To Love Again !!!

Chapter - 23

Abhay and Amrit stood amongst some relatives at the reception. And Amrit found her gaze going back to Abhay again and again. He had changed for the function just as she had. And he looked dashing in his Jodhpuri maroon brocade kurta with stone buttons and patch border work with a black dupion silk pajama. There was not one man in the entire who could hold a candle to him. He looked royal and his height and build added that extra charisma to the outfit.

Not that she looked any less in her intricately styled detailed...crimson red faux georgette sari embellished with resham, sequins, zari, beads, stone, cutdana and patch work. With it she wore a beautiful green, white and maroon polki studded gold necklace set. Her long hair had been styled with lots of long curls and it had been left open. Everyone who saw her complimented her on how she looked and she had given the credit to her mother in law after all the sari and the jewelry was her selection.

Amrit had lost the nervousness she had felt earlier. After the marriage ceremony she had left with Abhay for the hotel that had been booked by the Malhotra's. She hadn't cried at all even though her mother, Nimmi chachi and Simrit had cried enough for the entire clan. It had felt strange that now she was not Amrit Vij but Amrit Malhotra. It would take some time to getting used to the new name but her confidence had slowly returned. She had been asked to rest once they had reached the hotel and Sarla had stayed with her throughout. Later she had been sent to the salon to get ready for the evening function that had been arranged in a farmhouse. Abhay had introduced her to most of his relatives and friends, some were even his colleagues. And she had realized that she had worried unnecessarily. As she had watched Abhay interact with his friends and colleagues she had seen how warm he was and how much his friends respected him. It was not possible if something was wrong with the man. And she had felt her unease slowly ebb away. Though she was dreading how she would be able to adjust once they would be alone. She knew there were a lot of challenges that would come her way. Some because of her own nature and habits and she was sure Abhay had his habits too and to adjust would not be as easy and being married needed some getting used to, she hoped she would be able to give this relationship her all. She would have gone on thinking had an overly sweet voice not interrupted her.

"How are you feeling?" Simrit said from behind her, "Now that you are finally married," she said.

Amrit had been smiling before but at Simrit's voice her smile froze and she turned to face her sister with a chilling expression. She found Simrit was smiling but as usual her smile did not reach her eyes. She was wearing a strange sea green colored sequin salwar kameez and her hair was tied in a bouffant bun on her head. With her face white as a pastry frost and bright red lipstick she looked as loud as she could possibly look. Amrit didn't respond to her question or comment.

"That is if you are capable of feeling anything," Simrit said with a tongue in cheek expression.

"If feelings makes one into something like you then I am happy without them," Amrit said sarcastically as she gave her sister a half smile.

She watched Simrit's smugness fade as her eyes flashed with fire. Simrit tried to keep her expression pleasant but she failed miserably.

"You will never change," Simrit tried to make a dent in her sister's confidence, "wonder what your in laws would say if they saw you like this," she said.

"What did yours say when they found out what you were really like?" Amrit asked keeping her expression superior.

"Don't worry about me dear sister," Simrit said, "I have always had my good luck and good looks to get away with things. You have neither," she said smugly, "besides I have been married five years with a son to boast of no matter what I do or what I say they will always look up to me," she said proudly.