The Wedding Whisperer

Chapter 9: Sunrise & Conversations

Akshara woke up to the alarm on her phone, taking a moment to remember why the house was so quiet and the events of the previous night. The feeling of importance, with professional security following her home to ensure her safety, brought a smile to her face.

She pulled the sheets around her, enjoying the warmth on that chilly morning. It had been ages since she sat down and had a meal while having a meaningful conversation with someone, not even with Aarohi. She spent hours talking about everything under the sun and moon with Abhimanyu without delving into personal matters other than about his sister.

Maybe it was time to stop hunting for a family and start her own, expanding it with her good friends. If she found the right partner, she could build a family of her own. She closed her eyes and thought about ways to slow down and not think about work all the time. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed teaching someone how to dance. It helped her take her mind off the never-ending to-do list. She made a mental note to start joining her team for happy hour and other social events.

Lying in bed, she suddenly felt wide awake and excited about teaching Abhimanyu how to dance. Maybe she could leave early and explore the garden outside his place and even catch a sunrise over the hills, something she hadn't done in ages. She got out of bed, pulled her messy hair into a ponytail, showered, grabbed her bag and phone, and was out the door in under twenty minutes.

It was still dark outside as she drove toward his house, scheduled to arrive almost forty-five minutes earlier than planned. It was early spring and still a bit chilly, but she couldn't wait to catch her first sight of the beautiful garden in the morning light. She bypassed the lobby check-in since she had the code to the private elevator.

Lost in excitement, she initially missed hearing the low beeping sound in the background. "Shit," she murmured when she realized the beeping had to be a security alarm that would wake up the neighborhood if she didn't turn it off immediately.

She looked around frantically for the control panel as the beeping got louder by the second. Seeing the alarm system counting down from fifteen, she knew there was no way she could turn it off. She pulled out her phone and called Abhimanyu, only to get his voicemail. She looked around for an on-call button to reach the security team or considered getting back into the elevator and running back home. Maybe she should just wait for the alarm to go off?

"No." She dialed his number again, and this time, as the phone rang in her ear, the alarm was turned off.

"Did I oversleep?" His voice was groggy from sleep.

"No. I got here early, and the alarm went off."

He chuckled. "I should have told you last night about the alarm. It's usually on until eight. Would you like some coffee?"

She felt embarrassed for waking him up. "No. Please go back to sleep. We don't start for another forty-five minutes."

"It's all right. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay." She ended the call and smacked her forehead with her palm. "Such an Einstein you are, Akshara."

She looked at the alarm panel to make sure it was turned off before walking around the open space. Relieved that nothing went off this time, she took in the chilly morning air and was blown away by the beauty of the space.

"Wow," she said, looking at the sun coming up over the hills in the distance. She walked through the covered porch lined with plants toward the railing. She couldn't believe the view from the terrace and was lost in thought until she sensed movement behind her.

"Good morning," his voice was soft.

She turned to look at him, still feeling embarrassed about waking him up so early. "I'm so sorry."