(Week 3)
THE DAY:ENGAGEMENT
The engagement was set to take place at the temple-a tradition that both families cherished.We were all getting ready, excitement buzzing in the air. I wore a Blue half-saree, Mansi chose a bright yellow one, and, as usual, Vanya stuck to her signature style-a peach floral frock. She never wore traditional outfits, always opting for Western wear.
Once we were ready, we headed to Aadya's room. And there she was. Draped in a stunning green saree, she looked absolutely breathtaking.
"God, Aadya, you look gorgeous," I gushed.
"Seriously, our bride-to-be is killing it today," Mansi added, twirling a strand of her hair dramatically. After exchanging compliments and final checks, we stepped out to leave.
Someone Waiting outside, leaning against his car, was none other than Nihal-Arnav's best friend. And what was he wearing? The exact same color as Vanya. I bit my lip to hide my grin as Mansi and I nudged her.
"What's this, huh?" Mansi teased. "Matching outfits?"
"Matching my foot!" Vanya snapped, glaring at him.I stayed quiet, but the smirk playing on my lips must have given me away.
Vanya's eyes narrowed. "Indhu..." she said, her voice dangerously calm.
Uh-oh.
"My phone is ringing! Super important call-gotta take it!" I blurted out and turned away.
Aadya laughed. "Your phone didn't ring."
"Oh, it's on silent mode," I covered quickly.
"You...." Vanya shouted before charging at me.
"No..no!" I yelped, running for my life. Nihal watching us with an amused grin. I immediately ran toward him, using him as a shield.
"Help me, Nihal! Because of you, my friend is trying to kill me!" I pleaded dramatically.
He laughed. "And how exactly am I responsible?"
"You! I'll deal with you later!" I shot back, then, in a moment of pure genius, I shoved him right into Vanya. Nihal stumbled but quickly steadied himself-his arm instinctively wrapping around Vanya's waist.
Silence.
Everyone froze, including them.
I smirked, so proud of myself, and quickly snapped a photo of them. The camera click broke the moment.
Vanya jerked away, eyes blazing. "Delete. The. Photo."
"Nope," I grinned.
"Tell me you won't chase me or scold me, and I'll think about it," I bargained.
"If you don't delete it, I will kill you, Indhu," she warned.
From the side, Nihal smirked. "Send it to me, Indhu."
I gave him a deadpan look. "No way. You didn't even help me just now, so I'm keeping it and not sending it to you."
Before she could lunge at me again, Auntie's sharp voice cut through. "We're already late! Get in the car!"
We hurried inside. Aadya took the front seat while the three of us squeezed into the back. Vanya sat like an angry child, arms crossed. Nihal adjusted the rearview mirror-perfectly angled to see only Vanya.
Mansi and I exchanged a knowing glance, barely holding in our laughter.
"Nihal," Mansi sighed. "Eyes on the road, please. We really don't want to die like this."
Nihal smirked, tapping the steering wheel. "Don't worry. I'm a good driver..." He glanced at Vanya again through the mirror before adding with a teasing drawl, "Though, if I do crash, at least I'll have a good view before I go."
Vanya huffed, turning to stare out the window. "Then do us all a favor and focus so we don't have to suffer because of your stupidity."
Mansi and I burst into laughter while Nihal just grinned, clearly enjoying how riled up she was.
The way he kept sneaking glances at her? Yeah, we weren't so sure about his "good driver" claim.
After a short drive, we reached the temple. The venue was beautifully decorated, and the atmosphere was filled with prayers and anticipation. As we stepped onto the stage, we noticed something.
Vanya wasn't with us. And neither was Nihal. Mansi nudged me. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" I smirked.
"Oh, definitely." But we focused on the engagement.
Arnav stood at the altar, looking effortlessly handsome in his green traditional attire-perfectly matching Aadya. The rituals began, and soon, the couple exchanged rings.
And then, a small detail made me smile. Aadya wasn't wearing the ring her mother had chosen for her. She was wearing the one she had truly wanted. I looked at her, and she gave me a soft smile, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Somehow, despite all the pressure, she had still managed to make this day hers. After the ceremony, everyone mingled, chatting with relatives. But despite all the introductions, we still hadn't seen Arnav's brother.
For some reason, that fact nagged at me. I didn't know why, but I really wanted to see him. As my thoughts drifted, my gaze landed on Aadya and Arnav. They were sitting together, slightly apart from the crowd.
He was whispering something to her, his expression soft. She laughed, looking happier than I'd ever seen her.
I smiled. She had always been the one holding us together. Encouraging us. Supporting us.
Now, she had someone to do the same for her. And that?That made everything worth it.
I decided to interrupt them with a playful grin. "Ahem, sorry to crash your little romantic moment, lovebirds."
Arnav barely spared me a glance. "If you were really sorry, you'd turn around and walk away."
I clutched my chest dramatically. "Wow, Arnav, that hurt-fine, I'll leave and take my amazing presence elsewhere."
Aadya laughed. "Ignore him, he's just being mean."
I smirked before getting to the real reason I was here. "So, bro, where's your mysterious brother? He's been dodging us like a Bollywood hero avoiding family drama."
"Oh, he's busy with work. Won't make it to the engagement, but he'll be there for the wedding," Arnav said casually.
"Ohh, what does he do-"Before I could finish, Mansi grabbed my wrist, yanking me away.
"Come right now, you need to see this," she whispered with urgency.
Confused, I let her pull me, and the moment my eyes landed on the scene before me, I lost it. Nihal. Drenched. Soaked from head to toe. His wet hair was sticking to his forehead, his kurta completely ruined.
And Vanya? Standing a few feet away, looking like she absolutely had no regrets.
I burst out laughing. "Oh my god-what happened to you?!"
Nihal wiped water off his face with an exasperated sigh. "Her."
Vanya rolled her eyes. "He deserved it."
Mansi and I died laughing, but then Vanya's gaze snapped to us-specifically, me.
"Oh, you two think this is funny?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
Uh-oh.
She reached for a full jug of water.
"Oh, no, no, Vanya, let's not go there," I yelped, stepping backward. But before I could escape, Mansi threw me under the bus.
"Vanya, it's all her fault! She's the one who sent him the outfit pictures!"
MANSI.
I turned to her in betrayal. "You traitor!" But Vanya was already charging.
I bolted. As I ran for my life, I crashed straight into someone-a solid, warm chest.
Nihal.
Before I could move, he caught my wrists, twisting them behind my back, holding me firmly in place. My back was pressed against him, and he leaned down slightly.
"Going somewhere?" he asked with a smirk.
I groaned. "Nihal, really? Do you have to be this dramatic?"
He chuckled. "Oh, absolutely. If I got soaked, it's only fair that you do too. Sibling code."
"What sibling code?!" I yelled.
And just like that ice-cold water poured over us.
I gasped, shivering. "YOU LITTLE-"
Vanya smirked victoriously. "Now we're even."
I glared at Nihal. "I will deal with you later."
He just grinned. "Looking forward to it."
I shot a final glare at Vanya and muttered under my breath, You, Vanya... before stomping off to change. There was nothing I could even do-it was my fault for sending Nihal our outfit pictures.
At least this little water fight seemed to cool down her anger.
Once everything settled, the engagement wrapped up, and we all headed home. The day had been hectic-fun, chaotic, and utterly exhausting. The moment I reached my room, I didn't even bother with anything else.
Once I finally collapsed onto my bed, I grabbed my phone and quickly checked the experiment file Rishi had sent me this morning, an data needed my go-ahead on.. Just a small experiment to review, nothing major tonight.
"Looks like the polymer's behaving... for now," I muttered.
A quick glance at the data, a few notes jotted down, and I finally let myself relax.
I pulled my phone back out, scrolled mindlessly before pulling up my comfort series.
Finally-peace. My bed, my show, and no more running for my life.
🥀
"Some days look perfect on the outside, but inside, hearts are bracing for things they're not ready to face"
AUTHOR NOTE:
That's it for now...see you in the next chapter, where things only get messier.
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