The afternoon sun bathed the terrace in a warm, golden light. Meera climbed the stairs with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The past month had been a whirlwind and although both she and Ram had been initially uncertain about the arranged marriage, their growing conversations had eased their apprehensions. They had discovered shared interests and a surprising ease with each other that had made the process more bearable.

As Meera reached the terrace, she found Ram leaning against the railing, his calm demeanour contrasting with her fluttery excitement.

His eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Hi, Ram," Meera greeted softly, her cheeks flushed with a blend of shyness and affection.

"Hi, Meera," Ram responded, his voice gentle. He stood up straighter, his usual shyness evident in his slightly awkward smile. "I didn't expect you to come. It's been quite hectic with all the people's attention on us."

"I had to see you, been missing you so much " Meera said, closing the distance between them. "It's been overwhelming, hasn't it? From strangers to... well, this."

Ram nodded, nervously fiddling with the edge of his shirt. "Yes, it has. I wasn't sure about this whole arranged marriage thing at first but meeting you has made it more comfortable."

Meera's eyes softened. "I felt the same. It was overwhelming at first. But getting to know you has been... nice. I'm glad we met and getting hitched soon."

Their hands found each other, a silent promise of mutual support. As they began to lean in closer, a voice cut through the moment.

"Grandma's coming towards the terrace!" The young lookout's voice was urgent.

Panic flashed in Ram's eyes. Without hesitation, he ducked behind the large water tank in the corner of the terrace. Meera's heart raced as she saw him disappear behind the tank.

Quickly assessing the situation, Meera turned to the lookout. "Thank you for the warning," she said, slipping him a five hundred rupee note. "Keep this a secret, okay?"

The boy's eyes widened with surprise as he clutched the note. "Yes, Akka I won't say a word."

Meera glanced back at Ram, who remained hidden and leaned in to give him a swift kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon," she whispered, her voice soft with affection.

She hurried down the stairs, her heart still pounding from the brief yet meaningful meet with him. She could hear the grandmother's footsteps growing closer, signalling her imminent arrival.

Ram stayed hidden behind the water tank until the footsteps faded. When he emerged, a smile spread across his face. Touching the side of his cheek, where she kissed him he felt his heart flutter.

As he slowly made his way down from the terrace, he couldn't help but wiggle his hips like a kid while making his way to downstairs, recalling the kiss, their first kiss to be honest.

The afternoon sun on the terrace had turned into a moment of clarity, affirming his feelings and the future they were beginning to shape together.

---

The dining hall buzzed with the cheerful chaos of a large family gathering. The tantalizing aroma of fresh idlis, dosas and crispy vadas wafted through the house as the kitchen became a hub of activity. Tamizh, along with their cousin sisters, busied themselves serving dinner to their massive family. The elder women of the family worked tirelessly in the kitchen, flipping dosas with expert precision while steam rose from the giant vessels of batter.

"Hot idlis, coming through!" Tamizh announced, her hands steady as she carried a large plate, her face glowing from the heat of the kitchen.

First, the elders were served, their plates piled with perfectly round idlis, crispy vadas and a variety of chutneys. Once the older generation was settled with their meals, the younger ones waited patiently for their turn, stealing glances toward the kitchen with anticipation. Special treatment, however, was reserved for the groom, Ram.

At Meera's soft request, Tamizh prepared a plate with extra care. Crispy dosas drenched in ghee, piping hot vadas and soft idlis were neatly arranged on a banana leaf.

"Take good care of him," Tamizh recalled Meera whispering with a small, nervous smile.

Tamizh couldn't help but grin mischievously. "Of course, I'll make sure he's treated like royalty," she teased, sending a wink Meera's way.

Walking over to Ram, Tamizh placed the plate in front of him. "Here you go, my lord," she said dramatically, bowing her head in mock deference. "Extra crispy, just the way you like it."

Ram, ever the shy one, smiled nervously and nodded his thanks, quickly glancing down at his phone. His fingers fumbled as he typed out a message to Meera, who was still confined to her room per tradition until the groom's side had eaten and retreated.

Meanwhile, Prabhu had woken from his post-nap stupor and made his way downstairs. His hair was still a bit tousled from sleep but his sharp eyes gleamed with interest as he followed the scent of food toward the kitchen. He spotted Meera's mother bustling about with a calm but commanding presence, overseeing the meal preparations.

Prabhu sauntered in, flashing one of his charming smiles. "Good evening, Auntie," he said smoothly. "The food smells incredible. You've outdone yourself."

" Btw, let me introduce myself as this is the first time we're meeting officially. I'm Prabhu, Average Ram the groom's Amazing younger brother " he makes a dramatic face.

The ladies were quickly impressed with his wit as they smiled and welcomed him to have dinner.

Meera's mother beamed at the compliment, clearly pleased. "Thank you, Prabhu. I hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," Prabhu replied, his tone flirtatious yet respectful enough to charm the older women, who exchanged glances and smiled approvingly. "You're making it very hard to leave this kitchen."

Just as he was about to exit, Prabhu turned and—of course—bumped right into Tamizh, who was entering with another tray of food. The tray jostled and they both froze, eyes locking for a beat.

"Really?" Tamizh raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You again?"

Prabhu smirked, not backing down. "Maybe if you'd watch where you're going, we wouldn't keep running into each other."

Before Tamizh could retort, her mother chimed in from across the room, scolding her. "Thamizh! Watch where you're going and stop bickering with Prabhu. He's such a sweet boy"

Tamizh flushed, biting her tongue as her mother ushered her away but not before Prabhu leaned in, winking at her playfully without anyone noticing it.

As she walked past him, Prabhu's fingers briefly brushed over his lips while looking straight into her eyes, sending an electric jolt through her.

" Fuck ", she cursed her breath.

The sudden touch triggered a rush of memories from earlier, her heartbeat quickening as she hurried away from him.

By this time, the elders had finished eating and moved out to the veranda to chat and reminisce about the good old days. Meera's father and Ram's father sat together, exchanging stories about how pleased they were with the match and excited for the upcoming marriage preparations.

Tamizh was still fuming when she returned to the dining area, carrying more plates for Prabhu and his group of friends. While one of her cousine sister served them water and left to bring the chutney and sambar pots.

Tamizh tried her best to avoid looking in his direction, her focus on serving the food. The guys were engrossed in conversation, laughing and joking about taking a late-night walk around the village before heading to bed.

One of them nudged Prabhu, grinning. "So, when are you going to introduce us to that girlfriend you keep talking about?"

Prabhu sighed, a long and deep exhale that caught everyone's attention. "We broke up," he said simply, earning a quick glance from Tamizh who averted her gaze before he could notice.

Another friend jumped in, attempting to lighten the mood. "Ah, don't worry, man. You'll find someone better. I mean, look around—this village is full of natural beauty, both the scenery and the girls. Take your pick!"

" Stop talking like a pig and just eat " Came Prabhu's reply which reflects how irritated he is with his friend's comment.

" I was just helping you man " the guys slowly realised that what he said was disrespectful towards the village woman and he slowly muttered a sorry before eating.

" Prabhu, always the gentleman, can never tolerate shit talking, " said Dhruv with a small laugh to lighten the mood.

The group erupted into laughter but amidst the banter, Tamizh made her move towards Prabhu to serve him the dosa while She discreetly kicked Prabhu under the table, hard enough to make him yelp in pain. He bit his lip to stifle a curse, glaring at her as she stuck her tongue out at him before quickly walking away.

"Ow!" Prabhu winced, grabbing his leg. His friends looked at him, confused. "Uh, I just hit my foot on the table," he lied, forcing a smile as they laughed at his expense.

Tamizh, now back in the kitchen, allowed herself a small, satisfied grin. Her heart still raced, thinking about Prabhu's playful wink and the way his fingers had grazed his lips remining her about something she could never forget in the first place.

That man was infuriating, no doubt about it but there was something else beneath the surface—a tension that both of them recognized.

Prabhu, on the other hand, rubbed his leg and leaned back in his chair, his eyes subtly following Tamizh as she moved around the room, serving or joking around with her cousins following a loud laughter sound. Despite the sting in his leg, he couldn't help but smile.

She wasn't going to let him off easy, that much was clear and honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way.