Kismat

Chapter 23: The Big Day

Meera pouts at Shourya, who is on his friends' shoulders. She's holding the white rose varmala in her hands, trying to reach up to him so she can put it around his neck.

Seeing Meera's struggles, Shourya jumps off his friends' shoulders and bows down in front of the beauty dressed as his bride. Meera smiles as she puts the garland on him. Before waiting for Shourya to reciprocate the action.

Aarav signals to someone at the back to let the fireworks go off as the couple looks at each other. Meera gazes up at the fireworks and Shourya gazes down at her. The picture-perfect couple.

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Meera closes her eyes as Shourya lifts her maang tikka to fill her her maang with sindoor, she felt some of it drop on her nose. Once Shourya puts the maang tikka down, she gazes at him. She smiles shyly with tears in her eyes, everything else blurry, all her eyes could focus on was him.

Anushka passes Shourya the mangalsutra and Muskaan helps lift Meera's veil. Shourya tied the nuptial necklace around her neck as she gazes down at her fingers. Shourya holds Meera's hand as they circle the sacred fire seven times before the guests shower the newly married couple with rose petals.

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Meera hugs her father tight, he was the last one left for her to meet before she leaves with her husband. Suraj helps his precious daughter into the car before turning to Shourya.

"Bohot naazon se pala hai meri pari ko, khyal rakhna hamari bachi ka."

(I've raised my angel with a lot of pride and love. Please take care of our child.)

"Please, baba. Don't say that. Mein aapki pari ko ranion ki tarah rakhunga. Mujh pr bharosa rakhiye."

(Please baba, don't say that. I'll treat your angel like a queen. Please trust me.)

Shourya takes a seat in the backseat next to his wife as the car starts to ride off. Meera looks back at her parents standing at the entrance of the wedding hall, they seemed to get smaller and smaller as the car drove further away. Once they were out of sight, she turns back. Shourya wraps his arm around her and rubs her back and arm to soothe her and stop her teary hiccups.

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Shourya stood at the doorstep of his haveli, his bride standing next to him. Both were gazing at Suman, who was waiting to welcome her son and daughter-in-law. Suman does the aarti, before Riya places the kalaash filled with rice on the doorstep.

Meera gently tips in over with her right foot, and the rice scatters into the house as she takes her first step into her sasural. Shourya helps lift his bride's lehenga as she steps into the red liquid before stepping onto the white fabric. It was a tradition in the Singhania's to take the footprints of every bride. Suman holds Meera's hand as she guides her delicate daughter-in-law over to the living room.