Chapter 3: রঙ and promises

Celine had been waiting দ্বারা the phone for hours to hear the good news. How could she just not think about the fact that one of her best friend might just have gotten engaged to the man of her dreams?
"Why haven't they called yet?" Celine whined. It was already the পরবর্তি morning and Paul and Celine were at the breakfast টেবিল with Paul flipping through the newspaper.
"I'm sure they will when they have the time, darling", Paul smiled. "Stop worrying. I'm sure everything went as planned."
"But what if it didn't?"
"It did."
"But what if it didn't?" Celine groaned. "Do আপনি have any idea how hard it was for Rachel to find a guy who accepts all her annoying quirks? It's like আপনি do with me."
"You don't have any annoying quirks", Paul smiled at her gently.
"I do, but maybe you're too in প্রণয় to notice them", Celine smirked.
Paul nodded with a smile on his face. "I think I am", he reached over the টেবিল and took Celine's hand in his. "I've been thinking. Shouldn't we tell your parents about the engagement?"
Celine raised her eyebrows. "You want to tell them? Isn't it usually the groom's job to want to avoid any such encounters?"
Paul smirked. "I think for আপনি I'll make an exception", he leaned closer and kissed her. "What, আপনি don't think they'll be happy for us?"
"No, they'll be happy, it's just that they don't know আপনি very well", Celine pointed out. "My parents are pretty protective."
"I'll just have to convince them that I make আপনি happy, then", Paul smiled, lifting Celine's hand up to his face and স্নেহ চুম্বন it softly. "I do, right?"
"Of course আপনি do", Celine smirked. She was just about to lean closer to চুম্বন him when her phone rang.
"Oh, my God, it's Rach!" she answered right away.
Paul watched as Celine spoke on the phone with her friend and smiled at her happiness. He had always loved Celine's capability to be truly happy for others. It was one of the countless things he adored about her.
"She wants to go have lunch, now!" Celine ব্যক্ত as she got up from the table. "I have to go, I have to go..."
"What did she say?" Paul asked.
"She ব্যক্ত she'd tell me when I get there. And she sounded very neutral, she always does on the phone, I hate that."
"I should call Richard", Paul ব্যক্ত as he watched his future wife put on a coat. "Right?"
"Yes", Celine rushed over to চুম্বন him quickly before rushing off. "I প্রণয় you!"
"I প্রণয় you, too", Paul smiled. A few moments later he dialed Richard's number.
"Well?"
"She ব্যক্ত yes", Richard couldn't hide his grin, not even at work, where he was now. He had a morning shift. "I can't believe we're engaged."
"Well, believe it, because আপনি are, and I'm very happy for you", Paul laughed a little. "So is it too soon for আপনি two to start planning the wedding?"
"No, I don't think so. We four should get together again sometime, talk about all of that."
"That sounds good", Paul nodded. "Hey, have আপনি met Rachel's parents?"
"Her mom is dead", Richard ব্যক্ত after a moment of silence. "And I haven't met the father yet. Only her older brother. He's nice, he and Rachel get along really well. Why?"
"Well, I just think Celine and I should tell her parents we're engaged...in person. A phone call seems so rude."
"Yeah, that's... true. God. We didn't have to ask the fathers for their permission, did we?"
Paul paused. "I didn't even think about that. Isn't that a really পুরানো ঢঙের way of seeing things?"
"Yes but Rachel says her father is really old-fashioned", Paul was starting to sense the panic in Richard's voice, so he tried to calm him down.
"Ask Rachel if আপনি two could go pay a visit to him, see how it goes. If he seems to like you, tell him. If not... ahem.... don't post an announcement of your engagement in the paper."
Richard sighed. "Yeah. Well, good luck with Celine's parents."
"And আপনি with Rachel's dad."



Rachel was sitting at স্টারবাক্স্‌ yet again, staring at the ring on her finger. It all seemed so surreal. Being the insecure person that she was, she wondered how she could ever get this lucky. How she could ever get a man as amazing as Richard to fall in প্রণয় with her....
She tried to suppress a smile as Celine walked inside with a similar smile on her face.
"You ব্যক্ত yes!"
Rachel waited until Celine sat down to say: "Yes, I ব্যক্ত yes."
"Yes!" Celine laughed, reaching over to hug her friend. "I'm so happy for you! Are আপনি happy?"
"I'm happy, I'm very happy", Rachel found herself saying, and it was true. "I প্রণয় him আরো than anything."
"I know আপনি do", Celine ব্যক্ত gently. "And he loves you, too."
"And Paul loves you. When did this happen, exactly? It all seems too good to be true", Rachel smiled softly.
"That's just because you're so damn negative", Celine announced. "Now, we should start planning the weddings."
"Fine. First off, no double wedding."
"I wasn't gonna suggest that!" Celine gasped. "That's completely awkward and only something 40-year old twins do."
Rachel smirked. "True." Her smiles seemed to come easier ever since the night before. Without even realizing it, she brushed her fingers over the ring Richard had gotten her, which made Celine pause.
"Of course, the ring, প্রদর্শনী me!" she grabbed her hand and sighed. "It's so pretty."
"So is yours. And at least your fiancé didn't pick it in a hurry."
Celine shook her head. "Neither did Richard. He had been planning this for months, just like Paul."
Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Really? Well, he fooled me."
"So did Paul, with me", Celine said. "I had no idea."
"Yeah, maybe not you, but everyone else did", Rachel said. "Everyone's been waiting for him to propose for years now."
Celine blushed a little at this. Just then the door to স্টারবাক্স্‌ burst open and a few of Celine's good friends, Joy Scott and Jennifer Everdeen, rushed inside, laughing about something.
Rachel glared at Celine. "You didn't invite them, did you?" She wasn't exactly a social person.
"No, of course not, but-"
"Celine!" Joy shouted and she and Jennifer rushed over to the table. "Show me the ring, প্রদর্শনী it!"
Celine was happy to see her friends, but she knew how awkward Rachel must be feeling. And on আরো than one occasion there had been a mishap between Celine's বন্ধু and Rachel. She had her own way of interpreting things that people say to her, especially people she didn't trust, whereas Celine's বন্ধু had a way of saying whatever they wanted, whenever. They usually meant well, but those two qualities did not mix well.
"Oh, hey, Rachel, we didn't notice you", Jennifer ব্যক্ত as they checked out Celine's ring.
"Happens to the best of us", Rachel smiled plainly. "Listen, Celine, I should go, we'll plan the-"
"Holy shit", Joy gasped. They had noticed the ring on Rachel's finger, too. "You're engaged, too?"
"Yeah, she just got engaged last night", Celine smiled. She wanted people to know that Rachel was happy too, and she sure as hell would never tell them.
"To who?" Joy asked curiously. Rachel stared at her for a long time. Every single time she met up with the girls, they asked her if she was still with Richard, and every single time she ব্যক্ত yes, they seemed shocked.
"Richard."
"Oh, that's nice", Jennifer said. "I didn't figure আপনি to be the marriage type, though."
"Yeah, me neither. Celine, I'll call আপনি later", with that Rachel left.
"Guys", Celine sighed as her two বন্ধু pulled up chairs at the table. "You really need to stop expecting for her and Richard to break up. They are not going to. Ever."
"We're not expecting them to break up", Joy said. "I mean, well... he just seems so nice and funny, and she's-"
"Not", Jennifer finished.
Celine groaned. "She is nice and funny to the people she trusts, including Richard. They're madly in প্রণয় and they are never breaking up, so stop!"
"Okay, sorry", Joy raised her hands up in defeat. "Sorry, we just don't know her."
"Then maybe আপনি ought to try", Celine said.
"Okay. Fine. We'll all go out one night. How's that? Now, what are আপনি thinking for your wedding?" Jennifer asked eagerly.
Celine smiled. "Well, of course it has to be a big wedding. Because that's what I've been dreaming of my entire life."
"Obviously", Joy said. They spent the entire afternoon talking about the wedding, and Celine was আরো excited than ever.



Rachel got প্রথমপাতা to find Richard still at work. She sat on the পালঙ্ক and buried her head in the pillow, trying to forget the looks on Celine's friends' faces when she told them she was engaged to Richard. Why was it so hard to believe?
Just then the lock clicked, and the man of her dreams walked inside the apartment with a পিজা box in hand.
"Hey, babe, I figured that since-" He paused when he saw the look on Rachel's face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just...", Rachel sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing. পিজা sounds great."
"Good, but I don't believe that", Richard walked over to her and sat পরবর্তি to her on the couch, setting the পিজা box on the floor.
"I met up with Celine and her বন্ধু today, and... they... when I told them আপনি and I were engaged, the looks on their faces....", Rachel groaned. "They looked like it was the least believable thing in the world. And I.."
"Don't care about them, they don't matter", Richard ব্যক্ত softly as he pulled Rachel in for a hug. "They don't matter. I প্রণয় আপনি and আপনি প্রণয় me, and we're getting married. Nothing else matters."
Rachel wrapped her arms tightly around Richard and nodded, closing her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I know." And she realized that in his arms she felt at home.



Celine stopped দ্বারা Richard and Rachel's apartment on the way home. Richard answered the door, and with a smile and a nod opened it for Celine to enter.
"So how does it feel to be engaged?" Celine smirked.
"Better than I can describe", Richard smiled. "I owe আপনি two one, for the.. help."
"It was no problem. Is Rach here?"
Before Richard could reply, Rachel walked in from the রান্নাঘর and smiled. "Hey."
"I'll leave আপনি two alone", Richard gave Rachel a চুম্বন on the cheek before heading to the living room.
"I'm sorry about what happened with Joy and Jenn", Celine ব্যক্ত with an apologetic look on her face.
"It's not your fault. And it's not really theirs, either. They don't know me", Rachel shrugged.
"I'm glad আপনি ব্যক্ত that because they suggested that we all go out together one night", Celine beamed.
"Oh, Celine-"
"You're all gonna be in the wedding reception, I need আপনি to get along! Emily as well!"
"I'll think about it", Rachel said. "But no promises."
"Well, I think you're going to say yes considering how well our last gathering went", Celine smiled.
"Yes, but then I had my fiancé protecting me from the boring company of আপনি and your fiancé", Rachel joked.
Celine laughed a little. "You seem happy."
"I am. And so are you", Rachel said. "Now go প্রথমপাতা and be happy, we'll talk tomorrow."



Celine rushed প্রথমপাতা to find Paul setting the ডিনার টেবিল for them. He looked up from his work and smiled at her.
"Hey. How was it with Rachel?"
"Fine, until Joy and Jenn showed up. আপনি know how Rachel doesn't see eye to eye with them", Celine walked over to Paul and wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you."
"I missed আপনি too", Paul said, placing a চুম্বন on শীর্ষ of Celine's head. "I talked to Richard and he told me everything. Or, well, not everything, not the dirty details, but আপনি know what I mean."
"We are quite the matchmakers, aren't we?" Celine chuckled.
"Well, I don't think we should take all the credit for it, but yes, we are", Paul leaned closer and kissed her. "So what are we going to do about your parents?"
"I think we have to go and tell them, I guess", Celine sighed. "That won't be too pleasant, but perhaps they'll just be happy for us and leave all the awkward প্রশ্ন out. As far as my parents are concerned, I'm still a virgin."
Paul laughed a little. "Alright. But we can go see them, right? And... I don't have to ask for their permission, do I?"
Celine snorted. "What am I, a goat you're renting? No. আপনি don't have to ask anyone, but আপনি were right earlier. It'll be good to go and tell them in person. But not tonight. What's for dinner?" Celine smiled.
"I'm making আপনি pasta", Paul smirked, gesturing for Celine to sit down at the table.
"One দিন you'll get tired of cooking for me", Celine warned.
"That may be so, but that দিন is not today. I made dessert, too", Paul smiled, and as Celine watched her man cook, she felt a lot happier than she'd ever felt before. She was getting married to the man of her dreams, someone who completed her and understood her, and accepted her for everything she was. And most importantly, loved her আরো than anyone else ever had.
"Hey, Paul?"
"Yeah?" he turned back around to look at her.
"I প্রণয় you", Celine stood up from the টেবিল and walked over to her man, capturing his mouth in a kiss. She felt Paul চুম্বন her back after saying "I প্রণয় you, too", and soon enough they were far too preoccupied to notice that Paul was burning the পাস্তা sauce.