The second he spotted it, Mishti went still.
She had lied to him that she had not written his initial. But he caught her. Before she could pull her hand away, Karan steppedcloser and caught her wrist, not roughly, but enough to stop her. He drew her toward him until barely inches separated them, close enough for her to feel his breath, close enough for her pulse to beat hard.
“Keep pretending you don’t want me,” he said calmly. Then he lifted his hand, his finger pointing lightly over her hear, which was racing beneath the fabric. He didn’t press, just let her feel his touch before he continued, “The truth is… your heart never learned how to stay away from me, Mishti. No matter how hard you try.”
Her throat tightened. She had no clever comeback ready for that. Unable to face him any longer, she pulled her hand free, turned away, and hurried straight into the bathroom, leaving him standing there with that knowing look on his face.
***************
The sangeet was a celebration that had forgotten how to end. The music throbbed through the courtyard, and laughter rose in waves as performances blended into one another.
Karan did not dance. He stayed back like a silent observer with VK, with a drink untouched in his hand. But his eyes followed Mishti everywhere.
She danced with Avni, no rehearsals, no perfect steps. Just two women laughing, spinning, clapping, missing beats and finding them again. Avni pulled Komal and Abhimanyu in at one point, Rajat joining with exaggerated enthusiasm, making everyone laugh harder.
Karan couldn’t look away from his wife tonight, unable to believe this was the woman he had kept at arm’s length for so long. This was the joy he had never let himself be part of.
When their eyes met briefly across the crowd, Mishti did not look away. She smiled at him, just for a second, before Avni dragged her back into the dance. But that single look stayed with him long after the music ended.
**************
Next Day – Haldi
Haldi, the next afternoon, was chaos wrapped in tradition. The entire theme was yellow. There was laughter louder than the dhol. After the main ritual was done, Rajat tried to dodge Avni’s haldi-smeared hands and failed spectacularly, ending up chased around the courtyard while everyone cheered. VK shook his head fondly while Abhimanyu and Karan volunteered for the event.
When Komal smeared haldi playfully on Mishti’s cheeks, she laughed instead of protesting. Once again, Karan only watched from a distance, a soft smile touching his lips when she caught him looking, and a quiet challenge flickered in her eyes. She raised her brows at him, not pleased that he stood apart from his own sister’s rituals, watching instead of participating.
Karan felt it instantly. That look of hers had a warning.
Before he could react, Mishti dipped both her palms back into the haldi paste. The yellow clung to her fingers as she turned and walked straight toward him. He knew exactly what she was coming for. He should have moved, but he did not.
She stopped right in front of him, close enough for him to smell the faint trace of her perfume beneath the sharp scent of turmeric. Without hesitation, she reached up and pressed her palms against his cheeks, smearing haldi across his skin with soft strokes.
“There,” she said lightly, her eyes dancing. “A little haldi on Karan Wadhwa’s face isn’t going to ruin his charm.”
A ripple of laughter passed somewhere behind them, but Karan heard nothing beyond her voice. He stayed still as she stepped back with satisfaction on her face.
The moment she turned to leave, his hand closed around her waist, pulling her back in one swift motion. Her back collidedwith his chest, her breath leaving her in a soft gasp as he leaned down. He rubbed his haldi-stained cheek against hers slowly.
“My charm isn’t what you should worry about, Mishti.” His rough stubble grazed her skin. The contact sent a shiver straight through her, goosebumps rising on her skin.
“It’s what happens when I stop holding back,” he added.
Her pulse raced. The intimacy of that touch was too much.
Before the moment could tip into something it shouldn’t, she shoved him hard in the chest, and turned around and replied. “Well then,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve only two days to worry about that.”
She held his gaze, making sure he heard every word that followed.
“Because after that, I’ll be flying back to London. Away from both Karan Wadhwa and his charm.” Her lips curved faintly. “Your charm cannot stop me from putting distance between us again.”
The words hit him. Before he could say anything, before he could even process the certainty in her voice, she turned and walked away, merging back into the laughter, music, and chaos of the haldi celebrations.
But Karan stayed rooted where he was. Mishti had already decided she was leaving. And this time, he did not know how to stop her. Perhaps because, deep down, he knew he had no right to.
****************
Post Haldi Event - Late Night
