AUTHOR'S POV

One month.

Only one month remained before the wedding.

The realization had finally begun settling into everyone's minds and nowhere was that more evident than the Sengupta household.

The house no longer belonged to the family. It belonged to wedding preparations.

Every room was occupied by something related to the wedding.

Invitation cards covered the dining table. Fabric samples occupied half the living room.

Jewellery catalogues had somehow found their way onto every available surface.

Relatives came and went so frequently that even the doorbell seemed exhausted.

The house was alive.

Loud.

Chaotic.

Happy.

And right in the middle of that chaos sat Ayanika Sengupta.

Looking at a stack of invitation cards.

Wondering where her peaceful life had disappeared.

AYANIKA'S POV

"Maa, where is my phone?" I asked.

"How would I know?"

"You were using it." I said immediately.

"I returned it." God. Seriously.

"To where?" I asked already getting annoyed.

"I don't remember."

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

I looked around the house.

Chaos.

Pure chaos.

An aunt was discussing flower arrangements another aunt was arguing about sweets.

Someone was talking to the caterer.

Someone else was talking about jewellery and somehow everybody looked busy.

Except me.

I had spent the last ten minutes searching for my phone.

Which, apparently, had vanished from existence.

Then suddenly----

"Ayanika!"

I closed my eyes. Who now?

"Come here."

I walked into the living room. Only to discover three aunties staring at me.

Suspiciously.

Very suspiciously.

I immediately knew I was in danger. "What?"

One aunt smiled, then said, "Show us a picture of Advayansh."

I blinked. "What?"

"A picture." She repeated.

"I don't have one." I said and immediately the entire room went silent.

"You don't have your fiancé's picture?" She asked dramatically. Too dramatically.

"No."

"Not even one?" She again again. Can't they understand what NO means?

Ughhhhhh.

"No." I said.

The women looked horrified as if I had committed a crime.

"My God. How are children nowadays getting married? I don't know." She said. Again. Dramatically.

I rubbed my forehead. "Please leave me alone."

The room erupted into laughter.

"Maa. I can't find my pho---". I stopped mid sentence when a group of people caught my eyes.

"Hm?" Maa replied.

"Who are these people?" I whispered to her.

Maa didn't even look up. "Relatives."

"I've never seen them." I said.

"You have." She argued.

"I haven't." I argued back. Of course I had to.

"You were five." She said.

I stared. "That doesn't count."

"It does in Bengali families." Maa said.

God every person in my family need a therapist. From across the room, Baba laughed.

"She's right." He said.

"Don't encourage her." Maa warned him.

"I'm supporting my daughter." He said.

I'm proud of him.

"You're creating problems." Maa said

"I've been creating problems since 1970." He said.

I immediately pointed at Baba. "See? That's why we're friends."

Maa rolled her eyes. Baba looked incredibly proud of himself.

Unfortunately, the teasing didn't stop there because my aunt had arrived and my aunt considered embarrassment a form of entertainment.

"Ayanika." She called.

"Noooo." I groaned to myself.

"I haven't said anything." She complained.

"That's exactly why I'm scared." I said.

The room burst into laughter. My aunt sat beside me.

Smiling suspiciously.

Very suspiciously.

Then she pulled out her phone. I knew I was doomed. Absolutely doomed.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Memories."

"No." I said. Being Horrified.

"Yes." She said dramatically.

"No." I copied her tone too.

"Yes."

And before I could stop her, she showed everyone a photograph.

A photograph of six-year-old me missing two front teeth, wearing an oversized frock. Holding a plastic sword.

The entire room erupted.

"Maa!" I groaned.

"What? You looked adorable." She said.

"I looked possessed."

"You were adorable." Mashi said.

"I looked like a goblin."

Even Baba was laughing now.

Traitors.

Every single one of them.

AUTHOR'S POV

The house echoed with laughter.

And for a little while, everything felt exactly the way weddings were supposed to feel.

Joyful.

Messy.

Warm.

The kind of happiness that couldn't be planned. The kind that simply happened when families gathered together.

Yet despite the laughter around her Ayanika's smile never stayed for long because every now and then...

A thought returned.

One month.

Only one month and everything would change.

AYANIKA'S POV

I escaped to the terrace not dramatically.

Just temporarily.

The noise inside had become overwhelming.

I leaned against the railing. Took a deep breath.

The evening breeze felt nice.

Peaceful.

Unfortunately...

It lasted exactly thirty seconds.

"Found you."

I groaned without turning around.

Srishti. Of course.

"What?" She said getting offended.

"Leave." I said.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

I finally looked at her. She was carrying two plates of puchkas and an annoyingly knowing smile.

"You're impossible."

"I know." She said proudly.

She handed me one of the plates then stood beside me.

For a few moments neither of us spoke.

Watching the city lights flicker to life. Listening to the distant sounds of traffic.

The comfortable silence of old friendship settling around us.

Then Srishti spoke. "You've been thinking again."

I sighed. "There it is."

"What?"

"The therapist voice." I said.

She laughed then said, "I don't sound like a therapist."

"You absolutely do." I argued.

Why the hell I'm arguing with everyone since morning? Of course its their fault.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She said.

We stood quietly again. Then---

"Are you scared?" She asked.

The question arrived so suddenly that I almost dropped my puchka.

I looked at her.

She looked back calmly.

Waiting.

Not pushing.

Just waiting.

I looked away first.

"Everyone keeps asking that." I said.

"And?"

"And I don't know." I replied honestly.

Though for the first time all day. The answer felt honest.

AUTHOR'S POV

Srishti didn't interrupt. She knew Ayanika too well.

Sometimes silence revealed more than questions ever could.

"I don't think I'm scared of marriage." Ayanika said.

Srishti listened quietly.

"I don't think I'm scared of Mumbai."

"I don't think I'm scared of leaving home."

Then she frowned and said after a pause. "Actually maybe I am."

Srishti laughed softly. "There she is."

"Who?" Ayanika asked looking behind her.

"The overthinker." Srishti said.

Ayanika rolled my eyes and said "I'm serious."

"So am I." Srishti said while taking a bite of her puchka then looked at Ayanika.

Really looked at her. The way only old friends can.

"Are you unhappy?" She asked, her tone serious.

The answer came immediately. "No."

No hesitation.

No confusion.

Nothing.

Srishti nodded.

Then asked the second question.

"Are you happy?"

And suddenly Ayanika couldn't answer.

The silence stretched.

Long.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Srishti's expression softened and somehow that made everything worse because she understood.

The hesitation itself became an answer not because Ayanika was unhappy.

Not because she regretted her decision but because she genuinely didn't know what she felt anymore.

And uncertainty was far more complicated than either happiness or sadness.

AYANIKA'S POV

After a long moment, I whispered,

"I don't know."

The words felt strange like admitting defeat.

Srishti nodded slowly.

Then asked, "Do you trust him?"

This time the answer arrived instantly.

Without thought. Without hesitation.

Without doubt. I said,

"Yes."

The word left my mouth before I even realized it and suddenly both of us were surprised.

I blinked.

Srishti blinked.

Then a small smile appeared on her face.

"Interesting."

I groaned. "Don't."

"I'm just saying." She said.

"Don't."

"You answered very quickly." She accused.

"Stop."

She laughed. Then gently nudged my shoulder.

"Ayanika."

"Hm?"

"Maybe stop trying to figure out what you'll feel five years from now."

I looked at her. She smiled.

Softly.

"Just survive the next month first."

Something about that made me laugh.

A real laugh.

Not the fake polite ones I'd been giving relatives all day.

A genuine one and somehow that felt nice.

AUTHOR'S POV

The conversation continued long after the coffee grew cold.

Sometimes serious.

Sometimes silly.

Sometimes emotional.

Mostly honest.

Exactly the way conversations between best friends should be and for the first time in days...

The weight inside Ayanika's chest felt slightly lighter.

Not gone.

Just lighter.

Later that night, the house finally became quiet.

The relatives left. The discussions ended. The lights slowly turned off and for the first time all day...

Ayanika found herself alone.

The invitation card rested in her hands.

Simple.

Elegant.

Beautiful.

Her fingers traced the gold lettering reading the names again.

And again.

And again.

Advayansh Malhotra

&

Ayanika Sengupta

For a long moment she simply stared.

One month.

'Only one month after that everything would change. My home. My city. My routine. My future. My life.' She thought to herself.

A strange feeling settled inside her chest.

Not fear.

Not excitement.

Something in between.

Something unnamed.

She looked out the window towards the sleeping city and for the first time. The wedding felt real.

Truly real.

And somehow that realization was both comforting and terrifying at the same time.

While the Sengupta house was drowning in wedding preparations...

The Malhotra house wasn't doing much better.

Boxes occupied corners.

Wedding catalogues covered tables.

Tailors, decorators and event managers had become regular visitors.

Every day brought a new discussion every discussion somehow became an argument.

And every argument eventually ended with Mrs. Malhotra declaring that nobody appreciated how much work she was doing.

Which was usually followed by Mr. Malhotra reminding her that she wasn't letting anyone else do the work either.

Today was no different.

The living room had once again become a battlefield.

A battlefield Advayansh had wisely abandoned hours ago.

ADVAYANSH'S POV

The wedding was one month away.

Apparently that meant the entire world had collectively lost its mind.

I looked away from my laptop checked the time then returned to work.

A merger proposal.

Three pending meetings.

Two investor reports.

And an acquisition update.

Far more manageable than wedding discussions. The house below echoed with distant voices.

My mother.

My aunt.

Someone arguing about flowers, someone arguing about invitation cards, someone arguing about sweets.

Normal.

I ignored all of it.

A knock interrupted my concentration.

I didn't look up.

"Come in."

The door opened and a familiar voice followed.

"You know most people become nervous before their wedding."

I sighed.

Vihaan.

AUTHOR'S POV

Advayansh finally looked up and for the first time in several weeks.

Vihaan looked better.

Not completely healed.

Not perfectly fine.

But better.

The exhaustion in his eyes had lessened.

The darkness beneath them had faded.

The weight remained but it no longer seemed impossible to carry.

"You look alive." Advayansh said.

Vihaan sat down.

"I'm touched." He said with a little sarcasm.

"You shouldn't be." Advayansh said.

He laughed.

A real laugh.

Something that would've been impossible a month ago.

"Working?" Vihaan asked.

"No."

"Right."

Vihaan glanced at the laptop then at Advayansh.

Then back at the laptop.

"You know." He started.

Advayansh already disliked that tone.

"You're getting married in one month."

"Hm."

"That's all?" Vihaan asked.

"Hm."

Vihaan stared then shook his head feeling defeated. "Your future wife is probably having emotional breakdowns."

"Hm."

"Families are planning weddings." Vihaan said.

"Hm."

"People are crying."

"Hm."

"Meanwhile you're reviewing spreadsheets."

"Hm."

Vihaan threw a cushion at Advayansh.

It hit his shoulder.

Unfortunately.

"What was that for?" Advayansh asked.

"You deserve it." Vihaan stated.

Vihaan leaned back in the chair studying his friend carefully because despite knowing Advayansh for years.

Understanding him remained difficult.

The man revealed less emotion than a marble statue.

VIHAAN'S POV

"You've spoken to Ayanika recently?" I asked.

"No."

I blinked. "No?"

"No."

"How long?"

A brief pause then he said. "Three weeks."

I stared.

Absolutely stared.

"You're kidding." I said with a sarcastic laugh.

"No."

"Advayansh."

"Hm."

"You're marrying her."

"Hm."

"Not adopting a company."

Silence. Then, "I know."

I rubbed my face.Patience. Great patience. That's what friendship required.

I reminded myself.

AUTHOR'S POV

The conversation might have continued but suddenly a loud voice echoed from downstairs.

"ANSH!"

Both men closed their eyes.

Simultaneously.

Mrs. Malhotra.

ADVAYANSH'S POV

"No." I muttered.

Vihaan immediately laughed. "She's calling you."

"I'm aware."

"Sounds serious." He said while laughing.

"It's never serious."

Another voice followed.

Louder this time. Much louder.

"ADVAYANSH MALHOTRA!"

Vihaan looked delighted. Bastard.

"Go." He said.

"No."

"She's using your full name you know what's that mean "

I sighed. Unfortunately he had a point.

AUTHOR'S POV

A few moments later both men entered the living room and instantly regretted it.

The scene was chaos.

Pure chaos.

Relatives occupied every available seat.

Wedding samples covered tables. Fabric swatches were everywhere.

Someone was eating sweets.

Someone else was criticizing them.

And right in the center stood Mrs. Malhotra.

Waiting.

"What happened?" Advayansh asked while coming down the stairs.

His mother pointed dramatically at flowers.

'Of course.' He thought

"Choose." She ordered.

"No."

"Choose."

"No."

"Advayansh."

Advayansh looked toward Vihaan and he immediately looked away.

Coward.

For the next twenty minutes...

Advayansh was unwillingly dragged into wedding discussions.

The experience was painful for everyone involved mostly because every answer sounded identical.

"These flowers?"

"Hm."

"Or these?"

"Hm."

"Which one?"

"Either."

The room collectively groaned. One aunt laughed.

"Poor Ayanika."

Another nodded.

"She's marrying this."

Vihaan nearly fell off the couch laughing.

VIHAAN'S POV

I hadn't laughed like this in months.

Genuinely laughed.

And surprisingly...

It felt nice.

For a little while, the heaviness disappeared. The sadness faded. The noise of the house drowned it out and for the first time in a long time...

Everything felt normal.

Then Mrs. Malhotra smiled.

Dangerously.

At me.

"Vihaan."

I immediately became suspicious.

"Hm?"

"You're his best friend."

Mistake.

Big mistake.

I knew where this was going.

"Tell me honestly." She pointed toward Advayansh. "Has he always been this impossible?"

The entire room laughed. Including me.

"Yes."

"VIHAAN." Advayansh warned.

"Sorry..... I'm not." I laughed again.

ADVAYANSH'S POV

Even Baba was enjoying himself now which usually meant trouble.

"Tell us something." Vihaan immediately became interested.

Dangerous sentence.

"Any embarrassing stories?"

Vihaan smiled.

Very slowly.

I immediately knew something terrible was about to happen.

"No." I said.

"Yes." Vihaan smiled dramatically.

"No." I warned him.

"Absolutely yes."

The room grew excited.

I looked at Vihaan.

He ignored me.

VIHAAN'S POV

"College."

Advayansh closed his eyes.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"There was a girl."

The room exploded.

"There wasn't." He said.

"There was."

"There wasn't." He argued.

"There was."

His mother leaned forward.

"There was?" She asked.

I nodded dramatically.

AUTHOR'S POV

For the first time all evening Advayansh looked mildly alarmed which only encouraged everyone further.

"Vihaan." Advayansh warned again.

"Relax."

"You'll regret this." Advayansh said.

"Probably."

The room waited.

Silently.

Excitedly.

Then Vihaan laughed. "There wasn't actually a girl."

Collective disappointment.

Immediate disappointment.

"You're cruel." Vihaan said pointing dramatically at Advayansh.

"I know." Advayansh said.

Laughter once again filled the room and for a brief moment...

Vihaan found himself watching his friend watching the way Advayansh rolled his eyes.

Watching the way he quietly endured the teasing.

Watching the way he pretended none of this mattered.

And suddenly...

A thought appeared.

VIHAAN'S POV

Maybe the wedding wasn't affecting Advayansh the way normal weddings affected people.

Maybe he wasn't excited.

Maybe he wasn't nervous.

Maybe he wasn't dreaming about the future.

But he wasn't indifferent either because truly indifferent people didn't spend months building emotional walls.

They didn't create contracts.

They didn't avoid conversations.

They didn't keep convincing themselves that none of it mattered.

People only worked that hard to avoid something when it mattered more than they wanted to admit.

AUTHOR'S POV

The evening slowly came to an end.

Relatives left conversations faded. The house grew quieter and eventually.

Advayansh returned to his room.

Alone.

ADVAYANSH'S POV

The house was finally silent. The laptop still waited on the desk. The reports still needed reviewing. The work still remained.

Exactly where I had left it.

Yet for some reason...

My attention drifted elsewhere.

One month.

The thought appeared unexpectedly then stayed.

One month.

Outside the window, the city lights glowed beneath the night sky and somewhere on the other side of Kolkata...

Ayanika was probably surrounded by the same wedding chaos.

The same preparations.

The same countdown.

I looked away from the thought immediately.

Opened my laptop and returned to work because some questions were easier to ignore than answer.