Each one had their smile growing of their own accord. 

"I—I can't believe you are here" she said.

"Well, I suggest you to believe what you see now" Jagdish leaned against the wall, arms across his chest.

"I'm trying to do just that" she blinked away the newly forming tears. "Because meeting you, here right now, is like fresh air in the most hazardous place. I—I'm quite relieved"

Jagdish wasn't really sure if his presence gave her relieve however, he was glad to be something she needed. She might had a tough time, he thought, remembering the how vigorously she was punching the button down sometime ago. 

"I'm glad I'm doing it" he said, feeling exactly the same.

"But... You said you never had and will never attend weddings?" 

"I had a change of mind last minute. My friends told me your will be here"

"And... how did they know me?" 

"Well, I talked about you much because I just couldn't get you out of my mind" he said casually looking out at the beautifully decorated lawn through the window. 

'Someone does think of me,' she thought feeling emotionally moved by his words. Happy, relieved and felt some kind of support system has been attached to her. She gazed nowhere in particular, lost unaware that he was looking at her.    

Jagdish watched her quizzically then took her hand in his, "come I need to talk to you but not here" he said and pulled her towards the balcony of the same floor that was facing the back side of the palace.

"What is it?" she asked when they had reached the quiet balcony.

"Are you okay?" he asked. 

"Yes—yes, I am"

"Are you sure? Because you didn't sound okay a little while ago. I heard you scream. I was outside your door, wanted to give you a surprise but I got surprised with your sudden scream"

She looked at him, staggered.

"You... Was I... I... Was I loud?" She asked lowly.

"Kind of. Audible enough for anyone who was at your door at that time to hear"

"Oh.... What did you hear?"

"Probably the last thing you said to the elderly woman who left shortly after you yelled. Now tell me, are you sure you are alright?" he held her shoulders and shook her lightly. 

"I think I am better now. I'll be fine. I guess I have something to distract myself"

"From what ? and what is it?"

Yashodha stared into his eyes, if she tells him about her grandmother she might go into another breakdown. Which she did not want to and talking about it isn't going to change anything hence, she quickly diverted her mind. She needed to get out of the situation her mind had tangled her in. 

"What's the new distraction?" he hummed. 

"You. You are a good distraction. I forgot why I had been upset with my grandmother. Thank you, your presence really made me feel very much better" she wiped her face and smoothed her long black hair.

"Probably I knew you needed me. I'm always at your service, lady" he bowed.

Her laughter, warm and hearty. She, an aura he wanted to keep with him always and protect it as if she is fragile. His mind begin to make decisions he once never wanted to make. He watched her as she joined next to him at the railing for the balcony, hugging herself. 

Something must have struck her again, she looked upset. Her eyes darted as if searching for an escape route. Janaki's words kept playing at the back of her mind though Jagdish seem to be a good distraction. The sharp words were as if piercing into her head, she hissed as it pained. All Yashodha wanted was to get the words out of her head and give her some peace. 

Turning to the only man in the balcony, she knew he is the only antidote she needed.  

 "I know this may sounds silly. I should be embarrassed too...." she hesitated, fiddling with her fingers.

".... but can I... get hug, please?" 

She really needed one and for some reason, she knew she will be fine if it's from him. From the corner of her eyes she noticed a couple of figure stood at the entrance of the balcony however, Yashodha wasn't really bothered what people thought about her and she knew there is nothing wrong in asking it from a person she trust.

There that's what he wanted, to comfort her. With small smile forming in the corner of his lips, he motioned his hand for her to get what she had asked.

She gladly got into his arms. The familiar yet unfamiliar spark rush between them. His warmth and affection felt good. A kind of security emitted through the embrace. She believe she could leave all her worries behind if they stay the way their were. 'I wish this was forever' whispered her inner voice. Yashodha immediately snapped her eyes open and broke the hug.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you"

-----

The crowded lawn or the quiet balcony? They chose the balcony and settled on the stone bench indulged in random topics.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you. Whose side, are you? The groom or the bride?" Yashodha chirped.

"I don't know. Whichever side you are" he replied, contagious. Whether him being the bride or the groom side didn't really matter to him anymore. 

"Funny, I'm the groom's side"

"Oh, you guys knew through military?"

"Nah, he is my cousin.
And talking about military, let's just say there's a whole battalion of all forces present at the moment" she grinned, raising her well-groomed eyebrows.

"A battalion?" he asked curiously, she nodded. 

"Follow me and I'll show you my battalion" she took his hand in hers and headed to the lift.

Wasn't the hug enough to electrocute them both, the second she grabbed his hand they felt the sensation once again. Somehow they were getting used to it, enjoying whenever it comes.

They got into the elevator and what better place can it be to check out your crush than in an empty elevator?

Thus, he took notice of her appearance even better than he did earlier. She looked pretty as always, well-groomed wavy hair and her smoky quartz had never lost its glow, he was as if drowning in her presence.

"Stop checking me out, Jagdish" she stated without glancing at him.

Jagdish choked out at being caught eyeing her. 

"You still do mind reading?" he asked, surprised as if her mind reading skill should have been faded away.

The elevator door dinged and they reached the ground floor. The luxuries lobby was decorated in whites and golds it looked heavenly, adding more luxury to the hotel. It was past nine in the evening, Yashodha wondered why were these people still here and not outside. Wasn't there supposed to be songs and dance.

Nonetheless, she leaded him through the crowded circular courtyard out to the lawn which had canopies lined across the huge green patch. Scanning around for a moment, she finally turned to the Jagdish.

"What did you say? Mind reading? I don't know how it's done" she replied.

Jagdish was left out of words, dumbstruck. The lady before him had a face of an innocent who knew nothing about what he said. He had to rethink if all that mind reading ever happened before.

It can't be his hallucination. Jagdish carefully scanned around rekindling his memory, then he caught her smirking. "You liar!" he said it aloud, she hushed him.

"No, I'm not. I never did mind reading before. Trust me" she said, raising both her hands up.

His scrutinizing gaze told her, he wasn't convinced yet.

"You have to believe me. You have got no choice" she shrugged and walked away to the lawn towards the canopy.

"What do you mean I have no choice? You did read what I was thinking before. I can't be wrong. What kind of trick was that?" he followed her right behind through the semi-crowd.

"Akka!", "Jagdish" each one were called from one corner. "Well, I'll answer that later maybe only if I ever remember your question"

"Akka!" she was called once again, even louder this time. "Seems like they need me urgently and you are needed too. Will see you around then" she waved and left, leaving him unanswered.

"Jagdish!" he looked around and found his friends whom he had left a few hours ago, stomped in his direction.

He gave a sheepish smile as they approached. "Hey, guys" he greeted despite the glares coming his way.

"So, you apparently left us after meeting Yashodha and did not bothered to introduce her to us, huh?" Aarifa chided, with her hands on her hips. The rest gave the fake angry look.

"Uh... we just met like two hours ago. I would have done that but she was needed. I'll do it when I see her next..." he searched her in the crowd.

"That's alright, Jaggy. Let's have dinner first" Raj pushed Aarifa out of his way and pulled Jagdish towards the buffet area.

Such grandeur preparation, the dinner was worth every bite as he and his friends enjoyed the luxuries buffet. One the other side of the lawn was a beautifully decorated dance floor, photo session area, the mandap and two separate spots for the bride and groom's pre-wedding rituals. However, it was hard to enjoy the beauty with the heavy crowd. Plus it became even difficult for him to find Yashodha in the crowd.

Salim's voice however, pulled his concentration back to the table.

"I was roaming around alone sometime ago and guess what, every two people out of five were either from the army, air force, navy, para-military or a commando. Man, Kabilan and Madhavi has got a whole high security for their wedding" Salim chuckled, shoving a spoonful of his dinner.

"Wow! That's a lot" commented Raghav who had been quiet all the while. "Were they family or friends?" he asked.

"Could be both" Salim replied.

Jagdish made a rough assumption, those Salim met could be Yashodha's family members which she had referred as 'battalion'. It astonished him as he thought about, ' what would it feel like being a member of family full of armed forces'. A loud cheer from a corner, pulled him out of his thoughts.

-----

After an entertaining performance by the local musician and splendid evening, the group of five had a great opportunity to talk to a lot of senior personnel, they found attending this wedding days ahead to be worth it. Everyone they met were friendly and warm. Specially an army personnel whom Jagdish met earlier, the personnel reminded him of Yashodha. Cool, funny and sensible.

"Okay, I have spent enough time with you people that I had forgot why I came here for"Jagdish jested and bid goodbye to his friends and went in search for Yashodha in the huge less place. He wondered if she owns a mobile number already or not as he looked around.

Just then he found his shipmate, Lakshman. The event seem to be more of a reunion party than a wedding because Lakshman is his third encounter of his old shipmates from different base.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jaggy?" Lakshman's first question did not surprise him. He laughed and gave the man hug before they took a seat each at the nearest empty table.

"Good to see you too, Laksh" 

For the third time in the evening, Jagdish was grateful to Raj and Aarifa for bringing to Jodhpur for the wedding. Had he not agreed to come, he wouldn't have met Yashodha, great military personnel and his former shipmates.

As they were deeply engrossed in their talk, Jagdish's peripheral view caught the now familiar figure walking towards them.

"Gosh, you both are here?" Yashodha interrupted the not-so-important conversation as she settled on an empty chair.

"Uhm... You were looking for us?" Lakshman asked.

"Yes, I was. I wanted to introduce you both to my uncle and dad. They will be happy to meet you both" she chirped. "Oh there they are" she pointed at the entrance of the hotel.

"Come, let me introduce you to the head of the family" she pulled them both towards the two men's watching them with amusement.

Jagdish from far recognised one of the taller man whom he had met earlier. Major. Satyamurthy. He must be her periappa, he thought.

"Appa. Periappa. This is my friends whom I knew from the short service in Navy I did two years ago. Jagdish and Lakshman"

"Major Satyamurthy and Major Lingeswar" she pointed at the taller man and then to the man shorter than him.

"Ahh, I have met this young man already" Satyamurthy spoke in his deep voice with a hearty smile patting Jagdish's shoulder. "You are new" he said turning to Lakshman.

"Good evening, sir" they shook hands with both the majors and dives into the common topic everyone spoke about. Their job.

And the two naval officers seem to have impressed the veteran army officers. Yashodha felt left out as their talk kept going deep into services much opposite to her interest at the current moment.

Yashodha rolled her eyes as her father begin to speak about her. He was more than happy to brag about her and her supposedly classified missions she did in the past.

"Appa..., You are not supposed to speak about it outside" she whispered scanning their surrounding.

"It's okay, Yasho ma. That mission is now four years old. Done and dusted. We can speak about it in small groups" Lingeswar wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Absolutely" agreed Satyamurthy.

---

A glance at her watch, Yashodha squealed. "It's two already" she said dusting the back of her yellow salwar.

"Are you people not going to sleep?" She asked the men settled on the staircase outside the hotel with her hands on her hips.

They shook head in a no and continued their talk, ignoring her presence.

"You should get going, Yasho. We will be finishing in sometime too" Lingeswar said.

"Fine! Good night boys"

******

The worst feeling is that I want to update but I can't. I'm either busy or I just couldn't bring myself to write. I go blank staring at my screen.

Somehow managed to get chapter 12 up. I can't promise for a regular updates. I'm being inconsistent nowadays that it gets hard to concentrate though I want to do it.

Don't forget to comment and vote.