The Raizada's

Chapter 9

Oh, I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you," she stammered, her gaze fixed on the tray, unable to meet his eyes.

"It's okay," he replied with a gentle smile.

Vridhi Raizada was never a shy girl, especially when it came to dating. If she liked someone, she would tell the person right away without any hestation.

But with him, it was different. He was different. The things he made her feel were different. She hated the way he affected her but she wouldn't lie about the fact that she liked it very much.
The nervousness and the butterflies in her stomach, the way her heart raced every time their eyes met and the way her mind went blank when he smiled at her.

Among all the men she dated none of them made her go this crazy. She wasn't able to understand what kind of attraction she felt from him. They barely knew each other, barely spoke and barely met but still it felt like heaven when all those barely moments occurred. And all she wanted was for those moments to keep occurring, for him to be near her.

"I... I'm lost... I forgot the way towards the garden... can you please tell me which way it is?" she asked, her nerves betraying her usual confidence.

He nodded, his smile widening. "Of course, I'll walk you there. It's this way."

As they walked together, Vridhi couldn't help but steal glances at Arhaan, her heart beating a little faster with each step. The silence between them grew palpable, thick with unspoken tension. Each step seemed to echo louder than the last, the awkwardness hanging heavily in the air.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, Arhaan cleared his throat. "So... nice weather we're having today, huh?"

Vridhi glanced at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, it's lovely," she replied.

"I never thought we would meet again, not at least like this" he said.

"Me neither" she replied with a soft chuckle.

"I like the fact that we met again" he said, glancing at her who was slightly blushing.

"Vridhi!" called Turvi, interrupting the moment between Arhaan and Vridhi as she approached them.

"Where were you? Dadi is going crazy," said Turvi and looked over to Arhaan and passed a smile.

"I got lost," Vridhi replied, feeling a hint of embarrassment.

"Let's go now, if you don't want to get screwed up" said Turvi.

"ya sure" she said to Turvi and then looked at Arhaan and said "Thank you"

"No problem," he replied, his smile warm as he watched the girls walk ahead of him.

"The wedding planner, huh?" teased Turvi as they walked together.

"Vi, it's not like that," Vridhi protested, feeling her cheeks warm with a blush.

"Oh, look at you, blushing and all. I've never seen you blush before," Turvi teased, chuckling softly.

Vridhi rolled her eyes playfully, grateful for Turvi's light-hearted banter, which helped ease the lingering awkwardness from her encounter with Arhaan. As they continued on their way, Vridhi couldn't help but steal a glance back at Arhaan, wondering if there was more to their brief interaction than she had initially thought.

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Avya stood in a corner, as she and the others waited for the Haldi to arrive for starting the ceremony.

Vihaan slowly sneaked up to her side and stood behind her, his presence startling her as he whispered a quiet "Hi" into her ear. She jumped slightly, caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

"What the fuck?" she mouthed mouthed, shooting him a puzzled look, to which he simply responded with a mischievous smile.

"We are supposed to act like people in love, darling" he whispered reminding her to act along.

Forcing a smile, Avya turned to face him as he took her hand, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. She couldn't help but feel a pang of unease at the thought of pretending to be something they weren't.

"Is this really necessary?" she whispered back, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of the crowd.

"My sister is suspicious because we're not being lovey-dovey enough," Vihaan explained quietly, his eyes darting around to ensure no one overheard their conversation.

Avya withdrew her hand from his grasp, feigning concern as she pretended to adjust his kurta's collar, garnering the attention of a few onlookers who couldn't help but admire the apparent affection between the couple.

"You're a quick learner," Vihaan remarked with a grin, impressed by Avya's ability to play along.

"Of course," she replied with a smile.

"Finally, I thought you would never show up," remarked Samyati as she caught sight of Vridhi and Turvi arriving with the Haldi.

"Sorry for being late," Vridhi apologized, handing over the tray to Samyati.

"Let's begin the function," declared Varsha, making everyone to gather around.

As the Haldi ceremony began,, the bride and groom took their seats, and guests began applying Haldi to them. Vridhi was enthusiastically smearing Haldi on her sister's face, much to Turvi's amusement.

Arhaan watched Vridhi with a soft smile, admiring her lively spirit as she playfully adorned Turvi's face with Haldi. Since the day they first met, he had been drawn to her. She was undeniably the most captivating woman he had ever encountered, who is bold, funny and clumsy.

Yet, despite his growing feelings for her, Arhaan knew that their relationship could never evolve beyond what it was. Vridhi was an actress, famous and desired by many man. Why would she like someone like him?

Lost in his thoughts, Arhaan couldn't help but wonder if there could ever be a future for them beyond fleeting moments and unspoken desires.

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This is the end of this Chapter. It was kinda of short compared to the previous chapter.

I jope you guys enjoyed it. And stay tuned for the next part ;)