Prem Kahaniyaan

5.

The next morning brought a fresh wave of wedding chaos. Aditi was in full bridal meltdown mode, and Kabir was trying his best to calm her down. The mehendi artists were running late, the sound system wasn’t set up properly for the evening function, and the tension between Meera and Arjun lingered like a storm cloud.

Meera had thrown herself into her work, determined to push through her feelings. She had too much on her plate to let personal matters interfere. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the event, her thoughts kept drifting back to Arjun and their conversation in the garden.

Arjun, too, was struggling. Every interaction with Meera felt like walking on eggshells. He wanted to make things right, but every time he tried, it seemed to push her further away. It was a constant dance of wanting to repair the past while being stuck in the present. He knew he had to be patient, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The sun had barely risen when Arjun found himself in the palace courtyard, staring at the early morning mist that hung over the gardens. He was lost in thought when Kabir appeared beside him.

“You look like you didn’t sleep at all,” Kabir remarked, his tone half-joking but laced with concern.

Arjun sighed. “You’re right. I couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind.”

Kabir raised an eyebrow. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Meera, would it?”

Arjun glanced at his friend, his defenses weakening. “It’s complicated, Kabir. You know that.”

Kabir nodded, leaning against the stone railing. “I do. But I also know that weddings are about more than just the bride and groom. They have a way of bringing out unresolved emotions in everyone involved.”

Arjun let out a small, humorless laugh. “Yeah, I’m feeling that.”

“Look,” Kabir said, turning to face him. “I don’t know all the details about what happened between you two back then, but what I do know is that holding onto all that baggage isn’t going to help anyone. If you want to fix things, you need to stop tiptoeing around it and just go for it.”

Arjun frowned, crossing his arms. “It’s not that simple. We hurt each other. Meera’s not just going to forget that because I show up and say sorry.”

Kabir smiled knowingly. “It’s never that simple, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Besides, you’re not the same people you were back then. Maybe it’s time to stop acting like it.”

Arjun mulled over Kabir’s words, knowing deep down that his friend was right. But what if it was too late? What if the damage had already been done?

Before he could respond, Kabir clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not saying you have to fix it all today, but at least try. You’ve got two more days before this wedding is over. Don’t leave here with regrets.”

With that, Kabir walked away, leaving Arjun to his thoughts.

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Later that afternoon, the palace was buzzing with excitement as the mehendi ceremony began. Women in colorful outfits gathered in the courtyard, their hands and feet being intricately adorned with henna designs. Laughter and music filled the air, and for a moment, it felt like the stress of the past few days had melted away.

Meera moved through the crowd, directing the mehendi artists and ensuring that everything was running smoothly. But her heart wasn’t in it. She could feel Arjun’s presence nearby, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the tension between them was palpable.

As she oversaw the seating arrangements, she overheard Aditi gushing to one of her friends.

“I can’t believe how perfect everything is turning out,” Aditi said, her face glowing with happiness. “Meera and Arjun have been amazing. I don’t know what we would’ve done without them.”