The Great Indian Wedding Romance

31. Questions

She doesn't look like herself 

That was Siddharth's first thought when he saw her from a distance. They had spent several months apart but that face was etched so brilliantly in his mind. He could never forget her tan skin, her plump lips that curved into a beautiful smile or a pout in an instant. Her luminous eyes, those fluttering lashes and that tiny nose. 

The most prominent feature of that face wasn't anything physical. It was the fierce, determined look in her eye that made her glow. The look that was temporarily swapped with limitless mirth when her guard was down, when she was with him, alone on that rooftop. 

It was all gone now. Her eyes seemed like they had turned darker in the months they had spent apart, her smile did not seem to those dark eyes. 

She seemed like an unhappy shell of a person. 

And yet a jolt of electricity went through him when she finally looked past her sister and their eyes met. 

Flashes of their covert meetings went through his mind and he found himself frozen on spot. He had mentally rehearsed this encounter so many times. The things he would say to her seemed to dissolve into thin air. 

Only one question remained in the air, 

Did you miss me as much as I did?

***

Chetna was in the safe confines of her room minutes after her unexpected encounter with him. She had stared at him for what felt like an eternity and then when her mother's back was turned she had bolted like a coward. 

She slid down on the floor, trying not to hyperventilate. 

It was not a hallucination. He was really here. 

Siddharth Kashyap was in her house right at this moment. 

What was she going to do?

She paced about her room. Any minute now her mother or some other relative would come knocking at her door and she would have to face everyone out there. 

A very confusing amalgamation of emotions overtook her. She wanted to cry hysterically at the sight of him and laugh in relief. Every single day of the past eight months she had thought of him. She had recounted every encounter they had had, every little kiss they had shared, every conversation they had had. 

Everything was so smooth and effortless with him, it felt like a dream. 

She had almost convinced herself that it really was a dream up until he had walked in. 

Siddharth Kashyap was real and now that he was back, she was in danger. 

***

Everyone in the Haldar household was happy to see that Siddharth had accompanied their son-in-law to the festivities. He wondered how enthusiastic they would be if they knew his real intention of coming all the way here. 

He knew his sudden appearance would send Chetna skittering away but when she still hadn't made an appearance three hours later he was starting to get impatient. He wanted to barge into her room and confront her with all the questions he had, questions that had surfaced over the last few months. 

The rational side of him knew he needed to play it carefully. He could not cause a scene here of all places. He could not ruin the wedding in case Chetna actually did want this for herself. And even if she was having second thoughts he needed to approach this carefully. He knew how she was when it came to taking important decisions for herself.