Page 30 of Sumanika

“How are your wedding preparations going, Agastya?” Daadisa asked as she pulled me down to sit beside her.

I inhaled sharply, struggling to come up with a response.“Great! Awesome!” I chuckled.

“I heard you visited your in-laws to celebrate Ganguar with your fiancée. How romantic!” Daadisa remarked.

I nervously shook my head as I noticed Suman bringing in the juice and snacks. She set the plate in front of Daadisa, smiled, and squatted to touch her feet.

“Pranam, Daadisa. How are you?” she asked warmly, her gaze never meeting mine. I noticed a pale glow with a mole on her right cheek as the sun’s rays illuminated her face.

“God bless you. I am young, slim, and beautiful,” Daadisa said, caressing Suman’s head.

Everyone laughed.

I couldn’t.

Her lips didn’t form a smile either. Was something bothering her?

“I’ve heard you’re taking great care of Nandani, Suman. I hope she isn’t too much trouble,” Daadisa laughed.

Suman shook her head and smiled.“Not at all, Daadisa,” she replied before getting up to greet others.

I turned away from her, attempting to exchange smiles with Abhinandan, who returned the gesture while sitting across from me with Nandani Bhabhisa.

Meanwhile, Trisha and Nandani Bhabhisa were engaged in conversation.

Suman walked away to stand in the corner with the other attendees. Her gaze was lowered, her face expressionless, creating a knot in my stomach.

“Ugh.” I looked at Daadisa and then at everyone else.“I have to go. I need to finish some work. I’ll catch up with you all later,” I said, rising to excuse myself.

Bhabhisa stared at me in disbelief. As I was leaving, I noticed Aishwarya Bhabhisa and Ranvijay Bhaisa entering.

“What happened?” Ranvijay Bhaisa stopped me.

“Nothing. I just need to take care of the decorations. I’ll continue later,” I explained, and he smiled.

“Alright,”

I spent the entire evening decorating Bhaisa and Bhabhisa’s chamber. I didn’t do it alone; I managed everything—the flower selection, the curtains, the colors—all of it.

It looked beautiful. I felt happy and on cloud nine, but one face’s smile suddenly became crucial to me.

I wanted to ask her if something was wrong, but I couldn’t. Hope was the last thing I could offer her, especially after seeing how drained she seemed.

After finishing the garden and the sitting area where the main event would take place, I walked back to meet Rudra Bhaisa and Bhabhisa before heading to my chamber.

The next day, I woke up early to begin working on the entrance. I called for the helpers and started before anyone else woke up. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before.

My gaze fell on her as she worked nearby. She carried a plate of colors, and my brows knit in confusion, wondering what she would do with them.

She didn’t notice me standing in the corner as she walked past. She seemed lost. Her face looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, and her weakness was evident.

“Here, this is for the Rangoli,” she said, handing the plate to another attendee.

“But why? You make the best Rangoli. Why aren’t you making it?” the attendee asked her, to which she smiled and shook her head.

“I am…busy with other things,” she replied.

“What’s more important than making the Rangoli?” the attendee countered.

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