It had been a tiring day for Karthik. His body felt completely worn out. But the bigger problem was that Kaka was nowhere to be seen.
Karthik waited for a while and asked a few staff members about him. They told him Kaka had taken leave a bit early.
That meant he had to walk all the way back home alone.
On his way back, his thoughts wandered again toward Maya. He imagined ways to get closer to her… and what life would look like if they ever got married. Deep down, however, he knew those thoughts were nothing more than fragile dreams.
Halfway home, something caught his attention.
A pair of golden earrings shone brightly from a small roadside shop.
He stopped.
There were only two people he could even think of gifting them to — Maya, the love of his life and the girl who had saved him at the railway station… or Fizza, the woman who called him her son and had given him everything she could.
After bargaining for a while, since he didn't have much money, he asked the shopkeeper to pack them in a small gift box.
He decided to give them to Fizza.
The golden earrings would make her happy, and it would be a small way for him to show his gratitude.
He placed the gift in a small bag and continued walking, smiling to himself while imagining her reaction. It was the first time in his life he had bought a gift for someone.
When he reached home, the lights were completely off.
He stepped inside carefully, but after a few steps he bumped into the table.
"Ahh!"
The loud noise echoed in the room.
From somewhere around the corner, someone started giggling, trying hard to hold their laughter.
Suddenly the lights turned on.
"Congratulations!"
A group of people began clapping.
Karthik sat there awkwardly, embarrassed by the clumsy way he had just made his entrance.
Kaka quickly helped him get up, while Karthik quietly slipped the gift into his pocket.
The girl giggling in the corner was Maya, who, as usual, found his falling down absolutely hilarious.
The other guests were staff members from the hotel and the clinic.
Soon they gathered around the table and cut the cake together. The small celebration filled the house with laughter and cheerful chatter.
About an hour later, some of the guests began leaving. Only eight or nine people remained.
One of them suggested taking a picture to remember the occasion. He had brought a camera with him.
First, they decided to take a group photo.
Then the man jokingly said that those who had known Karthik for more than a year should stand on the left side, and those who hadn't should stand on the right.
When everyone arranged themselves, Karthik ended up standing in the middle.
There wasn't a single person standing on his left.
For a brief moment, it saddened him. He didn't have a family who could stand behind him proudly.
But at the same time, he felt something warm in his heart.
Because now… he had people he could call family.
Everyone received a copy of the group photo. Karthik quietly picked up the second picture.
Not because it would bring him happiness in the future…
But because, in that photo, Maya was looking at him.
And that made it special.
One by one, the guests began leaving.
Soon only Maya remained.
She helped Fizza prepare tea for everyone while Karthik and Kaka sat on the couch, talking about how his first day at work had gone.
A moment later, Fizza and Maya entered the hall together, chatting softly. They carried the tray with tea, serving Kaka and Karthik before settling on the couch.
Karthik tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it was all about Maya's wedding plans—what she would wear, how her makeup would be done, and the endless little details that made his chest tighten. Feeling overwhelmed, he quickly gulped down his tea and slipped into the kitchen to wash the cups, desperate to escape the reality of it all.
His hands were still wet from the last cup. Instinctively, he rubbed them against his pants, trying to dry them before turning back.
Maya appeared in the kitchen, hands behind her back, leaning slightly on the counter with her elbows. "Will you fulfill my wish?" she asked softly.
Karthik looked up, caught off guard, and nodded silently.
From behind, she revealed the wedding invite and slid it toward him across the counter, her eyes sparkling.
He picked it up, staring at the delicate card in his hands, feeling the weight of her trust and the strange ache in his chest. His heart thumped as he realized what this meant—she was giving him a part of her life, even if just as a friend.
Then, taking a deep breath, he reached into his pocket. His damp hands brushed against the small bag containing the earrings. He paused for a moment, letting the gravity of the moment sink in—the first gift he had ever given anyone, the first time he had risked baring his feelings, even in the smallest way.
"Only if you wear this on your wedding day," he said softly, handing her the golden earrings.
They were simple, inexpensive—barely 200 rupees—and hardly what anyone would wear on such an important day. Yet Maya's eyes lit up, and she nodded, a warm, genuine smile spreading across her face.
Without another word, she straightened and left the kitchen, leaving Karthik alone with the quiet clatter of dishes and the lingering scent of her perfume.
When he returned to the couch, Kaka had slid closer and whispered, "What did you say to her?"
Karthik froze. Had giving her those earrings and asking her to wear them been a mistake? What if her fiancé found out?
He answered in a trembling voice, "Nothing… why?"
Kaka smiled softly and leaned back. "Because… I saw her smile. And it was a real one."