𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐚 | 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 |

✧ 4 ✧

Author's POV:-

As Maya and Arjun entered the venue, they were greeted by a sea of yellow. The entire place was bathed in the warm, festive glow of lights and flowers, all centered around the theme of the haldi function. The air smelled of marigolds and jasmine, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Maya could feel her pulse quicken. She instinctively rubbed her hands together, a nervous habit she couldn't shake. Two long years had passed since she and Varun had ended things, and since then, there had been no contact, no closure. And now, she was here in his wedding -in his haldi function.

'What happened??' Arjun whispered, sensing her discomfort.

Maya gave a small nod, trying to compose herself. "Nothing ,I'm fine. Just...nervous."

As they moved through the crowd, Maya's eyes darted around, looking for a familiar face. The venue was buzzing with guests, everyone busy with preparations and greetings. It wasn't long before she spotted Varun, standing near a group of friends. He was laughing, clearly at ease, seemingly unaffected by her presence. Maya's stomach twisted at the sight of him, memories of their past flooding her mind.

But then, as if he could sense her gaze, Varun turned, his eyes locking onto hers. His smile faltered, and for a brief moment, they simply stared at each other.

Maya forced herself to walk toward him, Arjun at her side.

"Maya," Varun greeted with a surprised smile, his voice warm yet filled with curiosity. "It's been a long time."

Maya smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "Yeah... it has."

Before the conversation could grow any more uncomfortable, Varun turned and called out, "Priyanka! Come here.Look who has come!!"

Till the time she came ,he introduced them to more of his other friends.

Maya saw her ex's fiancée for the first time. Priyanka walked over gracefully, her face glowing with happiness. She had a confident air about her, and when she reached them, Varun introduced them with ease.

"This is Priyanka," he said, his arm casually draped around her shoulders. "My soon-to-be wife."

Both smile at each other as he kisses his fiance's knuckles.

Priyanka smiled warmly at Maya. "Varun's told me so much about you.Thanks for coming and joining our special day."

Maya tried to return the smile, but it felt stiff. She wasn't sure what Varun had told Priyanka, and she didn't want to think about it either.

As the small talk continued, Varun's eyes drifted to Arjun, standing beside Maya. His confusion was evident as he raised an eyebrow. "And...who's this?" he asked.

But before she could even begin to introduce him, she felt Arjun's hand slide around her waist, pulling her close. The sudden gesture startled her, and she glanced up at him, wide-eyed.

With a charming smile, Arjun extended his free hand toward Varun. "Hi, I'm Arjun Verma," he said, his voice steady and confident. "Maya's boyfriend."

She continued staring at his charming smile as she skipped a bit for a few seconds...

Varun's surprise was evident as he shook Arjun's hand, glancing between the two of them. Priyanka's smile remained fixed, though her eyes seemed to flicker with a brief moment of curiosity.

"Boyfriend, huh? Toh kab kaha se shuru hua??" Varun said, his tone light but with a hint of something else.

Maya felt her breath catch for a moment, her mind scrambling for an answer. Before she could respond, Arjun, ever so calm and composed, pulled her even closer, the warmth of his hand at her waist grounding her.