Wilted Petals

Chapter 25: Mubarak and Mabrook

I stare in the mirror to make sure that I look as good as I possibly can. After all, the last thing that I want is to go to my best friend's wedding and look like I crawled straight out of a dumpster.

The green anarkali that I'm wearing gives off an intense aura that I only hope my winged eyeliner can match. Sitting on my neck and right above the dupatta that's draped over my shoulders is my necklace. The rubies embedded in it glitter gently in the light, along with the red bangles rattling on my wrists. The maang tikka resting on my forehead attempts to match the necklace with the rubies embedded in it. My naturally wave hair is sleek, straight, and parted to the right. I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear to let my earrings dangle without getting caught in it.

I press my lips, now with dark red lipstick shimmering on it, together and check the time to make sure I'm not running late in the slightest. "4:59," the clock reads, and I heave out a sigh of relief. "Cool, I'm a little bit early." I grab my phone in case there's any unchecked messages, and when there isn't, I know that we're doing good. Showtime, I think to myself, as I grab my keys and head out the door.

******

I'm at Jen's parents' house, and now I'm ready to see her and make sure that she looks nothing less than a glowing goddess on her wedding day. I can already predict Anwar in his sherwani looking like he waltzed straight out of the nizam's palace.

But before I can predict the complete picture, the door opens for me to be greeted by Hiba and Mallika. They both glow from the pure amount of smiles stretching across their faces, and Mallika looks no different than she did at her own wedding reception. "Jaya, come in! Sakina is also inside. Jen may need a little bit of help when it comes to assembling."

I shake my head, as I know that won't be any bit of a problem. If I can deal with patients and their life threatening conditions on a daily basis, then I think I can help my best friend with any sort of wedding day problems she may be dealt with.

I follow Hiba and Mallika and as I inch up the stairs, I can hear the faint sound of giggling and two distinct voices chatting amongst each other. Must be Sakina and Jen, I think to myself. At the top of the staircase, I swiftly turn on my heel to enter Jen's room.

When I start to enter, my eyes lay on Jen and my jaw plummets to the ground. Her eyes are fixated on her shoes, which help me to show the intense eyeshadow that is smoked around her eyelids, which is matched by a bold red lip color. Her chestnut hair is formed into giant, bouncy curls that hang below her shoulders and add more dimension to the whole look.

A bright white crown rests on her head, which is fitting for the queen she is, as a ruby studded jhoomar tikka embellishes her left temple. Her white wedding dress shimmers differently with each movement, and is like someone bottled up moonlight and all the stars in the galaxy and weaved it into the fabric. The dress itself gently hugs her torso and flows out at the end, adding to the regal effect, with a glimmering silver necklace to match the moon like aura of her look.

As I'm standing there gaping like an idiot, Jen looks up. Her eyes light up enough to match the shine of her dress, and the smile that stretches on her face is somehow more radiant than the dress. "Jaya, you're here!" she squeals excitedly, as she outstretches her arms to beckon for me to come over.

A similarly radiant smile glows on my face, as I almost bolt over to her side. I gently wrap my arms around her so that I don't mess up any of the perfection surrounding her look, and she reciprocates the hug. "You look like a goddess, Jen. I feel so old right now!"

Jen lets out a child-like giggle, as she gives me a nod. "It feels like a fever dream. It's cheesy, but I can't believe I'm getting married." I shake my head.