with Raghav were now limited to good morning and good night messages as she spent most of her time solving previous years' exam papers.
In the initial part, she was too paranoid how he just gave her so much space suddenly but he was her Mr. Perfect.
He was just always so understanding. Tomorrow was her exam, followed by her sister's mehendi ceremony. It would be a tiring day.
Everyone expected Jayasvi to be the next to get married after her sister, so she had to visit the temple with her sister tomorrow.
Her mother had already asked her to match her jewelry with her dress since there would be no time to do so tomorrow.
Today, she also had to go to the parlor.
She felt nervous with so much happening on the same day.
She quickly took a shower, had her breakfast, and started studying. In the evening, she went to the parlor with her mother to get her eyebrows done. After returning, her mother helped her with waxing since she was too shy to get it done at the parlor.
By the time they were finished, it was already 8 p.m. Jayasvi felt overwhelmed, like she had forgotten everything she studied. All she wanted to do was cry. Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Raghav. Without thinking, she called him.
"Hey, all set for the exam?" she heard his calm, deep voice from the other side.
"I forgot everything," she mumbled as tears started falling. She didn't know why she was crying, but it felt good to release the tension.
"You don't have to stress. You did your hard work; you'll get whatever is best for you," he spoke softly. She hummed, her throat tight as she cried silently.
"Jayasvi, don't act like a child. Even if you don't do well, you'll have other options, like working and gaining professional experience. That's important in today's world," he said in a slightly rough tone.
"You should say I'll excel in the exam. What the hell are you saying?" Jayasvi cried, hiding her face in the pillow, soaking it with her tears.
"That's exactly what I said first. Why are you so irritated? Just crying without any reason," he responded, his voice higher this time.
"You are so bad. I don't want to talk to you. Bye," she hung up, crying harder when her mother entered the room.
"Why are you crying?" Anjali asked.
"I don't know what I'll do tomorrow. I worked so hard for it," Jayasvi cried as her mother sat beside her. Jayasvi buried her face in her mother's lap while Anjali caressed her hair softly.
"You did your hard work. Now stop worrying. You know everything necessary. Everything will turn out in your best interest. Crying like this won't help. You shouldn't cry at night; it's not good for you," Anjali said, slightly scolding her.
Jayasvi sniffled, trying to calm down. Her mother's comforting presence was helping, even if just a little.
"Okay, Mumma. I'll try not to worry so much," she said, her voice still shaky.
"Good. Now, get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow," Anjali advised, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving the room.
Jayasvi lay down, her mind still racing but feeling a bit more at ease. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing, eventually drifting off into a restless sleep.
Jayasvi woke up at around 5:30 the next day and did her revision for the exam.
At around 7:30, she took a bath and started getting ready to leave for her exam center.
The exam hall was filled with students, each lost in their own world of last-minute revisions and silent prayers.
Jayasvi found her seat and took a deep breath.
As the exam began, she felt a wave of calmness wash over her.
The questions seemed manageable, and she worked through them methodically.
After the exam, she felt a sense of relief. She wasn't sure how she had done, but she knew she had given it her best. She quickly left the hall and headed home.
Her mother asked her about her exam before urging her to get ready quickly. Anjali was feeding her daughter while she was getting ready in a dark green Anarkali suit. Once she was done with her makeup, Anjali braided her hair beautifully in a front braid, leaving the back hair open.
"Ma, I'll not be able to handle them," Jayasvi pouted, but her mother glared at her. They heard a horn outside, indicating that Jayasvi needed to leave since she had to go to the temple first.
She wore her jutti before running outside, saying bye to her mother. Outside, she found her Tauji (uncle) along with her cousin brother, Ashutosh, and her cousin sister, Shikha. She wished everyone namaste before settling beside Shikha, smiling softly at her.
They reached the temple and performed all the ceremonies.
Shikha told her father that it would take them some time to complete the rituals, suggesting he could handle other tasks.
Jayasvi found it odd, sensing that Shikha was pushing them to leave.
She shrugged it off, knowing it wasn't her place to say anything.
She started praying in the temple with her dupatta on her head and her hands joined.
It wasn't long before she felt a presence beside her. She immediately moved aside, looking at the person standing too close to her.
"Aahan," she spoke, shocked at his sudden presence, her hand over her chest.
"Hey," he waved at her, smiling softly.
"You scared me," she said, shaking her head and looking around for any trace of Shikha.
"You looked gorgeous", she was taken aback with his sudden compliment which didn't exactly seem friendly at the moment. She always hated it when any male would compliment her. It would just make her uncomfortable. She started looking around to find Shikha.
She noticed Shikha close to someone. Who was he? She wondered.
"He's her fiancé," Aahan answered her unspoken question, looking in the direction her eyes were.
"How do you know?" Jayasvi asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Let's just say, he's a close friend," Aahan replied, winking at her. Jayasvi shook her head at his act. Everyone around her seemed connected to him in some way. She noticed he was dressed in a white t-shirt and denim. But why was he even here? She questioned.
"Why are you here, Aahan?" Jayasvi asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I came with Vikram. He wanted to see Shikha before the mehendi ceremony," Aahan explained, gesturing towards Shikha and Vikram, who were engrossed in a private conversation.
"Oh," Jayasvi responded, processing the information. She felt a mix of emotions—curiosity about Vikram and a lingering unease about Aahan's sudden appearance. Something wasn't right.
"Everything okay?" Aahan asked, noticing her contemplative expression.
"Yes, just a lot on my mind," she replied, forcing a smile. "How do you know Vikram?"
"We went to college together. He's a good friend," Aahan said casually, but Jayasvi felt there was more to the story.
"Jayasvi, come here for a moment," Shikha called, breaking her thoughts. Jayasvi excused herself from Aahan and walked towards her sister. Aahan followed her behind casually his hand in his pocket.
"What's up?" she asked Shikha, who looked a bit nervous.
"Just wanted to introduce you to Vikram properly," Shikha said, taking her hand and leading her to Vikram.
"Hi, I'm Vikram," he said warmly, smiling in her direction.
"Hi, I'm Jayasvi," she replied, smiled back at him. She noticed him wearing a light blue colour shirt and black pants. He seemed nice enough, but Jayasvi couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off.
She could feel Aahan's eyes on her. She would politely smile back when all she needed was to run away from this group.
Soon her cousin came to pick them up which made Shikha excuse themselves.
Jayasvi smiled softly at them before taking quick steps away from them wanting to leave as soon as possible.
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