ISHQ-E-IBAADAT

03

(Abhijay's look 🔼)

Abhijay's eyes stayed hooked to hers as his world beautifully came to a halt. He had been waiting for this day for quite long now and seeing her finally going to be immersed in the shade of his possessiveness to become his lifeline was an unexplainable feeling. A woman standing beside him nudged him and said, "Zara hamari taraf bhi dekh lijiye (Please look at me as well)"

"Unse nazrein hatein tab duniya par gaur karein na (For that I have to first avert my eyes from my wife)" Abhijay answered not moving his eyes from hers. She was angry but listening to the words he said to Payal a faint blush automatically coated her cheeks. Payal felt humiliated as he did not even spare her a glance. His flirting, teasing, and love were only reserved for his Anshi. Dressed in a royal golden traditional dress that always managed to catch everyone's attention she thought she could even win over Abhijay but in a second she realized how wrong she was. As even after a minute Abhijay didn't pay any heed to the lady who had approached him continuing to admire Shivanshi she left quietly.

Shivanshi tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and kept her warm hand in his cold palm. He silently pulled her closer making her keep her hand on his chest while they heard the sound of several clicks. He wrapped his arm around her petite waist. Shivers ran down her spine as her bare skin came in contact with his teasing touch. The photographers finished their job and left the couple to themselves fulfilling their aim of publishing the news of this alliance worldwide. Abhijay and Shivanshi sat together as the families went on with their own set of rituals. Shivanshi kept glaring at him while he leaned in and whispered in her ears, "Stop staring love or even before you planned on keeping your promise I would kiss you like no tomorrow."

She elbowed him while he kept a hand on his heart, "Hayee...Your little wild touches blow my sanity away"

She wanted to facepalm herself for being so stupid as to fall for the trap of this over-smart man. Everything she wanted to work in her favor went against her the moment he opened his mouth. Somehow she knew her heart never protested to his gestures. Never revolted against his words to the extent of taking drastic measures but the attachment instead of guiding her to peace led her to contradicting thoughts. His smirk clearly told her that he had kept his promise of being her husband by hook or crook.

The time to exchange the rings finally came. She looked at her mother telling her to do what she wanted or else she might back out from her dream of seeing her daughter getting married. Gayathri sighed and handed over the plate with rings to Payal.

"Why me Badi Maa?" Payal asked.

"You are lucky enough to be privileged to serve the queen of Udaipur. It's a rare wonder that I am allowing you to touch the plate that must have been in the holiest hands of the clan. Proceed," The reply wasn't by Gayathri but by Meenakshi Shekhawat. The mother of Abhijay Shekhawat. Her response tugged at Shivanshi's heart. The pride for her visible in the tone of her mother-in-law never reflected in her mother's voice. Abhijay intertwined their fingers tightening his hold on Anshi's hand.

Payal quietly walked towards the couple feeling humiliated for being put second to Shivanshi for the first time in her entire life. Gayathri had always compared the two but never chosen Shivanshi over her. Today the Maharani Sa of Udaipur had shown her the ground which she wasn't able to see from the sky she was flying in.

Shivanshi put the ring she had selected for the imaginary to-be husband of her life which turned out to be Abhijay. She had especially demanded the initial of her name to be imprinted on the ring of her husband to claim him without saying it aloud. Her childish wish which she left behind when she grew up was her father's proud conquest. Her father used to take her every demand as his order and got her the custom-made ring for her marriage, unknown to the fact that he would never be able to witness the event. The ring to shivanshi was the blessing of her superhero.