It was already time for the mehndi ceremony to start. Soni had flooded Pari's phone with texts asking her where she was but Pari had fallen asleep from being tired working all day long. She woke up with still an hour to go quickly texting back her sister telling her she is going to be there on time.
Stop stressing, I'll be at the venue on time. :3
She then dressed up in a blue lehenga with yellow floral print on both the upper and the bottom half of the dress pairing it up with a long blue translucent jacket with embroidery on the sleeves. She paired them up with a hefty piece of silver necklace. She styles her hair into soft curls and set them with hairspray.
All these hairspray and heat, my hair is surely going to be ruined.
Pari was at the venue on time. Aparshakti and Ayushmann were the only coming tonight since Alia, Aditya and Varun were busy with their shoots that evening. Pari had no information on Siddharth because she hadn't texted him confirming anything. Pari went to Soni, who was getting her palms decorated with mehndi, when she spotted Siddharth making his way to Ayushmann, she wanted to go and talk to him immediately but Soni had stopped her asking her to get her hands painted as well. But she excused herself never the less and took a seat on the empty chair beside Siddharth who was now sitting at a table alone.
"Hey" Pari said scooting her chair a little closer to Siddharth.
"Hi." He said looking intently at Pari, eyeing her from head to toe. "You look gorgeous, you can give the bride a run of her money." He said chuckling making Pari blush hard.
"Where is Jacqueline?" Pari asked finally looking at him but he appeared to be sad.
"She had work." He said in a low voice, almost annoyed.
"Siddharth!" Ayushmann called waving at him from a little distance. He shot Pari an apologetic look, getting up from his place to join them at the bar.
Pari too getting up from the chair, went back to the stage taking her place beside Soni Di, getting her hands painted with mehndi from the ladies that had come. Every now at then she would steal glances at Siddharth only to see him stealing glances at her as well and whenever he would get caught, he would immediately turn his gaze and rarely he would flash her a smile which she would reciprocate. By the time my Mehndi ceremony was done most of the guest had left and so had Siddharth, Aparshakti and Ayushmann. The girls stayed back waiting for the mehndi to dry and start peeling off and when they did, we couldn't get happier because it was dark enough for each of our liking almost as if dark chocolate in colour. Pari then headed back to her apartment, making her way in when Siddharth stopped her. He had opened the door at the right moment making Pari wonder if he was waiting for her but dismissed the thought immediately.
"Show me your Mehndi." Siddharth asked stepping closer to me making my heart jump, his breath was hot against the skin of my forehead.
Why did he have to be so tall?
Pari placed her opened palm together and pushed them towards Siddharth who immediately took them in his hands, feeling the touch of her skin, observing the intricate designs on her palm.
"The colour's so deep, someone loves you a lot it seems." He said and then winked at me, turning around to go back into his apartment leaving her standing alone in the hallway with her thoughts to haunt her. Pari wondered for a moment if he had meant himself or if there was anybody else that he knew about but quickly debated that neither of those were the case.
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The next morning a pooja was to be held before the sangeet function, Pari got up early in the morning, helping the family to make some preparations for the puja, then leaving to freshen up and get ready. On her way she quickly texted Siddharth.
Coming?
You bet. (:
Pari wore a sky-blue coloured palazzo pant with the same coloured long kurta embroidered with and printed with gold foils. She adorned a same colour dupatta but it was printed beautiful and intricate with floral patterns. Both the pants and the dupatta were bordered with gold zari. She paired them up with some old danglers for her ears, leaving her neck bare. She left my hair loose in soft curls and putting on the least of makeup, painted her lips red with kohl lined eyes.
Pari was sitting in the back row, several people had gathered for the puja that was in process when she saw Siddharth coming in with Harpreet. They were conversing about something when she saw him looking around the room as if trying to look for somebody, which Pari later understood was her, as he came and sat next to her where the pooja rituals were being held. He sat down quietly and exchanged a smile.
"I need to talk to you." He said with a sense of urgency in his voice which Pari felt to notice. She put her index finger on his lips, asking him to be quiet for the time being as the puja was going on. Both Pari and Siddharth had felt the electricity running through their body when their skins touched but both being unable to act on it just looking intently at one another.
"We'll talk later." Pari whispered in his ear her hot breath fanning the crook of his neck. Even though Siddharth didn't seem satisfied with the answer he obliged not wanting to pressurise her. But after the puja before Pari could get a chance to talk to Siddharth she was called to distribute the sweets among the guest and by the time she was done she couldn't see Siddharth anywhere, on inquiring from Harpreet she found out that he had already left. Pari was a little saddened by Siddharth's sudden disappearance but she had more things at hand to take care of.
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The Sangeet ceremony was in an hour, Pari had just finished practising her performance with Aparshakti over the video call, when she tried calling Siddharth several times hoping to ask what he had wanted to talk about but to her disappointment he never picked up the call and Pari decided to get a hold of him in the function and ask him there itself.
Pari got dressed in a coral pink coloured designer lehenga, the bottom of the lehenga was adorned with intricate embroidery and patchwork with a gorgeous shimmery finish, looking almost like a gown from those princess movies. The blouse was stitched with sequins, glittering and it came with a similar shimmery flimsy dupatta which was translucent. Pari paired her dress with a diamond and ruby necklace and similar earrings. Her hair was parted at the left, the left section of the hair tucked in behind her ears. Her makeup was the same as usual except she had applied some eyeshadow too along with the kohl giving it a smoky look.
Who do you want to impress?" Aparshakti asked entering my apartment, they had decided he would pick her up and then they would head out together.
"Your brother." Pari said sticking her tongue out while they exited her apartment.
Pari turned around to take one look at Siddharth's apartment but there were no signs of activity. Soon they were surrounded by hundreds of people who had come to attend the Sangeet ceremony. A night filled with dancing, singing, drinks and good food. Pari was by Soni when she spotted Siddharth with Jacqueline in his arm, making their way to where Varun, Alia, Aditya and Ayushmann were drinks in their hands gossiping away. They were now joined by Siddharth and Jacqueline and Pari couldn't stop looking at them lost in her thoughts.
"You look prettier." Aparshakti said breaking Pari's thoughts who faintly smiled at him
"Let's go it's time for our performance." Pari informed Aparshakti, holding him by his hand and dragging him behind the stage. They had decided to perform on a total of four songs, three of which would be with other people and the last one would be just the two of them. It was finally time for them to go on stage, when Pari became nervous but Aparshakti assured her everything was going to be fine.
First, they started with grooving to the tunes of Nachne De Saare, a song from one of Siddharth's movie, and they accompanied by Louis and Harpreet. Siddharth couldn't take her eyes off Pari who was dancing beautifully to the song that he had once performed. When they had finished giving the amazing performance the crowd busted in an applause. Next Louise and Harpreet exited the stage and Ayushmann joined Pari and his brother to groove on Suit Suit and when they were done Harpreet and Louise again joined the tree on stage along with Aditya and Varun as all six of them started performing on Saajanji Ghar Aye from the evergreen movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Siddharth had no idea that Varun and Aditya were giving another performance except the group performance they all had rehearsed for. Soon the song was over, everyone exiting the stage now except Pari and Aparshakti. They were now closing the gap between them as the song Pehla Nasha begins playing, they start giving an intimate performance specially for the soon to be married couple and everybody seemed to cherish it. Pari scanned the crowd for Siddharth only to look at a very agitated looking Siddharth.
Why is he so pissed? Is he jealous?
Next it was time for their group performance to Punjabi Wedding Song, another song from one of Siddharth's movie. Everybody joined them on stage including Siddharth and his girlfriend, they had rehearsed for this performance a few days back and the parings were decided as Pari and Aparshakti, Louise with Harpreet, Jacqueline with Siddharth, Alia with Varun and finally Ayushmann and Aditya because well, no girls were available. They started moving to the tune of the song when midway Jacqueline missed her steps and Pari's and her partners got exchanged, she was with now dancing with Aparshaki and Pari ended up with Siddharth, for a split second Pari noticed the discomfort in his eyes like a deer caught in headlights, and he must have notices her looking at him because he suddenly changed his expression and was more calm and composed, he was an actor after all and changing his expression came naturally and Pari, well, she could hide herself very well from doing it all these years. They both pretended nothing was wrong, drowning their feelings and continuing to performed. Pari could feel her heart beating so much faster and she for a moment thought, she could feel his heart doing the same.
After the performance Pari had to go to mingle with some guests, and as soon as she was done, she started looking around for Siddharth, hoping to ask him what he wanted to talk about. Thankfully, she had found him near one of the tables alone.
"Hey, what did you want to talk about this morning?" Pari asked taking the empty seat opposite to Siddharth's
"Nothing." He said angry, almost hurt.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" She said throwing her hands in the air.
"Can you just leave?" He said his voice hoarse and authoritatively
"Excuse me? Are you for real?" Pari asked irritated banging her hands on the surface of the table "I invited you here, you should be the one leaving."
Just as Pari finished talking to Siddharth someone bumped into her while passing by, the person didn't even bother to stop or look back as Pari lost her balance, closing her eyes waiting for her body to hit the ground, but it didn't. She opened her eyes to see in herself in Siddharth arms., he held her by her waist balancing her, his eyes showing concern and hurt. Once he made sure Pari had gotten back to her senses he lifted her, helping her to her feet, then freeing his arms from around her, letting her go. Pari tried taking a step back but her sleeves had gotten caught in the strap of his watch. She tried to untangle but struggled, only for Siddharth to take charge and once he succeeded, turning around he left.
"Siddharth, I didn't mean that, I am sorry." Pari called out referring to what she had said that he should be the one leaving but Siddharth didn't pay any heed and kept walking away from her.
"Hey, where did Siddharth go." Varun asked appearing by Pari's side with the rest of their gang.
"I don't know." Pari lied biting the inside of her cheek.
Pari had returned home, changing out of her clothes she got reminded of the events of the night when she finally to decided to text him apologising.
I am sorry, I didn't mean that.
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Pari's outfit for the Mehndi ceremony.
Pari's attire for the pooja.
Pari's coral pink lehenga for the Sangeet ceremony.
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