"Now whom did you fight with ?" Krish's mother yelled at him.

"Krish did you had a brawl with your friend Satish?" Ravi spoke out in stern tone.

"Maa,I get me some water" Krish spoke out ignoring his father's question.

Nandani went to the kitchen muttering to bring water.

"Is it about some girl?" Ravi whispered.

"Baba that Satish is getting on my nerves" Krish gritted his teeth.

"Let's go out on a walk" Ravi spoke out passing an ice pack to Krish.

"What did you fight about?" Ravi asked Krish as they walked in the colony common garden with a semi functional fountain in the center and a few broken swings and a small marry go round.

"Some stuff between two of us" Krish avoided the topic.

"Hmm...I understand.You know I had a college friend.He was my best friend. At the end of college,I revealed my crush's name to him" Ravi spoke out.

"Was it mom?" Krish smiled.

"No,of course not" Ravi laughed.

"Yeah who she was?" Krish spoke out excited.

"One of the most beautiful girl of our batch,she aspired to become air hostess" Ravi spoke out with a grin.

"So did ever propose her or something?" Krish questioned.

"My best friend Sanjay proposed her instead on the same day he got a great placement in an MNC" Ravi spoke out with a sigh.

"That bastard betrayed you!" Krish exclaimed in a flow of emotions.

Ravi glared Krish for few minutes."I mean your friend betrayed you" Krish rephrased his sentence again stuttering.

"Rightly he was bastard who betrayed me" Ravi broke into laughter.

"Baba,you scared me" Krish spoke out with a sigh of relief.

"Satish is your good friend don't strain your friendship" Ravi spoke wisely.

"You don't know what he did,he teased me for not getting laid" Krish blurted out.

Ravi stopped in his tracks, he didn't speak a word.Krish felt like he could pee in his pants next moment feeling scared as hell.

"My son is a virgin,great but that's not a thing to fight for" Ravi spoke out with a straight face.

It's not the topic,it's the hurt.How my only best friend could be so mean to me?" Krish complained like a kid.

"Son,listen be it virgin or not,only the character of a person matters. If you not hurting someone in your act then it's fine but if you are taking advantage of your partner then it's wrong" Ravi explained.

"Is something wrong with me?" Krish spoke out with a heavy voice.

"Krish,losing virginity is a choice. Definitely is wrong with you.Don't take anyone's judgment to your heart.That day when my friend betrayed me I felt an urge to stab him,the sadness multiplied when I didn't get a placement as well" Ravi replied.

"Didn't you feel like loser after that you didn't even get your first love" Krish spoke with empathy.

"It's best thing that happened to me" Ravi spoke out with a smile.

"Really get stabbed by bestie felt good and favorable" Krish asked.

"Yes, it all turned out to be great. I could have never met Nandini if my friend didn't played the devil. If I would have got that job,I would have not discovered my passion of being an army man" Ravi spoke out happily.

"Baba,I don't think so I will ever get my bride" Krish sighed.

"Beta,leave it on destiny and be honest that's it" Ravi spoke out keeping a hand on Krish's head to bless him.

                             ～～～

"Dhriti come on,dance!" Dhriti's cousins dragged her in between of their group.

"I don't know to dance" Dhriti spoke out with a smile suppressing her irritation and anger for being dragged forcefully to dance on the beats of dhol(music instrument).

"We will teach you didi" Dhriti's little cousin giggled tagging along her lehenga(skirt).

"Nobody can teach dance to this wooden stick" Dhriti's cousin Kamya spoke out mockingly and others laughed on her comment.

Dhriti felt extremely embarrassed, she chose to leave the choking the environment.

She ascended the terrace,the stars shimmered in the black sky in contrast to her glassy eyes.The courtyard boomed with dancing guests and relatives,the house was beautifully decorated with marigold flowers and lighting.

The aura of haldi ceremony and happiness around seemed to fade for Dhriti,she felt the odd one out. She removed the yellow earnings that felt painful to her earlobes,slowly she removed her bangles as well.

"Dhriti,what happened come downstairs" Dhaani yelled on the phone call.

"Mummy,I am not feeling well" Dhriti disconnected the call.

Dhriti closed the door of the room."Do I really look like a stick?" Dhriti thought to herself as she glanced herself in the mirror of the old metallic cupboard.

"Why doll what's wrong?" A familiar voice echoed in the room.

Dhriti turned and she saw her cousin who sat eating noodles on the bed.

"Nothing,you are looking pretty as a bride to be,the yellow suits you" Dhriti spoke out with a smile.

"Why were you so reluctant in attending my wedding Madam?" The bride Sneha questioned.

"Family functions are not my thing" Dhriti replied.

"So, what are you doing these days?" Sneha spoke to initiate a conversation.

"Basketball trials are coming up and I am also in archeology" Dhriti replied.

"Hmm...forts and castles.Is my sister waiting for her prince charming?" Sneha said out with a genuine grin.

"Not really...Sneha didi,prince, castle are for people like you,those perfect girls with desired things" Dhriti spoke out honestly.

"Desired things like what?" Sneha twitched her eyebrows.

"You know di, what I am talking about" Dhriti shrugged her shoulders.

"Hmm..you are feeling insecure.Honey whoever will be your soulmate will love in any body shape" Sneha chuckled.

"Easy to say,life is not easy for me.Judgements are following me everywhere" Dhriti sighed internally.

"Dhriti you know what being a bride is not easy" Sneha pouted.

"Everyone is pampering you Sneha what else you need?" Dhriti spoke out.

"It's not easy to get whole body bleach and a bikini wax sucks" Sneha groaned.

"Bikini wax? Beauty comes so painful" Dhriti scrunched her nose.

"Beauty comes painfully to women" Sneha added.

Yes,correct.Didi show me pictures of jiju" Dhriti spoke cheerfully forgetting her inner woes.

"Wow...he looks handsome" Dhriti complimented.

"Your dashing jiju asked me to loose weight.He is a fitness freak" Sneha spoke out,her eyes suddenly lost the sparkle in them.

"Are you happy Sneha?" Dhriti spoke reading Sneha's face.

"He works as a gym instructor in UK,he is good looking, great job,NRI what else do I need? He is written in my destiny,why won't I be happy" Sneha replied with a smile.

"Destiny rules life" Dhriti spoke out.

"Destiny rules love life,Sista don't think too much and enjoy my wedding" Sneha hugged Dhriti to cheer her up.