Outfits in this chapter:

Jessica's POV

"Kash don't worry, everything is perfect and beautiful.", I compliment her work,"Even Shubman and Smriti's families told you that."

The decorations:

"Yeah but I just hope everything goes well.", she sighs, "and even the guests like it."

"There's only a few people coming, don't worry.", I tell her and she nods at me.

"I still don't understand why Ishan didn't come with us and his family day before yesterday.", she frowns, "abhi do gante mei the rituals are going to start and he's not here yet."

Smriti and Shubman decided to host the wedding in Shimla, it was a quiet and peace place and would also give them the privacy that was required. So all of us had to travel here but Ishan, unlike his family, decided to come here today and still hadn't arrived.

"He'll be here on time, don't worry. He wouldn't be late to both of his best friends engagement.", Anushka justifies, "Chalo let's go to Smriti."

We get into the room where she's getting ready.

"You guys look so pretty.", she squeals.

"You too.", I compliment her, "Keart aunty has great taste."

"Enough about me please.", she tells,"yours and Ishan's moms have already given to many compliments that my face is still red."

"What did they tell you?", Anushka asks her as she adjusts Smriti's dupatta to the side.

"They got so emotional.", Smriti giggles,"The same 'you've grown up so fast', 'it feels like yesterday when you guys were playing every evening together', 'you look so gorgeous'".

"Accha by the way, has Ishan come yet?", she asks us.

"No idea.", Kash sighs, "I just hope he's coming safely, bohut dher ho gaya hai."

"He'll be alright Kash, don't worry.", I try to comfort her, "the fligh could've got delayed or something, don't worry."

We hear a knock on the door and Smriti goes to open it.

"Oh bhai, tu aagaya.", she tells as she hugs him.

"You look gorgeous.", he grins at her.

"Thank you.", she grins back at him.

"Accha guys I want to introduce somebody to you guys.", he looks at of us.

"Yeah of course, go on.", I tell him as we look behind him to search for the person who he wants us to me.

"Meet Aahana.", he tells and he brings this person in, "she's my girlfriend."

HIS WHAT????

So as to not make things weird we awkward say a hi and try our best to hide our expressions of shock and not look at Kash.

"Accha, by the way you should meet Shubman too na.", Smriti suggests so as to drive him away from the room

"Haan. See you guys later.", he tells as him and Aahana leave the room.

"Kash are you okay?", Anu asks her worriedly after Smriti shuts the door instantly.

"I don't know, this all just feels so... weird.", she tells as she shakes her head and sit down.

"I'm so sorry.", I mutter as I pull her into a hug.

"This is just so strange, it makes no sense.", Smriti tells suprisedly and we all sit next to her.

"Don't worry about that now. It's your engagement and we can't just keep thinking about this for today.", she tells mirthlessly.

"But-", Smriti interjects.

"I'll be okay, don't worry about me.", she tell us, "I'll be okay in a while."

Smriti's POV

I get out of the dressing room to the stage with my parents and friends.

I smile as I see Shubman, mouth a 'hi' and he smiles back at me. I walk towards him and take a seat next to him.

"You look good.", he tells me.

"Look who's telling that.", I tease him.

The rituals start, perfomed by a pandit and some of our relatives too. A while later, we are asked to begin with the proceedings.

We exchange rings as everyone around us begins to cheer and clap.

The rings

As per the instructions of our families, we take pictures with the guests and our friends.

"Now, we will need the both of you to come out with us to click some pictures.", the photographer tells us.

Shubman gives me a knowing grin and I groan. I sucked at posing for pictures, I would've either start laughing or pose way too awkwardly.

"Please, you've posed for so many magazines and all that. I have like, zero experience.", I pout at him.

"You'll do fine, don't worry. We did well at the pre-wedding photoshoot na.", he assures me.

"We'll be going for a few simple pictures.", the photographer tells us and then instructs us for a couple of poses which focused on our rings, considering this was an engagement.

"See, I told you it'll go well.", he tells me pointedly.

"Yep, you were right.", I smile at him tiredly.

"Is Kash okay by the way?", he asks me concernedly as we make our way inside to eat.

"No.", I sigh, "I mean, she's trying to make it seem like she's fine because today's our engagement and she doesn't want to put the mood down and all that."

"I'll try talking to her, maybe.", he tells me as his eyebrows furrow, "I thought Ishan liked her, it's so confusing why he would be with someone else."

"You're not the only one confused.", I tell him as we join the table where our friends were sitting.

Shubman starts talking to Kash and I take the opportunity to talk to Abhay, Jess, Anu and Shreyas

"How is she feeling now?", I ask them.

"I don't know, she needs some time for all of that to sink in.", Jess tells.

"I can't blame her though, even I can't believe this happened.", I resonate.

"Why didn't Ishan tell any of us about it? I don't know if I should feel hurt or respect his privacy.", Anu sighs.

"What privacy does he need from us?", Shreyas bhaiya asks," You've known him ever since all of you were kids."

"Even the team would be hurt that he didn't let us known, we're all close too. So you guys have the right to be upset too. Friends keep secrets for each other, not from each other.", Abhay adds.

I look at Ishan, who was talking to Aahana in the table with his family.

Ishan was never the one to keep secrets from us. Yes, it wasn't easy for the four of us to talk that frequently like we used to ever since he got into the senior team since the schedule over there was hectic. But whenever we spoke, he told us so many things.

But what was even more surprising was that he was dating someone else. He spoke to Kash almost every night and even took her out to freaking Marine Drive early in the morning.

That wasn't platonic since there were times that he took either Anu or I but those were sometime at the evening and it was just a place you went with friends. Calls at nights were super rare between the three of us.

Anu and I did notice that there was something different between the both of them at a point, but it wasn't anything related to friendship because if it was, they would've drifted apart from the both us. But the friendship between the four of us was still there.

It was until now.

Things were getting really weird.

Author's note:

Ahaha don't kill me for this please! Things between Kashish and Ishan will get better, I promise.

Also, happy birthday to our one and only, Ishan Kishan <3

I wanted to do something different by trying out a South Indian wedding cause it's usually different in most fanfics. More weddings will be there in this book (👀) and I didn't want all of them to be almost the same.

I hope you liked this chapter!

Lots of love.
~S.

Published on: 18 July 2021.