Chapter 3: Crossing Paths

The wedding ceremony was in full swing, with vibrant music and laughter echoing through the courtyard. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow on the colorful sarees and kurtas as guests buzzed around, helping with last-minute preparations for the cultural event that would follow. Rhea, feeling more at ease than she had in a long time, decided to step in and help. It was a refreshing change from her usual role of simply attending events to capture content.

As she arranged flowers on a decorative arch, she noticed someone approach from the corner of her eye. The man she had seen at the overlook the day before—Karan Deshmukh—was walking toward the venue, though he didn't seem to be in any rush to join the celebration. He had a calmness about him, a quiet energy that stood out in the middle of the festive chaos.

Distracted, Rhea turned to move toward another area but collided directly with him, knocking over a small basket of marigold petals.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Rhea gasped, instinctively reaching down to pick up the fallen flowers.

Karan knelt beside her, helping with the petals. "No harm done," he said in a tone that was polite but indifferent, as if his mind was elsewhere.

Rhea glanced at him, trying to place his face. He didn't fit in with the rest of the wedding guests—his flannel shirt and sturdy boots contrasted with the traditional attire of everyone else. "You're not part of the wedding, are you?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Karan shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm just here for some work on a project nearby." He stood up and handed her the last of the petals. "Sorry to interrupt your arrangements."

Rhea smiled, trying to lighten the awkwardness. "No worries. I'm Rhea, by the way."

Karan simply nodded, offering no name in return. He didn't seem the least bit interested in continuing the conversation, which was unusual for Rhea. Most people she met either recognized her or were eager to talk to her, but Karan's indifference was stark.

She followed up, still intrigued. "So, what kind of project are you working on?"

Karan glanced at her briefly, then gestured toward the distant mountains. "Conservation. Restoring some of the local water systems. It's a small effort to protect the ecosystem here."

"That sounds… impressive," Rhea said, genuinely interested but unsure how to navigate this conversation. In her world, the discussions usually revolved around trending topics, the latest gadgets, or viral posts. This was unfamiliar territory.

"It's necessary," Karan replied, his voice calm but firm. "Unlike social media, nature doesn't need validation to survive."

Rhea paused, feeling a slight sting at his words. "I guess you're not much of a fan of technology, then?"

Karan glanced at her, his eyes steady. "Not when it's used to create a false reality. Social media makes everything seem bigger than it is. People live their lives for likes and followers, but they forget what's real."

His words hit home more than Rhea wanted to admit. She had built her entire career on that 'false reality,' as he called it. For a moment, she felt defensive. "It's not all fake, you know. For some of us, it's a way of expressing ourselves, of reaching people."

Karan shrugged, clearly unmoved. "Maybe. But I've seen too many people forget to live their real lives because they're too busy trying to curate one online."

Rhea opened her mouth to argue, but something in his blunt sincerity stopped her. He wasn't trying to be harsh; he was just stating what he believed. And the worst part was, she couldn't entirely disagree with him. There were days when she felt like a stranger in her own life, more focused on what the world saw than what she truly experienced.

"Well," she finally said, attempting to keep the conversation light, "maybe you're just not following the right accounts."

Karan gave a rare, slight smile at that, though it was more of a polite acknowledgment than amusement. "Maybe not," he said before turning to leave.

As he walked away, Rhea stood there for a moment, still holding the basket of marigold petals. There was something about him that lingered in her mind—his indifference, his grounded nature. It wasn't just that he was different from the people she usually surrounded herself with. It was that he seemed free in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. Free from the constant pressure to perform, to be seen.

For the rest of the evening, as the wedding festivities continued and the night wore on, Rhea found herself thinking about their brief conversation. Karan's dismissal of her world wasn't what bothered her. What unnerved her was the strange pull she felt toward his. It was unfamiliar, raw, and real. And it made her wonder if, perhaps, she had been living in a bubble for far too long.