Page 4 of Knot So Romantic

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” I wince and move to shut the back door first, heaving a sigh of relief once I’ve taken care of that. “And thank you for getting that bird to fly away. I was about to have a nervous breakdown.”

“I’m glad I made it on time,” she laughs. “Where’s Kiara?”

“I think she’s running late.”

Khushi, Kiara, and I were quite the trio back in the day. Best friends since childhood, we were inseparable. It’s been a year since the three of us have met, and I’ve missed having them around.

“Wow, look at how you’ve transformed this place!” Khushi exclaims, taking in what used to be a bunch of smaller establishments, including my mother’s tailoring shop. She admires the large motif on the wall that reads KaaVaa Bridal Boutique. “KaaVaa as in Kavita Varma? Sounds cool!”

This is the first time that Khushi has seen my new boutique, while Kiara has sometimes been accompanying her clients to my boutique for their wedding dress selections. “What do you think of it?” I ask Khushi.

She twirls around, gasping at the cream and gold painted interiors, the large mirrors placed along the walls, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “It’s exquisite!” she says, her hands over her mouth. “I love everything!”

“Thank you!”

“Gorgeous!” Khushi says as she touches a few of my bridal pieces—lehengas, blouses, saris, and gowns.

They are a sight to behold, and I’m really proud of every single one of them.

I lead her to the ante-room, which is my studio where I have two sewing machines where my seamstresses work and a large table strewn with sketches and drawings of my designs. Spools of colorful threads, pieces of clothing, and garments in various unfinished stages are lying all over the place. The scent of new fabric and a hint of floral perfume fill the air. I love this room the most. It’s where all my creative ideas come to life. It’s empty right now because it’s a Sunday.

“Wow!” Khushi exclaims.

I show her the other tiny adjacent rooms—a changing room, a storage room, and a small pantry near the back door. It’s a small space, but it houses my soul and everything I love about my work.

“Wow, wow, wow! I have no words!”

“And I get to live upstairs,” I tell her, beaming. “Finally, I have my own place to live and work!”

She hugs me. “I’m so proud of you!”

I’m so proud of myself, too. This place is perfect! I was so lucky to find it ready to be leased when my earlier landlord kicked me out of the boutique space I was renting previously. The two-story building that now houses my boutique downstairs and the small apartment that I live in upstairs is complete with whitewashed walls, a tall, decorative facade, and a wrought-iron gate.

Simply perfect for me!

The front door swings open just then, and Kiara walks in with a big smile. “Hey!” She’s wearing a pencil skirt and pointy heels, dressed immaculately as always, and hugs both of us before shouting like an excited child. “I’m so happy we finally got to meet.”

“Isn’t that funny? We live in the same city and haven’t met since Khushi’s back,” I say.

“I’ve only been back a couple of weeks. But we need to meet more like we used to,” Khushi smiles, her round, dimpled cheeks glowing.

I love that she’s back. “We missed you!”

I put on a kettle of water for tea. I don’t have any appointments in the morning, so we have the whole place for ourselves.

Khushi laughs as she eyes the pretty cups I’ve laid out on the table and plates for snacks. “This feels like one of the tea party games we played when we were little. Except, now we’re grown-ups making tea in our proper homes.”

“There’s so much to catch up on!” Kiara says. “It feels like ages ago that you left, Khushi!”

The past year, Khushi was in Coonoor, taking care of her ill father.

Khushi makes a sad face. “So long I missed the inauguration of Kavita’s boutique and your wedding, Kiara. And with Dad at the hospital at the time of the wedding, it was impossible to leave him. But he’s better now.”

“What matters is that we’re here now,” Kiara says and adds with a laugh, “I hardly had any time to plan the wedding. It was all so chaotic.”

The tea is ready, and I bring it to the couch, pushing aside the tall window curtains to reveal the view of the green park with a small walkway encircling it. “Look at this gorgeous view. Doesn’t the park still look beautiful?”

It’s the same park where we spent many afternoons after school, and now I have the perfect view of it from across the quiet, tree-lined street right outside my gate. There’s a row of houses alongside mine and a café at the other corner.