Destiny that planned their life

25. Games and Bonds

Third person's POV

The next day, both Tarun's and Drishti's family decided to visit the temple to ask for blessings for the newlyweds. Drishti's family arrived at the Malhotra house early in the morning. They had booked a mini-bus for the journey, as it was a four-hour drive to the temple. Due to the long trip, Tarun and Drishti's grandparents had decided to stay back. So it was only Tarun's parents, Drishti's parents, Drishti's uncle and aunt, Tarun's maasi, Avinash, Navya, Priya, and Siya who were going.

Everyone had already seated themselves inside the bus except for Tarun and Drishti. Tarun was acting busy on his phone, wanting Drishti to climb aboard first. He didn't want his mom to scold him for not waiting for his wife.

But Drishti was hesitating. The reason? Her saree. Her mom had insisted she wear it, and now she was regretting it. Drishti had worn a saree only twice before: once on her graduation day and again on the wedding day morning for a small pooja. And now, this slippery, tangled monster looked like her enemy.

She looked at the bus stair as if it were a Mount Everest. How was she supposed to make it up there in a saree without putting on a free show for everyone? She hoped Tarun would just go ahead so she could make some circus to get in. But there he was, stuck in place, staring at his phone. Was he really ignoring her struggle on purpose? Ugh, what an idiot! Her thoughts darted from her saree to the bus stair to his infuriatingly calm face.

Taking a deep breath, Drishti decided to go for it. She grabbed the rods on either side of the door and attempted to lift herself up without actually using her feet, hoping to float into the bus like some kind of superhero.

Tarun noticed her struggle at that exact moment and hurried to help her, but she had safely landed on the platform. He shook his head in mild frustration and went inside.

Drishti saw two empty seats behind the driver's seat, as everyone else had already settled in. Tarun, not wanting to sit beside her, scanned the bus for another spot but found none available. With a resigned sigh, he took the seat next to Drishti. As they settled in, everyone else, who had acted busy when they entered, exchanged thumbs-up, having planned to leave the seats empty so the newlyweds would sit together.

The bus started moving, and the bickering began almost immediately.

Drishti shifted uncomfortably. "Could you move a bit? You're practically on top of me."

Tarun adjusted his position with a huff. "I'm already squeezed in. Where am I supposed to go?"

"Maybe your muscles should go on a diet," Drishti muttered under her breath.

Tarun glanced at her sharply. "What did you say?" Tarun snapped.

"Nothing," Drishti replied, forcing a sweet smile.

"These muscles didn't build themselves, you know," Tarun retorted, his tone defensive.

"Yeah, I can tell." Drishti replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"At least I don't struggle to climb a bus," Tarun shot back, defending himself.

"I didn't know climbing a bus was part of your workout routine," Drishti said, rolling her eyes.

She quickly pulled out her phone to avoid further argument. Tarun, with a frustrated sigh, did the same, casting her a pointed look before diving into his screen.

After a boring ride for Drishti and Tarun, but a bonding time for their family, the bus finally arrived at the temple. Everyone got off, and the temple's grand facade greeted them. They went inside to pray, each person asking for good wishes for the newlyweds. Feeling fulfilled, they gathered their things and made their way back to the bus for the return journey.