Suhaag Raat

The End

A beat of comfortable silence passed. Then Pragya said teasingly, "I can't believe you wore Spongebob boxers on our wedding day."

Abhi raised his eyebrow. "I can't believe you were braless on our wedding day."

"The blouse had a built in-bra!"

"Well what could I do? The churidar didn't have built-in undies, and it would have been more of a shock to you if I didn't wear any at all."

She rolled her eyes at him. If that was the best explanation he could give, she had to assume that all of his underwear was probably similarly ridiculous.

Suddenly, his face turned serious. "I should probably tell you something."

Apprehension lurched in Pragya's chest. Those words did not sound promising. What could make him sound so formal? "Ok..."

Abhi took a deep breath. Instead of looking at her, he stared up at the ceiling. "I...when I agreed to marry you, I was...under a misunderstanding. I thought you were involved with my best friend Purab."

"Purab?" Pragya exclaimed. "Involved? No, not at all - wait, best friend?"

Abhi nervously ruffled a hand through his hair. "We grew up together. We're practically like brothers. Last year...I got him engaged to my sister. Recently she saw you and him together at his office, so she got the wrong idea that you were involved and -"

"Purab is engaged to Aaliya?" Pragya interrupted, her heart plummeting in concern for what this would mean for Bulbul.

"Was engaged," Abhi said firmly. "That's all over now, obviously he and Aaliya could never be happy together. I'm sad for Aaliya, but I'm happy for Purab that he seems to have found real happiness with your sister."

Pragya let out a breath. "Ok...and what does this have to do with...you marrying me?"

"Uhh..." Abhi avoided her gaze.

Pragya tipped his face towards her with a finger on his cheek. She need to watch his face as he answered this.

He met her eyes and swallowed a gulp. "Aaliya asked me to marry you to get you out of Purab's way. That was why I initially agreed."

Pragya frowned, anxiety racing through her veins. "So you're saying this marriage...isn't real?"

Abhi took hold of her hand. "It is real. I decided I want it to be real. But I want us to start off on the right foot, that's why I am trying to be honest about what got us here."

"But then...where do we go from here?" Pragya's thoughts tumbled together, confusion and worry tangling in her mind. "What do we -"

"I'm trying to say - I chose you. I chose this. I want to be with you, that's why..." Abhi stopped for a moment, simply looking into her eyes.

He took a deep breath and started again, "When I agreed to marry you, it was for a wrong reason. But today, when I chose to come to our wedding and take the pheras and put kumkum on your maang, it was because I think we can make a good life together. Daadi chose you for me...and I choose you for me too."

"Oh." Her heart had soared to hear him describe how he had chosen to come to their wedding...but for him to choose her just for his Daadi's sake, after only agreeing for his sister's sake....she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about any of it. It didn't really feel like he was choosing her.

"Hey." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. "Maybe I'm saying it all wrong. But you get what I'm saying, right? I'm glad we are together. I'm glad you said yes tonight. And what we just shared....I think we're off to an amazing beginning."

Pragya nodded slowly, letting the sincerity of his simple words wash over her. This marriage wasn't what she had expected and this night wasn't what she had expected....but the thoughtful commitment he was offering felt right. Hope blossomed in her heart, bringing the promise of happiness along with it.

"I think you're right." She watched his face relax in relief. Feeling the mood shift, she followed an impulse and playfully punched his shoulder. "You definitely agreed to this for the wrong reasons..." He fake-winced, allowing her hit. "But...I choose us too. This is going to work. We're...going to make this work."

He smiled hugely at her, sitting up to press a kiss to her forehead. "I think I've worked you hard enough tonight," he said, his voice turning wicked dark. "Shall we go wash up?"

She nodded in agreement. He stepped out of the bed, reaching his hand out to her.

Pragya took Abhi's hand, and let him lead her to the next step of their night. If this unexpectedly lovely wedding night was anything to go by, she was confident the rest of their lives might turn out just fine too.