The ride to the airport was silence with only the radio in the cab singing for them while they were unmindful of it. Getting pass through the traffic was a reason they left earlier which managed to send them to the airport right on time. 

Jagdish helped her with her luggage while Lakshman rushed to the display screen outside the entrance to check on her flight and check-in counter. 

"Flight on time. Ten more minutes for the counter to open" he said and read the two that had nothing but sad face on. "I know you both are sad but that doesn't mean you should be quiet, guys. I'll go get myself a cup of coffee. Please talk because there are a lot, I can see that" Lakshman did not wait for either one to respond as he left them and head to a coffee kiosk. 

"He is right, isn't he" Jagdish commented with a silly smile on his face. 

"Yes, he is. Okay, departing message" Yashodha rubbed her palms together, swiftly switched her mood. 

He laughed and nodded his head.

"You have been a great comrade for the last five months, I don't think I'll ever meet someone like you. You are one special person who's memory I will cherish" Jagdish said tucking his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket. 

"And I will not find someone like you too. Time flies too quick, isn't it? I never knew I'll leave with heavy heart. It confuses me even. This never happened before," she said swallowing the lump forming in her throat. She took a glance at the screen displaying check-in counter status, Jagdish followed suit. Two minutes left before the counter opens for her flight, she needs to get in quick to pass through the immigration as well.

Faintly one corner of her lips curved, "This is going to be the last time we meet, Mr. Cool..." she whispered and gave him a hug. The hug was a simple enough gesture - affection, perhaps the fragile beginnings of love to continue blooming.

"I'll miss you" she mumbled softly in his ears, plopped a kiss on his cheek, unexpectedly and tore apart from their embrace. 

Yashodha waved to Lakshman who stood a little further from them, she effortlessly moved into the crowded airport without glancing back even once. 

"I'll miss you too, Yasho"

Jagdish's gaze followed her as she slowly merged into the crowd only to standout because of her semi-uniformed attire. He realised her thoughts will never make its way out of him because he had began to miss her already. Sending off Yashodha seems to be painful as if tearing a piece of his heart with a promise not to return it back to him. However, filling the void with her memories.

Watching the departure of the not-in-relationship-but-definitely-not-friends-either duo, Lakshman held a hand on Jagdish shoulder. Unknowingly, tears had formed in his eyes that were threatening to fall, Jagdish wiped them off just before they fell.

"You guys will surely meet again. I can sense it already" Lakshman said confidence.

"I hardly think we will. There is no way we can contact each other. Yashodha doesn't even have a phone number and forget about her connecting through social media." Jagdish whined as they made their way to the car park. 

"Trust me, Jaggy. Love will find it's way" Jagdish stopped on his feet at the mention of 'love' while Lakshman moved ahead leaving his friend to think for sometime. 

"Love?" he questioned. 'Did it looked as if they were really in love? Or do people have this thought because they have seen them out together? Perhaps I'm the only one had been seen close to Yashodha?' his mind begin its search to find a root reason for his friend Lakshman to say so but found none.

"No, it's not. It was only infatuation between us, silly"

Present

Jagdish smiled, wider with every step he took as he reminisced the day his friend, Lakshman said they would meet again. 'Lakshman wasn't wrong at all' he agreed with a wide smile spread across his face taking in the view of the new place. 

"We need to leave the airport so we can reach for lunch on time" Raj murmured as they loaded their luggage in the car. 

⭐⭐⭐

Solitude. Height. Quiet.
These were the requirements Yashodha demanded to one of the staffs in the Taj Umaid Bhawan Hotel in search of some mental peace. She had arrived last night feeling extremely happy but only to be ruined by the one person she hated the most.

After requesting, the hotel manager allowed her to use one of the tower that isn't accessible to many. She was grateful they did not make a fuss for her requesting the not allowed area. Perhaps it's because of who she is. Nevertheless, she ascended the stairs that was leading to the highest point in the palace. The view from the top was breathtaking however, she wasn't in a mood to enjoy it.

Her morning encounter was enough to deflate her enthusiasm to enjoy the wedding event. Thanks to her 'loving' grandmother, Janaki for reminding her about how being unmarried at the age of thirty-two is not good for a lady. Wasn't it enough for her grandmother to get her married to a man who can't hold his words once that now she is after Yashodha again. 

Their argument had caught attention by many but Yashodha cared less. All she did was vent out her disagreement with Janaki regarding her ideology on marriage and age.

Yashodha hasn't forgotten nor forgiven her grandmother for the blunder she had made seven years ago. Neither does Janaki feels bad for making a wrong decision for her granddaughter. Now Janaki wants to repeat, Yashodha wants to retort. Hopefully with no major effect on the wedding.

Yashodha huffed looking down at her pretty blue dress.  "What's the point dressing up? I'm not in the mood to have fun" she whined, sliding down against the wall. Feeling exhausted even without doing a single thing. 

Music from the dhols were faintly audible to where she was, Yashodha peeked a little from the tiny hole of the tower. "Another bunch of people maybe..." she murmured and slid back to her position. 

"Why did she even came here in the first place? To spoil my day? Who brought the old lady here? Appaa!!!!" she continued to grumbled and stopped when she heard footsteps, louder and louder. 

"Dei, Yasho! What are you doing up here? I have been looking for you in the entire palace?" Kabilan, her cousin brother panted grabbing his knees for support. 

"I'm flying kites, Kabil. Wanna join?" she answered with sarcasm. 

"What happened, Yasho?" noticing her annoyed and disinclined, Kabilan somehow understood something must have gone wrong. He joined her on the floor. 

"What the hell are you doing here? You are the groom and you are supposed to be with those people— down there. The elders are going to start looking for you. Get going" Yashodha chased him away nevertheless, he stayed in his position despite her pushing him with all her strength. 

Letting out a long breath, Yashodha hunched herself. "Patti is here and she is here to spoil my day" she mumbled almost inaudible to him but he managed to catch her floating words. 

"I see"

"Yeah, you see. That's my problem. She is my problem. I wouldn't have a problem if she keeps her mouth shut but she isn't. The thing is I'm not the only she will be picking trouble with" she said with much anger, Kabilan sense the words were coming out through her gritted teeth. 

"I had the same thought but you know appa and amma wanted Patti to be here. She is one of the elders still alive. And her blessing matter, they said" 

Yashodha let out a fake laugh, "Her blessings?" she asked as if she heard it wrong. She slowly fell silent, floating on pool of thoughts. Janaki never did this to her other grandchildren but to her. Why? Only Janaki knows. 

"Don't worry, Kabil. I'll try not to make a fuss in your wedding. I'll control my emotion towards her. Now, go. They must be waiting for you"

"Please get back to your normal self, Yasho. I can't see you like this" Kabil wrapped her in his arms. "You are the best among us, you know that. Without you there is no fun" he whined turning into a five year old kid. 

"Okay... I'll try my best. But it all depends on the Patti" she warned though she too wanted no issues in his wedding. 

"Aren't you hungry?" releasing her from his wrap, Kabilan asked. 

"No Kabil. I'll have later. I had late breakfast"

"Then upon my request can you do the mocktail which you used to do before? Pretty please. I missed I mean we all missed your special creation" Kabilan stood next to her, ready to pulled her down all the way to the kitchen of the palace. 

"Where am I supposed to do it? Do you even have the ingredient?" she asked, looking as if it's almost impossible to do it. 

"Yes, we bought it even before you came yesterday" he grinned, grabbing her wrist. "I have even got the permission from the Chief Chef to use a tiny part of their kitchen to prepare it" Kabilan chatter continuously as they descended the spiral staircase. 

-----

"Quick! Get inside! His coming!" a man in a well built lean body with neatly trimmed hair, Kabilan's ship mate, Peter whom Jagdish was yet to know whispered yell as he came back into the groom, Kabilan's room and shut it. This has been happening in batches every time a new group of his friends arrives it seems. 

Hence, the newly arrived five were in his room prepared to surprise the groom as soon as the door opens. 

The doorbell rang, Peter who stood behind the door motioned all those in the room to come forth and counted to three silently with his fingers. 

The third finger raised, the door opened, they all screamed followed by glass shattering noise then everything came to an abrupt silent. They had scared the wrong person.

It was the hotel's staff who stood in front of the door however, the lady next to her was drenched in whatever the staff had carried.

Jagdish almost had his heart leap out, the lady drenched isn't just some other lady. It's for her, he had agreed to attend the wedding. It's Yashodha and he was beyond happy to finally see her after two years. 

However, Yashodha did not had enough time to notice him as others had crowded in front of him after the noise and she was fuming silently.

"Won't you'll even check through the peephole?" Kabilan grumbled and turned to the staff who was speechless to the incident happened. Then to Yashodha. 

"No more mocktails for you, Kabil. Do yourself next time" she grumbled and left to her room to get changed. 

Salim who had noticed Jagdish 1000 watt smile, pulled him a little further from the crowd and inquired. "Which one among the two is Yashodha?" curiosity was visible through Salim's eyes, Jagdish coughed a laugh. 

"Definitely not the hotel staff" he answered and begin stepping towards the door as he spoke. "I'll need to go after her. Bye" said Jagdish and sneaked out of the room. 

Happiness was beyond explainable as he followed her in a reasonable distance without her noticing him. The moment he saw her at the door, he knew the next four days is going to be another bunch of days he will carry it in him. She was such a joy, she still carries the same aura, much prettier than the last he saw her two years ago.

Just begin able to see her in person lights him up within. 

He watched her as she entered into  her room, waiting to experience the unknown feeling that had begin crawling in him like a creeper.

********

Three updates in a day! That means I'll not be updating maybe for a week because I need to scribble and put random words together to make up a chapter. 

I seriously think my writing skills are getting blunt and...

Do you'll prefer 2 or 3 continuos update like this or the usual
one... By... One... Random updates..

I'm also wondering, is it because the cover doesn't have pranushka on it, the reason once-readers-of-mine aren't anymore having an attachment to my story? Or is there something else. 

Sorry for the blabber! I'm 💔

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