Chapter 9 – His Mehendi

That night, the Rajawat haveli had finally become quiet.

After an entire day of celebrations, everyone had gone to their rooms.

Poornima was sitting on the edge of her bed, getting ready to sleep.

She looked down at her hands.

She still hadn't got her mehendi done.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Before she could respond, the door opened slightly.

Veeresh stood there.

Poornima looked at him in surprise.

Poornima: "Veeresh?"

He didn't say anything.

He simply walked toward her.

Then he gently took her hand.

Poornima looked at him, confused.

Poornima: "What are you doing?"

Veeresh remained silent.

He took the mehendi cone in his other hand and began drawing on her palm.

Poornima watched him carefully.

His movements were slow and surprisingly gentle.

The design was simple.

Nothing elaborate.

Just a few delicate patterns across her palm.

When he finished, he looked at her hand.

Veeresh: "Done."

Poornima looked at the mehendi.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Poornima: "It's nice."

Veeresh didn't respond.

He simply took her other hand.

Poornima: "Again?"

He nodded.

He began applying another simple design on her other palm.

Poornima watched quietly.

There was something strange about seeing this cold, silent man sitting in front of her and carefully applying mehendi to her hands.

When he finished, he put the cone aside.

Veeresh: "Sleep."

Poornima looked at him.

Poornima: "Thank you."

He simply nodded.

Without saying another word, Veeresh turned around and walked out of her room.

Poornima watched him leave.

She looked at her hands again.

Then she shook her head.

Poornima: "Khadoos aadmi."

She smiled to herself.

She lay down on the bed and kept her hands carefully above the pillow so the mehendi wouldn't get ruined.

For a while, she simply stared at the simple designs on her palms.

She didn't know why he had insisted on doing it himself.

She didn't know why his eyes had looked different earlier.

She didn't know what was going on in his mind.

But somehow, she liked the mehendi.

Poornima slowly closed her eyes, still looking at her hands.

And with a small smile on her face, she fell asleep.