Chapter 27
One month later…
“You look beautiful, my child.” Ariya’s father looked at her dressed in a deep red bridal lehenga.
“Thank you, Papa.” She smiled, going up on her toes to kiss her father. It was the night of their wedding at Veer’s parents’ home. The family knew no bounds to happiness when they announced their wedding date right after Siri’s wedding followed by the baby announcement.
“I never thought I would see this day,” Ariya’s mom smiled looking at her brother.
“Me neither.” Her father’s voice is a whisper.
“Okay, we are getting late, Veer is waiting for her,” Aryan called from the entrance, sounding impatient.
She smiled at her little brother who she had bonded with over the last month. He was in high school and wanted to go to college to be an animal doctor, just like Veer.
“We need to go now,” Aryan’s mom came into the room. Ariya smiled at the woman who she had spent the least amount of time with, as she was busy getting everything ready for the wedding.
“Mamma…” Ariya called out surprising everyone around her addressing his father’s wife. The woman was busy looking at her watch and did not realize it was Ariya who had called her and looked at her son. “Yes, Aryan.”
Aryan smiled. “That wasn’t me who called you, that was Ariya.”
The woman looked at her husband first and then at Ariya.
“Mamma, I want you to join everyone when you give me away to Veer’s family, please.”
The woman smiled, walking toward her. She cupped Ariya’s cheek and looked at her husband. “Thank you for giving me a daughter.”
Aryan laughed. “Okay, this is all very cool, but Veer is sending me a text every millisecond about his bride. Let’s get her to him.”
“I want Siri to be with me, where is she?” Ariya looked around for her sister.
“Siri and Rohan are with Veer making sure he doesn’t come storming into this room for you,” Aryan teased.
“Aryan, stay little for a few more years, please,” Ariya teased.
“I’m in high school, sis.”
“You are such a baby,” she teased, taking his hand in hers. She stepped out of the room holding her father’s hand in one and her little brother’s hand with the other hand. The wedding was set up in the beautiful backyard where Veer’s mom found her peace every night.
Ariya heard the drum beat, and her heart started to beat with a matching rhythm as she walked toward the wedding pavilion with her father and brother, with the two motherly women following them.
Ariya had a red transparent veil covering her face and walked toward the pavilion, her eyes in search of the man who owned her heart and soul. She walked down the aisle and smiled looking at the friends and family gathered for the event. Dominic fussed around her, taking her pictures.
“Ariya, you look beautiful.” Dominic smiled.
Ariya looked around, but Veer was nowhere in sight. Siri was standing by the pavilion talking to Veer’s parents and walked over to her, beaming at her sister. “You look beautiful.”
“Where is Veer?”
“He said he forgot something and went to get it,” Siri whispered.
“What?” She scrunched her nose.
“No clue, he should be back…” Siri’s voice was lost in a gasp. Ariya looked in the direction Siri was looking, and her lips curved up into a glorious smile.
Veer was on a horse, riding along the concrete running path laid around the backyard. His eyes were fixated on her even though he couldn’t see her face clearly through the veil.
The wedding party broke into a clamor as he took a full lap blowing kisses to friends and family and finally coming to a stop a few feet from the wedding pavilion. She smiled, her eyes on him as he unmounted the beautifully decked-up horse to stand next to his mom and dad. Her mom stepped forward and put her arms around her.
“God bless you and your child. You bring happiness to our small family.” Veer’s mom who was declared cancer-free a few weeks back, smiled at her.
“Thank you, mom.” She smiled at the woman who was overjoyed the wedding was happening in her favorite place.
Ariya heard happy sniffles of her family as she took the garland from the priest and draped it over Veer’s broad shoulders. He looked royally hot in a traditional Indian outfit. He smiled and reached for the veil even before he put the garland around Ariya’s neck. She looked at him as he slowly lifted her veil and heard his breath hitch.
“I love you, baby… so much.” He leaned forward and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She heard the crowd cheer in the background but soon was lost in the sound of her beating heart, unified with the thudding in his chest.