Prompt: Your protagonist seeing/meeting an ex at the new year party.

My best friend’s engagement party was on new year’s eve. We were friends since I was 6, but she wasn’t the first. First, there was the boy next door. We weres 5 and we had a pretend wedding. I still have the ring. Okay, so it was fashioned out of a paper clip, but it was special.

We were happily pretend married for a year when his father got transferred. Their family moved and we lost touch. But whenever I saw that paper clip ring, I remembered his name, Rashik Adhikari.

What can I say? I am a romantic. That’s why I find this arranged marriage, my best friend has settled for, most dissatisfying. Preoccupied, I wasn’t looking where I was going, and I bumped in to a man spilling champagne all over his kurta.

“I am so sorry!” I blurted out reaching for a napkin.

“That’s okay. But it’s going to be a little awkward making a speech about my best friend all drenched in alcohol.” He winked.

“Are you the groom’s best friend? I am the bride’s best friend. Sneha.” I held out my hand.

“Glad to make your acquaintance.” He responded taking my hand. “I am Rashik Adhikari.”

I stared agog. Could it really be such a small world? The name wasn’t that uncommon, was it? I wondered.

That’s when he asked, “Did you say you were Sneha? Not Sneha Rajaram surely?”

My heart skipped a beat.

#TellTaleThursday with Anshu & Priya done using the picture prompt they posted. Thanks Anshu and Priya for hosting this.