Kanika's POV
The taxi stopped in front of a marriage garden decorated with white flowers and golden lights. The big board outside read Zubair weds Niharika in golden letters, while weds was written in maroon.
I paid and got out of the taxi, and it drove off behind me while I stood at the entrance.
I wore a sky blue anarkali suit which had a silver pattern on the edges of its neck and hem of the suit, and on the end of the sleeves, and a matching dupatta rested on one shoulder. I had my hair in a half-up, half-down style and did a very light makeup, enough to highlight my features, and wore oxidised jewellery.
"We are here, Kanu, we can't go back now, and there is no other way you can meet them like this."
I told myself and took a deep breath, calmed down, and entered the marriage garden. My eyes went straight to the stage where Zubair stood in an off white sherwani and maroon safa, and Niharika in a maroon lehenga which matched the colour of Zubair's safa, it had heavy golden work on its borders and on the blouse.
All my nervousness went away the moment I saw them and went straight to them. Niharika's face lit up the moment she saw me, and she hugged me tightly with her hands around my neck, and I hugged back with the same excitement.
"Mujhe laga tha tu nahi ayegi," she sniffed, holding back her tears.
(I thought you wouldn't come.)
"Ese kese nahi nahi atti roj roj bhaiya aur dost ki shaadi dekhne thori milti hai." I tried to cheer up her mood, and it worked. She laughed softly.
(How can I not come? It's not often that I get to see my brother and friend get married.)
"Humari shaadi mai toh agayi khud ki mai kb bulayegi?" She urged me, as usual, since the time her marriage was confirmed. She has been asking me to get married, too.
(You attended our wedding, but when are we getting invited to yours?)
"Rahende iski shaadi nah hi ho toh hi theek hai bichare iske sasural wale or pati ke sir drd ka karan banjayegi." Zubair teased me from behind Niharika, and we both glared at him.
(It is better if she doesn't get married. She will become the reason for her in-laws and her husband's headaches.)
"But I am unhappy with you, Niharika, you cheated on me, you said we would get married together." I jokingly pouted at her. We used to talk about how we would plan our wedding together and everything, and how we would keep its theme white and golden.
"Good thing she didn't keep her promise, or else I would have died unmarried." Zubair sat down with a dramatic sigh while earning another glare from Niharika and pouting like a baby.
Soon, their relatives started to come onstage too for greetings and photos, so I had to excuse myself from there after having a few photos taken with them. But I am a little worried about what Zubair told me about other members also being invited.
"I don't want to run in them, please God." I prayed for myself as I made my way towards food stalls and found a tikki chaat counter. I got myself a bowl of tikki chaat and took one bite of it and went into bliss, 'Oh God, I love tikki chaat'.
But that bliss was short-lived while I was scanning the garden, and my eyes fell on a familiar figure who was standing with a small group. He was tall, around 5'11 feet, and medium built, a face with attractive features, but didn't exactly stand out. But the recognition came like lightning to me.
He was about to turn his head in my direction, but fortunately, 2-3 people came in between, giving me enough time to slip away from that spot. I found myself a peaceful place away from the crowd and sat on a chair where he couldn't see me.
'No, it wasn't him, it can't be, it shouldn't be.'
No matter how much I try to deny it, the truth can not be changed. It was 'him'.
It was Anant.
But why was he here? Why did he get invited? "This damned Zubair, I want to kill him."
Anant is my ex, and thinking about it myself feels weird, but it's my first time seeing him like this in person, off-screen.
It all started with a random group chat and a hello at midnight…