When We Met

Tu mera koi na hoke bhi kuch lage....

While returning to his room, Luv managed to catch up with Ruhaan. "Bhai? Where were you? You weren't in your room. Mom said you were resting."

After calming him down and placing a hand over his shoulder, Ruhaan remarked, "It's a long story. Chal btata hu", and lead him to his room. (Come, I'll tell you.)

He narrated Miraya's past as well as everything that transpired between them. Luv trembled. The anguish in his brother's eyes was visible to him. With a gentle touch on Ruhaan's shoulder, he enquired, "Bhai, are you okay?"

Ruhaan gave him a nod, without meeting his eyes. He was aware that he couldn't deceive his brother. Realizing how hurt he was, Luv gave him a hug. Ruhaan's tears eventually found their way to Luv's shoulder. His cheeks started to well up with tears, but he was at a loss for words. Luv continued to give him back rubs.

Finally, after a while, Ruhaan exclaimed, "I love her! She doesn't love me back, even if I truly do. After everything that occurred, maybe she won't ever love me back. Luv, I can't take this pain. What do I do?"

Luv couldn't see his brother in that condition. He was powerless to stop his brother, who was a source of joy and strength for everyone, from crumbling in front of him. Grasping Ruhaan's hand, he exclaimed, "Bhai! You must be strong for Miraya as much as for yourself. She trusted you with her story, showing that she values you in her life. If you fail to support her right now, you might lose her forever. And I'm confident that she will love you back one day."

"I will never leave her side. I've made a promise to myself to restore her old, beautiful smile." Ruhaan questioned Luv, "But how are you so sure that she will return my feelings someday?"

Luv said nothing as he studied his brother's perplexed expression. He was thinking, "I know it, bhai! Because I've seen the way she looks at you. It can't be limited to a glance for a friend. Perhaps her grief has overcome her, but she will realise it soon."

He remained silent for a while before saying, "I just know it. Cmon now! Let's get ready for the rehearsal dinner."

At the rehearsal dinner –

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the sky, the air buzzed with anticipation. Tomorrow was the big day - the wedding that had been meticulously planned for months. But tonight, all attention turned to the happy couple. Seated in the center of their beautifully arranged dinner table, Maahi and Vivaan were encircled by their loved ones.

Nestled in a charming, candlelit courtyard of the estate, the scene was straight out of a fairytale. Twinkling lights draped from the trees above, casting a soft illumination over the rustic wooden tables adorned with delicate floral centerpieces. Laughter and chatter filled the air as friends and family mingled, savoring the last moments of calm before the whirlwind of the wedding day.

Ruhaan was seated right beside Vivaan. His eyes shifted in Miraya's direction. Wearing a light blue saree, she was seated just next to Maahi. It was a moment frozen in time. She looked like an angel floating in the night light. In those stolen seconds, he glanced at her bright smile. A smile that lit up everyone's face but her own. Even though she did her best to conceal it beneath a cheerful façade, he could see the unending anguish in her eyes now that he understood her story.

Sitting directly next to him, Luv saw the anguish in his brother's eyes. Ruhaan's focus was brought back to him as he gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder. With a consoling look in his eyes, Luv nodded at Ruhaan.

As the conversations continued, Miraya's gaze lingered on him. His fitted, precisely designed suit highlighted his features in all the right places, making him stand out among the crowd. Her eyes settled on the little details: the way his cufflinks caught the light, the perfectly knotted tie that hinted at his attention to detail, and the faint smile that played on his lips as he engaged in conversation. Was she dreaming, or could it be that his outfit sparkled in the candlelight in some way?