Prem Kahaniyaan

4.

The day after the sangeet, the palace was abuzz with activity as preparations for the haldi ceremony were underway. Bright yellow marigolds adorned every corner, and the fragrance of sandalwood and turmeric filled the air. Aditi was all smiles as she sat with her cousins, chattering about the upcoming rituals.

Arjun, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as cheerful. The previous night’s dance with Meera kept replaying in his mind. He’d been so certain they’d made progress, only for her to pull away again. Her words, “I don’t want to risk getting hurt again,” echoed in his thoughts, leaving him feeling frustrated and helpless.

He tried to busy himself with the wedding preparations, but every time he caught a glimpse of Meera—whether she was arranging flowers or overseeing the decorators—his mind would drift back to their conversation.

Meanwhile, Meera wasn’t faring much better. Though she maintained her professional composure, her thoughts kept returning to the way she’d walked away from Arjun the night before. She hated how vulnerable she had felt, how easily old feelings had resurfaced. She’d told herself it was better to keep her distance, yet her heart hadn’t entirely agreed.

“Meera, the florists are asking if we should add more garlands to the seating area,” one of her assistants asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She blinked, refocusing on the task at hand. “Yes, tell them to add more marigolds. It’ll brighten the space for the ceremony.”

As her assistant hurried away, Meera’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Kabir.

_Kabir: Can you meet me in the courtyard in five minutes? Need to talk._

Meera frowned, wondering what could be so urgent. Kabir was usually calm under pressure, but maybe there was a last-minute issue with the wedding arrangements. She quickly made her way to the courtyard, weaving through the palace’s sprawling gardens.

When she arrived, Kabir was pacing back and forth, a look of frustration on his face. Arjun stood nearby, his arms crossed as he watched Kabir with a mix of impatience and concern. The tension between them was palpable.

“What’s going on?” Meera asked, approaching them.

Kabir looked up, his expression softening slightly at the sight of her. “I need your help,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I just got off the phone with the caterers, and there’s a problem. A big one.”

Arjun sighed. “They’ve double-booked the venue for the wedding day. They’re saying they might not have enough staff to handle our event.”

Meera’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I wish I was,” Kabir replied, frustration lacing his tone. “We’ve already paid the deposit, and the wedding is in two days. They’re offering to bring in a backup team, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to handle everything.”

Meera’s mind raced as she processed the situation. She’d worked with difficult vendors before, but this was a major setback. If the catering wasn’t perfect, it could ruin the entire event.

“Okay, let’s not panic,” Meera said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll call the caterers and negotiate. We’ll make sure they bring in their best team, even if it’s last-minute.”

Arjun raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can handle this? It sounds like a mess.”

Meera shot him a look. “I’ve handled worse. Trust me.”

There was a moment of silence as their eyes met, and once again, the air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken tension. Kabir, sensing the undercurrent, cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I’ll leave it to you both,” Kabir said, glancing between them. “But please, sort it out. Aditi will lose it if something goes wrong.”

As Kabir walked away, Arjun turned to Meera, his expression softening slightly. “I didn’t mean to doubt you. I know you’re good at what you do.”

Meera looked at him, surprised by the rare compliment. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of their unresolved feelings hanging between them. Arjun wanted to say more, to bridge the gap that seemed to have widened overnight, but Meera was already pulling out her phone, her focus shifting to the problem at hand.

“I’ll handle the caterers. You go check on the seating arrangements for the haldi,” she said, her voice all business again.

Arjun nodded, but as he walked away, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d missed yet another chance to clear the air.

---

The haldi ceremony went off without a hitch, and despite the morning’s hiccup, the event was filled with laughter and joy. Aditi and Kabir were smeared with turmeric by their friends and family, and the courtyard was filled with the vibrant yellow of marigolds, matching the festive mood. Arjun watched from the sidelines, chuckling as Aditi protested the mess of Haldi that covered her face and arms.

But even amidst the laughter, his thoughts kept returning to Meera. Every time he caught sight of her—organizing the guests, checking on the arrangements—his heart would give a little lurch. He hated how complicated things had become between them. What had once been so effortless was now weighed down by years of hurt and misunderstandings.

After the ceremony, Arjun found himself wandering through the palace gardens, trying to clear his head. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the sprawling grounds. He was lost in thought when he heard footsteps behind him.

“Arjun.”

He turned to see Meera standing there, her expression unreadable. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The distant sounds of the wedding preparations carried on, but at that moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

“I wanted to talk,” she said finally, her voice soft. “About last night.”

Arjun’s heart skipped a beat. “Okay. I’m listening.”

Meera sighed, folding her arms as she looked out at the horizon. “I didn’t mean to push you away. It’s just…we’ve been here before, and I’m not sure I can go through it again.”

“I get that,” Arjun replied, his voice gentle. “But things are different now, aren’t they? We’ve both changed.”

Meera shook her head, her eyes sad. “Have we? You’re still the same Arjun who avoids talking about his feelings, who runs away when things get tough. And I’m still the same Meera who overthinks everything, who’s afraid of getting hurt.”

Arjun frowned, feeling a pang of guilt. “I didn’t run away, Meera. Not back then. We were young. We didn’t know how to handle what we had.”

“Maybe,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it still hurt. That it still hurts.”

Her words cut deep, and Arjun found himself at a loss for what to say. He’d never truly understood just how much their breakup had affected her. He’d assumed she had moved on, just as he’d tried to. But seeing her now, hearing the pain in her voice, he realized that the past wasn’t as far behind them as he’d thought.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” Arjun said softly, taking a step closer to her. “If I could go back and do things differently, I would.”

Meera looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of longing and uncertainty. “I want to believe you, Arjun. But I don’t know if I can.”

There was a long pause as they stood there, the distance between them feeling both vast and impossibly small. Arjun wanted to reach out, to pull her into his arms and tell her that they could fix this—that they could find their way back to each other. But he knew that words wouldn’t be enough. Not this time.

“I guess we’ll have to figure that out,” Arjun said quietly, his heart heavy.

Meera nodded, though the uncertainty lingered in her eyes. “Yeah. I guess we will.”

As she turned and walked away, Arjun watched her go, his chest tightening with the familiar ache of things left unsaid.