chapter 2

"Aditi, go and try this one!"  "I think it’ll look amazing on you—you’ll look like a goddess!"  Aditi turned around, her eyes meeting the voice that called out to her. Aman, her soon-to-be fiancé and husband, stood a few steps away, his face lit up with excitement as he pointed towards one of the dummies in the shop.  "This one?" Aditi asked, her finger hovering over a different dress displayed in front of her.  "No, not that one! The one on the right!" Aman replied, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he tried to guide her.  Aditi stood there, still unsure, her gaze shifting between Aman and the mannequins.  "Oh, sweetheart, just stay here and let me get it for you!" he said with a playful grin before hurrying off toward the dummies.  Aditi watched him, a little bewildered, as he conversed with a salesgirl. A few moments later, he returned, his hands holding a stunning red bridal lehenga.  "Look at this! How do you like it?" Aman asked, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a child.  Aditi took a closer look at the lehenga, feeling the softness of the fabric between her fingers. After a moment of examining it, she smiled, her eyes sparkling. "This is beautiful! The color, the design, even the fabric—it’s all perfect! I love it. You have great taste!"  Aman’s grin widened as he winked at her mischievously. "I knew my taste was good the day I chose you."  Aditi felt her cheeks warm as she blushed, her heart skipping a beat. She turned her face away shyly, trying to hide her embarrassment. As she attempted to leave, Aman gently grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks. She turned back to him, her face now glowing with a mix of joy and shyness.  "Be a good boy, okay? Don’t trouble me. Just wait here patiently, and I’ll be back after I try this on," she said, her voice soft but teasing.  She took the lehenga from him, and just before leaving, she looked back and added, "Wait for me. I’ll be back soon."  Aman smiled, his eyes full of affection. "Don’t worry, dear. Go and change. I’m right here, waiting for you."  With that, Aditi turned and headed towards the changing room. Ten minutes later, she emerged, wearing the red bridal lehenga that Aman had picked out. She looked stunning, but her eyes immediately began searching the crowd for him.  In the bustling store, he was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the room again, her eyes darting over the faces of strangers, but still, she couldn’t find him.  Another ten minutes passed, and a knot of anxiety began to form in her stomach. Fear started to creep into her mind, and her heart pounded with an uneasy rhythm.  "Did he leave me here alone?" she wondered, the thought sending a shiver down her spine. "No, that can’t be possible… He must be nearby and will come back any moment now…"  She tried to calm herself, whispering under her breath, "Calm down, Aditi… Calm down… He’ll be back… He has to be…" She closed her eyes, trying to steady her racing heart, but the fear wouldn’t let go.  Her breath quickened, and the fear that had been lurking in the corners of her mind began to take over. What if something had happened to him? What if he wasn’t coming back? The thought was too terrifying to bear, but she couldn’t shake it off.  She stood there, her heart pounding, waiting for him to return, hoping against hope that he hadn’t abandoned her, that he was still somewhere nearby, just out of sight. But as the minutes ticked by, the fear in her heart grew, and she felt more alone than ever.As Aditi stood there, trying to calm herself down, she closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "Everything is fine, Aditi. He must be nearby. He’ll be back soon."She was lost in her thoughts, wrestling with the anxiety bubbling up inside her, when suddenly, she felt a gentle hand patting her head from behind. Her eyes flew open, excitement surging through her. "It must be Aman!" she thought, turning around quickly with a hopeful smile.But her smile faltered slightly when she saw that it wasn’t Aman standing there.