Chapter 1 Homecoming
After three years in London, Pari had forgotten how warm Mumbai mornings felt. How sunlight spilled through her old bedroom window, turning everything a gentle gold. How her mother’s voice echoed from the kitchen, fussing over luggage and snacks as if they were leaving for a year, not a week.
Pari smiled as she zipped her final suitcase shut. Today… they were leaving for Jaipur. For Veer’s wedding.
The thought alone made her chest tighten with a mix of excitement and something softer. She had missed home—missed all of them.
“Pari! Beta, jaldi neeche aao!” her mother called.
“I’m coming, Maa!” she replied, grabbing her passport and stepping out.
Downstairs looked like a pre-wedding battlefield.
Suitcases lined the hallway. Her father inspected travel documents with the seriousness of an army commander. Veer ran around searching for his sunglasses—again. And Nandani, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, was trying to make sure no one forgot anything important.
Pari paused at the last step, taking it all in.This… this chaos was home.
“Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Veer teased, pulling her into a tight hug.
Pari laughed and shoved him lightly. “It’s not my wedding, bhaiya. I don’t have to panic.”
“Just wait. When your turn comes—”
“Veer!” Nandani called out, half-scolding, half-laughing. “Stop teasing her and help me with these gifts.”
Pari walked over to her, hugging her gently. “You look tired already.”
“I am tired,” Nandani sighed dramatically. “Your brother refuses to sit still for even a single minute.”
“And he’ll be your problem forever,” Pari said sweetly.
Veer groaned. “Great, both of you have teamed up.”
Their parents smiled at the scene, watching their children like they were pieces of a puzzle finally back together.
“Chalo sab, time ho gaya,” her father said. “Flight miss nahi karni hai.”
Everyone grabbed their bags and moved toward the door. Pari stepped out last, pausing for a moment, breathing in Mumbai’s humid but familiar air.
Three years.Three long years away from this noise, this warmth.
And tomorrow, in Jaipur… it wouldn’t just be wedding prep waiting for her.
There would be him.
Anshuman.Her brother’s best friend. The boy who had always felt like fire she was never allowed to touch.
She swallowed, pushing the thought away as she locked the door behind her. Jaipur was going to be busy, chaotic, full of ceremonies and laughter.
There was no reason for her heart to race at the idea of seeing him again.
No reason at all.
Yet it did.
As the car rolled out toward the airport, Pari looked out of the window, the city blurring past. Somewhere deep inside, a quiet truth whispered back to her—
Some desires don’t fade.They wait.
END OF CHAPTER 1
Pari's Bedroom
