"Hennaed Hands"
It was the intricate henna designed hands that threatened to make him lose his composure.
Kabir had known it would have been difficult to attend the workshop at SVC college, but as ever his commitment to fashion had overruled his reservations when the faculty head of the fashion design department has contacted him to serve as a workshop panelist. Always on the lookout for new talent and inspiration, he had hesitantly decided that it was safe to do so, after all Rachna was no longer a student here, his personal recommendation had ensured that. However it was natural that anything or anyplace remotely connected to her would bring back memories, but he had prided himself that he had made it through the event, with only student showcase and feedback session to get through. In fact it had being going well; he had enjoyed the youthful presentations, had seen some potential in the students and even enjoyed giving them feedback...until now. It was the last student presentation and in an instant he had become undone and his mind could not help but drift back to six months ago.
He hadn't known that Rachna would participate in the Teej ceremony for his sake; hadn't known that she has fasted on his behalf until she had sought him out that evening; needing to see him to finally break her fast. All he knew was that Rachna had never looked more beautiful when she had arrived at his home. In hindsight, there was no way that her actions could not have been suspected; from her choice of the beautiful red sari she wore that day, to the elaborate henna design on her hands, Rachna had appeared more bridal than many of the married women in attendance; certainly more beautiful than all of them. But it wasn't until she shyly offered him Prasad, that Kabir realized the enormity of what she had done. His heart had quickened on realization of her sacrifice for him, and he had hurried her off to the kitchen for something, anything to give her sustenance.
Rachna had laughed then and had told him not to worry; she would get something at home, she had just wanted to bring her fast to an end, as it should be, but Kabir would hear none of it as he offered fruit and water at the very least. If at all possible her smile became brighter and so distracted by it, he hadn't realized that she had presented her hands, palm up to him for his inspection. He had admired the detailed henna design she had done, he would not have expected anything less, but nothing would have prepared him for the sense of rightness when in the midst of the intricate pattern he detected the letters KT. His gasp was audible and when he had looked up at Rachna he knew more than ever that she was meant to be his.
To this very day he would not recall when she had moved; when Rachna had wrapped her arms around his neck, only that he had been seconds from heaven; her lips a fraction from his when everything shattered...
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