𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖗𝖎𝖒𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕮𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖓.

45. 𝓥𝖔𝖜𝖘.

"Janu, beta please wake up or else your else Kritik and Varun will get ready faster and you will be the last one." I applied the tactic which always works on me and it worked on her too as she sat up straight and nodded her head in a no.

"Not a chance Badi Mumma. You'll see I will come second." She announced standing up and making way to the door.

"Second?" I asked in confusion.

"Varun bhaiya is winning but I can't loose to this Kritik." She said, and started banging the door of the suite opposite to mine, Preeti bhabhi's.

I nodded as my confusion got cleared and then Kritik, after showing her his tongue in a mocking gesture, ran off to Rohit bhai who was taking to Samarth bhai in the hallway.

"Thank god the kids will be ready. They are literally the most important part of these festivities!" I sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"Siya, are you ready?" Mumma asked as she entered my room and glanced at me.

"You look like who you are, a queen," she said, gently touching my cheek before placing the nazar ka teeka behind my ear.

"You look like who you are too, a Queen's mother," I replied, mimicking her gesture and earning a playful slap on my hand and then she escorted me to the hall where the puja was to take place. Just the women and kids were supposed to attend.

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"Siya, why are you getting nervous now? Everything has gone well, you are already married to him and you're just doing this once again at a place which has always been your favourite." Hansika bhabhi, after placing the bridal dupatta on my head asked.

"I know bhabhi. I am not nervous, just jittery. Do I look okay?" I asked her standing up.

"Okay? Siya you look, well I don't have the adjectives. No one will be able to take their eyes off you." Tanya bhabhi said, holding my hand.

"Exactly, just look at you." Hansika bhabhi turned me towards the mirror and kept the tips of her fingers on my chin.

"Let's go now. Your husband surely has his eyes glued to your entrance." Tanya bhabhi teased me and I laughed.

Well, she wasn't wrong.

As I made my way towards him under the phoolon ki chaadar held by my brothers, dad and Samarth bhai in the hotel's lawn covered by snow clad mountains on all the sides with the sun, making its descent just behind, casting a warm glow on him , Ranaji's gaze met mine and a subtle smile formed on his lips and in the moment, I saw him trying to discreetly wiping the side of his eye, pressing his thumb.

Was he crying or was this just an illusion? But whatever it was, his gaze on me was as strong as it was the last time we were getting married. I couldn't hold his gaze then and I most certainly couldn't today. Shyness took over, and my eyes involuntarily drifted downward, aided by my veil as I walked closer to him.

"Ek dafaa apni nazrein humse mila kar toh dekh lein aap Maharanisa kyunki hum toh aur kahin dekh hi nahi paa rahe hain."

(TRANSLATION - AT LEAST RAISE YOUR EYES TO MEET MINE, MAHARANISA. I FIND MYSELF INCAPABLE OF LOOKING ANYWHERE BUT YOU.)

"Aapki drishti mein itni laalsa hai Ranaji, ki humari aankhein sharm se jhuk gayi hain. Hum jitna bhi prayas karein, inhe utha hi nahi pa rahe hain."

(TRANSLATION - YOUR EYES ARE FILLED WITH DESIRE FOR ME RANAJI, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY, I CANNOT LIFT THEM TO LOOK AT YOU.)

I put the garland across his neck, my eyes refusing to meet his.