Chapter 29 - Glaring and Caring

He walks inside like he always does, his face conceited and that complacent aura which intimidates people like he owns the place. Like he doesn't care if someone's looking or not. But he knows, like always, that they are. My mom sputters when she see him. Her eyes widening like dinner plates.

My father looks like he is almost releived. Then a look at my Nani who is like almost blowing red fumes directly coming from the fire. My father's face contortes into a look of struggle of keeping a face devoid of any expression.

Kiyansh just nods at some of the people he knows and stops in front of my Nani. Who's yellow 'Sari' doesn't hide her red look.

" What are you doing here? " She doesn't try to hide her irate tone.

" Oh just to see My fiance. " He says with a smug smile on his face.

" You can't, just go. It's against the tradition. " She hisses.

" No. " He says and turns towards me. A beautiful winning, 'dare me if you can' smile on his face.

Everybody in the room wait with their mouths open. Including me, waiting for something to happen.

My Nani just hisses once more. Then with just a bit of sneer. She starts giving order at once ignoring that someone just overruled her order. " Tanya you take that to Shanvi and you," she claps at my mother.

I gawk at her. This is for the first time in my life that she didn't try to make things work in her way. It wasn't like her.

But that doesn't mean she is not throwing daggers at him. He continually ignores her and nods towards my friends.

" Couldn't stay away huh? " Prisha giggles at him.

" Nope. " He says, shaking hands with all my friends.

I ignore and try to look everywhere else. But he comes forward and just stands near me. I amore than aware of his presence. it's always definable.

I see my cousin staring at Kiyansh. Her eyes stuck to him. I feel the sudden urge to go to her and tell her to look anywhere else. I look up to find Kiyansh looking at me. In conversation with my dad but still looking at me.

I feel myself blush and look at my mom and Nani fussing about things.

The ceremony starts. One by one everyone starts applying turmeric paste on my face and hands. When my mother and father bend down they stay for more than a minute. Nani bends down and apply turmeric paste on my face. Smiling at me. " Even though he is stubborn you both are good for each other. I liked the way he didn't give up when I glared at him. Don't tell him I said that. " She says in my ear and gives me a forehead kiss. I smile up at her and apply some paste on her face.

To my surprise, Kiyansh bends down and nobody stops him. I feel myself freeze when his brown eyes tentatively move over my face as if he is checking if it is true. His long fingers slowly moves towards my face. His expression normal but it's like a heartbeat passing between us. I remember the times we teased each other when we were kids.

The times he have touched my face like that flashes through my memory. We both our sitting, just like the time when we first met.

His fingers move slightly over my cheeks. And without any sense of what I am doing I grab his hands and take the paste from his fingers. I put my hands on his cheek.

His eyes, they stop the time. My heartbeat feels like it's in my ear.

Then someone clears their throat and I remove my hands to the speed of light instantly.

I blush red when I realise what I was doing.

What the hell.

I dare to look up and see that the hall is filled with silence. And everybody was staring at us.

My mom crying and smiling at us. Whereas my father looking left and right.

****

" You both are so in love with each other." Prisha squeals when we are in my bedroom after a long day of ceremony.

My heart aches and I open my mouth to tell her. That we are not, I am.

He just cares too much. Has cared since childhood, so everyone thinks that he loves me.

But nothing comes out.

" So tell me your story. Like what happened. How he proposed. Or did you two decided when you were kids. " She squeals and jumps on my bed.

Kritika comes out from the bathroom. " Are we talking about them? I want to know. And you know I want to confess something." She adds looking consciously at us.

" Ofcourse sit " Prisha taps on the bed.

" You know it's nothing right now. But I sort of had a crush on your fiance when I saw him at the match. " Kritika says still standing and looking at the bedroom door as if I was going to tell her to go out.

Prisha and I look at each other. We both burst into a laugh.

Kritika cautiously looks at us. " Are you okay? Did I say something weird? "

Prisha points at Kritika and bursts out laughing again. " You thought you were the only one? Everyone who looks at him have a crush on him. Even Rohit says he is Adonis. And the word coming from him, who thinks he is the worlds hottest person. " Suddenly Prisha sneers.

I look at her with wide eyes. " You both have something going on here. Don't you" I gasp at her.

Kritika jumps on the bed her eyes wide. " Yeah you are right Shanvi they both were glaring each other. But then, oh yes! Why Rohit was coming out of your room half an hour before. " She points an acussing finger at Prisha.

" What? No. It was just something umm... He, he forgot something in my room. " Prisha says and backs up looking uncomfortably at us.

" Oh you liar! " I grin at her. " Tell us your story and I will tell you mine. "

" Deal? " she smiles.

" Deal " I say. " And you " I point at Kritika. " We are not sparing you. "

Dedicated to God, who makes us who we are, our family , and the people who make this life worth it, the books which brings smile on our face, and the laughter which makes everyone, feel everything. Thank you everything.