Meet our munchkin.
8 months later...
Meri Jaan,
I don't tell you enough. There are a lot of things that you have known but not because I have told them to you. It is because you are a darn good observer.
Oops! I am sorry. I didn't mean to use a curse.
You are an AMAZING observer. Well, coming back to the reason why I am writing this letter to you is because I cannot ramble infront of you. When I see you, I only wish to keep watching you, and talking to you. Kiss you too.
But no rambling. Not because I don't want to tell you everything but because I want you to look at me with pride in your eyes. I keep making a fool of myself but I wish to change it. I want you to look at me the way Mom looks at Dad, like Bhabhi looks at Bhai. I want to be a name you could brag about. I want you to feel proud of whatever I do. I want you to admire me for what I have achieved, and for what I do.
Oh God! I am again straying away.
Okay, let me get back and tell you why I am writing this to you.
It is because I want to say thank you.
I know I left you confused, but let me explain.
Thank you, Shreya. Thank you for being my person. The person that I know I can rely on even if I feel like the world has turned its back on me. There will never be a day that goes by that I will not be grateful for you. Since the night that you had left me when I had taken you for granted, I felt as if I had lost my dreams. You know what my dreams mean to me, but Shreya, you mean more than them. My cars, those races, my dream project, or anything else. You preside above all. I may not tell you but when you send me those weird emojis every morning, they make me smile, and believe me, it is the best start anyone can have. It just feels like it's a part of my daily routine and I feel disoriented when I don't see them first thing in the morning. Thank you for making my days better, and for always giving everything you got to us. I literally don't know what I would do without you.
Thank you for cleaning up my mess with the press, for covering my trails with our family on race nights, and THANK YOU for cheering on me from the audience. Thank you for putting things on hold when I need you to join me for those races. Thank you for loving every single part of me and accepting them. You have changed me for the better, you make me push through my limits. You are the reason I am still sane being the CEO.
Thank you for always saying that you get me. How I wish I could record your words and set them as my notification?
Don't scrunch your nose, I am not that crazy.
You are in my head 24*7, I don't need that silly recording.
Well, I have a long, lonngggg list of thank you but I will keep it close. We have our entire life together and I aim to spend it showing how grateful I am for you.
But I have one last one for you.
Shreya Thapar, thank you for finding me. You came to me and pulled me out of my head and I will forever be grateful for that. You are my reality check, meri jaan.
You bring the real world to me and stand beside me while I face it. You make me face them and I will forever be grateful for you, for us.
Now, don't you dare take another minute. Come out and walk down those steps to be mine.
Be mine like I am yours.
I will be waiting for my bride, For my jaan.
Your impatient groom you crazily love,
Soon-to-be Rakshit Shreya Thapar.
She felt laughter spreading warmth in her. Shaking her head, she brought the paper towards her lips and smelled it to find his scent.
"Shreya!" Her mother knocked on her room door and she dropped the letter in her lap startled. She folded the paper and tucked it in her palm.
Gathering her Aari embroidered 20 kg lehenga, she waddled towards the door and opened it.
"Why are you crying?" Her mother fawned over her. Her wide eyes made Shreya spin towards the mirror and watch her cheeks stained with tears. Luckily her makeup was a perfection and not ruined. "The Pandit ji has been calling you. Come on fix this and why is your veil not on your head?"
"It is time?" She flushed and walked towards the jewelry thaal that Uttara carried here. She placed his letter safely inside a beautiful trunk that held her bangles before.
"Yes. It is time." Her mother picked the beautiful see-through burnt orange veil and approached her. "You look so pretty, my lovely daughter."
Shreya grinned and glanced at the box that held his letter. "Mumma, please make sure that this box is sent back to Chauhan's house."
"I will." Her mother nodded impatiently. "But right now, you need to move. It is your wedding today."
Lowering the veil on her head, her mother covered her face up to her chin and helped her walk outside the door. They met her father and brother who stared at her bridal form in awe.
"Most beautiful bride in this world." Her father declared making her chuckle, he hugged her with teary eyes.
"You look like an orangutan," Shresth commented offhandedly taking a once over of her burnt Champagne color lehenga.
"And what about you, Mr. Candy Floss?" She teased him as their mother had convinced the entire family to shift towards pastels while she and Rakshit stood out as the couple.
His smile faltered as a sheen of moisture crossed his face, he turned away from her and she hugged him from behind.
"Come on, Bhaiyu." She held on to his trembling form. "Mumma will have my head for ruining my mascara and you look like a panda while crying."
"Why do you always end up acting like the eldest between us?" Shresth commented sarcastically and took her in his arms, squeezing her and placing a quick peck on her head.
"One has to be mature. One is me." Her smug grin met his eye roll.
"Still want to marry him? My car is ready to help you escape him." His offer made her grin.
"I will marry today, let's run tomorrow?" Shreya giggled at his glare.
"Are you two done?" Their mother cocked a brow in impatience. "Pandit ji is waiting."
"He is getting paid enough to wait for another year," Shresth grumbled making her giggle. She cupped her face to stop herself from laughing. Shaking his head, he forwarded his palm towards her. "Let's take you to your doom, Ms. Thapar."
With a grin, she placed a hand in his hand and the other circled in her father's arm.
She had decided to walk down towards the stage with the two most important men in her life to meet the man she was so much in love with.
They had chosen to marry in Manwar palace much to Rakshit's resistance. His cousin King Indraneel Dhanrajgir had taken up the responsibility of making the arrangements and the brothers had a hard time reconciling their differences in between.
But the most affected were Dhwani and Indraneel who had to watch their beloveds talk. Ex-couple now were family of sorts.
Shreya wondered if Indraneel would have ever agreed upon this location if he had known exactly who his fiancé's ex was. He had admitted to knowing who Anirudh was but never knew it was his own cousin. While the two ex-lovers caught up, Indraneel and Dhwani glared at them from a distance.
If jealous partners ever opened a club, Indraneel would take up the presidency and Dhwani would give him a tough fight.
They stood at the top of the royal staircase when the sky filled with a series of fireworks. The sides of the staircase filled with decorative diya and lanterns were released in the air as her father and brother helped her climb down them as the traditional music mixed up with the warm desert wind.
Her steps halted finding Rakshit dressed in black sherwani, he stood at the last step watching her like a sailor watches Polestar.
"Walk towards your love, my little princess." Her father caressed her head and she smiled feeling overwhelmed.
Her brother nodded and she looked infront to find her new family waiting behind him. He forwarded his hand and she laughed placing her hand in his.
His eyes took in her face and he exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
"Were you afraid I won't come down?" She asked grinning at her man.
"No." He shook his head. "I was worried I would faint the moment our eyes met. Luckily, I managed just fine."
She bit her grin at his cheeky smile. "Do you want to say I look just fine?"
"Words fail when it comes to describe you, meri jaan." His mismatched eyes sparkled with all the lights around. "Thank you for walking towards me."
"Another thank you?" She chimed with a knowing smirk.
Rakshit blushed at the reference.
"Your long list wasn't a lie then?" Her eyes smiled mirthfully.
He gently shook his head. "Truth. Only truth."
A throat cleared from behind and Uttara and Dhwani approached them with a platter in their hands. Dhwani walked towards her in a coral pink Kanjivaram saree, decked up in heavy kundan jewelry and a flower bun, she looked no less than royalty.
Contrastingly, Uttara carried a white lehenga with the grace of a national award-winning actress. She wore a traditional matha patti and diamonds that could put the stars to shame.
"Varmala ki rasam karlein? After that, you have a long life together to spend talking." Dhwani teased her and Shreya giggled picking the varmala from her, unlike the other blushing brides who waited to be told twice much to her mother's chagrin.
(Let's complete the Varmala ritual.)
"Oh my! Look at our excited bride." Uttara laughed and bumped her shoulder with Rakshit making him flush. She gaped in surprise. "He is blushing? Adorable."
Dhwani shook her head laughing and nudged Shreya. "Make him wear it before his face turns red completely."
"Bhabhi, aap bhi?"
(You too?)
Shreya laughed at his whine but moved forward to make him wear the red roses woven with white pearls. They contrasted beautifully with his black sherwani. He followed her, bending he picked up her hand, and placed a kiss on her knuckles as their families hollered cheering.
"That's my son," Harshvardhan claimed hugging an overwhelmed Rashi to his chest.
"Are you ready to bear me for as long as we live, Meri Jaan?" He asked holding her hands with no intention to let go.
"Born ready." She claimed with another beaming smile, but the tear that rolled down her face made him lean and kiss it away.
"I love you." He whispered.
She grinned "So I have known."
â â â â
The flowers were rained on the couple as they reached the mandap and took their seat. Pandit ji chanted the mantras and called Shreya's father who came forward to give away his daughter to Rakshit.
Dhwani felt a firm hand clasp with hers, holding on to her for strength and she turned to watch Anirudh stare at the scene unfolding infront of them. Mrs. and Mr. Thapar both had tears in their eyes as they joined their daughter's fate with his brother.
"I am never letting her marry." He commented glancing at her.
Dhwani's heart fluttered at his words yet his slacked jaw made her reason with him. "She won't marry yet. She is only 8 months old."
"Yes, she turned months old and I still feel it was yesterday we held her for the first time." He complained. "My miracle is growing up too fast."
"Anirudh." She gaped baffled watching his whine like never before. "We have years before she gets married. Years."
"Still then I won't be ready. I will never be ready." He looked at the artistic mandap situated in the middle of the compound of Manwar Palace. "I can't imagine giving my daughter away to a man I know doesn't deserve her."
She blinked at his determination. "Do you think Rakshit doesn't deserve Shreya? Or Vidyut doesn't consider Uttara as his world? Or you don't love me enough to care for me?"
"That is different." He pressed. "We all earned you."
"And he will earn our Miraya." She debated.
"Don't talk about a man and my daughter in the same sentence." He grumbled making her laugh.
"Listen." She turned him towards her, cupping his face. "All individuals marry at some point. Our daughter will marry when she is ready but it will be years later. Stop thinking about it as if you will be asked to marry her just tomorrow."
"You won't understand." He scowled at her words and turned to watch the wedding angrily.
"Okay. If you say so." She bit her grin back and shook her head laughing to herself.
He fisted the flower petals from the thaal and started throwing them aimlessly. As if punishing them on her behalf, he clutched onto the petals with more force and crushed them in his fist.
"Ouch." She grimaced and tried freeing them from between his fingers. "Be gentle on Petal, Anirudh. They don't deserve your anger."
"Then who does? You?" He rolled his eyes.
"Do I?" She asked with her pursed lips to watch him shoot a glare at her.
Panditji called Dhwani and Uttara for gatbandhan and she dumped her flowers in his hand.
"Take care of them for me, will you?" A smile and she had walked towards the stage, tied a knot between them along with Uttara, and gushed at the couple who looked ethereal sitting under the flower canopy.
Next, she was asked to pass the vermillion tray and stood back as Rakshit took a pinch of it to fill Shreya's partition.
"Bhar du na maang?" He asked for her permission and the girl took her own sweet time to nod, leaving Rakshit sweating in anticipation.
(Are you sure?)
Dhwani wiped a stray tear away from her eyes and laughed as Rakshit filled her partition and next pinched her nose in retribution. She glanced at Anirudh behind her who shook his head smiling at their antics.
Uttara passed Rakshit the mangal sutra and he made her wear it, this time no permission was taken as Shreya laughed at his hurry.
As the couple stood for their vows, she walked back to her husband's side who was quick to dump her flowers back in her palms and pulled her infront of him, holding her against his chest.
"I shouldn't have said that you don't understand me. You get me like no one else, Petal." He murmured in her ears and she leaned back gazing at him with a stretched neck. "I am sorry."
"Don't be." She squeezed his palm against her belly and watched the couple walk around the fire promising vows that held different meanings to different people. For her, they were what she lived her life around.
"I love you." He reminded her like every day he had for the past 8 months.
She hummed in response, a smile took over her features.
"I love you, Petal." He repeated with an underlined warning. His urge to hear her say back made her grin.
"Yes, yes. You tell me that all the time." She sang but jumped as he pinched her waist. Her wide eyes swept their surroundings. Luckily, they had stood at a distance from the family but she could feel amused eyes on them from the front where stood his parents and grandparents.
She flushed at their knowing smiles and swatted his hold away.
"Behave yourself." Chiding him, she glared his way and ran towards the adjacent side where Pandit Ji happened to call her just in time.
Dhwani avoided Anirudh from there on until it was time for vidaai. She watched Shreya meet her family and walk towards the car that was ready to take them to their suit and then afterward to the private jet that was ready to fly them around 5 countries for their honeymoon. They will drop into their hotel room, eat, change, and get ready to fly.
The car left the premises and the others took a sigh. The wedding was completed and finally, they could rest after a 3-day long festivities.
"Let's go eat, Bhabhi." Uttara gestured her toward the dining area where their families settled on the long table. The guests had eaten during the ceremony and now only the immediate family was left to eat and then retire to their rooms.
They were scheduled to fly out tomorrow evening back to Mumbai.
Dhwani took a good look around the palace and admired the grandeur of this place.
"I couldn't take my eyes away the first time too."
She turned to meet Vandita who stood infront of her. The girl was beautiful if she had to be honest to herself. She looked tired and sleepy after the long day of the wedding and took over the photographer duties being a part of Spesh's core team â The wedding planners.
"It is grand." Dhwani smiled politely and took another long look at the place.
She hummed standing beside her. "And no less than a labyrinth. It would be declared haunted in a month if Neel stops paying people to clean it up."
"Do they not like living here?" She thought they lived in this palace.
"No." Vandita filled her. "They have changed the residence to a palatial mansion outside of Manwar putting this one under talks to be converted into a resort. I think the project will be given to Chauhans."
"Was it why Maharaj offered this place for the wedding?" She frowned at the new information.
"It could be." She shrugged. "It is hard to read their minds."
She watched Anirudh in a deep conversation with King Indraneel and she rolled her eyes. He looked up from his plate and caught her eyes, jutting his chin towards the empty chair beside him, he went back to his conversation.
"Finding love is a blessing, but finding a blessing to love is what makes it a lot more special," Vandita commented making her snap to face her. Her honey-dipped eyes met hers and said no more. They were bright, shining, and genuinely happy. "And Anirudh got it special. I am so glad he found you."
Dhwani felt the warmth of her words settle in her heart. "Me too."
"And your daughter is adorable." She gushed. Miraya was the center of attraction for most of the festivities, her and her dotting father who did his best to make her giggle for him.
"That she is." Dhwani smiled nodding at Miraya's mention.
Dhwani led her to the dinner table where Indraneel and Anirudh stood at once watching their women walking towards them. Each pulled a chair near them and helped the ladies take a seat before they settled back and got back to discussing business. Dhwani and Vandita shared a knowing smile with a shake of the head.
They were hardcore businessmen, but before that, they were men in love.
So, so much in love.
She felt his eyes before she felt his presence in the long hallway. After a long night, they were returning to their rooms but he stopped with Harshvardhan and Neel while she left.
The second floor of the palace was intricately designed and later remodeled to fit modern requirements. Her fingers glided through the wooden furniture used for decorations while his gaze caressed her. Dhwani didn't turn or stop to let him match her pace. She kept walking at leisure and reached the high brass doors. Noiselessly she opened the door and left them for him to follow her.
And he did.
His steps turned almost sneaky due to the soft carpet unrolled on the marble floor to control the temperature, even away from dessert, the floor was ice cold for anyone to walk barefoot around.
She stood infront of the mirror waiting for her peripheral to catch his figure that muffled in darkness, if not the moonlight, the room would have been the darkest just like the sky. The dusk is ready to absorb any amount of light within.
Dropping her earrings, her fingers worked on her necklace when she felt his warm fingertips touching her nape.
"Are you not jealous of Vandita anymore?" His words brushed against her earlobe, making her shudder. He unhooked her neckpiece and waited for her to collect them and place it down.
"No," Dhwani replied and his palms brushed her shoulders and glided down her arms to help her remove her bangles.
"I wonder why." His teeth scraped her nape making her suck in a sharp breath. She leaned against his warmth, letting him hold her weight and he gladly did.
"Want to take a shower?" He pressed a kiss on her collar bone and she blinked at their reflection to see lust pooling in their eyes. She turned and snaked her arms around his neck, pressing a quick kiss on his lips.
"If you promise to join me."
His answering smirk made her stomach flutter and she gently pushed him out of her way and sashayed her way towards the en-suite.
She stopped at the door and glanced behind her shoulder to watch him stand where she left him. "In 15 minutes."
"Whatever you want, wife."
I am breaking the epilogue into two parts to get all my thoughts on paper. I have so many scenes in mind but so little space to fill them.
Honestly, I am delaying my farewell to the Chauhan family. I am so used to writing them that now I can't write fearing that this is going to be the last time I am living them.
That is so overwhelming.
But I promise to give you the other part of the epilogue by Sunday. You wouldn't be waiting longer than that.