10

It was a beautiful day in Lucknow.

The rickshaw drivers hunting for their first passengers, the pigeons who flew in a flock and the chai stalls preparing their first batch of garam, garam chai.

But Khushi Kumari Gupta couldn't see the beauty of the day. Neither could she bring buaji or Payal to stop zooming in and around her bedroom.

In a blink of an eye, it was here! The wedding day.

The day of....irrevocable changes.

Well, of course not! She could file for a divorce. She definitely didn't believe in buaji's old school lifestyle of "till death do us apart". She will kick Arnav to the curb if this doesn't work out!

"Khushi! Stop daydreaming and look at these!"

Payal was flourishing out packets of handkerchiefs.

Elegant ones. A cream colour, she knew was all the rage in the nineties.

"That's...alright"

"No, look what Sara did as a present to you! These are all embroidered with threads of indigo. Your initials!"

And there it was. In each corner, KKGSR

She felt a lurch in her stomach.

"Oh god, I can't do this. I am too young to make a bride"

"Khushi", buaji called out, her voice surprisingly gentle.

"Think of the man you'll be marrying. You like him, don't you?"

His face floated in her mind as she nodded.

Buaji smiled, "Then don't worry. Nandkishore's blessings are there with you"

Khushi sighed. That's all she could depend on Arnav and all the Gods buaji has been praying fervently to.

---

It was on the outskirts of the city. A vast, green lawn rented by Manohar for his nephew's wedding.

Arnav wanted the ceremony to be private and intimate.

After the Anjali fiasco, he had taken charge and dismissed even the Lucknow reception, narrowing it down to one ceremony only.

And honestly, Khushi had nothing to complain about. Preeto, Rahul and a few other friends from her college were invited. They seemed to be more thrilled than anything that she was marrying the ASR.

A lot of buaji's relatives had refused to come, citing her parents out of wedlock history as the reason.

"Good riddance!"Payal exclaimed when their aunt broke the news.

When their car rolled into the compound, she couldn't help but gasp.

Tents and tents of white drapery all over the lawn. The guest list seemed to be limited on paper. But not so much, with the rows and rows of chairs.

In two hours, she will be through with one of the most important decisions of her life.

---

Sara had really done her best.

Her lehenga was a muted sage green. Her choli was truly blush pink. And they all glistened with hand embroidered zardozi and sequin detailing in rose gold and champagne crystals. The dupatta was a sheer dusty rose gold accentuated with starburst motifs.

Payal clasped the chain of the necklace, before pulling away with a smile.

"You look absolutely stunning "

And she did. The makeup was dewy making her look like a pretty little deer.

Buaji reached for her Kajal, "Just for good measure"

Khushi smiled as Buaji marked the tiniest speck of Kajal beneath her ear to pay homage to the age-old tale of nazar.

"They will be smiling upon you today, bitiya.", Buaji teared up.

"It's time", Payal hugged Buaji, "It's going to be a beautiful marriage. I just know it"

---

The wedding was going to be out in the open. With the sun for light and tents for shades. Live musicians sat on a dias, dressed in white and gold.

There were shrubs all around and lillies. Her lillies.

--

"So, I called the planner today-"

"Planner?"

"For the wedding"

"...."

"Khushi?"

"It seems so..so surreal"

"Help me make it real. What flowers do you like?"

"Lillies! Ooh and shrubs!

"Shrubs? Okay, how many guests do you want?"

"No more than 75. Since we are ditching a reception "

---

It was straight out of a dream. Khushi felt her heart lurch as she gazed at the scene.

It looked like clouds had descended on earth. She could see everyone that mattered to her were here.

The soft tinkling of music filled the air, as the sun lit up her aisle. A path leading upto the man, who had been a stranger to her just a month ago.

What was it about him that had melted a pragmatic girl like her?

Stepping on the glass aisle laid out for her, Khushi looked up, her dupatta fluttering prettily.

That's when she saw it. The reason it had all led up to this.

His eyes.

Circles of molten chocolate, they stood stark against his sharp, composed features. They gave away more than he wanted to.

She had seen it even when she had first laid eyes upon him. Even when she had said 'yes' to his proposal. Even when he had kissed her.

Every time he kissed her.

Taking a deep breath Khushi looked at him again, overwhelmed at the desire in her veins.

He stood tall in an ivory heavy chanderi kurta, beside the mandap, marked with enough lilies to make her blush.

He smiled as their eyes met. But his eyes? They were burning coal themselves.

"Khushi", he breathed as he extended a hand to her.

She slipped her shivering hands into his. His gaze anchored her against all the feelings which overwhelmed her.

The fire in the mandap came alive right then, flames of fire flaring up into the air.

--

Author's note:Thank you for your kind comments on the last chapter ❤️ Let me know what you think of this one!