पूरी दुनियां के जज्बात एक तरफ,

तुमसे वो पहली मुलाकात एक तरफ। 

🪞✨🦢 🌷Happy reading 💗

"Aapko pata mai kitne saalon baad mehndi lagwa rahi hoon? Mujhe yaad bhi nahi kabhi lagwayi bhi hai. Humare yaha kabhi aise functions nahi hote na."

(Do you know, I’m applying mehndi after so many years? I don’t even remember if I ever got it done before. We never had such functions back home.)

"Aapki art bahut pyaari hai, aapne bahut pyaara rakha hai… Waise, kya ye sach hota hai mehndi ka colour jitna dark hota hai, aapka life partner aapse utna pyaar karta?"

(Your art is beautiful, you’ve done it so nicely… By the way, is it true that the darker the mehndi colour, the more your partner loves you?)

The girl lifted her head and smiled softly, "Pata nahi bai sa, kehte to hai log. Humne bhi suna hi hai."

(I don’t know, Bai Sa, that’s what people say. I’ve only heard it too.)

She focused back on Sitara’s hand.

Sitara pouted, "Sach hi hoga. Mai na aaj notice karungi, jaisa colour aayega likh loongi. Jab mera partner milega, dekhungi kitna pyaar karta-"

(It must be true. I’ll keep note of it today, however the colour turns out, I’ll check one day if my partner really loves me that much—)

The girl giggled. "Aap bahut cute ho."

(You’re very cute.)

Sitara smiled awkwardly, her cheeks tinged with pink. Why do I have to be so talkative? she thought, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Suddenly, her head snapped toward the speakers as the music began to play…

"Oh Luk Chup Na Jao Ji

Manne Deed Karvao Ji

Rae, Kyun Tarsave Ho

Manne Sakal Dikhavo Ji?"

(Oh, don’t hide away from me

Show me your face, love

Why are you making me yearn

Let me see you, just once!)

"Aww Nimrit Bhabhi Sa is looking so pretty! This song is love, isn’t it?" Sitara exclaimed excitedly.

"Ji Bai Sa," the mehndi artist replied with a smile. "Done."

(Yes, Bai Sa. The mehndi is done.)

"Thank you so much, this is so pretty," Sitara said warmly, admiring the delicate design.

"Tara, come! Let’s dance, na!" Nimrit said, standing beside her, eyes sparkling.

"Nahi! Nahi nahi… mujhe nahi aata. Mai kaise… kaise…"

(No! No no… I don’t know how to dance. How can I… how could I…) Sitara stammered, her eyes wide.

"Arey come, aata to mujhe bhi nahi hai!" Nimrit whispered, giggling.

(Oh come on, even I don’t know how to dance!)

Sitara was dying to join, the beats tugging at her feet, but she didn’t want to interfere in the family celebration. Her eyes turned to Devyansh, pouting.

Devyansh, who was talking with guests, chuckled, catching the mischief behind her pout. He gave a soft nod.

That was all the permission she needed.

Sitara lit up and instantly ran toward the dance floor with Nimrit. Her excitement had no end.

Her poshak, soft hot pink with hints of orange, floated behind her like a dreamy veil. She looked so ethereal while running, the guests couldn’t help but look her way.

"Thaari saraarat sabb

jaanu main Chaudhari

Mahaarey se levo na

pangaaji main kehan lagi"

(I know all your mischiefs

I’m the Chaudhari here

Don’t you mess with me,

I’m warning you!)

Nimrit began the steps, laughing, spinning. For a few moments, Sitara clapped along, watching her, joy twinkling in her eyes.

Then suddenly.... Nimrit twirled her.

Sitara giggled, startled, and finally let herself go. She joined the dance, making sure her poshak danced more than her.

"Mahaarey hivdhey mein jaagi dhaunkani

Rae chanda main thaari chandni

Maney daaman mein baandhi khushi

Rae jhoom, jhoom, jhoom jhoom baa jhoom!"

(A spark has lit in my heart

O moon, I am your moonlight

You’ve tied happiness in my veil

Now dance, dance, dance away!)

She twirled freely, her laughter echoing like wind chimes in the air. Her poshak flew with her every movement, her silver jewellery catching the light with each spin, her long earrings swaying. The guests began clapping to the beats, mesmerised by the joy she carried.

But…

It wasn’t just the guests whose attention she caught ..

It grabbed the attention of someone else, too.

Yes.

The Shaan Raisinghaniya.

He was walking down the grand staircase, phone tucked against his ear, a slight frown on his forehead as he listened to the person on the other end. Aditya followed right behind him, busy scrolling on his own phone, completely unaware of the magic about to unfold.

And then…

Shaan’s steps slowed.

His gaze froze.

There she was ... a girl in a flowing pink-orange poshak, giggling, dancing with all the innocence and excitement of a child who’d just been handed her dreams wrapped in stardust.

She twirled.

And just like that… his world stopped spinning.

It wasn’t just the twirl that caught his attention, it was how she twirled .. like she wanted the whole world to notice her joy, like the wind itself had decided to dance with her. Her laughter echoed like temple bells, and the way she clutched her lehenga while spinning made her look no less than a scene straight out of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film.

His lips twitched up slightly .. a smile he didn’t even realise was blooming on his face.

The caller on the other side had long lost him.

Shaan wasn’t listening anymore.

He wasn’t even present in the moment anymore.

No.

He had slipped into that magical Bollywood space .. where everything moves in slow motion, where the background fades, where violins begin to hum softly, and where your heart… your actual heart… suddenly makes itself heard.

Dhak dhak. Dhak dhak.

The girl danced like no one was watching.

But Shaan… Shaan Raisinghaniya couldn't stop watching.

She was chaos in motion .. carefree, wild, alive. And something in her laugh, her eyes, the way she looked at the world with unfiltered joy .. it stuck to his gaze, like a song he couldn’t stop humming.

And just then...

"Aaaau!"

A yelp left his mouth.

Because in the middle of walking down without attention he walked two stairs at once ..  too busy staring, too lost in her .. Shaan stumbled.

His phone slipped from his hand, bouncing against the carpet steps with a  thud, and Shaan .. Shaan Raisinghaniya .. was very nearly airborne. It was only the railing that saved him from a rather dramatic fall.

He quickly grabbed onto it and straightened up like nothing happened, his eyes scanning the crowd, panic rising in his chest. Please tell me no one saw that. Please. But his prayers? Unanswered.

" are you okay? Dhyaan kaha hai?"

Aditya’s voice rang out as he bent down and picked up Shaan’s phone.

( are you okay? Where were you lost?)

"I… I… am… okay. Paani gira hai yaha… shayad." Shaan mumbled, utterly disoriented.

(I... I... I'm okay. Some water must’ve spilled here... maybe.)

Aditya looked down.

"Kaha? Yaha to koi paani nahi gira."

(Where? There’s no water here.)

He narrowed his eyes, confused."kispe phisle ja rahe the fir?"

(Then what exactly were you slipping on?)

Shaan blinked, trying to cover his tracks, pride holding onto dear life. "Gira hai. Aankh kamzor hai tumhari. Call the worker and tell them to dry it."

(It is spilled. Your eyesight’s weak. Call someone and tell them to clean it up.)

He snatched his phone and walked away quickly..

Like he had somewhere urgent to be.

Like he wasn’t two seconds away from melting into a puddle of emotions.

Aditya stood behind, completely confused.

"Huh?"

Meanwhile, Shaan didn’t look back.

He didn’t dare to.

Not right now.

Because something was happening inside him .. something new.

His heart was still thudding. His breath still uneven.

And in his head…

She was still twirling.

"Uhm... bhai, clear it up if there's any water," Aditya said gently to one of the workers.

"There's no water," the staff mumbled among themselves but didn’t say anything directly to Aditya.

"Pool side ka door jaam ho raha hai, sir ko inform karna tha... ye kya bina kaam ke kaam mein laga diya."

(The poolside door is getting jammed, we had to inform sir... why are we being made to do unnecessary work?)

one of them muttered as they still dried the carpet obediently.

Here , Shaan's heart was racing like a runaway train as he rushed towards a corner, his face burning with a mix of embarrassment and surprised

He couldn't believe what had just happened.. he'd been caught staring at someone? Like so much that-

"What the...? No way I was staring at someone... I was ..I was staring at the dance..yeah..No..uhm.. actually--

the dress was pretty, yeah... the dress was pretty... huh.." He murmured to himself, trying to sound convincing, but his fluttering eyelids and flushed cheeks betrayed his denial.

His hands were shaking slightly as he muttered under his breath,

"Paani gira ke rakhte itne bade naam ke marriage hall mein... khabar leta main shadi ka ghar nahi hota to..."

["Water was being poured in sucha big name  marriage hall... If it was not the wedding , I would have taken good classes..."]

His voice trembled, and he cleared his throat, trying to composed himself.

"Calm down, heart... I just slipped, why are you racing like I just ran a marathon..."

He kept blabbering anything to deny what had happened mere minutes ago, but his heart refused to listen, still pounding away in his chest.

"Khikhi..." A faint giggle grabbed his attention, and Shaan's gaze snapped towards the sound. He turned and saw a little girl standing behind him, giggling, which brought a smile to his face.

"Hi," he whispered softly, still trying to catch his breath.

"You fell, I taw..."  the little girl said, pointing her finger at him. Shaan's smile vanished; he scoffed, "I didn't... I wasn't that person who fell..."

[You fell I saw]

"Duth bol rhe... I taw," she said again, giggling. "Huh, kiddo, I am not," he said, bending to her height, scoffing in disbelief.

[Jhuth bol rhe , I saw]

[ You are lying, I saw]

"Who's... dress... you liked?" She asked, giggling. Shaan's eyes widened again.

"Wh... what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I liten you talking... dress... you liked..." she whispered.

[I listen you talking..]

"Uhm... do you want chocolate?" he asked, changing the topic, his face growing warm again. She giggled and clapped in excitement.

"Yay... good boy..." she said. And he scoffed again, surprised. He shaake his head rolling his eyes.

Then he carried her in his arms and walked towards the food stall, still feeling a little dazed from his earlier encounter.

─── ⋆⋅☆🌷🌷☆⋅⋆ ──

"Sitara, you dance so perfectly, my child," Krishnanad said warmly, caressing her head.

Sitara smiled shyly, mumbling a soft thank you.

"Bhai kaha gaye?"

(Where's brother gone?)

she asked Krishnanad, looking around.

"Woh yahin kahi hoga, dekh--"

(He must be somewhere around here, look—)

Krishnanad began, but was interrupted as someone called out to him.

"Uhm... haan, aaya,"

(Yes, I'm coming,)

he excused himself and walked away quickly.

Sitara began walking carefully, trying not to smudge the mehndi drying on both her hands.

"Careful ma’am, you might stumble again," Evansh said softly.

"Haww!"

(What!)

Sitara gasped, glancing around quickly to see if anyone had overheard.

Then she shot him a glare and gestured him to come closer. Frowning, he followed her command.

"Are you mad? You’re not supposed to say that out loud! What will people think? They’ll laugh at me that I fell!"

"If anyone laughs at you, I’ll punish them, madam," Evansh replied with his usual calm.

"God... Jshdhehdhdhj I am so done."

She said irritably, rolling her eyes, before scanning the crowd again in search of Devyansh.

Meanwhile, Devyansh was at the drinks counter when his eyes landed on someone..

Shaan Raisinghaniya.

Dressed in a traditional Rajasthani kurta, Shaan looked as poised as ever, but what made Devyansh freeze in place was something he hadn’t expected to see tonight..

Those emerald green eyes.

Devyansh’s breath caught in his throat. His posture stiffened, the glass in his hand frozen halfway to his lips.

"No... I-it can’t be... Ish--  no, no. How...? Can’t be. It’s not like only he had green eyes..."

"I-I... I’m overthinking..."

He mumbled, and downed the entire glass in one go.

"Strange... it’s been... so, so many years... and still... he haunts me. Would we even be able to recognise eachother now...? I barely remember how he looked... except those emerald eyes... and the pain...in them"

Another glass disappeared down his throat. He loosened his tie, suddenly breathless.

“No. No more overthinking,” he whispered to himself and turned to walk away, trying to shake the past from his present.

As he walked back into the glowing hall, a soft, familiar voice drifted through the hum of chatter, grounding him instantly.

"Bhai..."

(Brother...)

Sitara walked quickly and stopped right in front of him, her eyes glowing with that innocent concern only a sister can have.

He smiled softly, trying to act normal.

"What happened? Wh...why are you sweating?" Sitara asked, confused.

"I... I just... I was outside..." Devyansh replied, his voice softer than usual.

Sitara frowned, not fully convinced.

"Well, well... this mehndi looks so pretty on my Tara," Devyansh said, quickly changing the topic.

"Is it?" Sitara asked excitedly, holding her hands up to show him.

"Yes, definitely." Devyansh smiled, trying to lighten the moment as she pouted adorably.

"Oh foo! Aapko dhoondh rahi thi ki mera phone dedo. Ye idhar mini purse mein daal do."

(Oh, foo! I was looking for you to give me my phone. Please put it in this mini purse here.)

She gestured towards the little pouch fastened around her waist.

Devyansh chuckled, pulling her phone from his pocket and carefully slipping it into the pouch.

"Tara, kuch khaya?"

(Tara, did you eat something?) he asked gently.

"Abhi bhookh nahi."

(Not hungry yet.)

she replied, still looking around curiously.

"Tara--"

"Uhm, Devyansh, will you help me with this?" Krishnanad interrupted, walking over with a polite smile.

"Uhm... yeah sure, bhai sa." Devyansh nodded.

"Bring Evansh too." Krishnanad added.

"No! I need to keep eyes on Mad--"

"Shh! Sabko batana hai kya ki bodyguard ho, bogo!"

(Shh! Do you want to announce to everyone that you're a bodyguard? Fool)

Sitara hissed at Evansh.

"Evansh, come. He needs help,"

Devyansh said, chuckling.

Evansh nodded, obediently following them.

"Hmpff," Sitara sighed dramatically, turning on her heel as she walked back toward the ladies’ section.

The sangeet function continued in full swing as the moon rose high over Udaipur, casting a silver glow over the grand haveli. Laughter mingled with music, the sound of dhols echoing in rhythm with claps and cheers. The groom’s side was now showcasing their official, well-rehearsed performances.

Sitara sat at one corner of the hall, her hands still decorated in mehndi .. some of it dried, some of it not. She pouted as she watched the stage.

"I’m missing my Maalpua..." she mumbled, her tone soft and longing.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pouch.

Carefully, she checked the mehndi on her fingers .. dry enough to hold a phone, but still wet around the palms. With extra care, she took it out, not ready to risk even a little smudge.

"Inne saalon baad rakhwayi hai... bigadne nahi dungi!"

(I’ve got it done after so many years... no way I’m letting it get ruined!)

She smiled brightly seeing the caller ID.

"Yahhaa, Chachi!" she whispered with excitement.

Sitara picked up the call, choosing not to turn on the video ... the loud music would’ve made it impossible to hear without earphones.

"Hello Chachi?"

"Hello?"

"Awaz nahi aa rahi... ruko, main corner mein jaati hoon."

(I can’t hear you... wait, I’ll move to a quieter corner.)

Her eyes scanned the hall quickly, not finding any space she walked slowly towards backyard as she step in backyard  she spotted the poolside  through the glass doors ... It was quiet, no one arround and serene, slightly lit with fairy lights reflecting on the water. A soft smile spread across her lips.

She tiptoed toward it and gently closed the door behind her.

And then... silence.

The moment the door shut, the world hushed around her. Just the soft hum of music, barely there now.

"Wow..." Sitara whispered in awe

.... enchanted by the peaceful shift in atmosphere. Then she remembered her call.

"Haan Chachi, ab bolo!" she said brightly.

"Itni pyaari lag rahi meri Taru poshak mein! Now I’m wondering pehle kyun nahi pehna tumne?"

(You’re looking so beautiful in this poshak, my Taru! I’m wondering why you never wore it earlier!)

"Haina Chachi! Main bhi yahi soch rahi thi! Hehe!"

(Right, Chachi! Even I was thinking the same!) Sitara giggled.

"I’m missing Maalpua and you all so much... humpf. Kal meeting karke jaldi wapas aa jaungi bas!"

(I miss Maalpua and everyone... humpf. I’ll just finish my meeting tomorrow and be back quickly!)

"Pata hai Chachi? Mehndi bhi lagayi maine! Aur woh bhi bahut sundar lag rahi hai! Bhai bhi keh rahe the aisa!"

(You know what, Chachi? I got mehndi done too! And it looks so pretty! Even Bhai said so!)

"Mere Taru pe toh sab sundar lagta hai!" Isha replied with a loving chuckle

"Lo, tumhara Maalpua aa gaya... video call karo!"

(Here, your Maalpua is here — switch to video call!)

"Haan!" Sitara instantly switched to video, her careful fingers still protecting her mehndi like it was gold.

As soon as her screen lit up, she squealed.

"Maaalpuaaaa!!! My babyyyy! Mera dikaaraa!"

"Mumma is missing you sooo much!"

The cat meowed in response, dashing across the room excitedly.

"Lo, shuru ho gaya..." Isha chuckled in the background.

Tara too chuckled.

"Taru, show yourself fully!" Isha requested eagerly.

"Haan Chachi, see!" Sitara giggled.

(Yes Chachi, see!)

She stood back, facing the pool.. her back toward the glass door.. and gave a half twirl.. Her poshak flared like a blooming flower, joy bubbling from her as she laughed, lost in her own little world.

But then her heel twisted slightly…

In that split second, she realised how close she was to the edge.. and she turned… maybe a bit too fast… trying to hold onto something.

"Aaaaaa Bhaaaaiii!" she screamed, her balance slipping, body tipping backwards toward the water.

(Bhaaiii! – Brother!)

Her phone wobbled in her fingers, her arms  flailed desperately in the air...

And then...

A hand.

Strong. Steady. Sudden.

Reached out, lunging forward in reflex, just inches away from hers.

But instinctively, Sitara’s eyes widened. She raised both hands above her head..

not to be saved,

but to save her precious mehndi.

"Nahi! Meri mehndi!" she shouted, eyes squeezed shut, as if the sacred art on her palms mattered more than the force of gravity.

(No! My mehndi!)

Her sudden movement caught him off guard.

The outstretched hand froze mid-air.

His brows shot up, as he felt lossing balance..

And well  in the chaos of that one moment..

he lost his balance too.

___________________________

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I KNOW Ik bhut shikayte hogi ki 22 ko bol ke 25 ko diya , I am sorry guys mere exams chal rhe the and I thought I will be able to manage but I couldn't that's why the post got delayed.

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__________________

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