Marjaavan - A Journey of Arranged Marriage

Chapter 6

"Jeevika. Hi. How are you doing?" I take her in a hug, ignoring her friends.

"I'm fine. How are you? I can't believe you came. I remember you had said back in school that you wouldn't attend any sort of reunion." Yeah, the Nandini then knew something that's why she said it! I don't tell her that I almost didn't come.

"Well, I thought of giving it a try. It's really nice to see you."

I finally turn to her friends who are looking at me from head to toe, most probably judging and calculating the price of each thing I have on me.

Reluctantly, I greet them with a polite smile. Nothing has changed. They are still the annoying-wanna-be-popular girls. They greet me like we are best friends who are meeting after years of separation. Two-faced bitxhes.

I'm pretty sure the moment I'm a little far away from them, they are going to gossip about me and criticize my outfit. This is one of the reasons I didn't want to attend this reunion. I didn't want to deal with this situation and the two-faced girls who seem like your best friend in front of your face and turn into your enemy behind your back.

I lowkey miss Navya. She would have clapped back at them with her sarcasm and we would have laughed about it later. Oh, Navya.

"So Nandini what are you doing nowadays?" I hear Ria asking me which brings me out of my thoughts.

Ria is a tall girl with a pretty face who had all the boys falling for her back in school, I'm pretty sure she still has men running behind her. The only thing she lacks is politeness and kindness.

Ria is the leader of the squad. Back in school days, they used to follow her around like little children following their parents. I hope that has changed. I wonder if they stayed friends throughout the years.

"I graduated recently and I'm currently doing my internship at our company."

"Of course. Taking over daddy's company, eh?" She flips her hair back as she says that. Her tone is offensive. She is mocking me.

It's okay Nandini. It is okay.

"Taking over companies isn't my thing yet Ria. I'll let you know when it becomes." I fake a smile and turning to Jeevika I whisper a see you later and move from there.

Jeevika gives me a sympathetic smile and whispers a sorry in a very low voice that I barely hear.

Moving ahead to the area they had decorated for the reunion, I'm tempted to leave.

I barely had looked around the decorations when my eyes land on a very familiar face that I used to stare for hours. The face that I know so well that I could draw it with my eyes closed. Oh no. I need to leave. Right. Now.

I turn, ready to leave and forget all about this when a voice stops me and freezes me to the spot. His voice. The voice that I used to love hearing. The voice that had comforted me so many times, the voice that had made me happy so many times, the voice that had made me laugh and giggle at horrible jokes but also the voice that completely broke me and left me hanging with nothing but tears.

No. Don't go there. Don't think about it.

I don't turn as I hear his footsteps approaching me. He stops when he is close enough.

"Nandini. I can't believe I'm seeing you here. It's been so long." I close my eyes trying to compose myself. It's been exactly 4 years.

I had met him again after so many years before I started university. He flirted with me and the crush I had on him back in school came back and I couldn't help myself but give in when he had asked me out on a date. Dates became our daily routine. We used to meet every day, talk to each other almost all the time throughout the day.