The Almost Bride (Part 1 of The Broken hearted of the Hill View Garden Maze)

Prologue

Mira's almost Wedding Day

Tears tracked down her immaculately done up face as she tried to make sense of how her wedding day had ended up with her hiding out at Hill View Resorts beautiful garden maze. Her  designer lehenga feeling like a million pounds, her carefully picked jewelry burning hot against her skin, the intricate henna on her hands mocking the disaster her wedding had become. 

Her  phone kept ringing, probably her parents and her friends calling to check where she was, she couldn't bare to face them with the humiliation of being left at the altar burning hot. 

Mira couldn't believe this was happening to her, this kind of stuff happened in movies not in real life. A small voice in her head  asked why she was surprised, she knew something was wrong when Rishi had asked to meet her the night before, she was the one who glossed over the clear signs of upcoming doom. 

Could all of this heartache have been avoided if she had taken off the rose tinted glasses of her blessed life for a second and looked at the truth that has in front of her all along? 

Her phone blared the cheery song which now made her ears sting , fueled with an unknown burst of manic energy Mira threw her phone against the thick bushes crying out in frustrated despair. 

"I am guessing this is either a runaway bride situation or a jilted bride situation?" , said a sardonic voice from behind her. 

Mira looked up from her crouched state in surprise, her face suffusing with an embarrassed blush as she realized she wasn't alone at the heart of the garden maze. 

In the far corner of the garden maze, three women sat on the grass in various states of ruined tear streaked make up. One glance was enough for Mira to understand she wasn't alone in her heartbreak, these three were on the same boat as her in some way or the other. 

Mira found the energy to get up and cross the length and sit next to the girls hoping to bear some semblance of strength as she spoke in an almost even voice, "Jilted bride situation actually."  

"Welcome to the club of the Broken hearted of the Hill View Garden Maze!  I am Riya. I just crashed my ex's engagement party.", said the girl who had spoken earlier. She wore battered jeans and a tank top that had seen better days, her eyes red her face puffy. While her voice seemed flat and tone mocking, the pain in her eyes spoke volumes. Mira felt a kinship to her she couldn't define.

" And I am Noori, I just found out my career and life as I know is now over." , said the girl next to Riya with an humorless laugh. She sat hugging her knees as if trying to holding on to whatever little strength she could muster. Mira immediately knew Noori hid pain far more deep then she could begin to fathom, her own pain dulling as she saw the emptiness on Noori's face. 

Mira shifted her gaze on to the third girl expecting her to share her heartbreak but the girl just shrugged saying, " I am Jasmine and I am Unlovable!" 

Mira blinked in surprise as Jasmine spelt out what Mira had been feeling for the past  two hours. 

"See you aren't alone in your heartbreak, all of us are broken hearted in our own ways. Let's swap stories over a drink or two?", said Jasmine softly  reaching out to pat Mira's knee. 

Mira smiled and nodded knowing the three girls were offering not just a safe haven to nurse her wounds but also escape the chaos of her almost wedding. 

~*~

Mira breathed in the smell of fries and ketchup as soon as she entered McDonald's.

"Jasmine, When you mentioned getting a drink I thought you meant alcohol. Taking an Uber to the closest McDonald's for milkshakes wasn't on my mind" , Riya remarked wryly.

"The iced coffee here is on 'Buy one Get one' if you have the app.", Jasmine said as if it answered everything.

"I wouldn't mind a burger and some cheesy fries to be honest.", Noori laughs.

"One would assume, after being left at the alter I wouldn't be able to stomach the idea of food and would probably be too full of humiliation to eat anything. But I wouldn't mind a cheesy fries and a chocolate milkshake either."

"See Riya, Nothing heals the way McDonalds does!", Jasmine laughs triumphantly.

They looked positively outrageous tucked into a booth digging into their burgers, all of them trying to avoid whatever hurt was on their mind.

Mira finally broke they comfortable silence, "As much as I enjoy sharing fries and discounted iced coffee with strangers I meet in garden mazes, I would like to thank you all for getting me out of Hill View Resort. I felt trapped and heartbroken and didn't know where to go after the day I have had."

"I guess we all have had rough days.", Noori said with a shrug.

"Should we talk about our grievances? Like they do in a support group?", Jasmine asked.

"Oh god no! I do not want to rehash the humiliation and heartache again!" Riya exclaimed as Noori agreed nodding along.

"So we just sit and stuff our faces with fries and go our own ways?", Mira asked confused.

"I guess? what else do you suggest?" , Noori shrugs tossing a fry in the air and catching it with her mouth.

"I suggest we keep meeting each other for fries and milkshakes at the garden maze at Hill View. Primarily to check on each other to see if we are okay or not. I can't explain it but I feel a weird kinship to you all. And to be honest you all look like you want to kill yourself and I just want to ensure you all don't.", Jasmine said laughingly.

Jasmine hadn't said a serious word since they met but Mira felt like she was hiding a world of pain, probably the worst of the lot.

"I doubt the super exclusive Hill View Resort would appreciate fast food on their premises, though." Riya said.

"Let me worry about that Riya! So what do you say, are you all in?" Jasmine asks her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Yeah , It would be nice to have friends for a change. ", Noori says still tossing fries and catching it in her mouth.

"Sure, I could always ghost you sad bitches in case you all bore me with sob fests!", Riya says rolling her eyes.

"Yes, I feel like I might need a solid friend group supporting me in the months to come." , Mira agrees. 

What had started off as the happiest day of her life had progressively gone to shit, but Mira had a feeling all of this was just the beginning.  

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