The Storm We Started

17| Shaam-e-mehfil

"Gulnaz stop fidgeting! It's unfolding for the third time." Her mother, Jaspreet scolded her.

"Mom, this is so uncomfortable. The blouse is itchy." Gulnaz whined, still fidgeting trying to set the blouse right to make it stop itching.

"It's you who wanted to wear a saree. Now deal with it." Jaspreet snapped.

She bent down to make the folds of the saree. Once it was done she pinned it with a safety pin and tucked it inside gulnaz's petticoat. She picked the loose end of the saree and draped it across her chest and shoulder. It sensually and gracefully covered the midriff and her bosoms.

It was a light blue simple saree of Jaspreet and gulnaz wore her own white sleeveless blouse. The wide straps adorned her neck gracefully.

Jaspreet made her wear hanging pearl earrings. Gulnaz applied kohl in her eyes, making her face appear bold and elegant. She tinted her lips pink and  placed a small light blue bindi between her eyebrows.

"Haaye, my baby girl has grown up so beautiful." Jaspreet adored her face with small kisses on her cheeks and forehead. Gulnaz scrunched her face, acting as if she's hating her mother's kisses. Jaspreet kept giving her kisses until Gulnaz gave in and smiled brightly at her.

"Hope you don't get the nazar." Jaspreet said while taking a small tint of kajal from her eyes and applying to her daughter's neck.

Gulnaz let her long black hair flow down her waist. She wanted to wear a saree since she hadn't got the chance to wear one after so long.

"When will Atharv come?" Gulnaz asked

"He'll be here soon." Her mother replied while giving her white golden sandals to Naz.

That's when the doorbell rang. "Oh he's here."

Gulnaz went downstairs to see her father and Atharv talking. Gulnaz greeted Atharv with a smile and bid goodbye to her parents.

Both walked towards the car as they sat inside. Atharv started driving away to the event place.

"You look nice. That saree is suiting on you." He complimented.

"Thank you, Atharv."

Gulnaz observed him. He wore a white shirt with a cream coloured pants. She noticed his skin was too pale as if he's sick unlike shoaib, who had a light tan on his body.

Gulnaz didn't find Atharv attractive. Sure he was fine but she noticed he only looked good because he has pale white skin. His features weren't as handsome as shoaib.

Even the way of his talking wasn't as good as shoaib. Atharv looked socially awkward while shoaib has a charm which can lit up anyone's mood.

When Gulnaz realised that she had been comparing every man she met to shoaib, she immediately scolded herself. She needed to stop this. She can't keep comparing shoaib to every man. It was bad. She needed to move on from him.

After a while they reached their destination. Gulnaz took hold of her saree and got outside the car as Atharv too got outside.

"So when did you got an interest in poetry?" He asked trying to converse with her.

"Um just a while ago. When I joined the club." She answered while looking around the ground to see the decorations and lights.

"That's nice. Do you like something particular in poetry?" He asked again.

Gulnaz licked her lips, "Not really. You know what I actually don't like poetry. I only go to these meetings because I was forced to."

She wanted him to stop talking. With her mood swings and heartache because of shoaib, she had been annoyed and snappy.