KAVERI

We stood in the kitchen, debating over food choices. Mahi held up a container of healthy quinoa salad, while I championed a box of decadent chocolate cake.

"Come on, Mahi, live a little!" I said, my eyes sparkling with mischief. "Cake is good for the soul."

Mahi raised an eyebrow. "You are a doctor, aren't you supposed to blabber the whole day about eating healty and calories and stuff like that, but here I am playing your role. did we switch our souls or what ? "

food is my ultimate love. others eat to live i live to eat. Good day? Eat a pizza. Bad mood? Eat an ice cream sandwich. Stressed? drink a coffee, or you might not need any of these reasons at all. If you were Kaveri Suryavanshi.

Mahi is my total opposite on this. She is very particular about her calories and her food. She follows a very strict diet and would eat junk food only if its something special or its a cheat day. Not because she is obese, she maintains herself like that.

I chuckled. "Well, I'm a doctor that means I prescribe healthy food to my patients not myself. I'm healthy enough. I also prescribe chocolate cake as a productivity booster."

Mahi laughed. "That's not a thing, you idiot."

I grinned. "Oh, it should be. 'Take two slices of cake and call me in the morning."

Mahira playfully rolled her eyes. "You're a bad influence."

I smiled. "That's why you love me, right?" She chuckled "Absolutely miss doctor."

"Speaking of life's great pleasures, kavu , what's your take on love? Have you found someone special to share your life – and maybe even your chocolate cake – with?"

I stared out the window. for me, love was more than just a feeling – it was a profound connection that enlightened the soul.

"Love is like a diagnosis," I thought to myself. "You can't always see it on the surface, but when you dig deeper, you find the root cause of the symptoms. And when you finally understand it, it can be both exhilarating and terrifying."

As I pondered, my mind wandered to my own experiences with love. I have always believed that true love required vulnerability, trust, and a deep understanding of another human being.

"Hey, kavi, what's on your mind? You look lost in thought."

I smiled, my eyes sparkling. "Just contemplating the mysteries of love"

"Well it's good that i don't have to share my chocolate cake with someone right now but - " I had a bite of my cake.

"But ?" Mahi keen on listening what I was thinking of

"The one who is ment to be mine will always find a way towards me no matter what."

"Well, I don't believe that Love is not a predetermined destiny. It's a journey that requires effort, dedication, and perseverance. It's about choosing to prioritize each other, to listen, to understand, and to support one another through life's challenges. Love is not a passive experience, it's an active choice that requires both partners to be present and engaged. It is fought for." Mahi said sternly.

"It's ok baby they say the longer you wait, the hotter you date." Mahi says in a playful tone.

"Haan mere wala jal gaya hai shayad."

We both laughed at the joke, just when my phone rang. It was mumma.

"Hey mom what's up ?" I put the phone on speaker.

" I'm alright I just wanted to tell you something "

" what is it mumma" I said nonchalantly eating my cake and sharing a bite or two with mahi

" Kiara is getting married and they invited us tonight for the engagement ceremony. Kavu, you too have to come."

My hands froze and I stopped eating the cake my expressions turned fierce. Mahi looked towards me with a concerned expression.

"No way I'm attending her marrige after what all these two siblings did to me. Kiara won't be able to stand my presence. she won't stop herself from taunting me and I won't stop myself from answering back. I will not attend her marriage mumma its the best decision for all of us. Let her enjoy her marrige I might cause harm to her peace."

"Honey, family is important. Your cousin's marriage is a significant occasion, and it's an opportunity for us to reconnect with relatives we haven't seen in a while."

I scoffed. "Reconnect? You know what they did to me, Mom. I don't want to pretend like everything is fine when it's not."

My mom's voice turned understanding, but firm. "I know things were difficult between you two in the past, but people grow and change. Maybe this is a chance for you to put old issues behind you and start fresh."

" A fresh start, mom are you even serious?? What they did will never deserve a fresh start. Not in this world, not in any world." I clearly sounded annoyed.

" Kaveri I am your mom and I called you to tell you that you are coming with us and that's final I can't convince you more."

I disconnected the call. My mom and I weren't on good terms since years. I dont blame her, I think it was the situation we were in that we didn't get enough time to bond or understand each other.

Mahi put a hand on my shoulder comforting me and I put a weak smile on my face."It's ok babe just take care of yourself and be more careful when you are around them." Mahira said and I nodded.

I reached home and started getting ready.

I got myself dressed in a plain brown coloured saree, its boder embroidered with pearls and beads and a blouse with a v shape neckline as deep as your insecurities. A Blouse should always be problematic to those aunties who keep judging us. I paired it up with huge earings. I don't like wearing necklaces much so I leave my neck empty.

I saw rajveer come back from work he put his bag on the table. He looked drained. His eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken worries, and his shoulders sagged under the weight of the day. I could tell work had been a grind for him. His tie was loosened, and his suit jacket was slung over his shoulder. I could tell he'd had a long day at work.

Was he tired or was he sad?

"what happened to you Raj? Are you fine ?you had a bad day? Should I make you some cold coffee or something delicious ?" Mischief clearly visible on my face.

"Dii how many questions will I answer at once." He smiled. Finally.

"Calm yourself down....senorita" he said as he looked towards my attire. "Are you going somewhere? " one of his brows arched.

"We are going , to kiara's engagement ceremony" I turned to face my back towards him and as I could see from the mirror his expression changed, his face fell.

"You are not going there dii" anger clearly took over him

"We are no one to decide rajveer" I pulled out kajal from the drawer, The only makeup I put, and applied it into the waterline of my eyes.

As I turned towards him, I saw my brother's angry face. "How could you, dii? After everything that cousin of ours did to you, you're still going to attend her engagement party?" he fumed.

I stood my ground, my voice firm. "I'm going because it's a family occasion, Raj. And besides, I think it's time we put the past behind us." I turned my face away from him avoiding any sort of eye contact because even I don't know what am I talking about. Was the chocolate cake drugged or what?

His eyes widened in incredulity. "Put the past behind us? Are you kidding me? They betrayed our trust, dii. They hurt us badly. And now you're just going to forgive and forget?"

I sighed, trying to calm him down. "I'm not saying I'm forgiving him, Rajveer. I'm just saying that I don't want to hold onto all that anger and resentment. It's not worth it." Of course it's worth it but, I just need to convince him right now.

Rajveer's face turned red with anger. "Not worth it? You think it's not worth it? You're the one who was hurt the most, dii. And now you're just going to go there and pretend like everything is okay?"

"I know how much you love me Raj, it's just that I'm really not in the mood to fight anyone. The more I beg of peace, the more I'm deprived of it. And the main thing that you are concerned of is my safety, is it not?"

He nodded. "I'll take good care of myself I swear. Okay. Now let's get up and get you ready. " I said trying to lift him up but, I failed at it. Miserably. He's a muscular bunny.

"I can do that myself"

"I can do that myself" I repeated his words in a mocking way and he laughed at it. The tension in his body begin to ease. Thank god.

I stood in front of my brother's closet, rummaging through his clothes, while he lounged on the bed, looking uninterested.

"Come on, Rajveer, you can't wear that boring white shirt," I said, holding up a plain white button-down. "It's our cousin's engagement party, not a funeral."

Rajveer raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with this shirt? It's fine."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine? Fine is not what I'm going for here. I'm going for stylish, handsome, hot and 'I'm-so-glad-I'm-not-the-one-getting-married'."

He chuckled. "You're ridiculous."

I pulled out a light blue shirt with a subtle pattern. "Try this one. It'll make your eyes sparkle like the engagement ring."

He groaned. "You're not serious, are you?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Dead serious. And don't even get me started on the pants. Those khakis are so last season."

He threw a pillow at me. "You're impossible."

I dodged the pillow and held out a pair of white jeans. "These are perfect. Trust me, you'll be the hottest cousin there."

Rajveer sighed and stood up, taking the jeans and blue shirt from me. "Fine, I'll wear them. But if I get laughed at, it's on you."

I grinned, satisfied. "I'll take full responsibility. Now, let's get you looking sharp."

As he changed, I couldn't help but tease him about his reflection in the mirror. "Oh, wow, you're looking so... handsome. I think the ladies will swoon."

Rajveer chuckled and playfully pushed me away. "Shut up and let's go."

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Also don't forget to check out my other story. It's gonna be a dark romance 🫡