After dinner, Lata took Kajal to her room.
“Come, let me show you my wedding saree! It’s exactly how I wanted it!”
She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a red Banarasi saree. Then, opening a jewelry box, she showed off her earrings, necklace, and bangles.
Kajal was admiring them, but then her eyes fell on a small perfume bottle on the dressing table.
In an instant, her heart skipped a beat.
This fragrance…
She slowly picked up the bottle.
“Lata, where did you get this?”
Lata was busy arranging her jewelry. She paused for a moment at Kajal’s question.
“What do you mean?”
“This perfume! Where did you get it?”
Lata frowned slightly.
“Ugh, Kajal, why so many questions? My fiancé gave it to me! So what?”
Kajal turned the bottle in her hand, examining it carefully.
“Your fiancé? Where did he get it from?”
Lata now seemed clearly annoyed.
“What do you mean? He gave it to me as a gift! How would I know where he got it from?”
Kajal gripped the bottle tightly.
A storm was raging in her mind.
This fragrance… this perfume… it belongs to him!
A memory from the past suddenly hit her.
A moment from years ago…
A man’s laughter… his voice… his touch… and the exact same bottle of perfume he had once given her!
Kajal felt breathless for a moment.
Lata’s voice snapped her back. “Kajal, why are you acting so weird? Why so many questions over a perfume? What’s wrong?”
Kajal stayed silent for a moment, then spoke softly.
“I know this perfume, Lata…”
Lata looked completely taken aback.
“You know it? What do you mean?”
Kajal took a deep breath.
“It was given to me by someone… someone I once loved deeply.”
Lata’s eyes widened in shock.
“What?! What are you saying? How is that possible?”
Kajal closed her eyes.
“You… you know my fiancé?”
Silence.
Lata’s voice trembled. “Answer me, Kajal! How do you know him?!”
The air in the room grew heavy.
Kajal slowly whispered—
“Because he’s not just your fiancé… he’s my past.”
Kajal watched Lata’s stunned expression and suddenly burst into laughter.
“Oh, silly girl! I was just joking! Why did you get so serious?”
Lata stared at her in disbelief.
“Really? You were just joking?”
Kajal nodded. “Yes! I just wanted to scare you a little. This reminded me of an old memory, so I acted a bit dramatic!”
Lata let out a sigh of relief. “You scared me for a moment!”
Kajal chuckled. “Alright, now listen, in this saree and jewelry, you’re going to look like a princess!”
Lata, delighted, turned to the mirror, imagining herself in the wedding attire.
“Do you really think so?”
Kajal grinned. “Absolutely! My crazy friend!”
But even as the words left her lips, something inside her shifted.
Kajal froze as the world went quiet.
Old memories rushed back—a glance, a laugh, a broken promise.
Each one hit her like waves on a forgotten shore.
To be continued…
Leave a Reply