Ties of Affection

Chapter 10

The morning after the haldi ceremony, the Raizada mansion was bathed in the soft light of dawn, signaling the start of a new day filled with excitement. The sangeet was scheduled for the evening, and everyone was busy preparing for another round of celebrations. Yet, despite the flurry of activities, Aahat's thoughts kept returning to Kabir – to the moment they had shared the previous day, the almost-confession that was interrupted.

Aahat stood in front of the mirror in her room, brushing her long hair and thinking about their exchange. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of his warm, haldi-smeared hand brushing against hers, his eyes locking with hers as he tried to say something important. "What was he going to say?" she wondered for the hundredth time. There was something about his gaze, something deep and sincere, that made her heart race.

A playful knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. Rhea entered, her face glowing with the aftereffects of the haldi and a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"So, Aahat," Rhea began, flopping onto the bed dramatically. "Anything you want to tell me about a certain someone who couldn't take his eyes off you yesterday?"

Aahat tried to play it cool, but the heat rushing to her face betrayed her. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice light but unconvincing.

"Oh, come on!" Rhea teased, propping herself up on her elbows. "Everyone saw it. Kabir was practically glued to you the whole time! I'm starting to think this wedding isn't even about me anymore," she added with a mock pout.

Aahat rolled her eyes, unable to suppress her smile. "He was just helping out with the arrangements, Rhea. Don't read too much into it."

"Uh-huh, and that explains why he wiped haldi off your cheek like it was some Bollywood movie moment," Rhea quipped, sitting up and leaning closer. "Face it, Aahat. He's into you. And, from the way you keep blushing every time his name is mentioned, I'd say the feeling is mutual."

Aahat groaned, throwing a pillow at her cousin. "You're impossible," she laughed, trying to brush off the truth in Rhea's words. But deep down, she knew her cousin was right. There was something between her and Kabir – something that was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Meanwhile, Kabir was downstairs, trying to focus on helping with the sangeet preparations, but his mind was elsewhere. He replayed yesterday's almost-confession in his head, wondering if he'd ever get the chance to finish what he'd started. The way Aahat had looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and warmth, had given him hope. There was no denying it now – he was falling for her, fast and hard.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by his best friend, Aman, who slapped him on the back with a mischievous grin. "Kabir, my man! You've got that look on your face again."

"What look?" Kabir asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The 'I'm-thinking-about-Aahat' look," Aman teased, leaning against the kitchen counter with a knowing smirk.

Kabir shot him a warning glance. "I wasn't thinking about her."

"Yeah, sure. And I'm not thinking about the plate of samosas I'm about to steal from the kitchen." Aman chuckled. "Come on, bro, it's written all over your face. What's the deal? Are you going to confess your undying love to her before the sangeet or what?"

Kabir groaned, shaking his head. "It's not that simple."

"Why not? You two clearly have a thing for each other. Yesterday's haldi moment? Dude, that was straight out of a romance novel." Aman leaned in conspiratorially. "I bet if you don't make a move soon, Aahat's going to think you're not interested."

Kabir sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not that I don't want to. I just... I don't want to mess things up. What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Aman gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You won't know unless you try. Look, all I'm saying is, this sangeet is the perfect opportunity. You've got the music, the lights, the whole romantic vibe. Just go for it, man."

Kabir nodded slowly, a spark of determination lighting up in his eyes. Maybe Aman was right. Maybe tonight was the night to finally tell Aahat how he felt.