Song: Milne Hai Mujhse Aayi (from Aashiqui 2)
Our former president FDR once said that if you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on longer. However, imagine that rope was covered in oil and simultaneously on fire. Now every time you try to tie a knot you end up either burning another part of your body or slipping and falling to your death. That's how life has treated me for the past ten years. And somehow, despite the burning rope, I still haven't decided to let go. A part of me wants to give myself a small pat on the back.
Now, in my life, there's something that sprinkles the fire with a little bit of water to calm it down and replaces the burnt parts with wedding invitations and lots of jewelry. And of course, the additional dessert here and there to add some sweetness into this charred mess.
"Jaya, ammi made some more kaju katli. She made extra just for you," Anwar announces, as he brings in the box of sweets. He's holding it ever so gingerly, like one wrong move will cause it to disintegrate. Saliva starts to pool in my mouth, while excitement whirs in the depths of my stomach.
"Thank you, Anwar. Tell your mom an extra thank you for not letting Salim eat half the box like last time."
Anwar instantly burst out laughing, as he popped open the box. "My brother has the appetite of a whale."
"Must run in the family," I shoot, as memories of the time Anwar ate 9 of my mom's in one sitting flicker through my mind. This time, Anwar just shot me a scoff and a sarcastic eye roll, as he kneeled at the dining table.
Without a moment of hesitation plaguing my mind, my hand shot at the box to tear off a piece of the nutty, fudge like dessert. "Alright, Jaya, I have an idea," my best friend, Jen, announced, while I nibbled on my piece to make the delicate cashew taste prolong on my tongue. She pranced out of the room, with her wavy, chestnut colored hair bouncing with each step she took. Her brown eyes dashed across the room but came to an abrupt halt when she saw the sweet box open on the table. "Nice. Anyways, look at this," she said, as her feet shuffled to the couch. I scooted over so she could sit down easily and be able to show me what she had in mind.
"Look at this. The red passa would go so well with the entire outfit," she explains, as she tilts her phone screen towards me. My jaw fell open at the jewelry that was to be embellished on her temple. The miniscule pops of glittering red rubies against the shimmer of the gold metal was like a glamorous disco ball. The diamonds forming a sun like pattern in the center tied the whole thing together. And not to mention, on Jen, it would look absolutely stunning.
"Yes. Yes, that's all I have to say. Maybe you could layer it! Throw on some jhumkas, maybe some bangles as well? It will really look good."
Jen's eyes light up with that possibility. A smile curves at her full lips, while her olive skin glows with satisfaction, as she sets her phone down. "You should just coordinate my wedding outfit. You know all about how to make me look good."
I scoffed. "Please. I can't even coordinate my own life." Jen and Anwar explode into fits of giggles, as she slides her phone into the back pocket of her jeans.
"That's relatable. Which reminds me, I have to file some papers. I shall go hole myself in my bedroom until I feel like actually doing something productive," Anwar groans, as he drags his feet towards his room to probably bury himself underneath his bedsheets. Typical Anwar. Always so dramatic and constantly procrastinating.
Jen snickers, as I silently wonder how high Jen's sodium tolerance is. Because dealing with both Anwar and I's salty personality would make any person have a stroke. "Ah, I can't believe I'm marrying that twerp," she says, with annoyance wringing her voice.
After she compliments that with an eye roll, I shake my head out of pure disbelief. "I can't either. I thought his salty personality would've dehydrated you by now."
Jen shot me a sarcastic eye roll, while I leaned towards the box of sweets to have another. "Hey, Jaya?"
My eyes darted towards her, only to find a question smeared onto her face. "Yep?"
"Would you have married Manish if he had stayed back?"
Ah, the big question. Ever since I realized it was too late to admit my love to my former best friend, I could tell Jen has been wanting to scratch that itching question off of her chest. Truth be told, even I don't know what would've happened. I don't know if we'd be married, living in a big house with our yellow labrador running around in it, or if we would've gone through a bitter breakup and not spoken to each other again.
With all these questions plaguing my mind, I shrugged. "I don't know. Life is crazy that way. Considering how life was crazy enough for Manish to go to Seattle on such short notice, I don't know if we would've stayed together."
Jen nodded understandingly, as if all the words planned in her mind had dissolved into nothing. I sit back a little bit and attempt to dispel the swarm of thoughts buzzing in my mind. I try not to dwell on that time too much.
It's been 9 years since I let Manish go after losing him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's married and settled down now and dancing in the rain with his wife like in a cringey Bollywood movie. It's unhealthy for me to dwell on the past. I need to focus on myself; something that's long overdue.
Not only do I decide to focus on myself, but I also decide to focus on eating more of those kaju katlis.
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GAH I took way too long on this. The amount of rewrites that I did on this isn't even funny. Nothing seemed good enough. The amount of rewrites that I did makes TSOC look like a cakewalk. So, do you think Ashwini has truly moved on? Let me know in the comments.
IT'S FINALLY HERE! I'm so sorry I took so long with the sequel, guys! I had so many things lined up and it took me forever to organize the sequel and make it satisfactory. I promise I won't take this long again! But man, it's good to be back to writing. Who's excited to see what's upcoming?
Oh, also, sometimes I put songs if I find one that really fits the mood of the chapter.
I hope you guys liked the first chapter! As always, please vote/comment/share/follow/message if you liked this chapter! And follow me on Instagram (svts.writes) for teasers and announcements regarding new works. See you in the next chapter!
Love you guys,
Shree
YOU ARE READING
Wilted Petals
Romansa(This is the sequel of Blooming Flower and CAN be read as a stand alone) 9 years after her best friend, Manish, left for a new job in Seattle, Ashwini Balakrishnan tries not to dwell on the past. With her job working as a doctor and helping her best...
