CBG#1 CHASING HER (UNDERGOING EDITING)

Chp:-26 Normal (EDITED)

NATASHA ALIA SINGHANIA

I chose a half-sleeved short kurti paired with jeans for the Mehendi ceremony. My hair was tied in a high ponytail, adorned with jhumkas. Today's celebration was split between our ancestral home and the venue. The home event was exclusive, including the Singhanias, Raichands, Oberois, Tanejas, Patels, Chaturvedis, Raizaadas, Hindujas, Goels, Mehras, Bhatts, and other close friends of the bride and groom.

As I descended the stairs, I spotted Aashi dee and Kriti dee engrossed in getting their Mehendi applied. Nisha bhabhi had finished, sharing an adorable moment with Nikhil bhai and Vivaan. A pang of yearning for a happy family hit me, but I reminded myself that my time would come after progressing in my career and pursuing a master's in Architecture. At 24, I had plans to fulfill before starting a family.

Greeting everyone, I approached the group of boys, including Abhinav, Abhishek, Ishaan, Nirav, Randheer, Adheer, Aarav bhai, Karan bhai, Gautam bhai, Nikhil bhai, Siddharth, Samar, Kabir, Soham jeeju, Rohit, and his elder brother Ritwik. They were deeply engrossed in discussions and laughter.

Curious, I asked, "By the way, how come there are only 13 of you? Who's missing?"

Ishaan teased, "I thought you would know, Alia." Laughter erupted, and I shot them a glare.

In a bored tone, I questioned, "Fine, have you seen Mr. Dumbass RD Raichand anywhere?"

Nirav replied, "He went outside to take a business call. You can go out to meet him if you want."

I waved off the idea, replying, "No, I was just curious. Let him be."

Kabir asked, "Are you pissed at him?"

I gulped nervously, responding, "No, no, I'm not."

Suddenly, Divya appeared and pulled me away, exclaiming, "Come, Alia, you have to apply Mehendi." I was dragged before I could protest.

The Mehendi artists began their work while my eyes searched for one person. Where had he disappeared? I soon spotted Rohan, attending to Urvashi. They shared moments—Mehendi application, feeding each other starters. A knot of jealousy tightened within me, but I wiped away any tears that threatened to fall.

Feeling thirsty, I hoped for water. Rohan eventually approached me.

He offered, "I'm at your service. Do you need anything, my love?"

I hesitated, "Nothing."

One of the Mehendi artists chimed in, "Ma'am, you've been asking for water for an hour. Now you're saying you don't want anything."

Rohan rushed to get me water, returning with a 1-liter bottle and a glass. I nearly finished the entire bottle.

"Thanks, Rohan," I uttered.

Concerned, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

Claiming I was fine, I said, "It's okay. You go and have fun." In reality, I was starving.

Rohan refused to believe my claim, stating, "You're a liar. Wait, I'll get you some food. I'm going to feed you today."

It struck me how well Rohan understood me. I instructed the Mehendi artists to inscribe RDR on both of my hands.

Rohan returned with one of my favorite dishes, Dal Makhani and Rice, along with fresh salad. He insisted on feeding me, expressing, "I'm going to feed you today."

How did Rohan grasp my emotions so accurately?

As the artists completed my Mehendi application after an hour and a half, I removed it and applied Vicks balm for a vibrant color. Hours later, the Mehendi had darkened considerably. Ayesha, Sanya, Riya, Kriti dee, Navya, Divya, Samaira, Dakshita, Mihika, and Nisha bhabhi gathered.