"Nisha! Quick! Click the picture for us!" Priti shouted amidst the loud and cheerful chattering around. 
"Coming!" Nisha rushed towards the direction of the voice, fixing her saree with a scowl. Their house was crowded and she wasn't sure if it was as pleasant as it was supposed to be. 
"It's your baby shower, why do I feel like we're in a met gala?" She asked her sister who shrugged, fixing her dark curly locks and turned towards her husband with a smile.

"Shams, have you served the guests?" The male nodded, tucking a few of her loose hair strands behind her ear with a delicate smile. 
"Yes, love. Don't stress yourself. Just sit and relax. Our parents and the guys are handling everything." 
"I think she's more stressed about her pictures on Facebook she needs to post tonight," Nisha murmured, side-eyeing the couple who chuckled together. 

"Right, can you help us click a picture?" Shams asked, forwarding his phone to Nisha who could only scoff. 
"No wonder you both are a match made in heaven. The same type of idiots you are."
"Shut up, Nisha!" Priti rolled her eyes as Nisha snatched the phone from Shams, backed away and directed them to some poses on the couch.
"Always occupying the living room for such annoying things. Why not just hire a cameraman?" She complained.

"Why are you so grumpy today?" Priti asked once they were done clicking pictures. Handing the phone back to Shams, Nisha sighed, "Nothing... I'm just bored and annoyed. I wanna go home."
"Or is it because Kabir isn't here?" Atif's voice was heard as they all turned in that direction, watching the guys enter the living room along with Adil and Adisha who were busy giggling between themselves.

"Nisha-pi is so hopeless." Adisha chuckled as Adil nodded, "I wonder where my future brother-in-law is." 
"Shut up!" Nisha frowned. 

"Ah, there he is!" Wahi pointed towards the house's entrance as they watched a familiar figure enter with his mother, smiling at everyone.
His gaze travelled throughout the house until they stopped at Nisha, standing in the living room. The huge entrance of the living room should've been closed with curtains because that far-away eye contact with him wasn't helping her.

Nisha could feel her heartbeats increase with every passing second as she fisted her hands, looking away. 

"Why is she not going to him?" Ajay asked as Atif replied, "I heard that ever since Nisha's parents agreed to this whole marriage thing, they forbade her to socialize with him in public or events like this. They have to be lowkey." 
Shams laughed, "Thank god I am married. This sounds like torture." 
"You're not helping!" Priti whispered to the male beside her who shrugged with a chuckle.

"Laugh all you want. I don't care." Nisha snapped, walking towards the sofa as she sat down, scrolling through her phone. 
Not long after, Kabir entered the living room, about to walk straight to the woman he was dying to meet but got pulled back instead. 
"What?" He frowned, turning to the people around him who shared a look and sighed together. 
"Kabir, why are you walking towards Nisha like that? There are so many people in this event today. Do you want everyone to know?" Atif whisper-yelled as Kabir stared at him blankly.
"Right. Nisha's parents talked it out, right? It's been a month since they accepted your relationship, don't make them mad or ruin their reputation by shamelessly roaming around her at an event." Shams spoke.

Blankly staring at them, Kabir nodded, "We always associated in every event, what's so suspicious about it—"
"That time, nobody knew! Now everyone does. At least, we, family do." Priti replied as Wahi nodded. 

With a sigh, Kabir nodded and looked at Nisha's figure who raised her gaze from the phone, blinking twice once their eyes met together. 
He smiled at her as she pressed her lips, focusing back on her phone, making him confused.

"Is she okay?" He asked Wahi who replied, "Ever since the function started, she seems grumpy. We guessed it's because she's compelled to stay away from you but..." 
"We don't know. She has mood swings every hour anyway." Ajay shrugged as Adisha hummed, "Her mood swings are more temporary than Adil and Soha's temporary friendship until Soha finds another reason to not befriend Adil." 

"Can you not—" Adil frowned as Shams sighed, "Why are all connections forming in this small circle? I don't like this."

"Don't worry. My brother and your sister are just ten-year-olds." 
"I know, love. That's why I don't care." Shams smiled, leaning towards his wife just to be pulled back by Kabir, "Stop being shameless, Shams." 
"What?" He frowned, "She's my wife. I can do that. You are the shameless one—"
"Shut up!"

The next few hours passed by with Kabir trying to initiate an indirect conversation with Nisha which failed every time because she either avoided him with the hidden mischief in her eyes or teased him with her expressions. 
She was testing his patience.

"I'm seeing her after almost eight days... not for this torture." He whispered to himself, watching her walk into Priti's room. 
He looked around to find the elders nowhere. They were busy in the living room gossiping and probably wouldn't come out in a while. 
The guys were busy chatting and Priti was staring at Kabir with a frown, "Are you planning on entering my room now?" 
"Huh?" Kabir asked as she scoffed, "It's obvious. I saw how you both were playing eye games back there. Look. My room is not meant for your jokes. But well, you can go in she just went to take off her necklace." 

"Huh? Why are you—" Kabir was about to ask but Priti took out her phone, "I'll text her then. I'll give you lovebirds to have a little reunion after a week of being apart." 
"You're quite evil." Kabir said and smiled, "Thank you for being evil."

— Time skip —

Nisha frowned, staring at herself in the mirror. 
"I do look quite nice. He should've noticed." She smiled and touched the back of her neck, trying to unhook her necklace but hissed in frustration when she failed after several attempts.
With a loud huff, she paused with a frown and was about to continue trying again when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." She said and moved her hair to the side properly, saying, "Priti-pi, can you help me take off this necklace, its hook is so curved that I can't get it out—" 

As soon as her eyes fell on the mirror, she paused, staring into the reflection for a few seconds. 

It wasn't Priti behind her.

But Kabir.

With his hands tucked in his Panjabi, he approached her, stopping a few steps behind her as she turned around, swallowing the lump in her throat. 
"How did you... come in—"
"You told me to." He shrugged. 

Under the dim lights of the room, his golden reflection looked ethereal.

She smiled lightly, "You should get out... someone will see you inside and misunderstand—"
"Misunderstand?" His brows ceased together as he added, "More like... see the truth?" 
"What truth?" She huffed as he smiled, taking one more step closer to her as her back straightened automatically. 
"I'll do it for you." He said as she gave him a surprised look, "Ah, there's no need to... I can do it by myse—"
"I saw that you can do it by yourself. I saw that. Now turn around." He said. 

Earning no response from her, he held her shoulders delicately and turned her around as she stared into the mirror, watching his gaze at her back. 

She watched his hands slowly rise to the back of her neck and in no time, she felt his warm fingertips on her skin, undoing the hook of her necklace in a painfully slow motion. 
He glanced at the mirror, making their eyes meet for a fraction of a moment as she looked away, feeling heat creep up to her cheeks. 

"Make it... fast. You're wasting time." She frowned as he leaned in closer, "Not really. This is very complicated."
"It's not." 
"It is." He spoke as she looked down, "Seriously... be quick."
"Have patience. I'm helping you." He said.

She could see the small smile on his lips and could only press her lips together into a thin line, feeling shy. 
"Red saree suits you so much, Nisha." He whispered and finished unhooking the necklace. Slowly taking it off her neck, he handed it to her as she smiled, "So you know it suits me." 
"Of course. I noticed you." 
"I know." She said, keeping the necklace on the dressing table.

The vanity lights of the table radiated a glow which made her heart beam as she turned around to face him, "Now get out." 
"Why?" He raised a brow mischievously, walking closer to her, "Are you scared I'll do something now?" 
"Tsk, you're too full of yourself. I'm... not interested in you."
"Oh?" He asked as she nodded, feigning ignorance but he knew she was just pretending. He knew her too well to not know. 

He held her hands and pulled her closer as she frowned at him, "Hey! stop... leave the roo—"
"Nope. No use of using that frown." He said and pulled her towards him, making her forehead land on his chest. 
"I missed you."

She felt him tightly wrap his hands around her torso and closed her eyes, hugging him back.
"You did?" She asked. 
"Of course. I always miss you, even if you're in front of me. Even when you're away." He whispered, pressing a kiss on her temple as she snuggled closer to him. 

Her fresh floral scent reached him and he could only ponder on how much he loved the familiar scent and wanted it closer and closer with every passing moment. 

She retreated her head and watched his face as he watched her, noticing the details on her face.
"You look so beautiful today." He spoke. 
"I do?" She asked. 
"Always." 

"Ah, you're a faker. You fake with words so much." She said as he frowned, "Fake with words?" 
"I refuse to believe that such words... which make my heart feel so warm and full of love are genuine." 
He chuckled, "Sure, then... I'll keep saying these until you stop feeling like these words are fake." 

His gaze shifted to her lips a few times as he said, "You applied a red lipstick." 
"It's very mellow, right? It's not too bright or tacky. But it looks good and also has a soft touch to it, doesn't it?" She asked. 
He nodded cluelessly, "All I know is that it reminds me that I should kiss you now." 

"Huh?" She gasped, about to say something but he pressed his lips on hers, making her eyes close instantly. 
One of his hands which was wrapped around her torso raised to the back of her head as he delicately pulled her closer to him in an unobvious way. 
She smiled amidst the kiss, tightly clutching the fabric of his panjabi.

Suddenly, she pulled away and spoke, "Hey... the door... if someone opens it—" 
He chuckled, "It's locked." 
"Huh—" 

She was again cut off by his lips on hers.

Their lips moved in sync as he tasted the essence of her lipstick. 
"I'm pretty sure I ruined your lipstick. Sorry, love." He whispered in between the kiss as she murmured, "Fuck you for this."

Once pulled away, he stared at her and broke into a giggle as she frowned, "What happened—"
Her eyes fell on the mirror beside them as she gasped.
"You messed up my lipstick. It's smudged!" She frowned. 
"I'll fix this for you!" He laughed as she scoffed, "Are you teasing me right now? I shouldn't have let you kiss me." 
"Shh, don't be mad. I'll fix this. You brought the lipstick, didn't you?"
"Of course I did." 

He grabbed two tissues from the table and started wiping the corners of her lips as she watched him quietly. 
He attentively finished cleaning the area around her lips and said, "Where's your lipstick?" 
"In my bag." She pointed to her bag on the table as he took it and brought it to her.

"You could've taken it out yourself." She sighed and started unzipping her bag as he smiled, "You don't mind me touching your bag?"
"I do. Of course, who wouldn't? But well, there's nothing in my bag other than my phone and makeup. Oh, and hygienic stuff?" 

He smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears as she took out her lipstick and turned towards the mirror, about to open it when he interrupted, "Wait! I'll apply it for you."
"I can do this by myself."
"I know you can. But I want to try doing it for you." He spoke, excitement sparking in his eyes as she hesitantly agreed, handing the lipstick to him.

He opened it with a smile and started applying it on her lips as she said, "Careful about the lining, okay? I keep it soft."
"Soft?" He asked cluelessly as she sighed, "Never mind. Just do whatever you want." 

"It'll be good, promise." He grinned.

She smiled as he hissed, making her fix her expression. After a few moments, he pulled back with a proud nod, "Done! See!" 

Her head turned to find herself in front of the mirror with lips, looking a little weirder than usual but still pretty. 
"Can I fix something?" She asked.
"Go ahead." He smiled. 

She nodded and fixed the corner of her lips, softening the edges with her finger and smiled, "Now it's better. You did well... are you sure you didn't do these before? You indeed were a playboy, weren't you—"
"I did these for my mom." He said.
"Huh?" 
"When I was a child, I loved to play around with Maa's makeup." 
"Oh. Is that so?" She looked away with a smile.

"I tell you so many times that I never dated properly before you. I just liked to pass the time back then but it wasn't serious... I don't even remember much. It's only you, Nisha. I promise. Always was, always will be." 

She hummed, smiling a little and said, "Ah, let's go back!"

— Time skip —

"Everyone, fix your positions!" Priti frowned while Atif pushed Wahi away from him, "You make me look back in the picture!" 

"Taking a family photo is so tough." Nisha sighed as Kabir, standing beside her chuckled. 
"I think I'll be sent to the other corner." He whispered and nudged her arm as she frowned, "My mom's staring! Move away!" 
"Fine." He sighed, reluctantly shifting away from her as Shams pulled Priti closer. 

"So, the couple in the middle. The guys and cousins around and the elders in front. Looks good." Adisha said and pressed the camera button, running towards the sitting crowd as Nisha shouted, "Everyone, say cheese!" 
"Weeeee!" Adil laughed as Soha squealed while the rest got busy in their world of goofiness while a couple of pictures continued being captured, enlocking thousands of memories within those little clips. 
Memories filled with secret eye contact, unshared thoughts and feelings, appreciation, goofiness and sincerity. 

Memories filled with... love.