Waited For You

Chapter 30

{ The Past }

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened.

Atharv stepped out, now dressed in a black kurta, adjusting the sleeves while casually running his fingers through his hair to set it.

When his eyes landed on Sanchi again, he paused for a moment.

“You look gorgeous,” he said sincerely.

Sanchi immediately grinned.

“Mumma’s artwork,” she replied proudly. “But thank you.”

Atharv chuckled softly.

Sanchi then adjusted her dupatta and looked at him again.

“Now I won’t feel ajeeb.”

Atharv frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

Sanchi shrugged lightly.
“You know… I felt like a joker.”

Atharv blinked.
“A joker?”

“Yeah,” she continued, gesturing at her lehenga. “I was dressed like this while walking through busy streets where everyone is roaming in casual clothes.”
She sighed dramatically.

“People were staring at me so hard.”

Atharv laughed softly.

“But now,” she continued, pointing at his kurta, “you are also dressed up.”
“So I won’t be the only odd one out on the streets.”

Atharv shook his head, smiling.
“Trust me, Butterfly,” he said. “They were staring because you look beautiful.”

Sanchi rolled her eyes but a shy smile appeared anyway.

A few minutes later, once Atharv finished fixing his hair, Sanchi clapped her hands lightly.
“Okay.”
“Let’s go.”
She turned toward the door.

But before she could take a step, Atharv gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.
“Wait.”
Sanchi looked up.
“What?”

“Let’s click a few pictures first.”

Sanchi raised an eyebrow.
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”

He took out his phone and stood beside her.
“Smile.”
They took a couple of pictures together.
Then another.
And another.
But after that, Atharv suddenly started clicking only Sanchi’s pictures.
“Stand near the window.”
Click.
“Turn a little.”
Click.
“Look at me.”
Click.

Sanchi finally folded her arms and pouted.
“I thought we were going to take pictures.”

Atharv looked up from his phone innocently.
“We did.”

Then he lifted the phone again and clicked another picture of her.
“Besides,” he said softly, looking at her through the screen, “you look super beautiful today.”
Click.
“And I want to capture it.”

Sanchi tried to stay annoyed.
But the corner of her lips still lifted into a small smile.

The college campus looked completely different that night.

Colorful lights hung across the entrance, lanterns glowed along the pathways, and the large ground in the center had been decorated with rangoli and strings of lights. Music played loudly while students dressed in bright traditional outfits gathered around the garba circle.

Sanchi and Atharv walked toward the entrance together.

Sanchi looked around excitedly.
“This looks amazing!”