Chapter 3

As the echoes of prayers were loud in the venue, Niharhika stood in the side. It's not like she didn't have friends, but as you grow up, your friends also settle in different parts of the world, and right now, only 2 of her friends were actually in Dubai, working here. And she had met them yesterday. They couldn't be here today due to their own commitments. That's why she was sitting here silently.

Yangeeta Doshi had settled with her group of ladies, all discussing the success of the event and other common topic.

Maya Datta joined the group. Despite being of the same locality, it was not possible to be friends with everyone. You just had to be at the right place at the right time to become friends.

As Maya settled down, Yangeeta introduced herself, seeing a new face. She smiled and greeted, "Hi. I'm Yangeeta Doshi."

Maya smiled at the friendly nature of the woman in front of her. "Hi. I'm Maya Datta. Please." She tapped the chair next to her. Yangeeta smiled and settled herself down next to her as Maya continued, "So! Festival is looking amazing."

"It really is! But I have to ask," Yangeeta said, "I heard Datta? Your last name? Are you Bengali?"

Maya chuckled, "Yes. I am. But we love to attend all Indian functions. It keeps you connected to the roots and makes you realize there's more to festivals than just your states."

Yangeeta smiled, "I couldn't agree more. I had to say the same sentence to my daughter today to convince her to come. She doesn't like to attend all these functions. I don't know why."

"Same with my son," Maya added, "He even said that we are Bengali so why are we going."

The ladies chucked as Yangeeta continued, "Kids these days. They've got their own trajectory. And we can't breach that."

"I agree. My son, Mayank, gets extremely upset whenever I bring up any topic he doesn't remotely like. Such as marriage."

Yangeeta couldn't help but relate to the woman she met only a few minutes ago. "It's the same with Niharika. She didn't want to come today because of the same questions."

Maya smiled. "I guess we go through this until they finally decide to settle."

"I told her that she's 25. It's time to start. We aren't expecting that they get married instantly. But at least try." Yangeeta said.

"I've said the same to Mayank, but he is so restrictive. He runs away at the thought of it. Anyway, let's make our way to the aarti."

The ladies chuckled as they walked towards the main idol, in front of it. Madhun and Abhijeet joined the crowd as they found their wives already talking to each other. Introducing themselves, they stood together.

Meanwhile, Niharhika was standing a little behind. She wanted to be away from the public eye and still be a part of the aarti. She found a perfect place in front of the idol, but a little behind. She closed her eyes as the aarti started. Unknown to her, Mayank was next to her. He hadn't recognized her or looked that way, but he also wanted to be away from prying eyes and found that place best.

As the aarti concluded, she opened her eyes and took the aarti from the lady who was walking around giving it. As she took it, she felt a pair of hands above hers, taking the aarti with her. Before she could turn to see who it was, the person had merged with the crowd.

~•~

Rahil, still chatting with his friends, began making his way towards the aarti thali, when he spotted Mayank. His eyes widened with sudden recognition.

"Mayank Datta, is that you?" Rahil called out, stepping forward with a grin.

Mayank looked up, his gaze meeting Rahil's. Recognition flickered in his eyes as he smiled seeing an old friend, almost a brother.

"Rahil Doshi," Mayank replied, the surprise in his voice matched by a friendly smile. "Didn't expect to see you here." He engulfed him in a hug.

"I should say the same to you," Rahil replied, laughing. "What brings you here?"

"I was just here with my parents," Mayank said casually, his smile still lingering. "And I thought I saw you from across the room. But I wasn't sure. How've you been?"

"I'm good," Rahil said, glancing over his shoulder to see if his sister was around. "Just hanging out with some old school friends."

"Teaching them cricket, I presume?" Mayank joked, raising an eyebrow. Rahil's grin widened.

"Of course! How else would they get better?" Rahil chuckled. "But I know what I know thanks to you. You were a great coach back in school."

Mayank laughed, the memory of his time as a cricket mentor to Rahil and his friends at school coming back to him. "Those were the days. Seems like just yesterday I was teaching you all the basics."

His thoughts were interrupted when Rahil looked around. "My sister is here too. I think she's around somewhere. Probably talking to someone."

Mayank's mind briefly wandered back to school days as Rahul brought up his sister. His thoughts flickered to her—Niharika Doshi. The bubbly girl, with her gentle smile and fascination with IPL, always talking about their favorite team, and that overwhelming obsession with Shah Rukh Khan that had once been a source of amusement during their brief interactions. He hadn't thought about her in years, and yet now, standing in the same venue, her name lingered in the back of his mind.

"Right. I'll let you get back to it, then," Mayank said, his tone still friendly. Rahil nodded and disappeared into the crowd, and Mayank's gaze shifted around, still lost in the thought of how much time had passed.

~•~

The moonlight shined as the event came to an end. Families had slowly started to retreat and head home. The Datta's and Doshi's, who had stayed together for the rest of the evening, decided to walk toward the parking area,

Mayank soon found his parents and quickly joined them as he found them chatting to another family. He smiled as he joined them.

Madhun patted his son's shoulder as he introduced him, "This is Mayank. My son."

Mayank folded his hands and touched Abhijeet and Yangeeta's feet and got up, "Hi Uncle. Hi Aunty." Yangeeta was surprised and in awe at the manners and gentleness of the boy in front of her.

Mayank blended seamlessly in the conversation, drawing both the Doshi's attention.

Yangeeta looked over at Mayank, who was walking alongside his father, and couldn't help but glance at the young man she had heard so much about. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she had shared with Maya earlier, and she briefly wondered about this man—this son of Maya, the one who had studied at UC Berkeley and had made a name for himself in Dubai.

As they all reached their cars, which were parked next to each other coincidentally, Maya spoke, "Yangeeta! We are yet to meet your kids! Where are they?"

"Oh Yes!" She turned to Abhijeet, "Where are our kids?"

"I'm here!" Rahil's voice emerged from behind. He joined the crowd and his eyes widened a bit seeing Mayank in front of him, "Mayank bhai?"

"You two know each other?" Maya asked.

"Hi Aunty." Rahil said, touching her and Madhun's feet, then getting up, "Mayank Bhai was in my school. My senior. He was the same batch as Didi. He used to teach me cricket."

Yangeeta and Maya were shocked while Abhijeet and Madhun were also briefly shocked. Yangeeta added, "Wait? Nihu and Mayank are classmates?"

"Yes, Aai." Rahil said, casually. "But where is she?"

Just as Yangeeta was about to ask her husband about Niharhika, her eyes flickered toward the entrance of the venue. There, she saw Niharika, walking toward them with graceful steps, a small smile on her face as she glanced around.

"There she is," Yangeet said, and her husband smiled warmly, nodding in acknowledgment. Everyone's eyes followed Yangeeta's.

Mayank, too, turned and noticed Niharika walking toward them. His breath caught for a moment, his gaze fixed on her as she drew closer. She looked... different. The girl from school had grown into a striking young woman, her presence more captivating than he remembered. There was something about the way she carried herself now—confident, poised, but still so familiar.

Yangeeta, once Niharika had come and stood near her, spoke with a warm smile. "Niharika, come here. Let me introduce you to everyone." She motioned for her daughter to come closer, her smile wide and welcoming. "This is Maya Datta and Madhun Datta. And this is Mayank, their son." Then she turned to Mayank, "Mayank, this is my daughter, Niharika."

After Niharika touched Maya and Madhun's feet, her eyes met Mayank's. It was clear she had recognized him too, but the awkwardness of seeing an old classmate after so many years made the moment strange. She smiled politely, her cheeks slightly flushed with the surprise of encountering someone from her past.

"Hi Mayank," Niharika said softly, her voice just above a whisper, acknowledging him without saying much else. The years of silence between them were palpable, hanging in the air like an unspoken tension.

Mayank offered her a polite smile, his eyes briefly flickering with recognition. "Niharika," he replied, his tone a bit neutral. "It's been a while."

Niharika gave a small, somewhat awkward smile. "Yes, it has. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I guess we all end up in the same place eventually," Mayank said with a hint of a chuckle, trying to break the ice. He wasn't sure what to say beyond that; they hadn't really spoken since school, and the silence between them now felt strange.

The introductions were brief, and Niharika nodded politely, offering a smile to Mayank's parents. Her discomfort was still there, but she managed to keep her composure.

"Oh, you've just returned from Berkeley, right?" Maya asked, her eyes glancing at Niharika with genuine interest. "We were just talking about it earlier."

Niharika nodded. "Yes, I graduated recently and just came back home. It's... different, but nice to be back." She didn't elaborate further, sensing the awkwardness of the situation.

As the conversation continued in polite, surface-level exchanges, Niharika's phone suddenly buzzed. She glanced at the screen, her eyes narrowing as she saw the caller's name: Microsoft HR Department. Her heart skipped a beat. The interview she had done earlier that day—this could be the call confirming her job offer.

Excusing herself from the group, she quickly stepped aside, answering the call in a low voice. "Hello?"

Mayank, noticing her sudden departure, couldn't help but watch as she walked away. His curiosity stirred, but he didn't give much thought to it. The briefest of memories surfaced. He shook his head slightly, wondering what had become of the girl he once knew.

As Niharika spoke quietly into the phone, the group continued their conversations. The evening was winding down, and it was clear that the families were about to part ways. The air had shifted once again, though, with the subtle connections beginning to form.

After a few minutes, Niharika returned, having finished her call. She walked back toward the group, catching Mayank's eye for just a moment, giving him a small smile, but neither of them said anything more.

"Ah, we should be going," Madhun said, turning toward his wife, Maya. "It's getting late."

"Of course," Maya agreed, smiling at Aarti and her husband. "It was lovely to see you both. We should get together soon. Let's plan a dinner."

"Definitely," Yangeeta said, smiling. "It was wonderful to meet you all."

As the families said their goodbyes and made their way out of the venue, Madhun motioned for Abhijeet to step aside for a moment, pulling him into a quiet conversation away from the rest of the group.

"Madhun," Abhijeet began, his voice low, "It's been a pleasure meeting you tonight. We should definitely plan something more. Maybe a dinner?"

Madhun nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yes, I agree. Let's arrange something soon. There's a lot we could talk about... about the kids and their futures."

Abhijeet smiled, the gears of a potential plan quietly beginning to turn in his mind. "Absolutely. We'll arrange a dinner soon."

As the families parted ways, the evening ended with more lingering questions than answers, but the path forward was becoming clearer for everyone involved.

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