Waited For You

Chapter 29

{ The Past }

By the time Sanchi reached home, the smile on her face refused to disappear.
She tried to act normal while entering the living room, but the soft grin and slightly dreamy eyes gave her away immediately.
Her mother Swati, who was arranging some things on the table, noticed first.
“Sanchi?” she called.
Sanchi looked up.
“Yes, Maa?”
Swati narrowed her eyes slightly, studying her face.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
Before Sanchi could reply, Siddharth, who was sprawled on the sofa scrolling through his phone, looked up too.
“Yeah, Di,” he said suspiciously. “What happened? You look way too happy.”
Sanchi quickly composed herself.
“Nothing,” she said casually.

Both of them continued staring at her.

Finally she sighed dramatically.
“Maa, you remember I told you about the garba carnival in my school?”
Swati nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’m going tomorrow,” Sanchi said, excitement slipping into her voice. “And I need to look good.”
She walked toward her mother and hugged her arm.
“Can you help me?”
Swati smiled instantly.
“Of course.”
But before she could say anything else, Siddharth sat up straight.
“Wait,” he said.
Sanchi froze slightly.
“You asked me to go with you earlier,” he reminded her. “And I clearly denied the invitation.”
He crossed his arms dramatically.
“So whom are you going with?”
Sanchi quickly answered.
“That is why I am happy actually.”

Siddharth raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“One of my friends managed to arrange an entry for some of our single friends,” she explained smoothly.
“So I’m going with them.”
Swati nodded approvingly.

“That’s good,” she said warmly. “You should go and enjoy.”
Then she clapped her hands lightly.
“Come on, let’s select your outfit, jewellery and everything.”
Sanchi’s eyes lit up.
“Yes!”

Both Swati and Sanchi quickly headed toward Sanchi’s room.
A few minutes later, Siddharth entered the room as well.
He was holding a big bowl of popcorn.
He leaned casually against the cupboard and started eating while watching them like it was a movie.
He absolutely enjoyed the chaos of Sanchi getting ready for events.
Swati opened Sanchi’s wardrobe and started pulling out dresses.
“What about this one?” she suggested, holding up a beautiful outfit.
Sanchi looked at it.
“No Maa, not this.”
Swati pulled out another.
“Then this?”
Sanchi tilted her head.
“No Mumma… it won’t look good.”
Swati frowned slightly and picked another option.
“This one?”
Sanchi shook her head again.
“No…”
After the fourth rejection, Swati crossed her arms.
“Sanchi,” she said suspiciously. “You have never been this choosy before.”
From the corner of the room, Siddharth spoke with his mouth full of popcorn.
“Di,” he said lazily, “it’s not your wedding. Just choose anything.”
Sanchi immediately turned toward him.
“Shut up, idiot.”
Siddharth grinned, completely unbothered.
Swati continued checking outfits until she finally pulled out a red lehenga paired with a black dupatta.
“What about this one?” she asked.
Sanchi took the lehenga from her hands.
She held it in front of herself and looked at the mirror.
The deep red fabric shimmered softly under the room light while the black dupatta gave it a striking contrast.
Her eyes slowly lit up.
“Okay…”
She turned toward her mother with a smile.
“This one.”
Swati smiled proudly.
“I knew it would look beautiful on you.”
From the side, Siddharth whistled teasingly.
“Wow.”
Sanchi glared at him.
“What?”
He smirked.
“Whoever that ‘single friend’ is… they’re going to faint tomorrow.”
Sanchi immediately threw a cushion at him.
“Get out!”
Siddharth laughed loudly, grabbing another handful of popcorn as the pre-garba chaos continued in the room.

The next evening turned into complete getting-ready chaos.
Sanchi’s room looked like a mini fashion store explosion. Bangles, bindis, earrings, and hairpins were scattered across the bed while her red lehenga and black dupatta lay neatly on the chair, waiting to be worn.
Swati stood behind her with a hairbrush.
“Don’t move,” she instructed while fixing Sanchi’s hair.
“Maa, I’m not moving,” Sanchi protested.
“You are moving,” Swati replied calmly.
From the doorway, Siddharth leaned against the wall with his now-familiar bowl of popcorn.

He had come specially to watch the drama.
“Honestly Maa,” he said casually, “I feel bad for whoever has to deal with this level of preparation.”
Sanchi glared at him through the mirror.
“Do you want to leave the room alive today?”
Siddharth popped popcorn into his mouth.
“Depends.”
Swati finished adjusting the dupatta and stepped back proudly.
“There,” she said. “Now look.”
Sanchi stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

The red lehenga fit perfectly, the black dupatta falling gracefully over her shoulder. Swati had added light jewelry, small jhumkas, and subtle makeup that made her glow.
For a moment Sanchi simply stared.
“Beautiful,” Swati said softly.
Siddharth whistled.
“Wow Di.”
Sanchi turned suspiciously.
“What now?”
“Nothing,” he said innocently.
Sanchi threw a hairbrush at him.
“Shut up!”

Swati laughed.
“Come here,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I need pictures for memory.”
Sanchi groaned.
“Maa please—”
“No arguments.”
Swati made her stand near the window.
“Smile.”
Click.
“Turn a little.”
Click.
“Now look at Siddharth angrily.”
Click.
Siddharth grinned.
“This one will be my wallpaper.”
“Try it,” Sanchi warned.
After a few more pictures, Sanchi finally grabbed her small purse.
“Okay, I’m leaving.”
Swati hugged her briefly.
“Enjoy yourself.”
Siddharth waved dramatically.
Sanchi rolled her eyes and left.

A while later, Sanchi stood outside Atharv’s hotel room.
Her heart was beating slightly faster than usual.
She adjusted her dupatta, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
The door opened almost immediately.
As if someone had been standing right behind it.
Atharv.
And the moment he saw her—
He froze.
Completely.
His eyes widened slightly as he took in the red lehenga, the black dupatta, the soft makeup, the earrings gently moving when she shifted.
He just stood there.
Staring.
Not even moving aside to let her in.
Sanchi cleared her throat.
“Ahem.”
Atharv blinked.
Reality returned.
“Oh— I— I’m sorry,” he said quickly, stepping aside. “Come inside.”
Sanchi walked into the room, trying not to smile too much.
For a few seconds, there was a slight awkward silence.
Then Sanchi looked at him.
“Atharv.”
“Hm?”
“You are not ready yet.”
Atharv looked down at himself.
“Oh.”
He scratched the back of his neck.

“I was going to get ready.”
He gestured toward the bathroom.
“It will just take ten minutes. I just need to shave first.”
Sanchi blinked.
“You shave?”
Atharv nodded casually.
“Started recently.”
Then he added, “Won’t take much time.”
Sanchi tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Can I help?”
Atharv stared at her.
“You want to help me… shave?”
Sanchi shrugged.
“It seems fun.”
Then she added casually,
“I have done it a few times for Papa.”
Atharv thought about it for a second.
Then he nodded.
“Okay.”

He went to the sink area and took out everything needed — shaving cream, razor, blade, and gel.
Sanchi stood beside him like a very serious professional.
“Sit,” she instructed.
Atharv sat obediently.
Sanchi applied the shaving cream carefully across his jaw.
Atharv watched her with amused eyes.
“You are taking this very seriously.”
“Of course,” she replied. “This is delicate work.”
He chuckled.
As she spread the foam, a tiny bit accidentally touched his nose.
Atharv raised an eyebrow.
Sanchi tried not to laugh.
“Stay still.”
But then Atharv suddenly dabbed a small bit of shaving cream on her cheek.
Sanchi gasped.
“Atharv!”
“Oh no,” he said dramatically. “My hand slipped.”
Sanchi immediately grabbed some cream.
“Oh you want war?”
She moved toward him with the foam.
Atharv laughed and backed away.
But then Sanchi warned seriously,
“Don’t you dare put this on my face.”
Atharv paused.
“Why?”
“I have makeup on,” she said firmly. “And it took Mumma a lot of effort to do it.”
She pointed the foam at him threateningly.
“So don’t you dare.”
Atharv instantly raised both hands.
“Okay okay I surrender.”
Sanchi then continued shaving carefully.

A few minutes later she stepped back proudly.
“There you go.”
She inspected his face dramatically.
“Aapki ande jaisi shakal tayyar hai.”
Atharv touched his face, checking.
Then he nodded approvingly.
“Nice job, Butterfly.”
Before she could reply, he suddenly grabbed a black kurta from the bed and rushed toward the bathroom.
“I’ll change quickly!”
The door closed.
Sanchi looked at the kurta he had picked.
Then she looked down at her black dupatta.
A small smile appeared on her face.
“He did that on purpose.”