𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 ：𝑬𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎 𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂 ✓

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘐. 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦!!??

Manjari's POV;

The morning air was warm as I stirred awake, my drowsiness fading when a knock echoed at my door. I blinked several times, wondering who it could be at this hour.

Pushing aside the remnants of sleep, I sat up and realized I was still dressed in the kurta from yesterday. Without wasting another second, I hurried to the door, grabbing my dupatta from the chair and draping it over my shoulders.

Letting out a sigh, I pulled the door open-only to be greeted by Gauri, her face beaming with excitement.

I barely had a moment to react before she seized my hand and tugged me inside, shutting the door behind her. Before I could even question what was happening, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

Confusion clouded my mind. What was going on? Had something happened? My thoughts were a tangled mess, but before I could voice them, Gauri stepped back, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Aankhein band kar," she instructed, a playful urgency in her tone.

{Close your eyes.}

I frowned, narrowing my eyes. "Kya?"

{What?}

She let out an exasperated sigh, repeating with more insistence, "Arey, aankhein band kar!"

{Hey, just close your eyes}

I folded my arms, still not convinced. "Par kyun?"

{But why?}

Throwing her hands up, she shut her eyes dramatically before groaning, "Arre, kar na!"

{Oh, just do it!}

With a reluctant sigh, I finally gave in, pressing my palms over my eyes. I could hear her moving behind me, shuffling things around. My curiosity got the best of me, and I tried sneaking a peek through my fingers-

"Aye, dekhna mat!" she scolded, catching me red-handed.

{Hey, no peeking!}

Ugh! She was too sharp. I sighed in defeat and kept my hands firmly in place.

A moment later, I heard her footsteps approaching. My impatience grew, and I asked, "Ab khol sakti hoon?"

{Can I open them now?}

"Haan, haan! Jaldi khol!"

{Yes, yes! Open them quickly!}

Slowly, I lowered my hands and blinked at the sight before me. My gaze landed on something placed neatly on my bed. From the corner of my eye, I could see Gauri practically bouncing in excitement.

As I stepped closer, my curiosity deepened. It wasn't a saree, nor was it a kurta... then what was it? I reached out, picking up the fabric. It was incredibly soft to the touch, a brilliant shade of red adorned with delicate white polka dots.

Glancing to the side, I noticed a matching hat resting nearby, and beside it-a piece of white cloth shaped almost like a hand. No, wait... was that a glove?

I turned to Gauri, who was now grinning ear to ear.

Just what had she planned for me?