CBG#7 THE UNEXPECTED ARRANGEMENT

Chp:-8 The Big Day

SANYA MIRCHANDANI

Finally, the day arrived, the day our lives were gonna change forever. Gautam and my engagement ceremony was a vibrant and joyful affair, with our families and friends gathering to celebrate our union. The ceremony was held in the traditional Marwari style, with fun rituals and games organized by Gautam's sister Alia and his cousins Karan, Kriti, Aarav, Navya, Divya, Nikhil, and Aashi.

Alia welcomed me into the family with open arms, "Sanya, we are so excited to have you as our sister-in-law. We have planned some fun games for you, are you ready?" She is really very sweet & nice. No wonder, Rohan is crazy about her.

I nodded, smiling, "Thankyou Alia. Absolutely, I can't wait!"

The first game was a fun twist on the traditional ring-finding ceremony. Instead of hiding a ring in a pot of rice, Gautam's cousins had hidden the rings in a basket of flowers. I and Gautam raced to find the rings, with me emerging as the winner.

Kriti then led the 'Haldi ceremony,' where I was covered in turmeric paste to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. It made me giggle as the paste was smeared on my face and hands, while Gautam watched me in amusement.

Next up was the "Chunri ceremony," where Gautam's sister and cousins tied a red chunni (scarf) around my head and welcomed me into the family with a sweet song.

As the evening progressed, I turned to look at Gautam. There was a gloomy expression on his face. I immediately understood the reason behind that. I am sure his heart sank a little while remembering his ex-girlfriend Saanvi, I gave his arm a light reassuring squeeze and he pushed the thoughts away, came back to a trance, and focused on the present moment. He smiled lightly.

Meanwhile, my heart sank a tad bit too while seeing my ex Rohan Dev Raichand be all in love and all mushy with my fiance's sister, his wife Natasha Alia Singhania, but I shrugged the thoughts away and joined in the celebrations with an open mind.

Gautam and I exchanged rings amidst cheers and applause from our families and friends. Nisha di hugged me and whispered, "I am so happy for you, Sanya. You and Gautam are going to make a perfect match."

Avantika Aunty, Gautam's mother hugged me and said, "Welcome to our family, Sanya. We are thrilled to have you as our daughter-in-law."

Gautam's father, Yash uncle raised a toast and said, "I am so proud of my son, Gautam, and I couldn't be happier that he has found such a wonderful partner in Sanya. Our families have come together in this beautiful double union, and I hope that they will have a happy and prosperous life ahead."

He said double union because Nisha di is married to the eldest Singhania son, Nikhil Singhania aka my brother-in-law. It's exciting knowing the fact that I am getting married in the same family as Nisha di and basically, we'll be living in the same house.

My mother then took the stage, "We are thrilled to welcome Gautam into our family. We feel beyond blessed to have Gautam and Nikhil as our sons-in-law. We are confident that Gautam will be a loving and caring husband to Sanya, and we wish them all the happiness in the world."

Vihaan, Gautam's best friend said, "Gautam, I can't express how happy I am for you. I have seen you go through so much, and I know Sanya is the perfect partner for you. May you both have a lifetime of love and happiness together."

Nihar, Gautam's other best friend added, "Sanya, you are a beautiful soul, and I have no doubt that you both will make an amazing couple. Congratulations to both of you."

My best friends Payal, Aashi, and Shweta also gave an emotional speech, expressing their love and support for the us.

Payal said, "Sanya, you are not just our best friend, but our sister. We have seen you go through ups and downs, and we know you and Gautam are going to be the ultimate couple goals and set an example for all of us. We are thrilled that you have found your soulmate in him. Congratulations to both of you."

Aashi added, "Gautam bhai....oops Gautam jiju, you are not just a brother to me right from now on you're my jiju, my sister, my best friend's husband-to-be. We are overjoyed that you have found your true love in Sanya. Keep my sister happy or else you'll face consequences. We wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness." We chuckled.

Shweta concluded, "Gautam and Sanya, truly you both are meant to be together. We can't wait to see your journey unfold. Congratulations to the most beautiful couple." Everyone clapped, hooted, and cheered.

Gautam whispered to me, "I am happy that we are starting this new journey together. Maybe everyone and my heart was right, you really are the missing piece in my life that I have been searching for."

I smiled and replied, "I feel the same way, Gautam. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

The evening ended with some fun dance performances, Garba and Dh sessions, a sumptuous dinner, photo sessions, and dancing. Gautam and I were surrounded by love and happiness, grateful for the blessings of our families and friends.

I REALLY CAN'T WAIT TO LIVE THIS NEW PHASE OF MY LIFE........................