Father:
"It's okay! Abhi, you can stay here. She doesn't have any objections."
"And after all, she stays in her room most of the time anyway!"
"If you both want to stay in her room... that's fine by us!"
Abhi:(startled)
"No, no! Uncle, I'll stay in another room!"
Ishana:(snapping)
"How can you even suggest someone stays in my room?!"
Father:(laughing it off)
"Okay, son-in-law, as you wish!"
"Don't mind her — because what I decide, she always ends up doing. So no worries!"
"But since you don't want to stay in her room, I'll have your room cleaned."
Ishana:(thinking, irritated)
(Seriously? Is this really my family? So annoying!!)
Father:
"Come on, son, let's go downstairs and give them a little private time."
(They leave. Silence returns. Ishana crosses her arms. Abhi turns to her with a smirk.)
Abhi:
"See? I told you — they'll even plan our first night however they want!"
"Hahaha!"
Ishana:(yelling)
"Hey! Can you stop saying that freaking word — 'first night'?! I don't want to hear it!"
Abhi:(grinning)
"Wowww... you're even scared of the word!"
"What'll happen when you have to actually face it?"
Ishana:
"Don't dream too far, okay!"
Abhi:(laughs, hands up)
"Okay, okay! I'll stop teasing you now. I'm going downstairs."
Ishana:(thinking as he walks away)
(Thank God he left. Finally, some peace!!)
(But now... I'm totally clueless about what to do next.)
(Should I run away from the wedding?)
(No... not a good idea. Then what?)
(Should I ask Abhi if he wants to avoid the wedding too?)
(But what if he actually wants to marry me?)
(Can I trust him?)
(Ughhh! I don't know!)
"Let me just listen to some music..."
(She puts in her earphones and starts playing music. The sky turns darker. The clock strikes 7 PM. The terrace is now bathed in soft night light. A few stars appear.)
Downstairs
Abhi:
"Hello, Aunty!"
Mom:
"Oh, Abhi! Why are you down here? You should be with her right now!"
Abhi:
"I just thought I'd give her a little space. A lot happened today... and it's a lot to take in."
"That's why I let her stay alone for a bit."
Mom:
"Hmm... it's okay, son-in-law. She'll be fine after listening to some music."
Abhi:(curious)
"Music?"
Mom:
"Yes. She always listens to music when she's upset... or even when she's happy."
"It calms her down. She loves it."
Abhi:(thinking)
(Ohh... that's why she always has her earpods in when she's alone on the terrace. I used to think she was talking to someone!)
Mom:
"Go on. Go up and talk to her. She's not going to come down unless someone calls her."
Abhi:
"Okay."
(He heads upstairs. Quietly. Step by step.)
Back on the Terrace — Evening
(Abhi opens the terrace door slowly. He sees her standing near the edge, leaning on the railing. Her earphones are in. The wind is gently playing with her hair — long, flowing, reaching her waist. The moonlight adds a soft glow to her skin. She hasn't noticed him yet.)
Abhi:(thinking)
(She looks... beautiful. So calm. So lost in her world. I feel like running to her and hugging her from behind... but no. Not a good idea. She's still uncomfortable with me.)
(Still... something about her feels so peaceful right now...)
(He takes a few steps forward, careful not to make noise. He just stands there for a moment, watching her — not in a creepy way, but with genuine curiosity. He doesn't want to disturb her peace. But he knows he must speak eventually.)