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The weather was quite murky, it had been raining a lot in the city and how much ever Sona hated to admit it, the rain was making her quiet a romantic. She would listen to old love songs, both Hindi and English ones and then she would dance in the rain when no one was watching her.

That is exactly what she was doing now. Dancing in the backyard of her garden as she put on a playlist. The Bluetooth speakers were saved by the shed as she dripped wet in the cold pouring rain. She was thinking about someone. That one person.

As she closed her eyes and spun on the wet mud in her white kurti, the person she was imagining in her mind was her future husband. Oh how love sick she was. Once she had a taste of that poison it was sweeter than honey.

"Sona! Are you a kid? Playing in the rain! Come inside now!" her mother bellowed.

Sona rolled her eyes but as complied to her mom's wishes, her nose was itchy and she would probably catch a cold soon. Though, for Sona it was worth it. Sometimes things like dancing in the rain was all she needed to smile. Simple things like the smell of the mud was all it took to uplift her mood. Sona had learned to find happiness in little things, something she had ignored before and bringing that change in herself was something she was proud of.

"Do you not have work to do?" her mother took a towel and roughly started drying her hair.

"Mom!" Sona winced from the slight roughness but when she felt her mother's glare she shut up.

"What will the neighbours say? Such a big girl playing in the rain like a kid, your kurti is see-through! You are of marriageable age already! No one will marry you if you behave like this!"

Sona wanted to retort, burst out the fill up annoyance that had filled her from inside out, but she kept mum and took a deep breathe instead. She knew it would be futile to let her thoughts burst out. But what was her mom saying anyway?! No one would marry her? Oh, please!

"Our neighbours are the Singhs only, mom," Sona stuck her tongue out. "The only person who would have seen me would be Tarni and aunty."

"You talk like Abhay doesn't live in the house anymore."

"Does he?" Sona laughed. "He moved out long ago, and he's hardly home."

"Well, he is home today," her mother snorted. "I won't be surprised if he is laughing right now from his room, his window faces the garden."

Sona's cheeks flushed. She didn't know Abhay was back home. . . . he had his own apartment in the middle of the city and he only visited on weekends. Why was he home on a Wednesday then?

"Why is he home?"

"It's his house! Are you going to interrogate him about coming to his own house?" her mother dumped the towel on her head. "Get ready, we are going to their house for dinner."

"For what?!" Sona exclaimed as she saw her mom walking towards the kitchen. Was that why she was making gajar ka halwa? For Abhay? She knew how much he liked her mother's gajar ka halwa, he would not even leave a speck of it.

"To talk about Tarni's marriage!"

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Tarni's hair had grown longer these years, she hadn't touched it with a scissor even once since college was over. Now her short hair that used to barely touch her shoulders flew till her waist and as she combed it with unrequired anger, a hiss or two passed her lips.

"I really just want to cut it off!" she gritted her teeth, her hair was all tangled up, of course it would be if you didn't comb it for two days straight.

"Stop torturing your nice hair," Sona rolled her eyes as she got up from the bed and moved towards her vanity. She took the comb from her and twisted her hair as she started combing from the ends first.

"I just want everything to go back to how it was before, Sona!" Tarni whined, "College was so fun! It was the best years of my life and oh, I miss the boys!"

"As far as I remember you used to cry every night to complete your assignment and wanted to do nothing but get a job."

"Sona!" Tarni groaned and winced as her best friend pulled the comb through her hair. "Stop ruining the whole thing!"

Sona only snorted. "Who will marry you if you display your hypocrisy with glamor? At least be subtle about it, I know no one can help but be a little bit of a hypocrite."

"Oh my god, shut the fuck up! I don't want to get married!" she screamed. Sona combed through her hair roughly which only resulted in her harming her own ears.

"Why?" she questioned, her brown eyes zeroing into hers through the mirror. "Don't tell me you finally got a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Tarni snorted as if that word was a joke. "After Vikrant I didn't find any nice guys, this world is so disappointing."

"Vikrant was never serious about you," Sona said.

"So what?" Tarni threw her hands up, an incredulous look on her face. "We were eighteen, he was a flirt and he was not over his ex, but guess what? He was so nice to me! Even if I only kissed him and held his hand and never labelled our relationship when I think of the time we spent together it makes me so happy! Which eighteen year old is going to be serious about a relationship, Sona? Everything feels like fantasy at that age, but I had the sense to know some reality."

"You mean Abhay kicked in some reality in you mind," she mumbled.

"Anyways!" Tarni bellowed, standing up from the chair as she set her detangled hair properly. "I don't want to get married and you have to take my side!"

"Me?" Sona pointed a finger at herself with raised eyebrows. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" she whisper yelled, looking enraged. "Aren't you my best friend anymore? Where the fuck is all the love you showed me with when we were in college?!"

"I never did anything like that. . . " Sona moved two steps back and Tarni moved two forward.

"See, Sona," her best friend corned her to the wall, Tarni banged her palm against the wall as she glared down at the woman who was looking all timid. "As my best friend, you are always suppose to help me. I don't want to get married until I settle down and that is final."

"Why don't you say that to your parents yourself?" Sona cowered away as her face came closer. She really didn't want to get on the bad side of Tarni's parents.

She groaned, garnishing her teeth together. "Because they want Abhay to get married and he can only marry when I get married first! Tradition! Culture! Or whatever that is!"

Just then a loud cough was heard. Both the girls turned towards the door to see a bewildered looking Abhay.

Sona's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing as she pushed Tarni away. From their position, anyone misunderstand what they were doing! She turned around, not being able to hide her embarrassment.

Abhay's face was still imprinted in her mind. He had changed since he came back from abroad after doing his MBA, his facial hair had grown and now he was sporting a neatly trimmed beard. He was also wearing formals, meaning he probably rushed back home from his company.

"Bhai! Knock on the door!" Tarni yelled. "Knock! Knocking! You understand what it means? Just because you live alone now doesn't mean you will barge in anywhere!"

Sona heard shuffling of feet and the sound of the door closing, only then did she turn back around and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What will he be thinking?" she shook Tarni's shoulders.

"Let him think whatever!" she rolled her eyes. "I thought he would learn some manners after starting his own company, but clearly he needs to take more classes."

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The dinner was filled with the noises of spoons and forks moving against the porcelain plates. Sona, coincidentally, was sitting right in front of Abhay and beside Tarni, she didn't know if she liked being in such a mix. Why did she feel both of them were looking at her?

"We've been thinking about Sona's marriage too," her mother extinguished the burning silence that was sweltering Sona's skin but her words only made her chock on her food.

A glass of water was passed to her and she gulped it down immediately, as she lifted her eyes back she realised it was Abhay who had given it to her. She passed him a grateful smile and looked away from him with burning cheeks. He had been staring at her nonstop and she really wanted to ask him to stop, but how could she in front of everyone?

"No, no," her dad piped in with a strong tone. "Sona's marriage is still long way. I want her to find a boy for herself first then for a year I want to observe him and then I will see if he suitable enough or not."

"Yeah," her mother barked back sarcastically. "If I leave her marriage in your hands she will be single till 40."

Sona ducked her face down, why were they suddenly talking about her marriage instead of Tarni's?

"Well, didi, you only have one daughter and she's way obedient then my kid," Tarni's mother laughed. "I have to see my son's marriage too and you know in our culture we get the girl in the family married first."

"Mom," Tarni put her spoon down as she chewed on a mouthful of biryani. "Does bhai have a girlfriend?" she looked at Abhay with narrowed eyes.

To that his eyes widened as they connected Sona's who looked away yet again. "No."

"Stop lying," Tarni rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Then why does mummy-papa want me to get married so fast! Of course, it's probably because you are pestering them to get married yourself!"

"Oh, Abhay, beta! You have a girlfriend?" Sona's mother chipped in with a frown, though her voice was filled in enthusiasm and shock. "That's a pity. . . I really thought that you would be a good match to Sona."

Now it was the time for both Sona and Abhay to chock on air. She coughed forcefully with horrified eyes as she glared at her mother.

"Mom!"

"What?" her mother in return only rolled her eyes. "It's not like you have a boyfriend, do you?"

"Mom!" her cheeks flushed, she really didn't like whatever was happening.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Abhay cleared his throat, clearly looking uncomfortable too. "And Tarni, I never asked to get married."

"Abhay," his father's lips tugged downwards. "Don't lie to us."

"I am not," he shook his head solemnly.

"I saw women's clothes in your apartment!" her mother bursted out, clearly aggravated. "You still dare to lie to us? Abhay, I didn't tell anything because I thought you would tell me yourself but you are still lying!"

His mother was close to tears while Abhay only looked more mortified by every passing second. In between glasses and plates his dark eyes clashed with Sona's once again, he cleared his throat as he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

"Mom, that was a gift I brought," he didn't waver in his speech.

"For your girlfriend, right?" she asked.

Now Abhay clearly looked more uncomfortable, it didn't show on his face but in his actions. Sona was still a keen observer, she saw the way his fingers fidgeting with the ring he wore, he was probably also tapping his leg nonstop. She went back to picking on her food when she felt something pushing on her leg.

She looked up, Abhay was pleading her with his eyes. Sona was a little surprised, he never asked her for anything so she didn't mind lending him a helping hand. She pulled her leg back and sat little more straighter.

"Aunty, how can Abhay have a girlfriend? He doesn't even have enough time to come home! And he's always busy working, Tarni is always complaining to me about that too."

"I do not!" Tarni instantly retorted.

His mother clearly looked a lot convinced with Sona's words, she stopped talking and went back to her food instead. Sona's mother though on the other hand let out a satisfying grin. She didn't turn back to her food though, instead she looked at Abhay.

"Abhay, if you really don't have a girlfriend, why don't you think of spending sometime here and there with Sona? If you think you are compatible enough, we can talk about your marriage."

Sona had her mouth agape, her mother's word infuriated her. What did she mean if he thought they were compatible, did she have no say at all?

"I wouldn't mind that either," Abhay's dad agreed, though his mother didn't say anything as she sipped on the glass of water.

"Why are you saying all this and making things awkward between the kids?" her dad came to her rescue, "I think that Aksith guy is good for Sona too!"

"Papa!" Sona shook her head. "No talking, eat your food!" she demanded. No way was he helping her and also pushing her into another well! Marriage! Marriage! Marriage! That word, she didn't want to hear it right now, not in front of Abhay. It was making her feel awkward.

Awkward because, there was a time when she dreamt of marrying Abhay. But even if the talk had gone that way, it only made her sweat uncomfortably. The 18 year old Sona would've been so happy to hear what their parents were talking about now, but not the 25 year old Sona.

The 25 year old Sona, was long over Abhay Singh. He had never replied to her love letter and she too had stopped waiting for something that would never come.

I think I really like this chp

did you think they were dating in the starting? I tried to confuse y'all haha

also guys go check out my book Crumbled Sandcastles!! 🥺🥺🥺