Silver Lining | Grooms #3

XIX. Morning Surprise

As the sun's rays crept in through the blinds, a new morning awaited them. Esha woke up to her phone vibrating on the table. She reached forward, moving away from Nikhil to answer it, certain it was Sanam calling her. On new years, Sanam was always the one to call and wish her first thing in the morning if they hadn't spent it together.

Closing her eyes again after answering the call, she put the phone to her ear. "Good morning, sis."

"Good morning, love."

Narrowing her brows, she opened her eyes to check the caller ID. It was Sanam's, but Parth was the one talking to her. "What are you doing with di's phone? Where is she?"

"Relax, she's here. She knows I'm using her phone to call you. Here, she's back." He answered and seconds later, she heard Sanam's voice.

Nikhil inched up closer to her since she'd moved away to get the phone and talk. She got startled a bit when his arms wrapped around her from behind. She was definitely not used to waking up with another person in her bed. Realizing who it is, she relaxed and focused on the call.

"Eshu, happy new year!"

Esha smiled, letting her eyes close again. "Happy new year!" Her shoulder inched up to her ear when Nikhil pressed his lips to her neck, unintentionally teasing her.

She tried to move away, thinking he was awake now and simply teasing her. But, the next second, his hold around her tightened and he stopped, as if he had fallen back in a slumber.

"Esha? You there?"

"Yeah, um, what? Sorry." She answered.

Sanam laughed, "Are you dozing off to sleep again?"

"No, I'm up. How are you doing? How was new year's? And how's jeeju?"

"I'm good, your jeeju is fine too, and it was great. We all just got together and watched a lot of movies with the occasional drinks and card games. We missed you! Were you in your room by yourself again?"

"Um, no." Esha answered, turning slightly to look at Nikhil sleeping.

Sanam asked, surprised, "Really? Did you go out and celebrate?"

"No, not really, but... I mean, yeah. I guess."

Sanam laughed, "Kiddo, its either you did go out and celebrate or you didn't. How can it be both?"

"Di?"

"Yeah?"

"You know how you always kept telling me I'd find my Arjun too?"

"Yeah?" Sanam asked, getting concerned and curious. Esha always disliked it whenever Sanam would tell her that, and attempt to open up to the possibility of finding love. Having found it herself, she always wanted her little sister to realize that as well. It was only a matter of coming across the right person.

Esha confessed, "I think I might have."

A few days ago, or even 24 hours earlier, she wouldn't have thought telling her sister was a possibility. Last night had changed things. If anyone, she wanted her sister to know for sure. She shared all her secrets with her, and this was after all the biggest one of them all.

Sanam exclaimed, "What? Really? When? How? Oh, forget all that. It doesn't matter. What's his name?"

Esha smiled at all the questions Sanam was going on a rampage of. The one thing she liked more was how Sanam said it didn't matter when or how. She was happy just finding out, and knowing the name. She really did have the best sister she could have asked for.