"All that was, all that is, and all that will ever be"
Will love be the strongest force that holds them together or be the ultimate tragedy that breaks them apart?
With death looming like a sword over their heads, endless efforts of a lover to prot...
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Anu
Blushing bride was never her style. Shreya is bold and feisty, and it reflects in everything she does. Sitting next to her on a short stool I apply a simple mehndi design onto her palms before the artist begins the full work. Its tradition for the mother of the bride to be the first person to apply mehndi onto the bride's hands, but Shreya pulled me first.
Around the courtyard several colored canopies are set up with a mehndi artist and decorated with bright pink, purple and yellow flowing drapery and gold painted furniture. In the center sits a small stage where some of the family members, mostly women sing and play instruments. A glowing dancefloor spans a large portion of the ground between the stage and full-service bar.
While Riya and Vidya sit with Shre, Gayatri and I find an empty canopy to get our mehndi done. She lets me go first since I'm getting a design done on both hands from my index fingers wrapping down the middle of my arm. I sit on the cushiony pink sofa, tucking my gold net dupatta so it doesn't fall down my shoulder and annoy me.
"So, you and Sidharth are back together?" I knew once she had me alone I would be interrogated. She is the mom of our group of friends, always worrying and looking out for us, so much that she misses out on enjoying herself.
"No, we're still broken up. We had a moment, that's it," focusing on the cone lightly grazing against my skin, I don't look up into her skeptical eyes. I can lie to everyone else of my friends, but not Gayatri. She has the ability to make even the best liars tell the truth.
"I'm sorry, I know how much you feel for him. I wish things worked out differently for the two of you, I really thought he was your end all be all," she says putting a piece of barfi to my mouth.
"I did too, but I guess it was never meant to happen," I shrug, giving my full attention to the artist's work, completely forgetting what design I even picked out.
It's like I can feel his presence even though I don't see him. The exact time I look up from the sofa's armrest I see Sidharth striding in with powerful, courageous steps, that he normally walks with. I see heads turn following his every move, women, and men ogling every inch of his perfect body in his navy blue sherwani.
Great minds do think alike I suppose, we're matching unintentionally but to everyone here, it would seem like the thing an ideal couple would do. I smile down at my navy-blue velvet skirt with rich gold embroidery. When I look up Sid is at the bar throwing back a double shot of scotch neat. I hate that he knows he shouldn't be drinking yet he does, and excessively so.
Rubbing off the dry mehndi, I stick my arms out admiring how bold red it came out. I fold the dupatta, leaving in with Vidya for safe keeping. She rolls her eyes "What do I look like to you? That's why you dress simply like I do,"
"That's why you've also been single," I snap back, she smacks my ass as I go off to the bar, laughing. Walking past several aunties, they complement my lehenga choice, also saying my future husband will love me to death because of how bright my mehndi turned out. I can't help but smile at the last part.
