Chapter 2

The plane's wheels screeched against the tarmac as Nitara touched down in Udaipur. She couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her.

Her trip to Boston with her students for the science fest had been enlightening, and she was really proud of them for performing so well.

But there was something comforting about returning to India. Her role as a computer science professor at IIT Delhi had made her accustomed to the academic rigors of life, and it was a relief to be back on familiar ground.

As she had to directly join the Talwars for Atty's engagement, she took a connecting flight from Delhi after parting with her students.

She grabbed her carry-on bag and swiftly made her way through the airport. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she knew who it could be. Atty Talwar.

She answered as she weaved through the bustling crowd that made her think why Udaipur was so crowded this season. It was the month of November after all. Udaipur was a place famous for dream weddings for a lot of people.

Atty was different. She came here for her sagai (engagement). God knew what would happen for the wedding.

Nitara saw a name board with her name and a man holding it. He must have come from the palace to pick her up.

"Nitara, you just landed in Udaipur? Seriously? You know the bath is ready for me and my two best friends are not even here. Great!"

Her annoyance came through from the other side of the phone. But they truly were at fault, Nitara and Avni. They both had planned so much for Atty's wedding and made a pact to not leave a single ritual for her wedding.

Yet Nitara was late for the big bath ceremony of hers. At least she was not a traitor like Avni who decided to show her face directly at the Chunni ceremony.

(A ritual in Punjabi weddings where the groom's family gives red colour outfits to the bride mainly sarees/lehenga and chunni (stole). The chunni is placed over the head of the bride)

Nitara winced at the sharpness in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Atty. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Atty let out an exasperated sigh. "It's my engagement, and you're supposed to be my moral support. I needed you here hours ago."

Nitara bit her lip, torn between the guilt.

"I know I'm on my way. You know how crazy it was with the connecting flight."

"Okay I'll let you live this time."

Nitara chuckled at her little threat and mentally pictured her pouting with a grumpy frown over her forehead. That was Aatma Kalyani Talwar.

Her best friend.

She couldn't even imagine what she would have done without Atty and Avni in her life. They weren't just her best friends. They were more than her family. In fact, her own family never chose her but they did, over and over again.

They chose her to give her their love.

There was a pause from Atty's side, and then her voice grew serious. "Nitara, you know who else is coming?"

The unease crept into Nitara's chest. She knew exactly who Atty was talking about. Veer. Her ex-boyfriend. The one who had shattered her heart into a million pieces. She had managed to bury the pain of their break-up under layers of a bold, confident aura, but thinking about him or just the thought of hearing his name sent a shockwave of emotions through her.

A moment of silence passed between them. Atty's voice was tentative as she spoke, "Nits, I think you should know that Veer is coming to the engagement too."

Nitara clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening around her phone as her gaze was fixed at the screen of the SUV showing her destination to Taj Fateh Palace. Panic surged through her, and she thought of booking a returning flight to Delhi right then and there.

Avoiding Veer Malhotra was a survival instinct, a way to keep the past where it belonged, buried deep within the recesses of her heart.

But she couldn't do that to Atty. She was her best friend, and this was her special day. She deserved all the support and happiness in the world. If it meant facing her past for her sake, then so be it.

"I'll be there, Atty. Don't worry. I wouldn't miss your engagement for anything in the world."

Atty's relief was palpable on the other side of the line, and Nitara knew she had made the right choice.

Veer came into her life when she thought she was nothing. A sixteen-year-old girl, who thought she had turned evil and was irredeemable. But she was just sixteen, and he made her realize she wasn't evil and surely could be redeemed.

It was true when someone said that when the world hurts you, a single person can make you happy. And when that same person hurts you, the whole world can't make you happy.

Veer hurt her when he didn't have to, and her chest still bore the marks where he broke her. She thought she needed him more than anything in this world.

But in the end, she was grateful for losing what she thought she needed. Because that led her to become a person that she always needed to be.

Veer Malhotra was a closed chapter of her life, and the people who had been with her always were her priority. The past surely haunted her on some of the darkest nights, but she had learned to hide her pain behind a strong façade.

It was time to put that strength to the test and be there for her friend when she needed her the most, even if it meant confronting a painful chapter from her past.

Nitara arrived at the engagement venue in the grand Taj Fateh Palace of Udaipur, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Atty had just left for the traditional big bath ceremony in the courtyard, and Nitara couldn’t help but feel a mixture of happiness for her friend and a twinge of sadness for herself as she realized she was super late for the ceremony.

She quickly made her way to her hotel room and rummaged through her suitcase to find the perfect outfit. In a hurry, she changed into an off-white saree with a golden border and a sleeveless blouse. She meticulously tied her hair into a bun, making sure it was neat and elegant. She adorned herself with her favourite jewellery, adjusting the earrings carefully as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Her heart raced with excitement and a touch of anxiety.

This was a momentous occasion, and she wanted everything to be perfect for Atty.

As Nitara walked out into the courtyard, adjusting her earrings one final time, her eyes met Atty. The bride-to-be was sitting in the big bath, surrounded by rose petals scattered on the water in the large brass tub-like container, beautifully decorated with flowers, creating a picturesque scene.

Atty looked radiant, and Nitara couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her happiness. She joined the group of family and friends from Atty’s college as the ceremony began. And Atty, ever the diva, instructed the photographer to capture the best possible pictures of her. She managed to pull off a playful threat, but her charisma was so strong that even the photographer couldn’t help but chuckle and comply.

Just as the ceremony was getting underway, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and raindrops began to fall. Everyone hurriedly moved under the shelter of the corridor, seeking refuge from the unexpected downpour. But there was Atty, still sitting in the bath, seemingly undisturbed by the rain. Nitara chuckled when she saw her friend instructing the photographer to click candid pictures of her.

Laughter erupted in the courtyard as someone said that even the heavens were blessing her bath ceremony.

Amid the joyful and loud chaos—after all, it was a Punjabi gathering—Nitara felt a strange sensation wash over her. It was as if someone was watching her intently from across the corridor. She turned, adjusting a strand of her wet hair, and there he was—her ex-boyfriend, Veer.

Her heart raced as she saw him, standing there, looking at her with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite decipher. It was as if all those memories of heartbreak and tears had come rushing back in an instant. He had changed; he looked different, more mature, more manly. But his eyes were still the same, holding the same look they used to have when he looked at her.

Her eyes locked with his, the tension between them palpable. She was trapped in his gaze, and he in hers. It was as if time stood still between them. She stood there, separated from him by the downpour, and there was nothing but pain etched in her heart. She couldn’t bring herself to cry—it was as though she had already shed all the tears for him. She just stared at him blankly as the past engulfed her.

After what felt like an eternity, she slowly backed away and retreated to her hotel room. She knew Atty would get mad at her for leaving the ceremony halfway, but she could handle her easily. What she couldn’t handle was him looking at her in a way that was making her heart break all over again.

The past and the present had collided, and Nitara was left to grapple with the emotions that had resurfaced. The rain outside mirrored the storm within her heart, and she closed the door, leaving him behind in the courtyard.

Veer Malhotra, I know you’re back. But I won’t let you play with my heart again.