I twirled as I adored my reflection in the mirror. Ethnic wear always increases a person's beauty, at least that's what I feel.
I am getting engaged today and honestly, it feel surreal. Time has flew in different speed in the past week. My and Siddharth's fight, our reconciliation, and now- our engagement.
Our wedding week has finally started!

"Beta, chalo!" Mom said, entering my room. I turned and embraced her. A couple of tears skipped my eyes as the worst part of marriage dawned upon me- leaving her to go someplace else. And Baba, he should've been here.

"Kya hua Kiara? Aren't you happy?" she asked worriedly.

"I am Ma, I am happy." I said, gently wiping off the tear, trying my best to not ruin my eye-make up.

"Baba ki yaad aarahi hai?" she asked and I smiled, nodding.

"Look up, he is happy seeing you happy here!" she said pointing at the stars.

I simply looked at the stars. Baba was here, and I knew it. But it would have been better if he were standing here with a huge smile on his face as he tried to hide his tears.
But Baba was never good at it and maybe even I am not, as a few tears escaped my eyes.

"Kiaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Shraddha barged in yelling.

"Late horaha hai!" She informed angrily and dragged me out while Maa simply laughed and followed suit.

"Aunty, aapki beti time ko pakad kaam nahi kar sakti kya?" She started rambling while I conveniently chose to ignore her.

But why in the world is she ranting? She never does that.

♠️

The sound of claps and hoots reverberated in the room as I and Siddharth exchanged rings. I looked up at the love of my life, smiling widely at me. Beside him, was my best friend, my back bone- Varun. At his other side stood his world- our Mummy-Papa, I turned to my left to see my everything Maa and beside her stood with a faint smile adorning her lips- Shraddha.
And at that moment, I knew that I wanted time to halt. At that moment, I knew I had everything.

The photographer came and started clicking candids. Siddharth was quick enough to drag me towards the decorations done specifically for us to click photos. Siddharth has always been a photo-enthusiast, and a photographer; he says he loves to capture every little moment and memory.

We clicked pictures in various poses. I swear I hadn't drunk but the two of us were actually acting like drunkards, laughing on anything and everything.
And that's what makes me love this man. He is an angel, I swear to God.

"Ab baaassss, bohot hogaye photos! Mein toh than gaya bhaishaakh!" Siddharth exclaimed dramatically, referring to Hansa and I burst out laughing. Again.

The photographer gave us a look and left to click pictures of all the kids who were eagerly waiting for him.

We both went and sat on the seats placed in the verandah where our family members were chitchatting. I saw that my aunt, who is a matchmaker talking to Shraddha, who was standing beside Varun.

Raita fail sakta hai!

I tugged on Siddharth's kurta who raised an eyebrow at me. I pointed at the scene and panic clothed his face. We both got up and switched our seats to be closer to Mahi bua, Varun and Shraddha.

"Mujhe nahi yakeen hota Shraddha puttar! Arey mujhse mat chupao, meine dekha hai kaise dekhte ho ek durse ko. Aur ek dusre ke saath bohot khubsoorat dikhte ho, try karo dating shating!" she said.

Raita fail gaya.

"Ek baar kaha na usne, nahi hai hum saath! We are JUST friends!" Varun roared.

This isn't good, Varun losing his calm (which he rarely does) is bad, and I mean it.

He stormed off, and me, unable to think anything, ran after my best friend who was walking away with an unmatchable speed.

He finally stopped near a window, and banged his fist on the wall, letting his forehead rest there. I simply back hugged him, trying to calm him.

"It's okay varun, it's okay" I whispered innumerable times in ear. After a solid two minutes, he stopped panting and started talking.

"I-i shouldn't have" he mumbled, fumbling.

"It's okay, it happens." I said.

"No-no, just because I am angry or something upsets me, doesn't mean that I can raise my voice on an elder. It's not right, Kiara." He said, breaking the hug and facing me. His eyes glowing due to tears. Oh Varun!

"I am so so so sorry Kiara. I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have ruined your engagement party." He said sobbing and tears stung my eyes, too.

"You-you and Sid-Siddharth are my special people, you two are my best friends, my family. You both deserve so much happiness and I-I ruined it, ruined it." He said between his hiccups and I nodded frantically in a 'no'.

"And and she-she doesn't like it Kia. She doesn't like people yelling at each other." He whispered, before burying his face in my shoulder and resumed sobbing.

Oh Varun.

I stepped away from him, and wiped his face with my dupatta. Holding his shoulders, I made him look into my eyes.

"You committed a mistake, Varun. You really did. But do you know why did you make a mistake, Varun? Because you- Varun, you are a human and not a machine who is supposed to take care of other's feelings at every single moment. Varun, you can not please everyone. Get it? And currently, I want you to forget about Bua, about me, about Siddharth and about her. I want to know about you. You were upset, Varun. You never shout at anyone but today you did. Are you okay? Are you really okay?" I said and he just looked at me.

"I.."

"Varun, you know right? It is okay to not be okay." I told him and continued, "you can be truthful with me Varun, unless...you feel uncomfortable sharing it with me." I said and he gulped, and then proceeded to nod.

"I am not okay, Kia." He whispered softly, as if he was afraid someone else will know that he is not okay.

"Why are you not okay, Varun? Do you want to tell me, do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" I asked, again.

"I am upset, I am upset because I am still stuck in my past, Kia. I am upset because even if I decide, I can't get over her. I am afraid because I am a person who craves for love and I am scared because I know that she will never love me and that upsets me because I know that I will break into multiple fragments. That upsets me because I know that I will be disturbed, I won't be able to focus on anything. Eventually, I will isolate myself from everyone. I will have bad professional and personal lives and that upsets me, Kia. I am not okay because I have loved a person so much, so much that it hurts. It hurts every moment that I love her. It hurts me that it hurts me. It upsets me to be this complicated- happy at one moment, shattered in the next. My heart cries every moment knowing that it will never move on from her. I am not okay Kia, and coming her, seeing her again has confirmed that I never will be okay." He said and took a deep breath after completing.

How is love so complicated? After losing my father, my demeanour changed. No, I did not become rude and cold hearted, I just became a bit more reserved. I started being a little less happy thinking that after Baba, I don't really have the right to be happy. I never really 'talked' to mom about myself. I pretended to be happy in front of her, despite her continuously asking me if I was okay. But, after Shraddha and Varun entered my life, I slowly started being happy again. I started opening more about my grief to my mom and my friends. And then Siddharth came, I experienced happiness, love and satisfaction. I got a person with whom I was actually very comfortable and who was my bestest friend. I started living again.
But Varun, even after his father's death, never really lost hope. He was in grief, but still optimistic. He let his family help him get through the hard times. Then, he started developing feelings for Shraddha. Their bond and friendship continued to blossom, right in front of my eyes. It was beautiful. And by the time of that ugly night, he had started loving her. That night simply broke him. The ugly night managed to turn their beautiful friendship ugly. And the Varun, ever optimistic Varun, lost himself.
How can one word, one feeling be so complicated? How can it treat every person differently? How does one person find herself again after getting love and how does an other person lose himself after getting love?

I simply hugged Varun, not knowing what to say. O almighty, bring happiness in his life, again, please. He deserves it. Every bit of it.

"Kiara beta" I heard Veena aunty's voice and I left Varun, wiping tears off my face.

"I wanted to talk to him."

"Ji Aunty, I'll go. Good night." I said wishing her with a soft smile.

"Good night beta ji" she said kissing my forehead and I left the mother-son duo.

As I walked back to my room, I heard some sounds of a person sniffing. I looked around and then spotted Shraddha. She was away, sitting in the lawn, hugging herself. What is she doing there, alone? I ran up to her.

O God, these two! Both of them are making me run in this lehenga!

"Shraddha?" I called out and she looked up. Her face completely red and wet with tears.

"What happened?" I asked worriedly.

"I am s-sorry, Kiara. I-I am s-sorry" she said as she cried more loudly. I simply sat down on the soft grass, pulling her in my embrace. She clutched on me tightly, crying violently.

"Kiara, I am sorry, so sorry. I caused the two of you so much pain." She said crying. I couldn't find any words to reply her. I simply patted her back head, trying to calm her a bit.

"I shouldn't have lied, I shouldn't have hid my past from you. I trust you with my life, but I couldn't tell you about this. I couldn't talk to you about this story. The story that defines me." She said fumbling and crying. I was shocked, honestly. What is she talking about?

"What story Shraddha?" I asked, my heartbeat getting louder and audible.

"The story....of my....p-parents" she said in a low voice after breaking the hug and looking at me.

She knew her parents?

1840 words!
I hope you actually liked this part and you think that it makes sense. I am honestly, not used to writing so much drama and these many emotions, together. The part started off happy and then turned disastrous which the two of the main characters breaking down completely. So, do lemme know how I can improve! Suggestions would really help me! Thanks (:

A chapter dedicated mainly to Varun, my dearest Varun.
What is Shraddha's story?
And the fact that Kiara didn't know that Shraddha knew her parents- concerning for me.
Before what happens next, I will write a small filler chapter, only containing Shraddha's reaction to Varun storming off due to Maui Bua's comments on them.
Uske baad thoda aur drama! Thoda aur romance (maybe)

And I swear, I am not a drama magnet😭

Love,
Surabhi✨