Wedlock - Part 48

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Chapter 48


Cape Town – Next Day

“That’s bad” Kyle mutters in disappointment seeing the Mehndi she has drawn on Khushi’s palms. “I am so bad at this. That’s the first time I am ever drawing this on someone’s palm”

Khushi chuckles and admires her step mother’s creativity. The design on her palms is not super cool but manageable for her wedding today.

“I wish we could fetch someone to draw this for you” Kyle continues to show her dissatisfaction.
“Kyle” Khushi interrupts. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. This may not be good but its not worse either”




Kyle frowns.

“Was that a taunt or a compliment?” she asks Khushi.
“Both” Khushi giggles again.

Kyle laughs with her and then suddenly becomes serious.
“Thank you” Kyle presses Khushi’s hand.
“For?”
“For everything..” she replies. “And most importantly.. for making me feel like I have a child too”

Khushi becomes speechless now. Kyle and her father had planned for their own children too but that never succeeded.
“Kyle” Khushi tries to interrupt but Kyle hushes her down.
“Let me speak Khushi. I don’t think I will ever get this opportunity again.”

Khushi sighs and allows her to speak.

“To be honest with you, when your father proposed me for marriage, I knew he is doing this for you. He wanted a mother for you who would look after you, give you the same warmth which your real mother would have, if she was alive. But I wasn’t prepared for it neither I wanted to lose such a nice proposal. I was lost Khushi. I loved your father from my the bottom of my heart but I couldn’t love you. Because I thought you would snatch him from me. I could have made peace between the three of us, that was my duty but my mind misled me and things never fell in place. Please forgive me”

Khushi touches Kyle’s shoulder gently.

“It’s okay.. I have nothing against you now”

Kyle feels better doing this and wipes her moist eyes before becoming over emotional

“Though this was not the best apology note, I still accept it” Khushi adds in a teasing tone. That puts a smile back on Kyle face.
“Lets get you dressed up before your father starts shouting at me”

Khushi nods. Kyle walks to the table and gets the dress which Arnav has specifically designed for Khushi. It’s a Maroon lehnga with real diamonds studded at the border.

“Oh my God” Khushi gasps. “This is … this is so pretty”
“Your husband has got a great taste” Kyle replies. “He got the best designer to make this for you”
“I can see that…” Khushi touches the Lehnga. “I thought I was the one giving him surprise by coming here to attend his award ceremony”
“He had this re-marriage idea in mind from past few weeks and was waiting for the right opportunity. You gave him that by coming here.”

Khushi pouts.

“I hope I can carry this much weight on me” Khushi raises her doubts.

The Lehnga is heavy because of the real diamonds.
“Just bear it till the evening” Kyle replies with a blush on her face. What is that supposed to mean? Is she teasing her for the upcoming night?

*****************

Evening

Khushi is completely dressed now in the bridal Lehnga. She is sitting before the dressing table, admiring her own self. This doesn’t seem to be her. She had never looked so happy before. It’s like the entire world’s happiness is now resting at her feet and she has nothing to bother about anymore. She got her father back.. the same man who used to be her role model. Kyle seems to be genuinely caring towards her. Nani has also accepted Arnav and her pairing up for a lifetime. She has no qualms except one. Wish Di, jeeju, Ruhi and Lavanya were here on this special day of her life.

Khushi’s phone beeps, breaking her chain of thoughts. It’s her beloved husband’s email. EMAIL? Like seriously? He is just in the next room and still communicating through emails? Huh!!

Wife, 

I might have taken many oaths so far but today I pledge to keep you blissfully happy for the whole life.

p.s. Cannot wait to re-marry you.

Husband.

Khushi feels her body tensing up with the overdose of his love. She types back.

Husband,

I pledge the same.

I loved your selection of dress and jewels. When will I get to see you?

p.s. I don’t mind if you sneak in my room for a minute.

Wife.

****************

Wife,

The sneaking offer is quite tempting.

But its inauspicious for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. And I don’t want anything to go wrong after reaching this far.

Husband.

Khushi sighs in disappointment reading his reply. She turns around to check back in the mirror if there is anything left to do and that’s when she finds him standing at the door, inside the room, leaning against it. Her breathing shallows. Is he really here? Arnav takes a moment to admire his wife. She is an epitome of beauty and elegance. He has always felt that attraction towards her but today, it is worse. His hormones are going against his will and control and tickling his nerves and organs to make a move.

Khushi finds him pad quietly at her. He hasn’t shifted his gaze from her face yet. Though she is unable to think wisely and even frame a sentence to speak to him, yet she manages to ask.

“What happened to your orthodox views?” she is barely audible but he hears it.
“Chuck it” he scoops her in his arms and kisses her forehead.

Khushi groans. Why forehead? Is he testing her limits? This is overly rude. His lips stay in contact with her skin there and everything clenches deep inside her. She gives in to him. He then grasps her chin and tilts her head to make her meet his eyes.

“What are you doing to me, Khushi?” he whispers but authoritatively. “Even a minute of detachment from you and I cannot keep my heart still. I yearn for you every fraction of seconds we part and when we are together, all of my time goes in accepting the fact that you are close to me. What is happening to me?”
Khushi has no reply to that because she is going through the same. With exquisite care not to spoil her dress and hair, he kisses her gently on the nose. Their lips barely inches apart.

“I love you Wife” he finally blurts out in a hoarse voice.
Khushi is hardly able to move. She is exceptionally happy that he has showered these three words to her on this day of their wedding and that too in the sweetest way possible.
“I love you too Husband” she mumbles softly.

Arnav places his lips on hers and completes their kiss. It is hard not to kiss his wife fully after such a confession. They break the kiss after hearing continuous doorbells. Khushi’s gloss is smudged but thankfully her hairdo is intact.
“I hate people doing this to us” he groans and walks to the door to open it. Khushi giggles and quickly fixes her lipstick.

“Di?” Arnav shouts in surprise seeing his sister, Jeeju and Nani at the door step.
“Surprise.” The couple yells entering inside. “How did you think we will miss this day?” Anjali mutters.
Khushi hugs Anjali and then takes blessings from Nani too. Shashi Gupta gets in the room and heartily welcomes the Raizada family. He doesn’t seem to be surprised at all that they are here.

“Dad” Khushi asks. “Did you knew they were coming?”
Shashi nods.
“Of course I did. Not just you and Arnav, but me and Kyle also wanted to take their consent and make them a part of this wedding today”
“Exactly” Shyam interrupts. “that’s why we told Uncle not to reveal our arrival to you both. Not even to Aman.”

Nani turns to Shashi.

“Shashi.. I will like to talk to the Priest. There are some rituals which are our family traditions, I want to let him know”
“Sure.. Please come”

Shashi takes Nani away.

“Where is Ruhi?”
“With Aman, in our room” Anjali replies. “She was asleep in the car so we made Aman wait with her until we surprise you both in this room” she pinches Arnav’s cheeks.
“I am glad you guys made it here” Arnav hugs his sister.
“Don’t try to divert our minds. What are you doing in this room before the wedding?” she teases.
Arnav rolls his eyes. Everyone knows he doesn’t need to answer that but he still does.
“Khushi called me to fix her gloss” he winks at Khushi whose cheeks flush.
Shyam clears his throat taking Arnav’s side.
“Rani Saheba.. Don’t tease Saale Sahab. Did you forget our wedding day? You were more intolerant to see me”
Anjali pats his chest denying that.
“You sneaked in my room, I pushed you out. Don’t lie”

Arnav and Khushi keep viewing their argument.
“Where the hell was I that time?” Arnav interrupts.
“Chotte… whom are you listening to? Forget all this”
“Forget?” Shyam pokes again. “Rani Saheba.. he needs to know that his dearest sister had purposely sent him away so that she could make way for me to get in the room”

Arnav is startled but he now understands what these moments mean to a couple.

“Okay.. alright… Enough of us now, Shyam” Anjali mutters cupping Khushi’s cheeks. “Today is their day, lets make it about them”

Shyam raises his hands in defeat.

“Okay then Saale Sahab… Let me escort you to the Mandap (Pavilion)”

Khushi quickly glances at Arnav who gives her an impatient look and walks out with Shyam to the private beach where the rituals are about to begin.

****************

The Guptas host the wedding. Aman is around to keep checking on the requirements. Arnav and Khushi sit inside the Mandap, performing the rituals with Anjali, Shyam and Nani around them. Every Mantra chanted by the Priest to complete their marriage, invokes a sense of responsibility, togetherness and love within the couple to withhold this relationship in times of good and bad. Khushi recollects how dissatisfied she had been when she was made to sign the legal marriage agreement in the court on their actual wedding day. She had felt nothing unlike today. It was more like her responsibility was transferred from her father to some other man. But today, when she is actually performing the rituals, she feels like her whole life depended on it. She slowly raises her head and looks at Arnav who looks so much committed to fulfil it just like her. When he meets her eyes, he heads her unspoken words and entwins their fingers passing a smile to his wife. She smiles back. This is the best day of their lives and they will make it count.

******************

Once the rituals complete, Arnav and Khushi takes blessings of the elders and get pictures clicked with the family and guests.

“They are harassing us” Arnav leans on Khushi’s shoulder to whisper in her ears.
Khushi giggles.
“This is not what I had in mind. I wanted this more private” he adds in frustration.

Khushi holds her giggle and greets the next guest to pose for a picture with Arnav again.
“Grumpy Groom” she murmurs as the guest leaves.
Arnav smirks at her.
“Whatever you call me, it is not going to change my views about this”
“Then what do you suggest?” she asks.
“We should elope” he holds her hand.
“What? Where?”
“Somewhere private.. Where no one else come between us” he replies and drags her gently towards the exit, crossing the guests in between who keep wishing them all the way.



To Be Continued.


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