Tej POV
The door opened by Babu. He was holding a tray of tea, steam rising gently from the cups. His round face carried a glow of excitement, his hair a little messy as always.
"It's tea time!" His childish tone brought a smile to my cheeks. I stared at him with a wide smile. His joy was so pure that it softened the heavy air around me.
"How special the day is today! I'm so glad! See, Mimi's rishta fixed… tonight I will eat sweet, sweet mithaiya!"
He said it so proudly, his eyes twinkling as he imagined the sweets.
I just sipped the tea. The warmth of it didn't reach my heart. Something broke inside me. "Mimi's rishta fixed…" The words echoed in my head in a loop, louder each time.
I failed to express my feelings toward her. I failed… I failed… continuously harming myself with this thought. The room felt smaller, the walls pressing in.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" I whispered.
"What?" Babu heard my sorry.
I denied it with a shake of my head. He tilted his head in confusion, then smiled again, unaware of the storm inside me.
"I'm excited for tonight. Are you coming down?" he spoke while completely closing the door. He turned his head, still smiling.
I laid down the teacup. "I don't—"
"What? Why? Mom made your favorite dishes. Don't you want to finish them? Huh? Come, come!" He came to me, grabbed my hand, and dragged me down the hallway.
I had no choice other than to obey them. The corridor smelled faintly of incense and jasmine.
How could I deny coming to celebrate their happiest moment? After all, they treated me like family. They accepted me as one of their own.
Aunty served me good food—her hands had magic, no doubt. I cleaned the whole plate with my tongue. She advised me every time, spoke with that gentle motherly voice, and her eyes always sparkled with care. She cleaned my room after I came back from the office. Sometimes she even washed my shirts without asking.
She treated me like her son.
I could never betray them. I could never let down Aria.
If they wanted her to marry, I would let her go. After all, love means letting someone go.
I let you go, Aria.
"Arey beta, where were you? Finally, you came. Come to the kitchen, see the gas pipeline—the gas isn't passing from there," Aunty told Babu. Her voice carried the same warmth as always, busy yet full of affection.
"Wait a second, I'm coming," he said before entering the kitchen.
"How's the decoration?"
I gave him a thumbs-up.
He smiled proudly. His round cheeks lifted, and I could tell he was happy with my approval.
His decoration should really be appreciated. The balloons were glued to the ceiling. On the wall, it was written:
"Anniversary Greetings — Happy twenty-five years of marriage, Mummy and Papa. You've gone far, from young to old, seeing every up and down of life."
The golden letters shimmered under the warm yellow lights. The whole room glowed with love and celebration.
"What are you seeing?" a soft voice came behind me.
"The decoration," I said without turning back.
She stood beside me. I didn't look at her, but the smell of her perfume entered my nose. It was the same scent she wore the first day we met. I chuckled softly, trying to hide my emotions.
After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Are you laughing at me?"
"No. You've changed a lot after meeting Gaurav."
"Hmm, he changed me. He teaches me a lot."
"I'm glad." The door knocked from outside.
"We arrived," a lady said, breaking our conversation.
My eyes landed on a man who stood tall outside the door. His eyes looked at Aria while Aria looked at her watch. She wore a pink salwar. Her beauty glued my eyes. Her long hair was tied softly at the back, her earrings swinging slightly as she moved.
"Beautiful…" The word murmured out. I forgot the guests. I forgot she was going to marry. I forgot the tall man who was staring at her.
"Oh, why are you all standing outside? Come, come, sit inside."
Aunty greeted them, offering tea and coffee. Meanwhile, I stood with my arms crossed near the doorframe, looking at Aria.
She sat unwillingly, head down, playing with her watch. Her fingers trembled slightly.
She was uncomfortable.
"Beta, what are your hobbies?" the green saree aunty's voice broke the awkward silence.
Aria searched for the words to back her. Her lips parted, then closed again.
"Hobbies?" I patiently waited for her answer. What were her hobbies? I didn't know her very well. Even I didn't know her favorite foods, favorite sports, favorite movies.
Did I have the right to love her?
She sat silently.
They heard my chuckle. Aria looked up at me, then lowered her head again. I went out of the home. It was too awkward to stay there for a single moment.
I looked at the sky, replaying the memories of the time Aria and I spent together. The blue evening stretched endlessly, clouds slowly drifting by. I remembered how we talked fearlessly with each other, how we came this close to one another. She gave me life again. She helped me heal. She was the medicine for my wounds.
Well, she didn't know what she was to me.
Babu came and kept his hand on my shoulder.
"What are you doing here? Come on, the party will start soon."
"Is it necessary to go there?"
"What are you saying, huh? Aren't you our family member? Don't behave like a stranger. Dad is waiting for you. After all, he wants to drink with you after cutting the cake!"
I chuckled. His innocence was so bright compared to the heaviness inside me.
How smoothly and quickly I became part of this family. How it happened, when it started—it's still a question.
The lights from the house spilled into the street. Inside, I could hear laughter, clinking cups, and music starting to play. For a second, I smiled too—just a small, tired smile that faded before anyone could see it.