With a dramatic gasp, Bella bolted from the room like a woman on a mission, leaving behind a trail of chaos in her wake. A stray makeup brush flew off the table, her phone nearly toppled over, and the pile of magazines she had been flipping through collapsed onto the floor.
Tia, ever the voice of reason—though never without a fair amount of sass—rolled her eyes and called after her. "My drama queen, instead of worrying about beauty treatments, just make sure you don't end up cutting off your fingers!"
A round of laughter followed, though Bella was already too far gone to hear it.
Tiya, who had been observing the whole scene with a smirk, leaned back with amusement. "Looks like a mini-Kiya is about to be born in our group."
Another wave of laughter rolled through the room. Bella was indeed giving Kiya a run for her money when it came to unnecessary overreactions.
But beneath the laughter, a nervous energy filled the air. This wasn't just any event—it was the event. And none of us wanted to look ordinary in a crowd filled with extraordinary people.
As I looked around the room, my gaze landed on Chaahat. A thought struck me.
"By the way, do you have a white dress for the party?" I asked.
Chaahat blinked. "White dress…?"
Before she could even process the question, Tiya interjected with a mischievous grin. "Say Tata bye-bye to that white dress in your mind! After the party, it won't be wearable anymore." She waved her hand dramatically, as if bidding farewell to an invisible dress.
Chaahat's face fell. "If that's the case, I can't wear that dress on that day. It's my favorite!"
"Well, we'll just get something else from the market," Tiya said with a shrug.
"Yeah, and make sure it's presentable. It's the Singhanias' party, after all. The crowd there won't be ordinary, and our Barbie Doll here shouldn't look any less impressive!" Jay declared.
Chahat narrowed her eyes. "Don't give me childish nicknames!"
Jay just grinned wider, completely unbothered.
Preparations & Panic
By the next day, the frenzy had only intensified.
Shopping trips were planned and executed with military precision. Designer stores, fabric boutiques, and even street markets were raided in search of the perfect outfits. We debated over colors, cuts, and accessories until exhaustion took over.
Bella was, unsurprisingly, the worst.
"I need exactly the right shade of pink for my bangles!" she cried dramatically as we sifted through a pile of accessories.
"It's Holi," I reminded her, exasperated. "By the end of the day, no one will even know what color you originally wore!"
Bella gasped. "How dare you say that? Presentation matters!"
Kiya, who had been silently scrolling through her phone, finally looked up with an eye-roll. "Honestly, Bella, at this rate, you'll end up missing the party because you'll still be getting ready."
That shut her up—for about five minutes.
Meanwhile, Chaahat had found herself in a dilemma. her initial excitement about the party had started turning into frustration.
"Forget it, I'll just wear my old dress," she finally said.
"No way!" Bella objected. "We have to find something new. You can't walk into that crowd looking ordinary."
"Since when does Holi have a dress code?" Chaahat grumbled.
"Since forever!"
Eventually, after an intense round of shopping and fashion debates, everyone was finally satisfied with their choices. Or, at least, they had given up trying to find something better.