The Bucket List

Chapter-36

Raina has planned a simple wedding for herself and I'm not surprised. It's elegant and stylish. The alley was decorated with red flowers and lights to welcome the groom. The aisle was set facing rows of white chairs, people sat in traditional clothes and jewelry to observe the ceremony.

"You look beautiful in that outfit", Karthik gazed at me for a longer period, and a thin beautiful smile plays on his lips. He glowed in his black sherwani.

I am wearing a silver lehenga with a black dupatta across my arm. "Thank you."

"I saved us seats in the front row, I'll go see if the guests are being taken good care of." He kisses me on the cheek.

"Okay."

Karan and Keerthi are sitting in the row beside us. They look good together. I might have not said or even thought about it a few months ago. It has become casual now.

You are damn evolved you know?

Karthik's mom and dad attend the groom. He's tall, skinny, and has a lot of beards. No judgments on choices. Strictly.

The ceremonies begin and the bride takes her entry. Karthik is by her side all the time like a good and sincere younger brother. His eyes may even be a little watery. Raina looks pretty in her red bridal wear. Her mom and dad take their position behind the bride and groom. They are equally emotional.

Karthik sits beside me. He frowns seeing Karan. "Why the fuck is he even here?"

"Well, he is a part of your family so eventually."

He turns in disgust. Karan mutually looks at him.

"A traditional wedding", I say.

"Mother is keen on protecting the tradition. A short one", he says simply.

"I like it. Small, family and friends. I want the same wedding", I rest my head on his shoulder.

He chuckles. "Why not?"

"Don't you believe in it?"

He shakes his head.

I distance myself from him. "Why?" I ask.

"It is just a charade – I mean why do people indulge in such facades when they know the ending is gonna be painful", he says slowly. And stares at the aisle as the bride garlands the groom.

"Not every relationship is the same. Not everyone is the same", I say pushing further when I don't know why am I pushing him? Maybe my mind might have imagined a future with him.

"And how does one know that it's not the same? There is no guarantee."

My heart clenches painfully.

We observe the wedding in silence.

"Will you marry me?" He asks all of a sudden and my heart races.

"That's a million dollar question."

"Still", he pressurizes with an expression of an arrogant boss tricking his employee.

"Depends on how well you treat me", I say with equal fervor.

The ceremony lasts for two and a half hours.

Thinking it would better be for the family and bride to be together before she leaves, I and Dhriti leave for dinner along with other guests.

"It was amazing wasn't it?" she asks.

"Yep. Very."

"Is something off with you?"

"No, I'm fine."

We walk through the beautiful garden around the banquet hall holding our drinks and listening to these chilly winter months. I should have brought a jacket or shawl. I pull my dupatta around me.

She pulls her right arm around me in a buddy-side hug. I missed it. "You know there is a crazy consideration in my head. I don't know how you'll react to it", she says laughing.

"What?" I pressurize, "Tell me."

"What if both of ours", she motions towards me and her, "dating life lasts with the same person and we jump to the next level. You know what that'll make us."

"Yeah. Don't say it out loud." I giggle. "Besides I don't think mine is ever gonna last forever."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I'm fine", I say. "You know it's just the girls every time that worries about their relationship, the guys." I shake my head. I can't believe I'm really talking about guy problems.

"Well they care but not as much as we do?" she agrees. "They even hide some things."

"They do. But why do you say so?"

"I still don't know what exactly happened between you two. And I think I deserve to know that."

"He never told you?"

She lets go of my shoulder and I tense up. We have walked far away from the loud crowd and gathering and now we are standing beside a flower bed. "He didn't."

I'm not surprised. Of course, he didn't tell her because he wanted to protect his relationship. "Do you want me to tell you?" I warn because if it fucks things up with your boyfriend, my mended friendships will go forever this time.

"Yes."

"I had feelings for him", there I said it but she wasn't surprised. She knew it deep down or maybe she believes she has the boy with whom anyone can fall in love. Either way that helped me go further. "We kissed and it was then when he told us we were just meant to be good friends. Best friends. he wanted me to pretend that it never happened, we had a heating conversation and that is what after we stopped talking."

It was easier for me to talk about it but it wasn't easier for her to listen. I predicted that. She turns her face away; may be trying to process. "That's a long time ago. Long time before you both got together."

"What do you think about us?"

"You and him? That you make a great couple. Well, I might not know him more than you but I know enough. He is serious about this." I hope that is reassuring.

"Thanks. I know. It feels good to be with him. I craved for something that would pull me out of my own darkness, and I would never lose him."

"Are we good?"

"Yes. Always." She says.

We walk back to the wedding area and we are confronted with a huge crowd. The wait is that a ...fight? Before I can ask her what was going on, she was already running towards it holding her dress up. It was happening in slow motion but it was happening.

Listening to the grunts and punching sounds I was running to.

"Karthik no! Stop! Let go of him." I screamed. He doesn't listen. Why won't he listen to me? His fist continued to crash with Karan's jaw. He was bleeding.

Dhriti was crying and she was trying to stop them as much as I was. Guys, please stop.

Their mom and dad ran towards us. "Stop! What are you doing? Have you gotten insane?" they scream.

Karan drags Karthik by his collar and pushes him over the table where he is gain dominated by him.

"Enough!" I pushed Karthik off him or at least I tried to because he was way too stronger. But he never realized it was me who pushed him because he returned with another punch that luckily didn't collide with me. "It's me!" I flinched and he stopped as he looked at me. His eyes start to fill with guilt and shame but I didn't have enough time for him.

I ran to Karan as he fell to the ground. He was shedding blood and slowly drifting to unconsciousness. I sobbed. "You're gonna be fine." His eyes had blue and black circles around them but now it wasn't the time to notice all of it. Dhriti rushes to us and so do his parents. "He needs a doctor!"

I went along with him.

And Karthik wasn't anywhere to be seen.