[Outside the cafe]

Karan clapped once, full of enthusiasm. “Final decision — hum shaadi crash kar rahe hain. Done?”

Ritik: “Bas ek problem hai. Girls ko ready hone jaana padega.”

Naira (grinning): “Of course! Tumhe kya laga hum aise hi shaadi mein ghus jayenge? Shaadi crash karni hai toh look bhi crash-worthy hona chahiye.”

Aarohi (already excited): “Mujhe ek suit yaad aaya... black and red... bas woh pehen leti hoon.”

Naira: "Areyy nahi tere ghar jaane ka time nahi hai, mera ghar paas hai.... Tu mera white anarkali suit pehen liye or mai vo grey vala pehen lungi. "

Rajvansh (raising a brow): “Seriously? Ready hone ka time milega toh girls pura fashion week le aati ho.”

Karan (mock offended): “Aur hum? Hume toh kab se suit pehne ka moka chahiye tha!”

Ritik (dramatically): “Yeh toh discrimination hai... gender-based wardrobe injustice!”

Naira (teasing): “Oh please. Tum teenon ek jeans ko teen shaadiyon tak repeat karte ho.”

Aarohi (laughing): “You’ll survive. Chal Naira, let’s get fabulous!”

-----------

[ Naira’s House – An Hour Later]

Ritik, Karan and Rajvansh waited in the living room, bored out of their minds.

Karan: “Mujhe lagta hai main 30 saal ka ho gaya hoon yahan wait karte karte.”

Rajvansh (checking watch): “Shaadi khatam ho gayi kya? Dulha nikal bhi gaya hoga.”

Ritik (groaning): “Ek baar girls tayyar ho jayein... baaki toh Bhagwan bharose.”

[Just then, Aarohi and Naira walk down — dressed, glowing, confident.]

Rajvansh paused. His eyes caught Aarohi's — and for a moment, he forgot the plan, the hunger, everything. She looked... different. Not because of makeup or outfit — just lighter, happier.

Karan (whistling): “shadi vali dulhanon se zyada toh humari dulhaniyaan chamak rahi hain.”

Aarohi (rolling eyes): “Chalo, warna khana khatam ho jayega.”

---

[Wedding Venue – Outside the Decorated Lawn]

The five stood near the gate, music thumping, crowd buzzing.

Aarohi (hesitant now): “Let it be, guys... kya zarurat hai seriously. Hum pagal lag rahe hain."

Rajvansh: “She’s right. Let’s not do something stupid...”

But before they could protest more, Naira grabbed Aarohi’s hand, Ritik pushed Rajvansh lightly, and Karan followed with his full-fledged mischief grin.

Karan: “Tum log nahi chale toh main dulhe se milke aa raha hoon. Best friend ban jaunga.”

Ritik: “Bas confident walk karo... ek plate lo... and blend in.”

Naira (to Aarohi): “Dance floor tak le jaane ka responsibility mera hai.”

Aarohi and Rajvansh exchanged a glance — still unsure — but by then, the trio had already entered, waving at random guests like long-lost cousins.

Aarohi (muttering): “In paagalon se bura koi nahi.”

Rajvansh (half-smiling): “Lekin inse behtar bhi koi nahi.”

They finally followed, shaking their heads — but somewhere deep inside, smiling already.

--------

[Inside the Wedding – Decorated Lawn, Lights Twinkling]

Ritik grabbed a plate and whispered like a seasoned spy, “Target acquired — buffet counter, left wing. Attack formation, let’s go.”

Karan (excited): “Mission ‘Bhukkad’ begins!”

Naira (laughing): “Shut up! Don’t look desperate, we’re guests from the bride’s side.”

Aarohi scanned the surroundings, still skeptical. “Yeh sab karna illegal toh nahi hai, right?”

Rajvansh (grinning slightly): “Only morally illegal. But... the food smells very tempting.”

The gang slowly mingled in, picked plates, and blended in with the crowd. Soon they were sitting at a corner table, devouring the food.

Karan (mouth full): “Ye butter naan toh emotional damage heal kar raha hai.”

Naira: “Finally, after that café ka cardboard pizza... this is heaven.”

Rajvansh (watching Aarohi quietly): “Looks like it worked.”

Aarohi (smiling genuinely for the first time all day): “Okay fine, I admit... this was fun.”

Ritik (smirking): “Toh dance floor chalein? Bhookh ka ilaaj toh ho gaya, ab stress ka bhi ho jaye.”

Aarohi shook her head, “Naah... tum log jao. Main bas... thoda walk karke aati hoon.”

She drifted toward the garden area, fairy lights above and music softly playing in the background.

Rajvansh followed her instinctively, hands in pocket.

Aarohi stood near a flower arch, eyes closed, breeze brushing her hair. The lights, the music, the full stomach... it all felt unreal. Safe. Warm.

Rajvansh (quietly): “Thank you... for coming.”

Aarohi (without looking): “I should be thanking you guys... I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”

A pause.

Rajvansh took a step closer. “You look happy.”

She finally turned to face him. “Maybe... because I stopped pretending for once.”

Just then, Ritik, Karan, and Naira spotted them and started walking toward them in a slow, overdramatic strut like slow-mo heroes.

Karan (hands spread): “Lovebirds sighted in the wild!”

Aarohi (slightly blushing but eye-rolling): “Pagal ho kya? Kuch bhi mat bolo!”

Rajvansh (smiling): “Let’s go join the madness before they declare us a couple.”

--------

[– Dance Floor]

The DJ had picked up the pace. Lights flashed, dhols echoed, and people were slowly trickling onto the dance floor.

Naira (grinning devilishly): “Aaj raat toh sabki izzat jaayegi… I’m dragging everyone.”

She grabbed Ritik first, who instantly struck a nagin pose without protest and slithered toward the center like he was born for it.

Ritik (yelling): “DJ waale , nagin vala gaana tu bajaa de!”

Karan grabbed a nearby napkin, rolled it like a flute, and began mock-playing it with full dedication.

Karan (dramatically): “Le aaye hum been waapas… Naacho nagin!”

Rajvansh tried to hide behind a pillar but Naira spotted him like a hawk.

And dragged him towards dance floor.

Naira (grabbing Aarohi): “Tere liye nahi toh mere liye… chalo dance floor, madam!”

Aarohi (resisting): “Naira no! I don’t dance at weddings!”

Naira: “Exactly why you should.”

Before Aarohi could object again, Naira and Ritik dragged her onto the floor.

And something shifted.

Under the chaos, the colors, the lights — Aarohi burst out laughing. She tossed her hands up and started matching steps to the dhol like no one was watching. Over-enthusiastic, reckless, carefree. For a few moments, the world spun around her but didn't weigh her down.

Rajvansh stood at the side, stunned — not because she danced, but because this was the girl from his sketches. Alive.

He went to her side and they all performed bhangra together.

Aarohi (laughing): “Naira tu mujhe hamesha phasa deti hai!”

Ritik (still slithering): “Bas ab toh mujhe Oscar chahiye!”

And then,

A sharply dressed lady in a green saree came up, blinking at the wild group.

Aunty (to Aarohi and Naira): “Beta... kaunsi side se ho? Kiski guest ho?”

Aarohi’s face froze. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Naira (immediately, with folded arms): “Areee Maasi! Aap hume bhool gayi?”

Aunty (blinking): “Eh?”

Naira (mock offended): “Main toh jaa rahi hoon, mujhe aapki taraf se ye thandak bhari bewafai nahi chahiye!”

Aunty (nervous): “Are are beta… yaad aa gaya! Haan haan, tune toh mujhe laddoo bhi khilaya tha na last time?”

Naira (sweetly): “Aap toh jaanti ho kitna pyaar hai mujhe laddoos se.”

Aunty (smiling, nodding vaguely): “Haan haan… bilkul. Bilkul. Chalo milti hoon baad mein.”

She walked away, thoroughly confused.

Karan (to Naira, impressed): “Laddoo diplomacy… not bad.”

Naira (grinning): “Crisis management 101. Free shaadi ka khana chhodoongi nahi main.”

Karan laughed at his silly friend.

(A/N :Ahemm ahemm, friend??? Are u sure karan babu???)

And somewhere behind them, Rajvansh looked back toward Aarohi, still spinning in a blur of pink and silver under the lights — smiling, breathing, healing… one chaotic dance at a time.

------

[Later That Night – Rajvansh’s Room]

The lights were dim. The city had quieted. But Rajvansh sat by his window, sketchbook on his lap, pencil moving slowly.

On the page — a half-finished sketch of Aarohi standing under the wedding lights, a soft smile on her face, eyes closed, wind in her hair. He wasn’t just drawing her — he was trying to capture the moment she let her guard down.

Rajvansh (thinking): For once, she wasn’t hiding... and I saw her.

He added the hint of fairy lights around her. Then the others — Ritik stuffing his mouth, Naira laughing, Karan throwing a fake tantrum near the sweets table.

He smiled to himself.

She still doesn’t remember me… but tonight, she was real. And I think I got a glimpse of that girl I once knew.

He closed the sketchbook gently and kept it beside his pillow like a fragile memory.

-----------

[Meanwhile – Aarohi’s Room]

Aarohi sat on her bed, still in her blue suit, her feet sore from dancing. Her dupatta was half-hanging off the chair. Naira and she had returned late, laughing over the wedding blunders.

She stared at the photo Ritik had clicked — all five of them crammed in the frame, grinning like idiots.

She opened her journal — a pale pink one Ritik had gifted her on her last birthday.

She wrote:

> “Today... I smiled without trying. I forgot the weight for a while. Maybe it’s okay to stop carrying everything alone. I don't know what’s happening, but something’s changing. Maybe… someone’s making it easier to breathe again.”

She paused, stared at the ink, and finally closed the journal.

For the first time in weeks… she slept without dreams.

************************************