Running down the aisle

The lawn of the hotel was filled with guests dressed in colourful traditional garments. You could sense the aroma of the hot samosa's and pakora's being fried in preparation for the wedding. The wedding ceremony would start in a few hours and the family of the Bride and Groom had begun to arrive. Guests trickled in and placed the gifts at the gift table. People greeted one another with wide smiles and hands were being shaken and soon enough the lawn was bursting with life.

At the entrance of the hotel, cars were moving slowly ahead and keys were handed over to the valet. Out of nowhere a car screeches to a halt overtaking the cars waiting in line.

"Okay, you know what to say right?" The man, Rian, at the wheel said to Zoya, the woman in the passenger seat next to him. "This is kinda your last chance, this is make or break it, if you don't make a good declaration-."

"Stop, you are not good at pep talks." Zoya covered his mouth with her hand.

"Oh I'm sorry. It's just that I'm not someone who drives my ex to my best friend's wedding so that you can tell her how you feel." He said with a straight face.

The woman rolled her eyes at him and looked in the mirror one last time. "You look great, go!!" He squeezed her hand as she bolted out of the car.

The woman ran towards the hotel's reception desk. "Hi, excuse me could you tell me in which room is occupied by Ananya?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am. We need the invitation card for the wedding."

She frantically patted her pockets and sighed as she remembered she had left it on the table at home. "I've left it at home, but she knows me. Can't you just let me go up there?" she pleaded desperately.

The desk attendant declined her request and just as she had given up, someone behind her tapped her shoulder.

"Zoya, Why aren't up there? We could use your help. Ananya is freaking out." The woman turned to the receptionist. "Hey she's with me." The brunette told the receptionist and grabbed Zoya by the hand. "Want to fill me in?" The brunette asked Zoya as they entered the elevator.

"I can't let her marry him. She doesn't love him, I know it."

"I knew it!!" The brunette clapped her hands excitedly. "Okay, I'm going to make sure you get to speak to her alone. Just stay hidden from everyone else or they'll know you were here."

The elevator bell dings and the doors slide open. Zoya and the brunette look around and she gestures for Zoya to follow her.

"Wait here." She whispers to Zoya. Within 5 minutes the bridesmaids begin to leave the room. "You have 10 minutes. Make it count." She winks at Zoya. Zoya nods and mutters out a thank you.

Zoya enters and shuts the door behind her. She enters the room and sees a beautiful woman wearing a wedding gown, seated on the bed with the wedding invitation in hand. She doesn't look overjoyed or happy. She looks tired, sad and overworked.

"How much time do we have?" She asks without turning around thinking she was addressing one of her bridesmaids.

"Depends." Zoya says in a whisper and immediately Ananya turns around.

"How did you get here?" Ananya gasps.

"I got your invitation. The hearts on the card were a nice touch." Zoya pointed at the card lying on the bed.

"You need to leave. Before someone enters." She steps towards Zoya.

"Hear me out, please." Zoya stepped closer to Ananya. Ananya's expression softened. She ached and longed to hold Zoya's hand. She gave her a slight nod asking her to go on.

"Don't marry Him. He doesn't love you like I do. And you don't love him the way you love me. I know those 6 months mean the same to you as they mean to me. I can't force you to be with me, but I can tell you to be yourself."

"I have to. I could lose everyone I've ever known if I don't marry him." She looked at Zoya.

"You could lose yourself, if you marry him. Don't you think you deserve to be happy too?" she asks gently. "This is not about me, it's about you and only you. You deserve the best of everything, you deserve someone who can give you the world, and will do anything just see that smile and hear that laugh that can brighten up the darkest days."

A knock on the door interrupts them and they let go of each other's hand.

"Yeah, I'm all set." Ananya calls out to the bridesmaid guarding the door.

The bridemaid enters with an expression of disbelief, and reads Zoya's face and gives her a subtle nod.

~~

The priest begins the prayers as the couple begins to walk slowly around the fire. The couple needed to go around the fire seven times and then they would be declared as married. As Zoya watched Ananya walk around the fire, she felt like she was taking blows to the chest with each step Ananya took. She would burst into tears any second but she couldn't be that person right now.

Ananya couldn't bear to look at Zoya or anyone else for that matter. Her heart was racing, a few more rounds and then there was no going back. She would have to be someone else for the rest of her life. Every memory of her and Zoya flashed before her eyes, the way she held her hand, her eyes, her smile, her laugh; she would be leaving behind the person she had truly fallen for. Her eyes met Zoya's. And it was like a lightning bolt had shot through her. Ananya let go of the groom's hand, the man she was supposed to marry. She ran down the aisle over to Zoya, grabbed her hand. "C'mon, what're you waiting for? "

Zoya and Ananya ran past the guests who began gasping in shock, the atmosphere had changed completely. The whispers began to grow louder. Someone from the bride and grooms family yelled out to block the exit. As if Rian stopped the car as Zoya and Ananya got to the entrance and they jumped in as the car sped away with tires screeching.

"Jesus, you cut that kinda close, didn't you?" Zoya says as she jumps in the backseat with Ananya.

Ananya kisses her saying "You know how much I love drama."