Marry Me

Chapter-35 The Jitters on Wedding Day

The time passed like cartwheels. I had never felt so much buzz in my life as I did in those days. My family and my friends, the only one who kept me sane otherwise I probably would have gone mad due to the wedding buzz.

I look at Kritika and Prisha sitting on my bed bickering over something.

And then there's a knock on the door.

"Come inside." I say, straightening in case if it's Nani. Amusingly, she has grown fond of my friends even though she came to the room in pretence of checking upon me and somehow ended up staying for hours.

My mother smiles as she enter in the room in a floral top and loose jeans. "Hey girls! Ready to go for the dress rehearsal? I have got something for you Shanvi." She smiles and throws a package towards me.

I catch it. I look at the wrapped pink shiny wrapper with a silver bow on the top and open it to find my favourite Bovetti chocolate, with a note on the top. I know you are going to be grumpy, so instead of biting on the people, bite on this.

I smile at the cursive handwriting that's imprinted inside my head since childhood. And I smile even more knowing my package must have arrived to him too.

I check for my phone and find a picture message from him. My heart melts as I see the platinum band on his ring finger. Underneath the photo he has written:
It's the best gift ever, even though I hate rings.

You are going to find this always on my hand.

"Oh! Lover boy sent some chocolates. Can I have some?" Kritika peeks up from the bed. I jump and close my phone and feel a blush creep on my face.

"What is it that you are hiding from us?" Prisha narrows her eyes.

"N-Nothing" I say hastily folding the note and carefully tucking it inside my phone's back cover.

"Ready guys?" My mom asks raising her eyebrows and I remember she's still in the room as my flush lengthens.

"Yup." I say nervously.

********

I stare at myself in the mirror as the pink pastel 'Lehenga' touches the edge of the linoleum floor.

I take a deep breath, but it doesn't seem to work on my nerves.

"You look so pretty" Prisha whispers beside me. "Like really really pretty."

"Thank you." I whisper looking at the sea blue and brown stones in the borders of the lehenga. Something seems strange, I think, and then it just clicks. The brown colour of the stone matches his eyes, and the blue stones are the same colour of my eyes. The lilac and blue flowers in the Lehenga shining brightly against the contrast of the pastel pink.

We were not more than ten when he had said to me, "You are going to wear a Lehenga. And I am going to wear 'Shervaani'."

We were hiding in a cupboard in kitchen of someone's house eating chocolates, while people were eating the after-wedding feast.

"Okay then I will wear a pink lehenga. " I had said enthusiastically without knowing the depth of the words.

"But then I'll have to wear a pink 'Shervaani'" he had said making a face, "I like blue more."

"So what? You will wear what I would choose. It's the bride that gets to choose."

"No" he had argued.

I look at the Lehenga and tears onslaught my eyes. Did he remember our conversation in the cupboard?

The door to the domed room opens and I hear a gasp. I turn my head and find my mother fixated in the doorway, her mouth slightly open.

My father is next who ducks under her arms and freezes when his eyes fall upon me.

We all stare at each other, the air in the room still.

"You look ....." My mother starts but then fat tears roll down her cheeks.

"Ma" I whisper, tears rolling down my eyes.

My dad stumbles forward and holds me in a tight embrace. "My Princess grew up too fast." He whispers in my ears.

"Oh leave her will you?" Ma admonishes. "We don't want to have her red eyes do we?"

I hug Papa more tightly. "You look handsome as a knight my hero."

"It's my Queen's special day, how dare that I won't?"

"Okay okay you two, I am feeling left alone here." My mother says.

"Ma you weren't a hugger if I am remembering clearly?"

Hurt flashes in her eyes and for a second I regret the slip of my words. But then she says, "I was an idiot before," and she runs to us.

We laugh and make space for her.

"I am sorry if I am intruding, but I need a hug too." Prisha says from the corner of the room.

"Oh come on Rocky. You always have space in my arms." I say and she comes running into the group hug too.

"I have got something for you." My mother says after the hugging session holding out a velvet box in her hand.

With unnerving hands I stagger forward and take the box from her and open it slowly.

My insides melt like a hot volcano when I see a big ivory necklace pearled with diamonds, but it's not the necklace that takes my breath away, it's the Charlie pattern in the necklace that flips my stomach.

"Th...Thank you..."

My mother shakes her head and smiles, "Kiyansh."

One word. One name. And everything inside of me changes. And suddenly we are back to being eight years old. Him smiling at me, holding my hands, bending in the ground and promising me Charlie would be fine. Promising me we will be fine.

"Mom who decided the colour of the Lehenga?" I ask my throat rasping.

"Not decided Princess we were forced by certain someone into the colour pink after I had already decided on the colour Sea Green." My mom gives me a beautiful smile and winks while tears pool in her eyes again. She steps forward and takes my hand. "I am so glad that you both are getting married Shanvi. He really cares about you. "

My father nods behind my mother then scowls "Yeah if it was anyone else but him, I wouldn't have let you get married."

I laugh and hug both of them.

A hard knock on the door makes us jump slightly. "You three stop being insensible and get her ready fast, the groom side is arriving." My Nani announces from the doorway.

And with that my heart speeds up like a windmill in a storm.

"Come here let me tie this necklace on your neck" My mother says.

And all I can think is, He is here. He is here.