Meant To Be

XII

So I decided to take an auto to reach home.

The roads were not very crowded,  we reached my home efficiently in few minutes. When the autowala stopped outside my house, I bought cash for him and thanked him for being so kind and patient with me.

As soon as I stepped into my house , I remembered Mr Malhotra and my Ted Talk (okay okay monologue) by the beach . It made me feel a unknown happiness inside -

ofcource for being able to help someone who was facing difficulty .

As the night went on, I couldn't help but wonder about the layers behind Mr. Malhotra's cold exterior. There was something intriguing about him, and I found myself wanting to know more.

I thought of our conversation again before getting ready for bed.

Next day in office,my work was as usual , Mukti's wedding had my full attention . I was working on things related to it which were assigned by Ridhima to me.  Alya came in with a sparkle in her eyes. She looked radiant, and I could tell there was something she wanted to share.

"Nandini, I have to tell you something," Alya said with excitement.

"What is it?" I asked, curious about what had her so thrilled.

"I went shopping with Mukti for her wedding attire, and I was completely blown away by the designs and outfits at the designer stores. I wish I could buy expensive clothes like that for myself," she said dreamily.

"Ah, yes, wedding shopping can be quite mesmerizing," I replied

"You know, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about," Alya continued, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"What is it?"

"I... I have feelings for Aryaman," she confessed, looking both nervous and happy.

I was taken aback by her revelation. I was happy for Alya for realising her new feelings. At the same time, I felt a pang of concern, knowing that Aryaman had shown interest in me before.

"That's great, Alya. I'm happy for you," I said, trying to sound genuinely supportive.

"I need your help, Nandini," she said, her excitement mixing with a touch of uncertainty. "I want to get to know him better and see if there's a chance for us, but I don't know how to approach him like that ."

"You want me to be your wingwoman?" I asked, realizing what she was getting at.

"Yes, exactly! You know him well, and I trust your judgment. Can you talk to him and give him hints about me?" she requested.

My mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, I wanted to be supportive of my friend's feelings, but on the other hand, I couldn't forget the incidents with Aryaman and the unresolved conflict between us. WE were still not back to normal or on casual talking terms I didn't want to get involved and possibly make things more complicated.

"I'm not sure if I can be the best person for this," I hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Why not? You've always been a great friend, and I know you'll handle it well," Alya insisted, her eyes pleading with me.

I took a deep breath, deciding to put my own reservations aside for the sake of Alya's happiness. "Okay, I'll try to talk to him and see how he feels about you," I agreed reluctantly.

Alya's face lit up with joy, and she gave me a tight hug. "Thank you, Nandini. You have no idea how much this means to me."

I smiled, feeling a mix of emotions. "Just remember, Alya, I can't force him to have feelings for you. I'll try my best to gauge his reactions, but the rest is up to fate," I warned her gently.