Ipshita

My eyes nervously travel to the mirror in front of me as I stare back at my decorated reflection. The scarlet red of my bridal dress clad around my body beautifully, accompanied by the set of golden and red bangles on my wrist.

I never knew sitting in one place could be so tiring. We've been in my room for the past two hours, the makeup and hair artists constantly nagging and playing with my looks.

The light golden brown shadow on my lids was making my brown eyes pop more than usual, and the red-white flowers were adorning my hair which was done in a half-do.

A deep shutter leaves my lips as my eyes travel around the reflection of people in the room. Mom, Dadi, and my aunts. They all looked beautiful, and their eyes showed the adornment they held for me. But besides that, there was also hopefulness.

Hopefulness that I'll maintain this marriage and be a good wife to my soon-to-be husband. Hopefulness that I won't let them down.

My heart felt sad, sad knowing the fact that I would never be able to play that role. Never be able to serve as a wife or as a mother or daughter-in-law. Which was the initial reason behind my contract with Kanishk. My insecurities.

Kanishk was a handsome man. No.. utterly ridiculously handsome man. His sense of style, the way he behaved, his aura. It's alluring. Alluring in ways that make me feel hot and tempted. But my sense of inferiority and insecurity has made the temptation start to wash away.

"Didi, jiju aagye."
(Sister, brother-in-law is here.)

I look at Aditya standing by the door with a soft pleasant smile on his face. He gives me a thumbs up and an involuntary chuckle escapes my lips.

Of course. At this moment only one person could make me laugh. My brother. The annoying brat who hasn't shut up about how he wants me out of the house so he can rule the entire household.

Idiot.

I hear feet shuffle to my right and turn to see my mother looking at me with a serene look on her face.

"You look beautiful Ipshita."

She swatches some Kajal from her water line before putting it behind my ear just like she's been doing for years to save me from the evil eye.

I hear Aditya usher me out everyone from the room before giving me one last look, filled with admiration and.. concern.

"Aap thik ho na didi?"
(Are you okay ipshita?)

A soft smile makes it to my lips before I nod at his worried figure.

"I'll be okay Adi."

Time skip

Okay even utterly ridiculously handsome would be an understatement for the man standing in front of me right now.

Godly, heavenly, and magnificently handsome would be the better words. Because that's exactly what my soon-to-be husband looks like clad in his wedding clothes. The turban on his head has a brownstone in the middle, and it beautifully matches the glint and glittering in his mesmerising hazel eyes.

"You look like a goddess, my wife."

His voice comes out in a whisper, yet so husky that I feel my insides burn from temptation again. I look down at my feet as the hold on the garland in my hand tightens, trying hard not to flush bright red in front of this man.

He might have accidentally taken my shyness as discomfort because he took a step back to create a small distance between our bodies.

My red-tinted lips frown and my heart urges me to look up at him but I refrain.

"Ipshita, tum bohot sundar lag rahi ho meri bachi."
(Ipshita, you look so beautiful my child)

I look up to find Mrs Rajvanshi standing alongside Kanishk and behind her, his two sisters bickering over something. A small smile tugs at my lips hearing my mother-in-law's words.

"Thank you, Aunty"

"Ab ye aunty nhi chalega, call me mummy or mom okay?"
(Now this aunty won't work, call me mummy or mom okay?)

She pats my head gently before turning towards Kanishk and whispering something into his ears.

A smile tugs at his pretty lips and he shoos away his mother from his side.

I catch a deep breath between my lips as I feel Kanishk step closer to me, standing directly in front of my heavily dressed figure.

"Are you sure you want this ipshita?"

His eyes were concerned filled, with a hint of.. desperation?

Was he desperate to marry someone like me? Someone who'll not be able to love him because she's so insecure of herself?

"Ipshita?"

I hesitate when he calls out my name again. I try to say something but no words make their way out. It feels like a rock is stuck in my throat and I'm unable to get it out.

"You don't have to hesitate if you're not ready, I'll call off this wedding right now, I'll wait until you're ready. Just say the words."

If I could hug this man right now... I really would. I would lunge into his arms and hug him so tight he'd be out of breath.

Of course, I want to marry him. My heart says so, yet my brain keeps saying how I'll mess it up. How I'll break his heart once my so-called contract ends.

I hear Kanishk's feet shuffle and he turns around to say something to his sisters but I immediately catch his wrist in my hand.

"I'm ready for this marriage Mr. Rajvanshi, but are you sure?" I blurt out.

His eyes graze my hand before looking at my nervous figure and the smile which was lost a few seconds ago erupts again on his face.

God this man will be the death of me.

"I'm more than ready to marry you, Ms. Singhania."

His hands rise gracefully, still clutching the flower garland that had been made for this moment. Gently, he drapes the flower garland around my neck, evoking cheers and joy from the surrounding crowd.  On cue, petals rain down upon us both, covering his hair and my clothes with the fragrance of rose.

"And now you belong to me,"

his words flow smoothly from his lips, wrapping around me like a warm embrace. I am entirely consumed by their power and meaning.

But..

Will I truly be able to give myself entirely to him?

Kyra

I stare at Rooh, who's currently stuffing her mouth with Pani puri before my eyes travel to the boy standing next to her trying to make a conversation. She gives him a side eye before nodding yes to whatever question he asked and continues to munch on the Pani puri in her hand.

"Pagal aurat he was trying to flirt with you."
(Idiot girl, he was trying to flirt with you)

Kaynaaz pokes her stomach softly before sighing at the younger one's behaviour.

"Yaar toh main kya karu? I was too focused on my gol gappa and him."
(So what should I do? I was too focused on my gol gappa and him)

Her eyes immediately widen realizing what she had spoken. I soft chuckle makes it to my lips as I see Kaynaaz shoot her a glare of annoyance before softly smacking the back of her head.

"Teko bola tha na to stay away from Avi?"
(I told you no? To stay away from Avi?)

Rooh rolls her eyes before throwing away the paper cup she was holding in her hand.

"Kyu? Teko pasand aagya?"
(Why? Did you start liking him?)

"Meko nh-"
(I do-)

"Nhi Rooh aapni Kaynaaz ko toh Aayan Bhaiya pasand hai." I interrupt in between.
(No Rooh, our Kaynaaz likes Aayan.)

As if I said the most offending thing on Mother Earth, Kay turns around and crosses her arms in front of her chest, shooting be death warning from her siren eyes.

"Kya Didi, Aapko mazak banane me itna maza aata hai kya?"
(What didi, do you have fun in making fun of me?)

I chuckle softly at her behaviour before wrapping my arm around her shoulder and bringing her in for a side hug.

"Mazak tha baby, sorry."
(Sorry baby, it was a joke)

"Aapko harr cheez mazak lagta hai."
(You find everything as a joke)

A small pout forms on her face and I feel Rooh snicker softly at her best friend's behavior.

"Hello, beautiful ladies."

I feel my heart rambles when I look up to see the source of the deep voice. His hair was a mess, considering the way he was dancing in the barat just an hour or so ago. Yet there was something that made it seem... alluring?

Shiv wraps his hand around Rooh's shoulder before his gaze turns to me and Kaynaaz.

"And why exactly is the little Rajvanshi pouting like a baby?"

"Kyra didi is being mean." She wiggles out of my hold before scurrying over to him, who's clad in a dark blue kurta the small tattoo on his forearm peeking from beneath the sleeves.

"She's always mean Kay, don't mind your sister."

"And you're always an asshole Mr. Khurana."

I cross my arms in front of my chest, staring at him intensely. A smirk makes it to his lips out of amusement.

"I'm an asshole, yet you still talk with me, so basically, you're willingly interacting with an asshole."

Rooh, who was now munching on a plate of bhel puri, lets out a sound of amusement, before giving a thumbs up to Shiv.

"You're good at this Shiv bhaiya, keep going."

Shivyansh and Kaynaaz chuckle at her behaviour and I roll my eyes before a small smile makes it to my lips.

What will I do with these idiots?

Time skip

A yawn escapes my lips as I lean into the solid body next to me. Shiv wraps an arm around my shoulder before patting my head ever so slightly.

Okay, maybe calling him an asshole was a little too extreme, considering the fact that he's lent me his shoulder to rest my head on for the past hour.

Everyone had finally settled down from the last part of this marriage. It had been a busy, not extremely busy week. And to see everything finally finish up brought somewhat peace to my mind.

I gaze at Kanishk and Ipshita sitting together in front of the heavenly fire as the priest keeps chanting different mantras at them both. Ipshita, who was clad in a beautiful red lehenga, scoots away from my brother's body, to which he responds by pulling her closer by her waist.

I chuckle rumbles from my chest seeing the annoyed look on my elder brother's face. Sabko pata hai, no one is more impatient than Kanishk Bhaiya.
(Everyone knows, no one is more impatient than Kanishk bhaiya)

Another yawn makes it past my lips and now it's Shivyansh who's chuckling, not at my brother but rather, at me.

"What? Why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at your sleepy state Kitty, teko humesha wrong time pe nind kese aati hai?"
(I'm laughing at your sleepy state Kitty, why do you always get sleepy at the wrong time?)

"I'm not sleepy."

But of course god hates me, because just the next second, a long yawn betrays my previous said statement.

"I can see that, not sleepy at all."

"Shut up Panda face."

"I seriously don't understand where you got this nickname from. I'm so fit and strong how can you call me a panda?"

A chuckle leaves my lips when I hear his tone change into a childish one as if whining about being called a panda.

"No silly, it doesn't mean you look like a panda, it's because you act like a panda. Have you ever seen those videos? They're so freaking cute and cuddly."

"So you're admitting I'm Cute?"

"I- no I mean that.."

"You mean?"

I could clearly hear the amusement in his voice, which made my inside rumble in joy and happiness. My heart suddenly picks up its pace, making it more difficult to come up with an answer.

"I mean you're cuddly. Not cute. Now shut up there's a wedding going on."

"As you wish your majesty."

I roll my eyes at his words, just to snuggle closer to his cuddly self and return my gaze to my brother and his Almost now wife. 

Kanishk picks up a pitch vermilion, slowly dragging his fingers to Ipshita's forehead and applying it there. A huge smile makes it to my lips, seeing some of the holy red fall onto my bhabhi's nose. A similar smile spreads across my elder brother's face and I see a glint in his eyes which I hadn't seen for days.

"Shaadi tere bhai ki hui hai, Tu itna khush kyu ho rahi hai?" Shiv asks curiously from beside me.
(Your brother is the one who got married, why are you getting so happy?)

"Because, Kanishk has eyes for Ipshita, like Dadu had eyes for Dadi. He's in love."

Shiv softly brushes my hair making me look at his serene figure. He passes me a small smile before mumbling the words.

"As you say our love enthusiast."

A small giggle leaves my lips hearing the nickname he gave me. It's adorable. Just like himself.

Soon my eyes return to the couple taking a turning of a lifetime around the fire. It wasn't until the last round that I noticed two people missing from the crowd.

"Where's Ishaan and Anvi?"

"They left because Anvi sprained her leg during the barat, she wanted to go home a rest."

I look at the older Khurana with a questioning look before a grin spreads across my lips.

A sprain huh? Suspicious.