EKANSH POV
The moment I saw her i forgot to breathe. All I could see was her- only her
Anaisha
She walked forward, the girl beside her, held her hand maybe she was her friend guiding her towards where I stood waiting- the stage slowly.
But my eyes,mind and thoughts were only on her. Her lowered eyes, walking slowly.
She was nervous.
And my heart beating so fast that even in the sound of dhol, shahnai, music, claps, hooting and all these chaos around me I can hear it.
The deep red lehenga royal, heavy, the gold embroidery with white beads on it, shimmering withe her each and every movement. The heavy gold nath on her nose, the deep red bangles on her wrist and the heavy jewellery she is wearing.
Slowly, moving towards me her heavy lehnga stuck in her leg she stumbled a little but fortunately her friend caught her hand on time and help her.
But one thing that I found strange was that no one came forward to help her from her family- neither her mother, nor her sister or brother, they were standing there watching her- but still no one came forward.
And I couldn't see that, my heart clenched to see her struggling.
I forwarded my hand to help her come up on stage she froze just for a second looking my hand then slowly, nervously she placed her hand on my hand. Her gaze didn't meet mine.
She was standing infront of me, tightly holding her hands together as if holding her heart, so that it doesn't scatter.
And in that moment I made a promise to myself that no matter what happens I will always stand by her side.
I was standing there, looking at her, lost in my thoughts when my siblings came and started praising anaisha " Wow bhabi you are looking so beautiful" tanish grinned " " Apsara bhabi apsara " avni said placing her hand on her cheek " bhabi bhaiya toh aapko dekhte hi reh gaye " lakshya teased raising his eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes, these three never miss a chance to irritate me.
I know they are not done yet, ofcourse
" Bhaiya are you able to breathe? " Tanish smirked.
Lakshya grinned " Bhaiya your heart is beating so fast "
Avni chuckled " Yes yes the sound is coming here "
They laughed and i shot them a glare. They straightened up instantly. As if there is no one innocent more than them.
Maa came towards us " Baccha it's time for varmala .
Avni placed the varmala in my hands just like her sister had done with her.
I gently placed the varmala around her neck.
Then she stood on her toes tried to put varmala around my neck. But she can't because of our height difference, i was too tall.
Trying to reach my neck, struggling, then she try again, but I was too tall of her.
My gaze flicker to her family, her brother he was standing there looking everything. But he did not come forward to help her he kept standing there.
My eyes again turned to my bride anaisha- she looked at her brother, maybe waiting, hoping, that he would come forward to help her like every brother does for her sister but no he was still standing there unbothered- Like she doesn't know what she was trying to say, that she needs him. Why ? Why her brother was so unbothered by her struggle, by her hopefUl eyes. A question that arose in my heart.
I turned my gaze back to anaisha. She was still looking at her brother-
But when he didn't even take a step forward, she turned her face back towards me, eyes lowerd- But the thing that clenched my heart was her moist eyes, she tried to hide them by lowing her eyes but they could not go unnoticed by me.
And that's it my jaw clenched, hands curled into first, that's it- I did something unexpected
I sit on my one knee infront of her head bent down slightly. So that she can easily, make me wear varmala.
When i looked at her she was shocked. There was tears in her eyes and a soft, shy smile on her lips.
I stood up and gently wiped her tears with my thumb pad " I'm here now and always " my voice low but firm to assure her that I will always be by her side.
She was startled by my actions. She lifted her eyes searching mine. There was hope in her brown eyes, vulnerability and maybe just maybe a little trust too. And there was something unreadable, some untouchable emotions too in her eyes. A shy smile formed her lips I too smilled.
I didn't planned that, even i didn't realize- When I saw her teary eyes, my heart tear apart I just can't stand with her tears. And when I saw her smiling after putting varmala around my neck my world brighten again. I don't know what this feeling was but it was different- so different, raw.
Then maa's voice took me back to reality " Let's go to the mandap, pandit ji is waiting. It's time for pheras" she said a soft smile on her face she lightly patted my shoulder
We moved towards the mandap this time anaisha's mother and sister helped her.
ANAISHA POV
When i entered the wedding hall
I lifted my eyes and there he was standing tall.
Our gaze locked just for a second i immediately lowered my lashes not able to hold his intense gaze.
He stood there waiting, dressed in a golden embroidered sherwani the meroon turban on his head giving a royal look.
I was moving slowly towards him but suddenly my lehenga stuck in my leg-
I lost my balance and stumbled "Papa" escaped from my lips unknowingly, in hope that maybe....... maybe he will come to hold me, to save me from falling or to save that little hope of mine that, yes I am not alone, that maybe my father might get angry with me but when I fall he will come to hold me to take care of me just like in childhood. but no, he didn't, he remained standing where he was.
Kiara caught me in time and helped me " Are you ok babe" she asked in concern.
I gave a little smile and nodded she nodded back but my eyes flickered to my family maa, papa, Ankit and Kriti standing there unbothered, no concern no emotions in there eyes. Just standing looking at me.
And that hurts i don't want to, i know the reason, there were like this since seven years but it still hurts. My heart knows everything but still a little corner in my heart still ached for their love, concern.
A tear rolled down my cheeks i wiped it quickly.
" No sha don't, not today. It is a new beginning of your life, a new chapter don't waste these moments on your fucked up family. Come let's go. " Kiara said there was little anger in her voice for my family.
I again started moving towards the stage carefully. I was about to to take another step when someone extended their hand to me i lifted my eyes to see the person and it was him Ekansh staring at me with his intense eyes i immediately lowered my eyes, my cheeks turned red. I placed my hand in his and went up on stage.
I was holding my hands together tightly as if it was my heart, my emotions trying to hold them together, scared that the feelings running inside me might come out, that my heart might shatter into thousands of pieces.
My heart heavy with the memories of past, of that one mistake, that made me a taint for my family.
I was lost in the raw, bitter memories of my past when my traced broke by the voices, his siblings they were praising me i murmured " thank you " to them a shy smile, then they started teasing their elder brother. He was glaring them I was smiling shyly. After some time his mother came and tell us that it was the time of varmala.
Kriti held me the varmala he putted the vermala gently around my neck now it's turn i tried to put the varmala around his neck but he is too tall for me, i tried again and failed again. I looked at Ankit my little brother with a hope that maybe he will come and help me like every brother does in his sister's wedding, thata maybe he will come- not to help not to love but to show, to behave neutral that everything is all right, but no he didn't even took a step, he was standing there still, unmoved, unbothered i turned my face my vision blur with the tears. My eyes lowered, i was trying to hold back them, to hide them from everyone. The most painful things was the boy who used to run to me to hide from mom's scolding, to pacify mom and dad he he wants something, or when him and kirti had a fight he used come to me with his complaint box every time but today he didn't even flinched, that hate in his eyes- cutted deep my heart.
" Anaisha beta do " his mother's voice bring me back from my memories. I didn't look at her, just nodded i don't want her to see my tears. I was going to tried again but suddenly something unexpected happened. The billionaire Ekansh Rathore was sitting on his one knee with head bent. I was shocked everyone was onone was expecting this from him. I gently placed the varmala around his neck. He looked at me like really looked as if he was seeing my pain without saying anything. Then he stood up on his feet, rose petals showing over us. Then he came closer, wiped my tears withhos thumb and said something that made my heartbeat raced. He said " I'm here now and always " i lifted my eyes searching his eyes and he mean it he was not saying, he was assuring me, that was not just words but a promise maybe. A hope risen in my heart i know it's too early but the sincerity and honesty in his words forced me to hope, to trust.
Then his mother's voice came " let's go to mandap it's time for the pheras pandit ji is calling "
We moved towards the mandap
Me and him sitting across the holy fire, mantra chanting, we took pheras, he put the mangalsutra around my neck and filled my hairline with sindoor some fell on my nose.
You are a husband and wife now.........
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