44

                                    

                                          
After breakfast was over, the parents and soon-to-be newlyweds - along with some of the girls and boys - stayed back at the hotel to keep an eye on the preparations as they waited for the designers' arrival. While the rest of the cousins got ready and went out, each group driving in a car from the 6 that were waiting for them at the hotel's entrance.
They drove around, going to different places and visiting many areas. They went shopping in different shops and malls. They bought souvenirs to keep, some are clothes with something related to the city printed on them, some are jewelry and others are just cute little things that they loved.
Then they headed to Universal Studios to have some fun before they headed to a restaurant for lunch by the time it was 2pm.
"So cousin.." Kartik started - looking at Varun - after the food arrived and they all dug in, "Tell us how you and Alia met and how you guys got together."
"Come on, Kartik. Don't tell me you don't know Alia?" Katrina looked at him as if he was dumb.
"Which Alia? I know the Alia who he was dating before he left India. But I've never seen this Alia." Kartik looked confused as the people concerned laughed at his oblivion.
"The Alia who I was dating before I left India is the same one as this Alia." Varun explained it to him slowly, as if he was talking to a child.
"No way!" Kartik exclaimed, eyes wide and all, making them all laugh, "Dude, she changed. I really couldn't tell, she's even prettier.."
"It's fine, some people I knew before I left couldn't really tell after I came back." Alia chuckled.
"But how did you guys meet again and got back together?" Kartik enquired.
"Well, we both went back to India before school started, but none of us knew that the other was back because we weren't really in talking terms. Then on the first day back in college, we met by coincidence. And ever since, we've been going out a lot, the whole squad I mean. And we kind of just picked up from where we left off. And you know, I've never really stopped loving her. I mean you knew everything back in the day, I just forgot to tell you stuff after we met again. Anyways, fast forward, later on we discovered that we still had feelings for each other and we just got back together. That's all." Varun shrugged his shoulders, putting one arm around Alia to pull her to him.
"Awww, I'm so happy for you guys." Nushrat squealed.
"Thanks." Alia smiled at the excited girl.
"I wish you guys a lifetime, and don't let anyone or anything come in between." Sonakshi smiled at them.
"Don't you worry, Sona. I'm not leaving her and neither am I letting her leave me, no matter what." Varun assured her.
"Well," Katrina started looking at Kartik, "what about you and... lover-girl?" She winked at him.
"It's pretty good. We'll talk later." Kartik promised.
"Varun, we saw on a newspaper last week that you got in an accident. How have you been?" Kiara asked him with her very-annoyingly high-pitched voice as she looked at him with heart-eyes. 
"I've been good, thanks for asking." Varun replied, trying not to be rude because that was not how his mother brought him up.
"Anyways, what about you girls? Any boys in your life?" Kriti - Kartik's sister - asked Alia's sister, Katrina and Jacqueline.
"Not really." Shraddha shook her head.
"We're still waiting for the right one." Kriti added.
"What she said!" Disha pointed at her sister, nodding in agreement.
"Kat, Jacques, you girls didn't say anything. Are you in a relationship and you don't wanna tell us?" Nushrat teased them.
"Yeah, Shahid and I are together." Jacqueline smiled at the boy sitting next to her before turning to look back at Nushrat, "And Kat's dating... umm.. R- Ranbir." Jacqueline forced a smile, remembering what took place the day before.
Everyone who was there the day before, was looking hesitantly at Aditya to gauge his reaction if he gave any, which he didn't as je just looked at his plate of food, playing with it and eating in silence.
"I'm sure there are a lot of guys out there who'd love to be with you, but I don't know what it is with you girls and the right guy! Like just date whoever and there you go, problem solved." Ayusman said in a duh tone making the girls chuckle.
"Don't even start, man." Arjun warned him, "If they don't like what you say, they'll get together and plan your death. So stop while you still can."
Everyone around just laughed at the stupid thoughts of the boy as they went on with their lunch, talking and laughing.
After they were done, they drove around for a while before they headed back to the hotel.
As they got out of the cars and walked through the hotel's entrance, they stopped in their tracks as they saw not only their family - but even a fl few of the hotel staff - running around, all worried as they were yelling a name.
... To be continued