13. The Bangle

Navya sat on her bed, her fingers tracing the design on the single bangle that she wore on her right hand, a frown on her forehead indicating that she was stressed.

"Will he notice?" she asked to no one in particular.

"We've only known each other for like 10 days and then we've been apart for 10 years, ofc he won't notice, just because he remembers me doesn't mean he should remember everything. Just because he means so much to me doesn't indicate that I hold any place in his life, he is the prince after all." she sighed at  her own thoughts.

Yesterday, after the phone call, Navya desperately wanted Shubman to know his importance in her life, but.................. 10 YEARS.

People change, people grow up.

Shubman must have changed too, she did not want to impose her friendship on him, she wanted to know him, the changes in him and the reasons behind them. She wanted to know the whole of Shubman.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Kitni pyari lag rahi hain...." Keart said standing in the living room with the others while everyone added their own comments on how beautiful Navya was looking; Navya just smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears, her eyes were stuck at the door as if waiting for someone to show up.

"Aur kitna time...." Shubman entered through the door muttering something but failed to finish the sentence when his eyes met a pair of black eyes.

Navya was dressed in an orange saree with some parts of pink, her jhumkas moving with the movement of her head, her curly hair tucked behind her ears, pink lips suppressed into a shy smile while her eyes stealing Shubman's glances from time to time.

Shubman couldn't help but stare at her, he flashed a smile showing off his dimples which immediately disappeared as his eyes fell on her bangle. "Wait.... WHATTT!!" he exclaimed out loud and everyone turned to him, knitting their eyebrows, he rubbed the back of his neck searching for an excuse.

"Hume chalna chahiye, late ho raha hain" Navya said as if she understood that he needed help.

During their ride to the temple everyone kept chatting and laughing when a certain topic grabbed Shubman's attention "Log kapde kharidne ke badh jewellery kharidte hain par Navya ne is bangle ke liye ye saree kharidi hain, kitna search kiya iske liye, baap re. Utna time ek boyfriend ke liye lagati tho shaadi bhi hogayi hothi" Navya's mom mocked her playfully.

"Maa" she said face fully flustered.

"Bangle special hain yaa.... uske peeche ka person" Shubman asked expecting an answer.

"Yahi temple hain" she replied pointed outside the window. His eyes looked from her to the entrance and then back to her in jet speed as he understood that he was not going to get his answer now.

It was a long day for everyone. Navya tried her best to ignore him and was successful in doing so until after she reached her house and was going to enter into her room.