Page 4 of Mrs. Rathore

“Thank you for always standing by me,” I murmured. “For chasing your dreams. For being everything.”

“Don’t get all sentimental on me, Rathore,” she teased, though her eyes shimmered. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe you’re the same Aryan who stares down generals without blinking. You look so brooding and dangerous in your uniform, if only people knew how soft you really are.”

“Only for you,” I said.

She playfully narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how many girls threw themselves at you over the years. You rejected every single one of them like swatting flies.”

“They weren’t you,” I said simply. “And they never will be.”

Just as the words settled between us, her phone buzzed from inside her purse. She sighed, fishing it out and glancing at the screen. “It’s Mom.”

I leaned against the wall as she stepped away to answer. I checked my watch and it was half past twelve. She was more than two hours late. Her mother had warned her to be home early tonight, especially with all the relatives arriving. But if there was one person Ira never listened to, it was her mother.

A few minutes later, she returned, slipping her phone back into her purse with a grimace.

“My brother’s on his way. He’ll be here in five minutes.” Her voice was tight, laced with annoyance. “The relatives have arrived, and they’re already asking about me. I have to go. If I don’t show up soon, they’ll probably think I’ve eloped or something.”

She rolled her eyes. “Relatives are more poisonous than snakes. At least if a snake bites you, you die. But these people? They mark your whole family for life with their words.”

I burst into laughter, unable to hold it in. “You have no filter, do you?”

She grinned proudly. “That’s why you love me.”

“Let me walk you out.”

As we passed through the crowded dance floor, people called out, raising their glasses. Meera, Ira’s best friend, gave us a sly look and stumbled toward us. Her mascara was slightly smudged, and her heels weren’t doing her any favors.

“Where have you been?” she slurred, then winked. “Wait, don’t answer that. I know. I know.”

Her boyfriend caught her just in time before she fell over, and I shook my head, smiling.

I hated our joint bachelor party.

The club air was heavy, filled with the scent of alcohol, perfume, and sweat. It clung to my clothes and skin like smoke. I couldbarely breathe in there anymore. But I had come for Ira. Because she loved the music, the dancing, the atmosphere. And I loved her the way her body moved to the rhythm, how her eyes sparkled when the beat dropped, how she came alive under the lights like a firework about to burst.

Outside, the cool night air was like a blessing. The silence wrapped around us, the stars above blinking lazily through the haze of the city.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the Haldi,” she said softly, brushing her fingers against my jaw. Then she leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips.

“See you, love,” I replied, watching her step into her brother’s car. The door closed with a dull click, and just like that, she was gone.

I stood there for a moment, hands in my pockets, feeling strangely hollow as if something important had just slipped through my fingers and I couldn’t quite name what. A sigh escaped me.

I pulled out my phone and saw two missed calls from my father. I frowned. Probably wedding stuff. Or maybe another lecture. Either way, I didn’t want to talk.

I glanced at the now quiet club entrance, then toward the parking lot. My keys felt heavy in my hand as I made my way to my car. I felt the buzz of the liquor now just slightly but I still had control. Mostly. The voices of my friends still echoed in my head, laughing, calling me “Mr. Almost Married,” clapping me on the back, handing me another shot.

I should’ve said no. I should’ve waited. I shouldn’t have driven.

But at the time, it felt fine. I wasn’t drunk. Just buzzed. I could walk straight. Think clearly. At least, that’s what I told myself.

I turned on the engine. The hum of the SUV steadied me. I rolled down the window, letting the wind hit my face like a splash of ice water. The road ahead stretched out. It was dark, lonely, and empty. Like a tunnel with no end.

My thoughts wandered back to Ira. Her kiss. Her laugh. Her last words.

And then…it happened.

Too fast.