3: A rainy day.
Ahana restarts work. A piece of family news surprises Vani. Dhriti worries everyone about her sudden disappearance.

It was 8:30 a.m. and it had been raining for some time. Yash got up and decided to make breakfast for Ahana—her favorite, omelettes. Though a vegetarian and inexperienced with non-vegetarian cooking, he followed a YouTube tutorial. Thankfully, things had not gotten messy like they usually did when Ahana cooked.

Ahana emerged into the living room, dressed in black blazers and pants with an off-white shirt.

"Good morning, babe!" Yash greeted her cheerily, recognizing her footsteps.

"Good morning," she replied in a bleak voice. Yash turned around to look at her.

"Uh...why are you dressed up?"

"I'm going to work," she shrugged, filling a water bottle.

"Oh."

"Why? Your parents don't approve of me working?" she asked with annoyance.

"Oh no, no. They won't interfere again, I promise," he said softly.

"Then, do you have a problem with me going to work?"

"Not at all, baby. Doesn't make sense to be upset about you working," he said with a sweet smile.

"And, what is all of this?" she asked, pointing to his bright neon-colored, floral apron.

"Oh, I took an off today. So, I...I made breakfast for you."

"Well, I am sorry but I just don't have the time to eat, so...you have it."

"Oh, these are omelettes. I can't have them," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, bye."

"Guess I'll give it to the watchman dada," he muttered, opening a drawer to find a tiffin box. The sound of the door slamming indicated that Ahana had left. Sighing, he began to pack the tiffin.

In just a couple of minutes, the doorbell rang. It was Ahana.

"Give the omelettes to me in a dabba," she said, and he beamed at her.

"Just wait a minute! Thank you, Ahanaaaa!"

Ahana smiled at her smiling husband.

-

"Joshi, what happened to the pro-bono case?" Samaira Shah, Vani's boss asked, barging into Vani's cabin.

"Oh, I'm going to win it. The next hearing is on Tuesday" Vani said, "I just sent you a file. We have everything to prove that asshole guilty"

"Good. The fresh off-the-campus talents arrive tomorrow" she started, "I want you on them"

"That sounds wrong" Vani commented.

"Are you a first grader, Joshi?"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Vani said with a laugh.

"Anyway, Miss Mishra is mad at us, again. Talk to her" Samaira said, rolling her eyes, and putting emphasis on the 'again'.

"No way" Vani groaned.

"Yeah, good day," her boss said, walking away swiftly. Samaira was so fast that before Vani could reply, she out of the cabin, and near the receptionist's desk.

Vani opened 'WhatsApp web' on her laptop and sent Miss Mishra: Niharika Mishra a message asking when she could call her.

Just then her phone rang. It was her second cousin- Sitara, Sitara Joshi. She was younger than Vani by a couple of years, and Vani adored the ball of sunshine named Sitara. They weren't superrr close, but the sisters shared a loving bond. She also felt protective towards her younger cousin, scared that someone would dim Siatara's shine. Having no siblings, Vani felt that for all of her younger cousins, but Sitara was slightly more special.

"Good morning Tai!" She heard her younger sister's chirpy voice.

"Good morning, Sitara! Aaj kashi athvan kadhli majhi?" (How did you remember me today?)

"I'm getting married, the day after tomorrow. I want you as my witness!" She said sheer excitement in her voice.

"WHAT?" Vani shouted, getting up from her chair. A couple of people who happened to be outside her cabin glanced at her.

"Yeah, I mean I just want it to be you! Even Mom and Dad said that you should have that honour since you are my karavli"

"Okay, don't you think I am a bit concerned about you just randomly getting MARRIED?"

"Oh yeah, that. But you know Shardul!" She defended.

"I know him...but just, marriage...it's a big thing"

"Tai, it's with Shardul. We love each other"

Vani let out a sigh.

"I don't mean to undermine your love, of course"

"Tai, I understand your apprehensions, let's meet today night and talk"

"Done, send me the location" Vani readily agreed.

How do people decide that they want to get married? She wondered as she looked out of the window. It was drizzling.

-

Karan looked at his flat, he counted himself as a lucky person for getting a fully furnished flat. But, his mom (who at times acted like his biggest enemy) ordered him to go and buy some more necessary things (which he didn't see as important) like more chairs, mats, blankets, and utensils.

"Aai, I live alone. I have enough for myself. I have enough even if you and Baba come over. I have enough even if Raghav and Ritwik come to live here, which they will" he had argued.

"No arguments, go and buy everything on the list" She obviously had the final word.

Currently, he was trying to call Dhriti, but she wasn't receiving the phone.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," but his calls were unreturned.

"Raghav, where is Dhriti?" He asked right away, calling his friend.

"What do you mean?" Karan heard a lazy voice.

"She's not picking up calls, I called her like ten times"

"Ten times? Whoa. She must be busy na"

"To refresh your memory, she just quit her job. She is actually jobless right now"

"Must be with family na"

"But why won't she pick up her phone"

"She's a dumbass only, must have kept her phone somewhere, and she must be somewhere else. Chill, she'll call you"

"Yeah no, I wanted to buy stuff for the house. I was hoping she'd help me"

"Oh, nice. I bought two bean bags for us, by the way"

"Already?"

"Yeah, ordered it the night you told us. It's coming tomorrow, make sure you receive the package."

"Wow, thanks for telling me, by calling me" Karan snickered.

"I was going to tell you!"

-

Jonathan Bailey FC

Tara
Dhriti why haven't you come online on Instagram today?

Vani
What

Tara
I sent her reels yesterday, and she still hasn't seen them

Ahana
Damn same though.
@Dhriti bich where are you?

Tara
Dhriti
Dhritii
Dhritiii

Vani
Dhritiiii

Ahana
Dhriti

6:30 p.m.

~

Vani🌻

Vani🌻
Sitara's getting married parva.

Tara
WHATTTTTT

Vani🌻
Yeah, I can't believe it.
It's the legal thing day after tomorrow.
Always thought she would have a grand wedding.

Tara
Same ngl
I should congratulate her.

Vani🌻
I just kinda feel that she's rushing into marriage. I mean they have known each other for only a year.

Tara
From what I know, Siatara's smart. I don't think she'd choose the wrong person.

Vani🌻
Everyone can take wrong decisions.

Tara
Of course they can.
What im saying is that the guy won't be a bad person.
Decision can be wrong, but I don't think that the guy is bad/wrong.

Vani🌻
He definitely is not.
He's a sweet guy.
Texts me on festivals, wishes me on my birthday.
Very nice with kaka kaku.

Tara
That's good
Don't worry too much.

Vani🌻
thanks

Tara
-_-

Vani🌻
😁❤️
It's been raining since the morning. Why isn't it stopping?

Tara
Hanaaa bhai

(voice call- 20 minutes)
7 p.m.

~

Tatya Bichu

Ritwik
@Dhriti call why not picking

Tara
Even I called her, no response.

replying to Ritwik's message.. @Dhriti.....
Karan
+1

Vani
Dhriti kuthe geli??

Ahana
Guys im worries
worried*

Raghav
Should I call someone from her family?

Tara
Don't. Not yet

Karan
Yeah, we should figure this out if she's not with family.
Let's keep on trying to contact her for 30 minutes at least.

Vani
Yeah, we'll call her family then.
They shouldn't freak out for no reason.
(5 👍)

~

Tara felt a little scared. She tried to distract herself a bit for around fifteen minutes. Raghav had told her that Dhriti was 'm.i.a.' since morning, which meant that if she was in trouble, she had been in trouble since morning. Tara had gotten cryptical- her imagination creating the worst case scenarios. The worst part was that Dhriti was struggling with something, she had quit her job and gotten drunk: both things were out of character for her.

I should have reached out more.

Why don't you think positive? Perhaps she's just stranded somewhere due to the rain, and her phone must be dead. Maybe I should go and find her.

Tara quickly changed her clothes, wore a rain jacket, took her scooter keys, ready to go and find her friend. Just before she left, her phone rang.

"Vani?"

"Bol na Vani" (What happened Vani?)

"Dhriti is in Mahabaleshwar"

"WHAT?"

"She saw the messages about us calling her family and that's why she called Raghav. She wanted to avoid everything for a few days. Wants some time alone"

"Then she could have just told us that she's going offline and does not want to talk to us!"

"She should have, but she clearly did not, Tara." Vani sounded annoyed so Tara chose not to speak more on the topic. She was almost sure that Vani must have been crying for Dhriti who was purposefully ignoring them. But somehow, the current situation made her worry more for Dhriti. She was acting different. She must be struggling a lot for her to just...leave.

"You didn't see Raghav's message on the group, I was scared that you left your house to go search for Dhriti or something, thank God you didn't"

"Yeah, thank God" Tara chuckled nervously.

"Wait, you're out? But I don't heard any road noises?"

"I was just leaving"

"Oh, my timing was perfect then"

"It was!"

-

Dhriti hung up the call with Raghav.

She felt guilty about treating her friends like an afterthought. She was sure that all of them would have been worried sick about her. But, at the same time, she did not regret the mistakes she made. She was sure if she would have told one of them, they would have stopped her and would have wanted to 'talk'. She needed the entire day. It felt like she was actually having a normal, stress free day after years.

She was happy, happy of the day she had spent. And in the moment, that was enough- it was all that mattered to her. Her own happiness.