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

The sharp trill of the alarm clock shattered the quiet calm of the morning.

Rudra stirred, his brows knitting in irritation as he blindly reached out to silence it. For a brief second, he lay still, eyes half-open, trying to gather himself—but then it hit him.

“Shit!”

He jolted upright, running a hand through his messy hair as panic set in. “Aaj haldi hai…” he muttered under his breath, already throwing the blanket aside. In a rush, he grabbed his towel and disappeared into the washroom, the sound of running water echoing his urgency.

(Today is his haldi)

Within minutes, he was dressed—slightly disheveled but presentable enough—and almost sprinted toward the dining table, fastening his watch as he walked.

“Mom!” he called out loudly, dropping into his chair. “Aapne mujhe uthaya kyu nahi? Mere friend ki haldi hai—late ho gaya main!”

(Mom why didn't you wake me up, i got late for my friend's haldi)

Without waiting for a reply, he began eating hurriedly, barely tasting the food, his mind racing faster than his actions.

Across the table, Dhruv leaned back in his chair, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. “Aap to aise bhaag-daud kar rahe ho jaise shaadi aapki ho, friend ki nahi,” he teased.

(You are hurrying like it's your wedding)

A soft giggle escaped from Vihaan, while Vaidehi covered her mouth, trying—and failing—to suppress her laughter.

Rudra shot them an annoyed look before lightly smacking Dhruv on the head. “Tu bohot zyada bolta hai,” he said sharply. “Nashta kar chup-chaap aur college jaa.”

(You yap to much..eat the food quietly)

Dhruv rubbed his head dramatically, grinning even wider, clearly enjoying the reaction.

Before the moment could settle, their father, seated at the head of the table, spoke in a calm yet firm tone, “Itna kyun chidta hai shaadi ki baat se?”

(Why you get irritated when the topic is  your marriage) 

Rudra paused mid-bite.

“Ek na ek din to tujhe bhi karni hi hai,” he continued. “In fact, maine mere dost ki beti se tere rishte ki baat bhi ki hai.”

(One day you also have to get Married..infact I have a marriage proposal for you with my friend's daughter)

The words landed heavier than expected.

Rudra’s hurried expression stilled. The faint smile on his lips faded, replaced by something unreadable—something conflicted.

He set his spoon down slowly. “Mujhe abhi shaadi nahi karni,” he said, his voice steady but edged. “Aur main usse jaanta bhi nahi… jisse aapne bina mujhse pooche mere rishte ki baat kar li."

(I don't want to get married right now...and I don't even know her)

His father sighed, not in anger, but in quiet patience. “Yeh humare ghar ka riwaaz hai, Rudra. Tumhari mummy ko bhi mere papa ne hi pasand kiya tha mere liye.” He glanced affectionately at his wife before looking back at his son. “Aur batao… inse achhi maa tumhe mil sakti thi kya?”

(This is ritual

Rudra didn’t respond.

“Beta,” his father continued gently, “hamesha yeh mat socho ki tum use nahi jaante. Socho… kaise jaan paoge agar ek mauka hi nahi doge? At least try.”

Silence lingered at the table.

For a moment, Rudra’s gaze dropped, his thoughts tangled between duty and his own will. Then, as if pulling himself back to the present, he stood up abruptly, picking up his keys.

“I’ll think about it,” he said, avoiding everyone’s eyes. “Abhi mujhe late ho raha hai.”

(Not now..I'm getting late)

And with that, he walked out—leaving behind a room filled with unspoken thoughts, quiet smiles, and the beginning of something none of them fully understood yet.

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

At the same time, in another part of the city, morning hadn’t quite arrived—it lingered lazily in the soft folds of sleep.

Sanvi lay tangled in her bedsheet, her hair spread across the pillow, the faint sunlight peeking through the curtains failing miserably to wake her. The room was peaceful… until her phone began vibrating insistently beside her.

She groaned, eyes still shut, blindly reaching for it.

“Hello…” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep..

On the other end, Avi’s sharp voice burst through, full of energy that Sanvi clearly did not share. “Bro, where are youuuu? Ab tak pohochi kyun nahi?”

Sanvi turned to her side, pulling the blanket over her head. “Sone do na hume… neend aa rahi hai…” she murmured, almost drifting back.

Avi let out an exaggerated gasp. “Arey neend Paglu, uthooo yaar! Haldi mein jaana hai! Late ho raha hai!”

There was a pause.

And then—

Sanvi’s eyes snapped open.

“WHAT?!” she shot up on her bed, instantly awake now, her hair falling messily over her face. “Ab hum baatein hi karte rahenge kya? Hume late ho raha hai aur tum hi ho jo aur late karwa rahi ho!”

(You r making me more late)

Without waiting for a response, she cut the call abruptly.

For a second, she just sat there, processing the chaos she had just woken into… and then panic took over.

“Shit, Sanvi!” she muttered, jumping out of bed and rushing toward the wardrobe, already pulling out clothes in a hurry.

On the other side of the call, Avi stared at her phone in disbelief before sighing dramatically.

“Uff… kya hoga iss ladki ka,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head—yet a small smile tugged at her lips, because honestly, this was just so Sanvi.

And somewhere between chaos and laughter, the day had truly begun.

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

Sanvi stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the final touches of her look.

Draped in a soft yellow outfit that perfectly matched the spirit of the occasion, with delicate floral jewelry adorning her ears and wrists, she looked effortlessly radiant. A few loose strands of her hair framed her face, adding just the right touch of charm.

She picked up her phone and dialed Avi.

“Hello?” Avi answered almost instantly.

“Video call pe aa,” Sanvi said, turning slightly to show her outfit. “Fit check.”

Avi’s face appeared on the screen, her eyes widening dramatically. “Ohooo… madam! Kya baat hai! Haldi mein jaa rahi ho ya khud ki haldi attend karne?”

(Going in haldi or for your haldi??)

Sanvi rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. “Drama band kar aur bata—kahan hai tu?”

(Shut up..where you are?)

“Main? Main to tere ghar ke gate pe hoon, madam ji. Kab se wait kar rahi hoon!”

(Outside your house madam)

“WHAT?!” Sanvi’s eyes widened as she quickly grabbed her clutch. “Aa rahi hoon!”

(Coming!!!!)

Without wasting another second, she rushed out of her room.

“Mom!” she shouted while running downstairs. “Main haldi ke liye jaa rahi hoon! Jaldi aa jaungi!”

(I'm going for function)

“Sanvi—nashta to—” her mother’s voice echoed from the kitchen, but it was too late.

(Breakfast!!)

The door had already shut behind her.

She stepped out, the morning air brushing against her face as she hurried toward the gate, where Avi sat inside the car, clearly unimpressed.

Sanvi slipped into the passenger seat, slightly out of breath. “Chal chal, late ho raha hai!”

(Let's go getting late)

Avi gave her a look before starting the car. “Breakfast kiya?”

(Had breakfast)

Sanvi avoided eye contact. “…Nahi.”

Avi shook her head, muttering something under her breath as the car pulled onto the road.

The city buzzed with life as they made their way toward the venue—sunlight reflecting off buildings, streets alive with movement, and a sense of celebration lingering in the air.

A few minutes into the drive, Avi glanced sideways at Sanvi, a teasing smirk forming on her lips.

“Waise…” she began casually, “haldi ka naam sunte hi tu jis speed mein ready hui hai na… kisi ko bhi lagega ki teri shaadi hai.”

Before she could react further—

thak!

Sanvi lightly smacked her head.

“Tumhe kitni baar bola hai,” she said, crossing her arms and pouting slightly, “hume shaadi nahi karni. Pata nahi kyun sab ek hi baat pe aake ruk jaate hain—humari shaadi.”

(How many times I said I don't like it..idk why everyone is stuck on my marriage)

Avi let out a soft laugh, rubbing her head dramatically.

“Achha baba, nahi karni,” she said, though her teasing smile didn’t fade.

Sanvi turned her face toward the window, her pout still intact—but somewhere deep inside, those words lingered longer than she wanted them to.

And just like that, two different journeys—unaware of each other—were slowly heading toward the same destination.

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

The moment both of them reached the entrance from opposite sides, neither of them noticing the other, they stepped in at the exact same time.

As soon as they crossed the gate, the flower machine above suddenly burst into action, showering fresh marigold petals all around them.

“Yeh kya—?!”

(What is this—?!)

Sanvi instinctively looked up, slightly startled as petals fell over her hair and shoulders, her hands automatically trying to shield her face.

At the same moment, Rudra stopped in his tracks, frowning as a few petals landed on his watch and kurta and said “Great… ab yeh bhi reh gaya tha.”

(Great… this was also left.)

For a brief second, everything slowed down.

Petals floating in the air…

Soft sunlight filtering through…

Voices fading into the background…

Sanvi brushed a few petals off her dupatta, stepping a little forward—“Yaar, entry bhi dramatic honi thi kya…”

(Seriously, did the entry have to be this dramatic…)

And just a step behind her, Rudra moved ahead at the same time, slightly turning his head to avoid the falling flowers.

“Bas, aur late hone ki kami thi…”

(Great, as if being late wasn’t enough…)

They were just inches apart.

One step more… and they would have collided.

But fate, as if enjoying the moment a little too much, held them right there—close enough to feel the presence, yet far enough to not notice.

A group of guests suddenly rushed in between them, breaking the moment completely.

“Arre side ho jao thoda!”

(Hey, move aside a little!)

Sanvi stepped ahead with Avi, still adjusting her hair, completely unaware of who was just behind her.

Rudra, on the other hand, moved in the opposite direction, brushing off the last few petals with a slight annoyance still visible on his face.

And just like that—

They entered the same place, at the same time…

without even knowing how close they just were.

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

Inside the venue, the haldi ceremony had turned into full chaos—laughter, teasing, and people forcefully pulling each other into the ritual.

Sanvi had just stepped closer when two of her friends grabbed her from both sides.

“Sanvi! Chal na, tujhe bhi haldi lagani hai!”

(Sanvi! Come on, you also have to apply haldi!)

Sanvi replied “Arre nahi yaar, mujhe nahi—”

(No yaar, I don’t—)

She tried to pull her hand back, resisting as much as she could.

“Please, kapde kharab ho jayenge!”

(Please, my clothes will get ruined!)

But they didn’t listen.

On the other side, Rudra was facing the exact same situation.

Two of his friends had already surrounded him, holding a bowl of haldi with evil grins.

“Bhai, aaj tujhe nahi chhodenge!”

(Bro, today we won’t spare you!)

Rudra instantly stepped back, raising his hands in defense.

“Bilkul nahi, main already late hoon, aur ye sab—no chance.”

(Absolutely not, I’m already late, and all this—no chance.)

He kept moving backward, trying to escape their grip.

And then—

In the middle of all that chaos…

Both of them stepped back at the same time.

Thud.

They collided.

Sanvi lost her balance slightly, her hand instinctively clutching onto Rudra’s kurta to steady herself.

“Sorry!”

(Sorry!)

At the same moment—

“Careful—”

(Careful—)

Rudra’s hand held her arm firmly before she could slip.

For a second, everything paused.

Haldi laughter… background music… voices…

All fading into nothing.

Their eyes met.

This time—not just a glance.

A moment.

Sanvi quickly let go, stepping back, her heart racing a little faster than normal.

“Woh… main actually—”

(Uh… actually I—)

She couldn’t even complete the sentence.

Rudra looked at the faint yellow mark that had transferred onto his kurta from her hand.

“…great.”

(…great.)

Before either of them could react further—

“HAAN! MIL GAYA SHIKAAR!”

(YES! FOUND OUR TARGET!)

Both sides attacked at once.

Sanvi’s friends pulled her forward again while Rudra’s friends grabbed him from behind.

“Arre nahi—ruk—”

(Hey no—wait—)

“Bhai bas ek touch!”

(Bro just one touch!)

And within seconds—

Haldi was smeared.

On him.

On her.

And unknowingly…

On each other too.

Sanvi froze for a second, looking at the yellow stain now on her hand… then at him.

Rudra glanced at his kurta, then at her.

Silence.

Then—

A small, almost invisible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Sanvi noticed.

And for the first time—

She didn’t look away immediately.

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

Kesa laga first chapter I knoww starting May be little boring but you won't regret upcoming chapters😭✌🏻

Please let me know your POVs🫶🏻