"Stacy?" I knocked on the door for the umpteenth time, waiting for her to open it. There was no response. I exhaled heavily and knocked again, this time calling out her name louder. Still no response. I was getting frustrated.

"Stacy Brown! It's Ananya. Are you there? Open the goddamn door!" I was no longer knocking; I was banging on the door, earning a throat-clearing from one of the chatty aunties getting ready in the opposite room.

I tilted my head and gave them what I thought was an apologetic smile. They were definitely going to have a gossip session about me and our generation until dinner once I was out of earshot.

Pulling out my phone, I opened WhatsApp and held the mic near my mouth, whisper-yelling into it. "If you don't open the door, I will break in. You know me very well." I sent the message and waited for a minute, contemplating various ways to break down the door, even though I knew I'd end up being fined and would be indebted to the party hall's management. But before I could let my wild ideas run wilder, there was a click, and suddenly I was sucked inside the room.

I blinked once, then twice, taking in the sight of my best friend, Stacy, all dolled up in a blue hoodie and a pair of khaki shorts for her wedding. Not to mention, her dark brown hair was gracefully styled into a messy bun. I was stunned, literally. "Stacy, what the..." She immediately slapped her palm against my mouth, hushing me.

Aggressively removing her hand, I said, "What the hell? Why aren't you ready yet?" I yelled, though in lowercase, eyeing the room which was-unsurprisingly-ritzy.
It was more of a minimalist-wonder with its white walls and grey cupboards, with its huge windows showing off the view of the busy highway roads of the busy Chennai city-even though it was just six in the morning.

"What's that sound in the bathroom, by the way? Is someone in there?" I raised my eyebrows as I noticed her throwing nervous glances towards the bathroom.

"Oh, uh... No. Probably a leak," she stammered, smiling sheepishly. Something was off.

I glanced at her from head to toe and frowned. "I thought your millionaire husband-to-be would hire at least a dozen makeup artists for you? No? Stingy much?" I grimaced, making her sit on the chair in front of the dressing mirror.

"Very." she nodded like it was a matter of fact, making me giggle at her bored face. However, my relief was short-lived as my eyes caught something else.

I stopped braiding her hair and knelt on the floor, grabbing her hand to take a closer look at the ring she was wearing. Her hands were clammy, and I could sense the tension. "Anu, I..." We were interrupted by a scratchy sound from the bathroom, followed by the sudden stop of the water splashing.

Then, a man-a fully grown man-emerged from the bathroom wearing only a pair of black trousers, ruffling his wet hair with a white turkey towel.

"What's up, babe?" The man winked at me, grinning, and then at Stacy, like it was the most normal thing to ever happen. Their laughter echoed in the room, seemingly finding something comical on my face.

"Who... what..." I trailed off, embarrassed by my panicked and meek voice.

"You have too much patience for a chef, Ananya," the man chuckled while I stood dumbfounded. I shifted look at Stacy, demanding answers. She gulped and glanced at the man behind me.

"Okay, well, I'm married," she lifted her fingers, pointing at the ruby ring. She stood up and walked across me to the man. Linking her arm with his, she said, "To Christian."

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked blankly, unable to process the situation unfolding before me. Both Stacy and the man, Christian, shook their heads in synchrony. I was tired of reacting to unexpected revelations, but this one took the cake.

"I need to break it to my family as soon as possible, but I just don't know how..." Stacy admitted, biting her lower lip, looking like she was at the verge of crying. Christian wrapped his arm around her, reassuring her.

"I'm calling Rosie and David," I declared, reaching for my phone. I dialled Stacy's parents' number and urgently asked them to drop everything and come to the bride's room immediately.

As we waited for Rosie and David to arrive, tension hung heavy in the air. The room felt suffocating, and I could see the guilt and anxiety etched on Stacy's face. Christian, on the other hand, seemed more composed, but his grip on Stacy tightened as if to provide reassurance.

When Rosie and David finally burst into the room, their expressions changed from worry to disbelief upon seeing Stacy and Christian together. David's anger boiled over, and he yelled, throwing his phone on the floor, causing it to shatter into pieces. The sound echoed through the room, making all of us flinch.

"I thought we agreed on your marriage to Matthew," David shouted, his voice filled with frustration and disappointment. "Why did you agree when I asked if you were ready to get married to him yesterday!?"

Stacy's voice trembled as she tried to explain herself. "I... I did not agree, Appa. I might have hummed unconsciously. I was tipsy and jet-lagged, and all I wanted to do then was to just crash."

David's face reddened with anger. "I'm sorry," Stacy whimpered, her voice barely audible.

"Sorry? Do you realise how big of a deal this is?" David's voice boomed. "Do you think a 'sorry' can fix everything!?"

Christian interjected, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "While we do agree that it was our fault not informing you about our marriage, Mr. Brown, you are at fault too. Which sane father would set up the wedding the very next day without getting proper consent from his daughter? Did you plan on forcing her into this?"

"You stay out of this, man. Matthew and Stacy have known each other since forever, and we thought it would be a good idea to get them married, both for themselves and for the business," David retorted.

"And Stacy, of all people, knew all along that this alliance was bound to happen," David said, glaring at Stacy while she anxiously fiddled with the hem of her hoodie.

It was true--she used to joke about being engaged before she was even born and that she was more of a well-planned pawn for her family's business than a child born out of love between her parents. But behind the jest, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes back then.

No offence, her parents were good people who cared about her, but sometimes I wished they understood the extent of control they exerted over Stacy's life in the name of "traditions."

The room fell into a tense silence as David and Christian engaged in a heated exchange of words. I could see the pain and frustration in both their eyes. The situation had escalated quickly, and it was clear that there were deep-rooted issues beyond the unexpected marriage.

Meanwhile, Rosie held onto David's arm, trying to calm him down. "We need to confront Matthew about this as soon as possible," she said, her voice firm and resolute.

David grunted, clearly not in the mood for further discussions. He stormed out of the room, with Rosie rushing behind him.

"It's all my fault," Stacy murmured, leaning on Christian's broad shoulder.

Warmth spread in my chest when Christian kissed the crown of her head and held her hand. "Everything is gonna be alright," he whispered softly. Ah I'm gonna cry.

Feeling the need to remind them of my presence, I cleared my throat and directed their attention towards me.

"Oh, Ananya, I'm very happy to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Stace!" Christian grinned, extending his hand for a handshake.

"So pleased to meet you too, Christian. But I've heard nothing about you," I replied, my smile tight-lipped, while shooting Stacy a reproachful look. I shook Christian's hand, and then turned to Stacy. "I think we have so much to catch up on, bestie?" I said, emphasising the word 'bestie' with a smile.

"Yes, bestie!" She squealed, trying to play off the tension.

Just as I was about to say something, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and checked the caller ID. I hissed at the name displayed on the screen. "Sorry, guys, I need to go," I said, glancing at Stacy. "And, idiot, things are going to be fine, okay? Don't be too hard on yourself." I offered her a reassuring smile and made my way out of the room.

My phone continued to ring, adding to my annoyance. I finally swiped the green icon and spoke with frustration. "What do you want, Sid?"

***
Thoughts?