A WEDDING ROMANCE

CAUGHT IN THE FRAME!

03.11.2021

"I'm sure he has a girlfriend..." I said to Mizna.

"Yeah, he could be," she replied.

"Or maybe he's just too shy? Or he didn't like me at all?" I wondered aloud, frustration seeping into my voice.

"Ahh, these thoughts are just keeping me confused as hell," I added, rubbing my temples.

"You're just overthinking, bro. Just get over him," she said, trying to reassure me.

"Yeah, I am," I responded, though I knew I was lying.

Now, I was just counting down the days until the first Jumagi, an event hosted by the bride's family after the wedding.

I knew there was a possibility of seeing him there, and the anticipation was almost too much to handle.

_______________________________

05.11.2021

"Hey, Sejal, where are you?" my cousin texted.

"Yeah, I'll be there in 5 minutes," I replied.

I was heading to my cousin's baby shower, which happened to be on the same day as the first Jumagi. The timing couldn't have been more perfect-or more STRESSFUL.

It was 8 PM by the time we wrapped up the party, trying to finish as early as possible since we were going to Jumagi right after.

My mom, my sister, and I got ready, and soon after, my father arrived to pick us up.

As I stepped in, I saw all of his family members. Since we were quite late, they had already arrived at my grandmother's house before us.

I walked in and greeted them, trying to stay composed. I felt a bit nervous, but at least I was satisfied with how I looked.

His mom is truly beautiful-now I understand where he got those gorgeous eyes.

Out of all his three sisters, the second one is my favorite; she has such a sweet and endearing presence.

As the event went on, I couldn't help but keep an eye out for Mehmet.

After dinner, it was finally time to perform all the rituals-placing garlands on the newlywed couple and presenting them with gifts.

This was the moment when the men would join the ladies' section for the ceremonies.

My hands grew cold as I saw him enter the hall. He was wearing a formal outfit-a blue and white striped shirt paired with pants. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that we were almost twinning, as I was wearing blue as well, though mine was a darker shade. He looked nervous in front of all the ladies, but incredibly HANDSOME.

As the ceremony began, I started clicking pictures of everyone. It was my subtle way of secretly capturing his photos, wanting to lock this memory in my phone. My main focus was on him, so I angled the shots to ensure he was clearly visible.

I loved how he lowered his eyes in front of all the girls and ladies; it showed just how pious he is. He was mostly quiet, only speaking to a few of his family members. We were on opposite corners of the hall, separated by all the guests.

I wished I could go near him, but I was too shy, and I worried about how it might look to others. I felt a pang of jealousy toward that one person standing really close to him-after all, it was her sister's Jumagi, so she had to help manage the event. That person was selin , my cousin, and Sam's sister.

"What's happening to you, Sejal?" I asked myself. "It's not a big deal... but I can't help how I feel."

I recorded him the entire time as a video, unable to take my eyes off him. As the event eventually came to an end, I felt a pang of disappointment-he still hadn't noticed me. It shouldn't matter to me, but it did. IT MATTERED A LOT.

He left the hall as soon as the event finished. When his family was about to leave, I moved from the hall to the drawing room, hoping to catch one last glance of him. Though he wasn't there, I silently prayed that he would appear, even if just for a second. But he never did, and soon, his mom and sister left too.

I greeted them sweetly, carefully hiding all my inner thoughts to leave a good impression

After reaching my house, I immediately began looking through all the videos of him that I had recorded.

As I watched, I suddenly couldn't believe my eyes-I saw him looking at ME. I was completely speechless. WAS HE REALLY LOOKING AT ME??

My heart raced as I replayed the moment over and over, just to be sure. It might have been just for a second, but that brief glance was more than enough for me.

I couldn't contain my happiness, so I hurriedly sent those videos to Mizna.

I was exhausted, so I laid down on my bed. But I couldn't sleep, my mind racing with the thrilling fact that ,

HE LOOKED AT ME!!!