𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

Chapter 10 - Temple visit

Tiara's Pov

The past week had been a whirlwind of activity, with wedding preparations in full swing. Aunty made sure I met everyone there, including Dhruv, and I found myself enjoying their company. She also made sure I call them whatever Shruti refer to them as. They were genuinely kind-hearted individuals, and I felt a sense of warmth towards them. However, as more guests arrived, I couldn't shake off the growing sense of anxiety. Being around so many new people triggered my social anxiety. However, here I sought solace in the quiet of my room, immersed in my book and lost in my thoughts.

Suddenly, Shruti burst into my room saying, "Come to my room," she blurted out, "I need to pick something to wear for our visit to the temple and we'll also be meeting Dhruv's fiance, remember?" Without hesitation, I agreed, "Oh yes, let's go." Following her to her room, we began sifting through her wardrobe, searching for the perfect outfit. When I spotted a beautiful yellow dress, I suggested, "Why not wear this? It will look really pretty on you."

Shruti agreed but then insisted, "You should wear yellow too." Puzzled, I asked, "Why?" She simply replied, "I don't know, it'll be fun. We're best friends, after all, and we should match." Excited at her reasoning, I replied, "Alright, it will be fun."

After helping Shruti choose her outfit, I asked her to come to my room and assist me with mine. As we entered my room, I couldn't help but notice the two dresses I had bought during the chaotic week of wedding preparations. Despite my initial reluctance and repeated refusals, aunty had somehow managed to sneak in another dress for me.

While Shruti examined the dresses, I couldn't resist confessing, "I don't have many jhumkas(earrings) only five pairs, I guess." With a reassuring smile, Shruti brushed off my worry, saying, "Chill, it's not a big deal. I don't even have five pairs myself. Whenever I go shopping, I end up eating instead." Hearing this we both started laughing.

Amidst our laughter, we resumed our task of selecting the perfect jhumkas to complement our chosen yellow dress and after our selection session, we both headed to our bathroom to freshen up, ready to embark on our journey. Despite the lingering anxiety, I felt a sense of excitement building within me, eager to take part in the festivities and create cherished memories with Shruti by my side.

Akshit's Pov

The wedding preparations had kicked into high gear over the past week, keeping everyone occupied with various tasks. Despite the hustle and bustle, my mind couldn't shake off the incident with Chachu from the previous week. Both Papa and Chachu work at the same firm, which happened to be my father's.

During a discussion about the case, Chachu had remarked, "The firm you're working for is good and reputed, but remember, just like a coin has two sides, firms have their good and bad sides too and there, you know how they work." I acknowledged his words but expressed my reluctance to leave the firm, mentioning reasons beyond promotions and friendship. It was the connection to the case that had roots in an incident from five years ago, which is still an unresolved mystery that never got off my back.

With these thoughts revolving in my head, I descended to the ground floor for some work. However, Maa's voice interrupted my thoughts as she exclaimed upon seeing me, "Akshu beta, you're still not ready? We need to go to Chachu's house and then to the temple." I hesitated, murmuring, "I don't want to go, Maa." But Maa wasn't having it. "What do you mean you don't want to go? Even Aarav is coming. Go and get ready," she ordered. Resigned, I accepted muttering, "Ugh, okay, maa." She then reminded me to take a bath before leaving, to which I replied defensively, "Maa, I do take baths. What's with you?" With a sigh, I headed to my room to freshen up.