Discordance

Chapter Sixty-Three

The sangeet was happening tonight and somehow she was more worried about that than her own damn haldi which was this afternoon because dancing in front of all these people was so anxiety inducing. She was sure that Anisha didi's friends will laugh at her no matter what and dadi and ishika will instigate the crowd. Of course it didn't matter because Abhimanyu wouldn't let her fall but just the possibility of being the laughing stock of the Birla family guests made her skin crawl.

To add insult to her injury she was sure something was off with Abhimanyu and she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, she just felt it in her heart. She had tried to tease him about wearing a full sleeved lehenga set at the haldi and he had seemed distracted because a normal Abhimanyu would have rioted and thrown a tantrum fit for a child at her arms not being bare. He had argued when she said it but it felt halfhearted but maybe she was overthinking it, poor man had to be stressed from handling both his family and then her friends/family for their own functions. He had not complained once and he was also working in the few hours he got in between so maybe she should suck it up. Plus, she too had to deal with the Diksha Nimay drama.

"I'll just talk to Abhimanyu and find out what he knows, yeah. If Nimay hasn't spoken to him yet I'm going to say something." She talked to herself in the mirror like a fool as she finally put on her lehenga for the haldi. Her top was a small shimmery gold number which barely grazed the top of her belly button, held on by thin gold straps combined with a yellow flowy skirt with gold piping, this was the most her arms and neck had been bare in recent times and as nervous as she was, she also just wanted Abhimanyu to appreciate it and maybe this will bring him out of whatever funk he was in?

She called Diksha as she put on some anklets, people would definitely put haldi on her legs and she wanted to make them look pretty, so what sue her. Giggling at herself once, she sobered up real quick as she heard Diksha's voice come through the phone. "You're coming right?" was the first thing out of her mouth because she knew if she was in her position her first thought would be to run away

Diksha gave a long suffering sigh before whispering a "yes" into the phone "I'm not running away Akshu"

"I know" she replied guiltily before shrugging it away "do you umm want to talk about it? Did something else happen?" biting her lips, she crossed her fingers hoping Diksha would have changed her mind and decided to give this a chance but her hopes were dashed when diksha mumbled a I don't want to talk about it into the phone. Ugh, was she this annoying when Diksha was trying to make her see sense? She didn't even have to wait for a response, her mind screaming a loud YES. Dammit.

"He uh said he spoke with you and he was an idiot...he was okay to be my friend if that's what I wanted" Akshara groaned loudly at that, throwing the earring she was about to put on away on the bed in annoyance.

"Diksha c'mon... you and I both know you're avoiding feeling anything. Do you really want to be his friend? I've seen the way you look at him" she rubbed her forehead because she didn't want to push her friend and it was also a small tight rope she was walking because Diksha had known exactly what to say when she needed a friend and she wanted to be there for her.

"Look I get it ok, you know I get it... I've been where you were and I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't be your friend first. I'll back away if you want me to but I need you to know that it's not the right thing for you. But if you would be ok and comfortable being his friend than that's all that matters."

"Okay" Diksha said in a small voice "It's just all too overwhelming. What if people say bad things about me for being with a doctor? They will think I purposely did all of it." Akshara sighed because this was her exact problem too. How could she placate her when she was still to this day nervous every time she had to go to the Birla Hospital and interact with the staff.