Wedding

The day after the roka, both families were still glowing with happiness.

That morning, Mr. Sharma was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper, when his phone rang. It was Avinash Rajawat.

"Sharma ji, now that the engagement is done, we feel it would be best to fix the wedding date soon," Avinash said warmly. "We’ve called the priest over today. If you don’t have any objection, we’d love for you to join us for lunch."

"Of course, Mr. Rajawat. Whatever you think is right," Mr. Sharma replied with a smile.

After the call ended, he told Meera everything. She nodded in agreement, then turned to Isha’s nani.

"Maa, will you come with us too?"

Nani shook her head gently. "No, child. What will I do there? You both go and see what date gets fixed."

They nodded. Isha, meanwhile, was at her office, unaware of the developments.

At Rajawat Haveli...

Avinash informed Yamini that the Sharmas would be joining them for lunch. A little while later, Mr. and Mrs. Sharma arrived, and the Rajawats welcomed them with warmth and grace. After a little chit-chat, they all sat for lunch together.

Later, the priest arrived. Everyone gathered in the living room.

"Pandit ji," Avinash said politely, "please find a very auspicious date for the wedding of our children."

The priest nodded, checked the horoscopes and said,
"There’s a perfect muhurat after one week. After that, there’s no good date for the next two years."

Mr. Sharma looked surprised. "But that’s too soon… isn’t there anything after a few weeks or months?"

The priest shook his head. "Not according to the kundalis. This is the best option."

Avinash reassured him,
"Don’t worry about the arrangements, Sharma ji. We can handle everything. And honestly, we can’t wait two years for our daughter-in-law to come home."

Yamini smiled and added,
"Yes, Isha is so lovely—we’d be blessed to welcome her soon."

Hearing their affection, Mr. and Mrs. Sharma exchanged glances and smiled.

"Alright then. Let’s do it," Mr. Sharma agreed.

After finalizing the date, the Sharmas took their leave. As soon as they got home, excitement bubbled up in their hearts—but so did a bit of nervousness. After all, there was only a week to prepare!

Back at Rajawat Haveli…

Yamini turned to Nikita and said,
"Call Ayansh and Anvika today itself. We’ll need them for the wedding prep."

"Yes, of course," Nikita nodded.

Soon, the house turned into a planning hub—discussing the guest list, booking a resort, arranging functions. Everyone was excited, working quickly but joyfully.

At the Sharma house…

As soon as they stepped in, they saw Isha sitting with her nani and Arjun, completely unaware of the new twist.

"Isha," her mother said, holding her hands gently, "the wedding is in one week."

Isha’s eyes widened in shock.
"One week?" she repeated, stunned.

Even Arjun and Nani were taken aback for a second—realizing that in just seven days, their daughter would be leaving their home forever.

Tears welled up in Meera’s eyes.
"Our little girl will be gone in a week…"

Nani quickly wiped her own eyes and said with a playful sternness,
"Okay, enough emotional drama. Get up and start preparing now!"

Arjun, trying to lighten the mood, added,
"Yes please, just one more week and then I’ll finally have peace at home."
He chuckled, though his voice carried a pinch of emotion.

Everyone laughed a little, holding back the weight in their hearts. The countdown to the wedding had begun.

----

Time flew like the wind, and before anyone could realize, it was already the day of my Haldi ceremony. The house was glowing with decorations, laughter, and the bright yellow of turmeric.

I stepped downstairs, dressed in a simple yellow outfit, with light makeup and flowers in my hair. As soon as everyone saw me—

"Lo aa gayi hamari dulhan!" (Here comes our bride!) someone shouted.

Everyone cheered and rushed to apply haldi on me, one by one. Some gently dabbed my cheeks, others covered my arms, and then someone smudged it across my nose playfully. Everyone burst into laughter.

Music started, and soon the living room turned into a dance floor. My cousins, aunts, even Arjun danced their hearts out.

Meanwhile, at Rajawat Haveli...

The Haldi ceremony was on full swing there too. Drums were playing, women were singing, and colors were flying around.

Except for one person—the groom. Rudraksh Singh Rajawat stood there, perfectly dressed in his kurta-pyjama, with a hint of turmeric on his face but no expression.

Vikram noticed and walked over to him.

"Yaar bhai, at least try to smile. There's no tax on it!"

Rudraksh just rolled his eyes and looked away. His mind was far from the celebration.

After the haldi rituals, other pre-wedding ceremonies passed like a blur—mehendi, sangeet, pujas—and then… the day arrived.

Today was the wedding.

Rudraksh stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a stunning sherwani—rich maroon with gold detailing, his turban sitting perfectly on his head. He looked every bit the royal groom.

But his eyes… were distant. Cold.
He adjusted his watch and looked away.

"I'm just doing this for Maa. For the family. That’s it."
Without another thought, he walked downstairs where the baraat was waiting, and the Rajawat family left for the wedding venue.

At the Sharma house…

All the functions were over. Today, I was becoming a bride.

I sat in front of the mirror, draped in a deep red lehenga with intricate golden embroidery. Heavy jewellery adorned my neck and forehead, and my eyes were lined with kohl.

But my mind wasn’t calm.

"Am I really ready for this?" I thought.

"Will I be able to manage this new life, this new family?"

I stared at my reflection and whispered to myself,
"Is Rudraksh the kind of partner I dreamed of? Or is this just fate deciding something I never imagined?"

Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up her dupatta.
But before the tears could rise, Meera walked in, holding back her emotions.

"Beta, it’s time."

I stood up, slowly, my heart pounding… and stepped into a new chapter of life.

The wedding venue glowed like a dream, lit up with golden lights, fragrant flowers, and soft music humming in the background.

As the dhols slowed down and the murmurs softened, Isha walked in.

Every pair of eyes turned to her—guests stood still, the music faded just a bit, and even time seemed to pause.

Dressed in a deep red lehenga, her jewelry gleaming under the lights, she looked like a vision straight out of a painting.

Her father came forward with teary eyes and a proud smile. He gently held her hand.

"Chalo beta, mandap tak le chalu." (Come, my child, let me take you to the altar.)

As they slowly walked toward the mandap, her eyes scanned the crowd... and then stopped.

There he was. Rudraksh.

Dressed in his royal sherwani, sitting under the flower-laced canopy—he looked no less than a Greek god.

Isha’s mind couldn’t help but whisper—
“Lagta hai Bhagwan ne solah Somvaar ka fal ek hi baar de diya… Yeh toh kuch zyada hi handsome hai. Sundar pati maanga tha, atisundar mil gaya. Bas ab swabhaav bhi shakal jaisa ho.”
(Seems like God granted all my sixteen fasts at once… I asked for a handsome husband, and got one beyond imagination. Now I just hope his nature matches his face.)

She reached the mandap and sat beside him, quiet and nervous.

The priest began chanting mantras, the fire crackled gently in front of them. The wedding progressed through each sacred ritual.

Then came the moment.

"Vadhu ki maang mein sindoor bhar dijiye," the priest said.
(Fill the bride’s hairline with vermillion.)

Rudraksh picked up the sindoor. As he looked at Isha’s face—he simply froze.

The noise of the crowd faded for him. All he could see was her face, glowing under the wedding canopy. He was stunned.

Everyone noticed.

Vikram leaned in with a teasing smile.
"Oye, teri hi dulhan ko niharte niharte rahiyo jindagi bhar , pehle sindoor toh bhar de. Aur bhi rasmein baaki hain!"
(Hey, don’t just keep staring at your own bride—fill the sindoor first! There are more rituals to go!)

Laughter echoed around the mandap.

Isha blushed deeply, her eyes lowering, lips twitching into a shy smile.

Rudraksh blinked, realizing he’d been caught. He softly leaned forward, his hand slightly trembling as he filled her hairline with sindoor.

As he did, a little bit fell on the bridge of her nose.

Isha instinctively raised her hand to clean it, but Nikita stopped her with a chuckle.
"Nahi beta, isey mat saaf karo. Yeh pati ke pyaar ki nishaani hoti hai."
(No dear, don’t clean that—it's a sign of your husband’s love.)

Everyone smiled at the moment, and Isha shyly let it be.

The final rituals were completed, the sacred vows were made. The priest looked at them and declared—

"Aaj se aap dono saat janamon ke liye pati-patni hue."
(From this moment, you are husband and wife for the next seven lifetimes.)

They stood up slowly, hands joined, and began taking blessings from the elders—one by one.

A new journey had just begun.
One filled with uncertainty, emotion, and a silent spark neither of them was ready to admit—yet couldn’t ignore.

---
The time had finally come.
Isha's bidaai.

She was crying non-stop, her face red, her eyes swollen—but she didn’t care. The moment felt heavier than she had imagined. Her heart ached.

She hugged her mother tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. Then her father, who tried to stay strong but failed miserably, silently wiping his tears while caressing her head. Her nani too kissed her forehead and whispered blessings.

And then came Arjun.

As soon as her brother hugged her, he broke down—loudly. That was it.

Isha cried harder, gripping him like she never wanted to let go. They fought all the time, teased each other endlessly—but now the pain of separation pierced them both.

"Tu to roz bolta tha mujhe bhej do… ab ro kyun raha hai?" she said between her sobs.
(You always used to say send me away… now why are you crying?)

"Chup kar! Ab bolna band kar, warna aur royegi ," Arjun mumbled, tightening the hug.
(Shut up! Stop talking or I’ll cry even more.)

Rudraksha stood silently, watching the scene from a distance. A strange knot formed in his chest—not that he showed it.

Then, breaking the heavy moment, Mr. Avinash Rajawat stepped forward with a warm smile and a playful tone.

"Arey beta, itna mat ro. Agar tera pati tujhe kuch kahe na, to mujhe batana… main ise kamre mein band karke maarunga."
(Dear, don’t cry so much. If your husband ever says anything to you, just tell me—I’ll lock him in a room and beat him up.)

Everyone chuckled through their tears.

Akhilesh added, laughing,
"Haan, aur main bhi company dunga!"
(Yes, and I’ll join in too!)

The atmosphere lightened a bit. Isha let out a tearful laugh, wiping her cheeks.

Then came Vikram, Ayansh, and Anvika, rushing toward her.

"Bhabhi, don't worry. If bhaiya ever says anything to you—" Ayansh started dramatically.

"—we'll finish him permanently!" Anvika completed with a mock-serious face.

Vikram added with a wink,
"Aur main saare saboot mita dunga."
(And I’ll destroy all the evidence.)

Rudraksha crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at them.

"Accha? Main hoon kaun? Is ghar ka beta?"

Everyone burst out laughing, and even Isha managed a smile through her tears.

"Ye mere hi gharwale hain na? Ab to doubt ho raha hai," Rudraksha muttered under his breath with a smirk.

The moment had shifted. Emotions stayed, but love and laughter took the lead.

Soon, they all left for Rajawat Haveli.

Rudraksha sat quietly in the car, his phone in hand, just scrolling mindlessly. He wasn’t sure what to feel—tired? Nervous? Numb?

A few minutes into the ride, he heard a soft sound beside him. He looked to his side…

Isha had fallen asleep.

Her head resting slightly to the side, her hands in her lap, her face peaceful.

Rudraksha just stared at her for a moment, something unspoken softening in his eyes. Then, very subtly, a smile crept onto his lips.

And as the car rolled into Rajawat Haveli, a new chapter quietly prepared to begin.

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