Chapter - 8 ( Closeness ?)

Adam's P.O.V

One by one, everyone chose the drinks and chips from the trunk and the loud munching sound could be heard from everywhere. When I saw Samantha going to get a drink, she gave her a straw and said " Don't want the drink to ruin your lipstick, after all, what is Akash for? Right ?" Hearing this all of us snickered and laughed at her blushing face. She saw all of us were laughing at her and said " Sis, how could you do this to me in front of everyone !" Then everyone was relaxed for the following type of wedding. Even though everyone took the snacks, I went last and saw her smiling at something. Then I saw that some drinks and chips were still left, which she took in her small arms and waddled over to the church gate to give to the needy. She looked so cute waddling over to the gate with all the things, that I couldn't help but stare at her lovingly. " Staring at my friend I see " Said Samantha while smiling at me. I was a blushing mess and before anyone could hear me I said: "Stop saying nonsense you nuisance ". Now the roles were exchanged, and she was snickering at me while my cousins looked agape. " This is the first time seeing you simp over a girl so we are enjoying it," said another of my cousins. As she returned I got a call from my mom "Where are you guys? Aren't you done clicking all the pictures? Sammy needs to come here right now to change into the saree and won't the girls also change the saree which the ladies of the house will be giving ?" She said in a quick scolding tone to which I replied, " Don't worry, Carina had arranged for some snacks so we were having that, now that we are finished, we will be arriving shortly ." " Ohh Carina was arranging some snacks. It's ok then take your time and then come when all of you are done !" Mom said weirdly!

After everyone finished munching on their snacks, I noticed something which only Carina's cousins noticed too. Carina didn't have any snacks. When I asked her if she will have any she just shook her head and was closing up her trunk when Lia her cousin muttered to Xavi's other cousin " I think she started it again !" I didn't think she meant to say it loudly but not only me but Carina also heard and clenched her jaw and said " Lia sit inside the car, EVERYONE LET'S START PILING INSIDE THE CARS OR WE WILL BE LATE FOR THE REST OF THE RITUALS AND AUNTIE JUST CALLED TO TELL US TO HURRY !" Though she didn't yell her voice was loud enough for all of us to be able to listen.

Carina's P.O.V

"She was just thinking about it. She didn't mean to offend me. She was just being careful so that I don't become like last time Don't get angry! Control yourself." I chanted all this while I was going inside my car. I saw Xavi and many others looking at me while sulking and glaring at Lia. Though Lia thought she had said that in her mind but she said it out loud and I heard it and so did the others. They didn't want me to look at the past but it wouldn't be hard not to. I mean who wouldn't get scared when your cousin had gone to the hospital for starving herself the cause of body shaming was not having food? They care for me and that's why she was getting scared.

FLASHBACK

It was a whole fiasco when I so badly wanted to lose weight. After fighting with the comments all my life until the sweet 16 times came when my emotions got the best of me and I took everything to heart and did all the exercise I knew, yoga, meditation and I was so desperate to come to a certain body size that I stopped eating dinner. Gradually the dinner became less lunch and no breakfast. A time came when I was surviving on water and a few pieces of biscuit. As I was also doing classes and the pressure of the assignments made my days remain hungry, stressed, and pressured. After doing this for 5 days, my body couldn't take it anymore and when I was coming home from the library, I collapsed on the road. Humanity was nowhere as I lay unconscious on the corner of the road for 30 minutes until some people realized I was not some junkie and I was just a person who lost consciousness still people kept gathering around my unconscious body when a group of reporters saw a teenager girl laying at the corner of the road, they took me to a hospital and through the information found at my ID card from my bag they managed to call my family who was searching for me here and there because they got scared I got lost or kidnapped.

The reporters saw my thesis and all the assignments I was doing and when they heard from the doctor that I was malnourished, they thought the worst when my family members arrived they said " What kind of parents are you guys? Couldn't you see your daughter was suffering? She was malnourished and taking all the stress! Who in the right mind puts the stress of a class 12 student on a class 8 student? All the assignments were ranging from classes 8, 9, and 10 she was doing on, and not only that she was also doing a thesis on the artificial heart. Moreover how you guys didn't manage to see a 16-year-old who should be healthy was malnourished! Couldn't you see her suffering all alone? or did you guys lead her to this condition? Us being random strangers care for her and you being her family didn't see her being in this condition ?" Before anyone could say anything a weak voice said " It's not their fault! My stubbornness brought me here and stress is something that can be released when I see their happy and proud faces! Thank you for bringing me here and being concerned about me " After that day they kept in contact with me and became a huge part of where I am today. But that day at the hospital and the following days at home were nightmares for my family members To this day my youngest cousin at that time Lia is scared of me trying to diet!

FLASHBACK OVER

As I remembered everything I saw Xavi being concerned and started the car then told them calmly " Don't worry, I am not dieting! When I had gone to the store I already had my drink which I found there that's why I said I didn't want to have it. There is a huge change in my mentality now so you guys don't need to be scared of me collapsing or anything of that sort!" After that, all of us cousins vibed to some songs until we reached Samantha's house. We saw all the girls going towards a room and Samantha was going to change into a saree. We just went with the girls and saw them changing into a saree. An auntie asked, " Won't yo guys change ?" To which me , Lia and Rossane shook our heads .