As she walked, Anahita's saree unraveled for the fifteenth time. Dhani remained patient, but Iravati grew agitated now. The photographer would come soon, but here she struggled with the basic saree. Anahita kept insisting that the red leheriya saree had some personal vendetta against her. She tugged on the quarter sleeve of her puffing floral blouse, as Dhani did the pleats of her saree.

Iravati even repeated her dialogue of her daughter getting insulted in her sasural for not knowing to wear a saree, which will be her forever attire after marriage. She didn't counter mother, but she would surely be taking Dhani with her. Every morning, her companion will do her saree and everything.

With the saree done; an immense relief to all three. They set Anahita for make-up. She felt like a doll, with her hair being pulled and face powdered with strange creams applied to her face.

"Mother, won't this be cheating the prospective groom's family? I mean, this make-up is hiding my natural look."

Iravati smiled, placing her hands on Anahita's shoulder, - "My daughter is the prettiest girl in the whole of Rajasthan. This is just a formality." She patted her shoulder. Her mother's warm tone made Anahita super surprised. She and Dhani glanced at each other.

The photographer set up his camera and lighting in the living room. Iravati Devi chose the best floral printed lounge chair, placed next to the fireplace. Anahita's father, Prathuman had brought this piece of furniture from Bombay.

Anahita stiffened as she walked into the room. The photographer looked at her and passed her with a smile. She reciprocated with a poker face. Dhani followed her closely, frightened that her friend's saree might fall off. Anahita was dead scared, so much that she feared moving any part of her body. The photographer kept an eye on her, wondering if her mother forced her into all this. She seemed like a teenager, perhaps that is why she was nervous- he thought.

Iravati whispered Dhani to fix her hair, and she nodded, scurrying to Anahita. She collected a bunch of her hair and neatly placed it in the front, leaving the rest behind. Iravati smiled haughtily. The groom's prospective family must see her daughter's lustrous and long tresses. It adds to her beauty.

From a distance, she admired her daughter. Anahita inherited much of her father's features- the sharp aristocratic nose, cute bow-shaped lips with the upper lip slightly plumper than the lower and it had a natural pink look. She had made Anahita have anar seeds and beet-root juice rubbed against her lips  since age five. Her fair complexion skin - smooth and spotless. Iravati was very passionate about making her daughter's skin blemish-free by applying the best of the best homemade face-pack; everything organic and homegrown, of course.

Iravati also worked hard on Anahita's hair, oily, washing and combing regularly and punctually. For three years, she has only been trimming the ends and no proper haircuts. Anahita had become a rebel when she had wanted shoulder-length hair like her friend Nausheen. Iravati turned bitter, thinking about her. She and her family weren't a good influence on Anahita, or so she thought.

Iravati pushed aside the thought and noticed her daughter blinking. Fearing the camera might miss her daughter's beautiful upturned brown eyes, or worse if they come shabby. To catch her attention, she cleared her throat. Anahita gulped staring at her mother's big protruding round eyes. That dangerous look threatened her. Her mother's secret weapon.

"A little wide smile... no, no, not that wide... no teeth... little more. Chin up... little down... to the side... no, no, no, not that low... little high... little more."

"Can you decide first."- Anahita stamped her feet and stilled upon realizing her saree might open again. Iravati face-palmed. Dhani rushed to Anahita and fixed her Pallu that had fallen from her shoulder. The photographer looked embarrassed as it was for the first time a woman had raised her voice at him.

Anahita was glad the grilling two hours of the photo session was over. She whined to Dhani as she slipped off her glass bangles. Once the saree was off her, Dhani got busy picking out her outfit while Anahita washed off her make-up.

After changing into a casual mint green sleeveless Kurtha and white pajama, Anahita called Nausheen to gossip about all this. She tossed her white cotton dupatta over her right shoulder and picked up the receiver of the landline.

Anahita bit her smile as the ringer sounded in her ears. Someone picked up the call, and she opened her mouth to speak, drawing in a breath.

"Hello!" a baritone answered. Her smile dropped and her heart skipped a beat. The husky voice spoke into her ears, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. There was a pause, and the voice spoke again.

-"Hello? Anahita?"

Anahita clenched the satin bedsheet. She breathed into the receiver and spoke a moment later, - "How did you guess?"

"Guess?"- He sounded casual now, - "I know."
"How?" she breathed.

"Just—anyway, I will get Nausheen and you girls chat."

Anahita scrunched her nose, - "You are mistaken. I called her to discuss Maths and not gossip." Her ears turned crimson as she tried to sound cool.

She stopped speaking upon hearing him stifle his chuckles.

"You are cute." He commented in between.

She smiled, feeling ticklish with his voice ringing in her ear. Then sometime later, Nausheen answered the call, - "What did you say to Bhaijaan that he is smiling like a fool?"

Anahita bit her lip, her cheeks turned red.

Anahita was all smiles and starry eyes, as she always was after any mathematics exam. Nausheen, along with the other girls complained about the paper being tough. The group stopped at the sight of Nausheen's fiat car. The girls passed a look and giggled.

"Your brother is such a mood lifter." One of the girl nudged Nausheen. Anahita looked straight and found Asif leaning against the car. He read the newspaper, holding a cigarette in his hand.

"Has he been betrothed to someone? Is he single?"

"He is so handsome."

"Shut up, you all. He is my brother and you are all are being creeps." Nausheen reprimanded them. Anahita straightened, smiling slyly. She liked how her friend rebuked those girls. Though, by now Nausheen was accustomed to girls swooning for her brother, for some reason, she didn't like others ogling at him.

Hmm, Strange- She thought with a slight shrug.

"Come on, you are being full-headed because you got a handsome brother."

"So? You can tie rakhi to him and make him your brother." Nausheen pressed her thin lips in a sarcastic smile. The classmate looked offended. Anahita liked the comeback, but she wondered if Nausheen would be so bitter to her if she—

"Hmph, attitude. I will find a chance to strike a conversation and so you will see."- One of their more confident classmates, said positively. Anahita kept a stiff expression, eyeing the girl. She looked back at Asif, from the distance and harkened back to his words from yesterday, - "You are cute!"

It was obvious that he knew her well than these girls, also found her cute. The thought lessen the sour feeling.

Nausheen smirked, - "Okay, a new film is up in cinema hall. Bhaijaan is taking me and asked if anyone of my friends wants to come. You all join us."

Anahita stilled. Everyone discussed amongst themselves and informed they will talk to their parents.

"Are you serious about getting these girls with you and your brothers?" Anahita whispered urgently to her best friend as they made their way to the car.

Nausheen clicked her tongue, - "No! I know these girls. They want to be my friends because of my brother. Sadly, they are falling for the outer appearance, but no one is interested in my brother as a person." She sighed. Anahita nodded and looked front. Asif straightened upon seeing them.

Anahita coughed a little, and he got aware. She noted how quickly he crushed the cigarette with his feet. They shared a quick glance. Nausheen opened the back seat of the car and Anahita hastily got inside. Asif watched till the girls were inside the car. Quietly, he sat in the driver's seat.

Anahita nudged Nausheen and leaned closer, - "Is your driver unwell?" She threw an annoyed glance at him.

Her friend shook her head. Nausheen shifted and their arms pressed together, - "Hey, Anahita, do you regard true love to be loving outer beauty or the person's heart and personality?"

Anahita's eyes widened and her gaze subconsciously darted to Asif, and their eye met through the rear-view mirror. Her cheeks flushed. How casually Nausheen spoke about love in front of her brother. Anahita felt shy and ashamed. She lost courage to look at Asif. Girls from decent families don't talk about love in the presence of a man.

- "I don't know, and can we not talk about all this?"

Before Nausheen could speak, Asif interjected, - "Yeah, Anahita doesn't talk about love but is interested in getting married to random stranger." He joked and shared a laughter with his sister. But Nausheen stopped laughing when she looked at Anahita's puffed up face with angry eyes.

"I don't believe in filmy love." Anahita replied grumpily.

"Ah-ha, then you believe in soulmate love?" Asif countered her. Nausheen's eyes brightened and she shifted excitedly towards her friend but Anahita shrugged her off.

"Please ask your brother to stop flirting with me." She clenched her jaw, throwing a side glare at him. "I am a girl from respectable family, and I don't talk about such vulgar things with random men."

Asif rolled his eyes and apologized. Anahita huffed, flopping against the caramel brown leathered car seat. She kept belligerently twisting the corner of her dupatta around her index finger. Nausheen watched the two and then leaned towards her, - "Hey, join me, Bhaijaan and Ahad for the movie this Sunday."

Asif doesn't say anything lest she might feel uncomfortable. As expected, Anahita casually refused. Nausheen kept insisting, but when her friend wasn't giving up, she pulled out her best card.

"It's Devdas, starring yours only Dilip Kumar." She noted Anahita's change in expression. Asif also observed her through the mirror. Anahita looked away, Nausheen teased her for the shades of pink on her cheek.

"Um,"- She bit her grin as she tugged behind random strand of hair, - "Okay, I will come."

Asif raised his eyebrow, Anahita caught his gaze and looked away, suppressing her smile

Precap:

Anahita is unable to hold her excitement and so, are we ;)

Excited for the next, you guys *_*

The scene with the Photographer was relatable, right, my lovelies.

How was the Chapter, my lovelies? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Stay Tuned *Lots of Love* *Hugs and Kisses*