Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Moment

Khushi coated her lips with a shiny pink. "Done," she breathed.

"Not quite," Arnav said. He'd been at his desk, working on his laptop while he waited for her to finish getting ready.

"What do you mean?" She gave herself a critical once-over. Her light green lehenga with a tea pink blouse, her hair mostly straight with loose curls at the ends, her make-up, her jewelry–what was left?

He made a show of getting up and coming behind her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and as predictable as Pavlov's dogs, her heartbeat picked up . "This," he murmured, pulling out gajras from his pocket and slipping them onto her wrists. "Perfect."

He studied her flushed face for a moment, then placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him. Face to face, the sense of intimacy heightened further.

He leaned forward, and terrified and excited, she waited. But he stopped. "May I?"

Yes, her heart screamed.

No, her mind warned. Don't be so reckless.

"No," she whispered.

He sighed, touched his forehead to hers and then stepped back. "As you wish."

He couldn't hide his disappointment as he shoved his hands in his pockets, but she could see he was trying.

Be patient, he reminded himself. Day by day, Khushi was getting more comfortable with him, and with enough time, they'd break all the barriers between them.

He just hoped that they had enough of it.

And though he felt guilty, he couldn't help but wish that Daksh wouldn't get caught.

Just for a little while longer.

***

Better, Daksh decided, tilting his head as he examined himself in the mirror. After weeks of letting it grow out, his beard was much fuller. Additionally, he hadn't left the house since he'd arrived that night, which meant he had to ration the food supplies he had in the house, sometimes only having no more than two or three bites a day. Consequently, he'd lost quite a bit of weight.

He was now very much unrecognizable from the Daksh that anyone had last seen.

Perfect.

***

Lavanya's reflection caught her off guard. "What do you think dear?" Nisha asked softly.

She didn't have words. She had been afraid that the dress Nisha and Manorama would get her would be over the top and loud, but it was elegant and sleek, its subtlety making it beautiful—making Lavanya beautiful.

"Gorgeous," Lavanya's mother chirped from the bed, where her nurse was doing her hair. "I always knew my daughter would make a lovely bride."

"Hello hi, bye bye," Manorama exclaimed, checking her phone. "If we're ready, let's go up. Everything is ready."

They'd decided to do the wedding on the rooftop of their building. Though the Raizadas had offered Shantivan, NK had refused, saying that he'd always wanted an outdoor wedding. Besides, that was their special place.

For anyone else, it might have been a hassle to climb the stairs in a wedding dress, but Lavanya simply hitched it up slightly and strode up with her usual agility.

Upstairs, NK couldn't stop grinning. The set up was fantastic, the weather perfect, and Anya was beaming with happiness. Although they hadn't told her about the adoption yet, she was thrilled because her two favorite people were getting married.