Sameera had accidentally slept for four hours straight. When she got up it was seven in the evening. Rubbing her eyes and slightly fixing her hair she made her way to the kitchen. There Maartha was cooking. She smiled at her and continued her work. Sameera filled a glass of water and sat down on the ground, taking Maartha by surprise.

"Why are you sitting on the ground mam? There are chairs. Please don't sit here."

"It's okay. I like sitting on the ground."
Sameera shrugged it off and started drinking her water when a loud high pitched voice yelled

"Bhaiya!! Didi!! I'm back."

It sounded like a child probably seven or eight years old. And then that child came into view. He was a boy. And he looked like the same kind of kid she despised: whiny.
Well she despised all kinds of kids in general.
But he was cute. Extremely cute.

"Uh...who are you?"
He asked rather innocently. Sameera raised her brow wondering whether this kid was actually innocent or just acting. Kids his age are way too cunning, you should never melt.

"She's my friend, Mayank."
Jay's voice came from behind him and Sameera watched how the little guy ran towards Jay.
Jay crouched down and catched the small frame of Mayank.

"Bhaiya! I missed you so much. You know Dadaji bought me a new PS5."

Jay fist bumped him.
"Congratulations!"

Then he frowned and said
"You are too young to spend your whole day playing video games. Remember if I'll ever find you playing video games more than one hour I'll dump it in a dustbin. And give your cycle to Martha's daughter."

He threatened and Mayank looked terrified. He loved his cycle more than anything else.

"I'll not do it. And I'll be a good boy and study also."
Sameera snickered causing both of them to turn around. Jay raised his brow at her and she quickly stood up. Wiping off the imaginary dirt she looked at Jay. Feeling a little embarrassed she caught his gaze.

"Is she your friend?"
Mayank asked Jay and he nodded. Not breaking eye contact with her. Sameera looked away. That guy was staring at her intensly. She could only hold eye contact when she definitely not thought of that guy other than anything but friend. And she has considered that Jay was her crush. It doesn't matter that it only lasted for one day.

"Yeah she is."
This time he looked at Mayank. He smiled and then asked slowly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Girlfriend?"

Jay and Sameera both whipped their heads towards him and he ran out of the big kitchen.

Slowly their eyes met and this time she held his. Letting out a small breathy laugh she said

"Kids nowadays are way to intelligent for their own good."

"Yeah."

"Something something?"
Mayank's teasing voice caused both of them to look at the door. Their he was peeking his head out with a large grin on his face.

Jay playfully pointed his finger at him
"You leaving or not?"

"Leaving!"
Mayank yelled running off to somewhere.

They both stood there in silence. Only the sound of utensils were coming.

"Are you both going to stand their or do something else?"
Martha, the chef asked.

Jay looked at her and literally whined
"Maartha!! You also?"

She just laughed. Jay motioned Sameera to follow him and she did.

"Is Mayank your brother?"
Sameera asked Jay. He shook his head.

"No. He's my nephew. My older brother's son. They are here. We are going to meet them."

"Ooh."
She let out feeling a little awkward. Why is she accompanying him? She doesn't need to meet every member of his family.

Befriending the workers is way to easy for Sameera than befriending some relatives.
They entered the hall and Sameera looked at the tall figure wo was talking on his phone. They waited for about two minutes and the figure turned.

Sameera literally gasped. That guy was good looking. She looked at Jay, wondering whether it was in their genes to look this good. Every single person she met was gorgeous.
That stupid kid also.

"I've talked to the manager, every thing will be perfect. I was wondering where should we do Haldi ki rasm? An-oh sorry. Didn't see you there."
He held his hand out and Sameera shook it.

"I'm Kaashiv Singhal. His big brother."
He smiled kindly at her and Sameera returned.

"Myself Sameera. Sameera Sharma. I'm Pihu's friend. She offered us to tag along and we came."

Kaashiv looked at Jay a little confused and then spoke
"You told me there are more. Where are your other friends Sameera?"

He asked Sameera and before she could answer Pihu's voice rang in rather quiet mansion.

"We're here, bhaiyaa!"
Running down the stairs she landed herself on Kaashiv, who laughed and hugged her back.

Sameera's friends were standing behind them. All of them. Sameera suddenly felt an absurd amount of guilt seeping through her body. She just left her friends. Everyone else was still a little social but Raj, he was just as skilled at socializing as Sameera did in dancing. Which absolutely sucked.

Pihu inroduced everyone.
Kaashiv looked at Jay and then spoke
"I need you to come with me. We have to talk to the caterers."

Jay looked at Kaashiv confused.
"Why don't we just call them here? I'm sure-"

"Come with me Jay."
Kaashiv spoke sternly in a voice, which had no room for argument. Jay nodded

"Of course, Bhaiya. Let's go."

Kaashiv nodded at everyone and Jay surprisingly gave Sameera a small side hug and went.

"Come on. Madhu didi is waiting. And you-" Pihu pointed at Sameera
"-are coming with us."

Without any words Samera followed her friends to a room in which Madhu we sat.

"Hey Sameera! Hope you had a good sleep."

Sameera groaned and rubbed her neck. Looking at her she spoke, smiling
"Don't embaress me di."

Madhu let out a small laugh and patted the space next to her for Sameera to sit. She obliged and sat beside her.
She noticed how the whole bed was covered in jwellery. They were beautiful. Sameera picked one up and let out an 'its beautiful'.
She looked up at Madhu and asked

"Are these yours?"
Madhu nodded.

"Yeah. I don't think you people had enough time to pack things properly. My brother must have forced you to come as soon as possible. He didn't like wasting time."

Sameera chuckled inspecting some more jwellery.
"That's not true."

Madhu raised her brows at her.

"Then I think he like parks. He went to one with me."
She added smiling.

Her smile slowly faded as she realised the little slip up. She hasn't told Maaya or Shrishti about it. Looking up she found everyone staring at her. It is happening a lot since she met Shrithik.
Now where did he come from?

Madhu raised her eyebrows and asked
"He went to a....park?"

Sameera nodded.
"Yeah? Why?"

"Nothing, he just thinks that they are waste of time. Nothing else."

"You never told us."
Shrishti stated and Sameera once again felt guilt making it's way in her.

"I didn't think of it as a big deal,you know."

Sensing the thickness in the air, Madhu spoke,

"Do you know how to apply Mehndi?"

Maaya shook her head and before Sameera could back off Shrishti and Pihu had a Mehndi cone and Madhu's hand in theirs.

Sameera, Maaya and Madhu made small talk as Pihu and Shrishti were concentrated on their art.
Sameera noticed Shrishti drawing and rubbing. It looked like she couldn't come up with a design. Sameera sighed and spoke

"Give it to me."

Shrishti looked up and asked

"Do you know how to-?"

She was cut off by Sameera flipping her braid over her shoulder

"I know everything. Now give it to meeeee."
She whined at last, taking the cone away from Shrishti.

Sitting on her place, and taking Madhu's hand, everybody watched as the tip of the cone touched Madhu's skin. It's content making it's way in beautiful design. Overtime Pihu also got engaged in what she was making and this time Shrishti, Maaya and Madhu talked.

It took almost more than one hour for Sameera to complete her artwork and to say that everyone was eager to see what she did would not be an overstatement.

"It's done"
Both Pihu and Sameera stated at the same time.

"Did you two knew what you were going to make?"
Maaya asked and Pihu looked at her confused.

"No, it just looks like it's in pair. But it's beautiful."

Sameera looked at Madhu's other hand and Maaya was right. But it's good. At least they made some same design. It would have been really weird if one hand had Arabic design and one had Marwadi.

"I never really thought you knew how to apply it."

Sameera chuckled. And then mockingly whispered

"It's a secret."

"I definitely didn't hear that. It is a secret."
Pihu said and raised her hands up. Sameera glared at her narrowing her eyes. Pihu laughed. Sameera was definitely more childish than her.

"But what's the need to apply Mehndi today? We could have done it a day before Sangeet. Till your wedding day this design will be half faded."

Sameera said and Madhu waved her off.

"Is this your arrange marriage or love marriage?"
Shrishti asked and Madhu blushed a little.

"Love cum arranged. We Love each other and told our parents that we wanted to marry. And they agreed."

" It's good. Most of the marriages in India nowadays are happening like this."
Sameera stated. Madhu nodded and looked at her hands.

"It's so beautiful. Sameera, Pihu I'm really really thankful."

"It's nothing. Can I just take a pic?"
Sameera asked and Madhu nodded. Taking the pic Sameera immediately sent it to herself. To Shrithik.

Shrithik was writing a thesis, when his- sorry her phone pinged. He picked it up to find a picture with a caption

Sameera:
Art by me'

He quickly typed back

Shrithik:
whose hand it is that you ruined?

Sameera fake gasped and wrote

Sameera:
*gasp* *gasp*you are offending an artist old man. It's a sin.

Shrithik chuckled and closed his laptop.

Shrithik:
you expect the devil to be afraid of doing sins?

Sameera rolled her eyes and replied

Sameera:
It must have really hurt to fall on your head from hell right? Devil?

'Sweetheart calling'

Sameera excused herself from the curious gazes of her friends and slipped out of the room. Picking up the phone, first thing she heard was

"You really saved my number as old man?"

"You are saying as you didn't save my number under sweetheart. If anybody was to somehow see this phone, worst case my friends, do you know how many questions will be thrown my way."

"Call me when that happens. I'll definitely take the front seat for the show."

They talked about these mindless things. Sameera was wandering talking on the phone when she suddenly heard small sniffles. Turning around the corner she opened he first door and peeked inside. The person she saw shocked her.

Revealing herself fully she, with a furrowed eyebrows and asked

"Mayank? Why are you crying kid?"