The present: The venue
The mehendi ceremony went on for another couple of hours. Maahi knew she wouldn't have much time between this event and the next. So, she quickly got an hour's nap before beginning prep work for the cocktail event. She stifled a yawn and walked out of her cabin in her trackpants, in search of some food. She sipped from her water bottle and neared the little bridge that was built inside the resort. It was probably meant for cutesy pictures for couples to take. She looked around and nodded. Decent lighting. Kinda cute set-up. She pulled out her phone and took a picture to remember to come back here. Before she could lower her phone, she saw a person enter the frame.
Through the phone screen, she took in his appearance quietly even though her heart automatically picked up pace. He had a green cap on, the shadow from it covering half his face. He was dressed casually in a loose white t-shirt and black pants and had a backpack slung over one shoulder. It should have been a casual look but she could make out the effort behind the effortless. He was clearly in conversation with someone through his earphones, as he gestured lightly. He then pulled off his cap and ran a hand through his hair only to replace the cap back on his head but in reverse. She could see him clearly now.
All these years later...Aarush Iyer still knew how to make an appearance.
Maahi stopped in her tracks for a moment. She lowered her phone and just stood there without any screens between them. Just for a moment or two.
It felt like she was back in college looking at a world that seemed really close and yet impossibly far. She felt like she was again standing outside a snowglobe, wanting in.
She then blinked and returned to the present. Without her knowledge, she began walking towards the bridge. Aarush seemed to be frowning as he held onto the railing for the bridge, looking away, and argued his case vehemently. He was clearly in his own world. So much so that a few moments later, he just huffed, turned around and sat on the ground, cross-legged, continuing to explain something to the person on the phone. Maahi shook her head and tore her gaze away from him, ready to walk away.
But as she neared the spot where he was sitting, she peered at him from the corner of her eye. He had flipped his cap back to the front, covering his eyes. And from an absent, deeply buried subconscious part of herself, she felt herself become curious. Curious to sit down in front of him and reach out to raise his head, simply to know what it would feel like to look into his eyes again after all this time.
The mere thought made her feel goosebumps. She rubbed them away, stuffed her hands into her pockets, picked up pace and walked away.