Fitoor | ✓

18 | Atthara

A/N- Just wanted to say how grateful I am for all your support. Thank you so much ! <3

18 | Atthara

Ramya and Pankhuri brought glory with them. Tara was delighted to see them, she missed them so much, especially Ramya. They had arrived early, before the sangeet had started. Ramya hugged her sister-in-law tightly.

"How are you?" she asked her.

"Honestly? I'm good." Tara replied.

"You look good too, Bhabhi." Pankhuri said and immediately took a snap of her in her phone blinding Tara by the flashlight.

She laughed, "What are you doing?" she asked Pankhuri who was speedily typing off in her phone.

"Oh, Lekh Bhaiya asked for you picture." She replied casually. Ramya almost choked on the water she was drinking and started laughing. Tara's eyes went wide.

"What?" she asked in disbelief, unable to digest that Lekh himself had asked for her picture. The man who hadn't even bothered to call her once since she had left asked for her picture from his cousin sister whom he found unbearable.

Pankhuri looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes, "I mean it's Lekh Bhaiya, obviously he didn't ask for it directly, but that's what he meant. I told you, he's smitten with you."

Ramya started laughing again and Tara glared at her but with no avail.

"I'm sorry but it's so funny, oh my god." Ramya managed to speak between her fit of laughter.

Tara shook her head and stood aimlessly, the family was mental, no questions asked. "I am not even dressed yet, at least show me how I look in the picture," she said, grudgingly.

Pankhuri and Ramya both started laughing, "Oh, you are smitten too." Pankhuri said and put her phone behind her to tease her sister-in-law. Tara rolled her eyes and ignoring both the ladies went to get ready.

As she got dressed, she mentally laughed at everything that was happening, or everything Pankhuri was getting done. In the Rajputs', extended family included, Pankhuri was the most jovial one. She was naughty and notorious and good hearted all at the same time. The girl had the power to make everyone laugh, she was strong and diligent and Tara admired her. Adored her too.

She had similar if not same feelings for someone else too. A certain man who had indirectly asked for her pictures, maybe. Lekh was a mystery she wasn't sure she wanted to solve. Sometimes, somethings were better left unsolved, maybe Lekh was one of them. That he had her picture and he had wanted it made Tara feel something. It wasn't a bad feeling, that was for sure but she wasn't sure how good it was either.

Her feelings for Lekh was a territory she seldom thought about, and when thoughts about it threatened she would usually divert her mind. She didn't think she was ready to face them just yet.

"What are you thinking about?" Ramya asked her helping her with her dress.

"Nothing." Tara answered. Just then, Varsha knocked on the door.

"Are you all ready? We are about to start." She smiled awkwardly.

"Almost!" Tara said quickly putting up a jhumka.

Varsha nodded and Ramya spoke up, "Has everyone arrived?"

"Oh yes, lots of them." Varsha replied tiredly.

Ramya hit herself on her forehead, "I am so stupid, you are out there working all by yourself. Ill come and help you."

"Oh, no-"

"Oh yes!" Ramya started moving out of the room with Varsha, turning back she ordered Pankhuri like an older sister that she was to help Tara dress up faster.

Ramya mentally face palmed for not realising that Varsha was handling everything herself. She respected the woman for taking all this so gracefully even though Tara and her weren't really the two closest people on Earth and yet selflessly she was helping her and Lekh with their plan. It was really honourable because the truth was, even family couldn't be trusted these days. Her mother being the epitome of an example in this case.

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬

When Tara entered the terrace where the sangeet was going to be held, all dressed and dolled up, she was surprised to see the amount of people present in the room. She was taken aback because she recognised a lot of them. She let out a heavy breath and looked at Ramya who looked back at her worriedly.

Tara didn't know anyone here in this city, she was here after ages. Her few friends from before marriage she had no contact with nor had that ever bothered her. When her brother and sister-in-law had announced the sangeet ceremony, Tara had automatically assumed it would involve a few neighbours and some close friends from their side to celebrate the occasion.

What she didn't know was it would also involve guests from Indira's side of the family.

Her mother-in-law hailed from Jodhpur, ironically. Her whole maternal family was settled here; Tara saw Indira's two sisters sitting smugly in front of her. Their daughters and daughter-in-laws and their children all covered a great proportion of the whole guest list. Tara spotted a sweating Varsha murmuring something to her own sister worriedly.

Ramya quickly walked over to her, "Varsha didn't know either."

"Pankhuri let out a soft whistle, "Talk about drama."

"What are we going to do?" Tara asked, helpless.

If she thought Indira was the incarnation of devil himself, her sisters were another story.