The day of the wedding dawned bright. Ishqi thought the day was so much more beautiful, after all they were getting married today. She got up and took a nice refreshing bath, and then started getting ready. She could hear chaos all around, she couldn’t believe she was marrying Ahaan, the Mahan today. She called him so many names, but he never said anything about it, he always cared for her a lot. She smiled thinking all about her past moments with Ahaan. Today she will become Mrs.Isqhi AVM, but more than she will get a beautiful loving family. After her parents it was only her maasi and she, but now she will have a big family.
“Your still not ready bhabi” she heard Sonu
“Aree main toh Dulhan hu, Dulhan toh der se hi aayegi” Ishqi says
“Bhaiya bhaag na jaye” Sonu teases
“Bhag ke jayenge kaha, wapis yahi aayenge” she says and they both laugh.
“Aap se bohat pyaar karte hai Bhabhi” sonu gets serious “I am so glad you are my Bhabhi” she hugs her
“sonu, main vida hoke nahi jaa rahi, tumhare ghar hi aaungi” she teases her and Sonu smiles. That was why she liked her Bhabhi so much, she always turned her tears into happiness.
“Chaliye I will help you get ready quickly, issse pehle bhaiya ghar ko sar pe utha le” and she starts helping Isqhi to get ready.
Karthik was knocking Ahaan’s room door, but there was no response. He tried calling multiple times but Ahaan wasn’t lifting the call. He thought to inform Isqhi, but she would get tensed and today was her day, he didn’t want her getting hurt. He thought to wait for some more time before informing everyone, may be Ahaan would be back by then.
The wedding mantap sat in garden area, decorated with red flowers, yellow flowers hung from all corners making it a beautiful canopy. Pots clad in red placed one above the other in an ascending order decorated the borderlines.
The pious agni kund was placed at the center and panditji sat near it. All the things required for the wedding were placed nearby. The Mangal sutra was placed on a coconut, till it adorned the bride. It was all ready.
“Call the bride and the groom, the muhurta is approaching” directed the pandit.
Maasi held Isqhi’s hand lightly and they slowly approached the mantap. Clad in a red lehenga and red bangles she looked a beautiful bride, even her mehndi matched the color she chose, and she smiled. Gold jewelery adorned her neck and ears. Her golden maang tikka completed her look. But as she approached the mantap and did not see Ahaan she tensed. She looked around to see if she could find Karthik, he would know.
Ishqi came and sat in the mantap, and every minute her fear was increasing.
“where are you Ahaan” she said to herself
Karthik came running to the venue
“Ahaan bhai is nowhere to be found” he said worried, he had searched all the places he knew, but couldn’t find his brother.
“Mujhe toh pehle hi pata tha, Ahaan tujhse kabhi shaadi nahi karega, Bhaag gaya mera pota” dadi scoffed
Isqhi was tensed for a while but she answered “He will never leave me alone; he will surely come”
“He won’t come, we can stop this wedding and save everyone’s time” dadi was eager to send all the guests away.
“nahi.. “Isqhi was stern “He will come, and I will wait for him”
Shefali placed a hand on Karthik shoulder, he looked at her helplessly “I searched everywhere”
“Its ok Karthik, lets just wait he might come” she places her hand in his. He keeps looking at the door hoping that Ahaan will walk in any moment.
Isqhi’s heart had gone numb, she couldn’t hear anything. She knew people were gossiping about her. She was sure people were blaming the girl, as they always do. It was the groom who was missing but they were still blaming her.
Her eyes were focused on the entrance, she was sure Ahaan would walk in any moment. Their love was not so weak, they had stood together for the test of time and they would even in the future. She would wait for him, like he had waited for her. This was just a few hours, he would surely be here, he will come… she kept repeating like a mantra to herself.
“Aur kitna waqt barbaad karenge, chalo chalo sab ab ye shaadi nahi hogi” dadi started folding hands and asking the guests to leave. It was already two hours of waiting, and everyone was getting restless.
Isqhi couldn’t say anything, those people didn’t matter anyways. What mattered was their family, till they were there she wouldn’t move from here.
“Bhabhi… “she heard Karthik and Sonu “Let’s go”
“I am sorry Isqhi, I should have seen where bhai was going” Karthik held himself responsible
“Woh bacche nahi hain,, he knows what he is doing” Isqhi said
“Let’s go Bhabhi, its already two hours. How much more longer will you wait” Sonu said sadly. She couldn’t believe her brother was doing this to Ishqi.
“I will wait forever for him to come; I won’t move from here”
“You don’t have to wait forever Ishqi” she felt his voice before she saw him. There he stood, in his last night clothes. So, he hadn’t returned home from last night.
He came to her and hug her tight” I am sorry for making you wait, and thanks for not giving up”
“I won’t forgive you” she says childishly
“You will, after you see my surprise and gift for you” Ahaan says and points to the door
Ishqi looks at the door with her mouth agape. There on the door stood Savitri and Suraj. Savitri looked so beautiful in her saree, she was dressed beautifully for her son’s wedding Isqhi thought.
Ishqi wanted to run and hug Savitri but she tuned to Ahaan” This… “
“Is our wedding gift” he smiled “Please wait for five more minutes, I will get ready and come back to you”
She nods and he starts walking towards his house, he sees dadi’s face had gone completely pale. It had to; she thought his mother was dead. She still had the guts to stop him
‘Isse yaha kyu laya hai Ahaan” she asked him
When he turned towards her there was so much hatred and anger in his eyes, dadi moved two steps behind with the sheer force of it.
“My bride has waited enough… we will have this discussion later” he said rudely and walked towards the house
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