Vivah: His Arranged Bride

ch-23 (aahna)

I watched Veer and Rudra exchange words, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. They were like two sides of a coin, completely different yet inseparable.

"Kya baatein ho rahi hai?" I asked, joining them on the sofa.

Veer turned to me, his expression softening as he looked at me, "you know, just Rudra being Rudra," he replied with a smile.

bhai grinned, "Anyways aahna, guess kar, kya chal raha hai veer ke dimaag mein?" he asked.

"Work, deadlines, and more work," I replied.

"You know me too well," veer said, leaning back on the sofa his eyes meeting mine with a warmth that made my heart flutter.

I chuckled, "Of course, I do. I've spent enough time observing you to know what's going on in that brain of yours."

rudra bhai let out an exaggerated groan, "Bas bas, ab yeh sab band karo. Mera breakfast digest nahi hoga" he said.

"Bhai, you better find a girlfriend soon," I teased, poking fun at his perpetually single status.

Rudra rolled his eyes, "Oh please, not this again," he groaned, clearly tired of hearing the same old joke.

 Meanwhile, our families continued their conversation in the background.

"Mujhe toh lagta hai yeh tareekh bilkul sahi hai," papa remarked, adjusting his glasses.

"Mujhe bhi," veer's mom agreed, nodding in approval.

"Bhavya kahaan hai?" I asked Veer, glancing around the room.

Just then, Bhavya, toddled into the room, rubbing her eyes sleepily, "bhaiya!" she called out, making a beeline for Veer.

Veer scooped her up in his arms, "Good morning, princess," he said with a smile.

 As Bhavya nestled comfortably in Veer's arms, she yawned widely, her eyes blinking sleepily.

"Aahna didi, aap bhi aa gayi!" she exclaimed, reaching out her tiny hand towards me.

I smiled at Bhavya and took her hand gently, "Haan, Bhavya, main bhi yahaan hoon," I replied, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Bhavya grinned, her dimples same as veer showing, "Aap aur bhaiya kab shaadi kar rahe ho?" she asked innocently, Rudra bhai choked on his tea, almost spilling it.

I chuckled, "Shaadi hogi, Bhavya, lekin thoda wait karna padega. fir ham pyaari pyaari dresses phenenge," I explained.

"Mujhe ek pink dress chahiye!" she declared, already envisioning herself as the prettiest princess at the wedding.

"ofcouse princess, sab kuchh milega aapko. Pink dress, blue dress, green dress, sab kuchh!" veer assured her, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Just then, papa cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Ab bas bhi karo, yeh sab. Shaadi ki taiyaari shuru karni chahiye," he said.

veer's mom nodded in agreement, "Haan, bilkul. Bahut saara kaam karna hai ab," she added.

"Arey haan, ab sab kuchh taiyaar karna padega. Guest list, decorations, venue, aur bhi bahut kuchh!" my mom chimed in.

I smiled, watching both family jump into action with full enthusiasm. It was heartwarming to see everyone so invested in making our wedding a memorable affair.

As the evening progressed, the atmosphere in veer's house buzzed with excitement. my parents and cousins went home to settle relatives there. Relatives here bustled around, discussing arrangements and catching up with each other. I found myself in the kitchen, helping out with the preparations, when the doorbell rang.