***Vedant's POV.***
It is Sunday, and the only day I could relax. For the past one week, I had a hectic schedule. Between my company's work and family's shopping, I got exhausted. So, I slept in today and woke up late.
The shopping with my family was not much but Dadu needed me to fix decorations for our house and also I had to wrap up some big deals a week before the wedding. So, I won't have to go to the company till I am married.
I still can't believe I will be married in a week. To Arya. She is the most beautiful and polite person I have ever met after my Mom and also Mayra. And she blushes very cutely. I shake my head at that thought.
We talked during this week and tried to know as much as we could about each other. I am relieved that she is going to be my wife. The reason is that she is family-oriented but also fierce too. By her arguments on some subject and standing for her belief, she showed me that she will protect the people she loves.
I have never been in a relationship before, so it is awkward for me to understand what to do and what not to do. The only time I had been with a girl was when I was studying in London and that was just casual.
It was my way of running away from the past or maybe everything. We both were just using each other. And at one point when I realized what I was doing, I stepped back.
In my life, I would be anything but not like my mother's ex-husband. I would not use women like that. Never. As soon as I realized that I broke up with that girl and she got mad.
She cursed me saying she still needs me to make someone jealous. But I told her that, that is not going to fill the void she was feeling. It is better to just move on and try to live the life she wants rather than depending on other people.
I promised myself that day when I would get married, I would treat my wife right and be loyal to her till my last breath. I would never disappoint Arya as her husband.
I woke up at half past nine and went to take shower. I think about visiting her and taking her out for dinner today. As we will get busy this week. She deserves a date before the wedding. A very good date.
I think about that as I come out of shower and after drying myself, I wear the towel around my waist. As I text my secretary to book a table for us in a famous restaurant and come inside my room from the bathroom, I freeze.
The reason for that is standing right in front of me with a cup of coffee in her hand and the perfect pink blush coming to her cheeks.
If this is how it is before the wedding, I can't believe I am saying this but I can't wait to see what will happen after our wedding.
***Arya's POV.***
I enter the house and see the maids cleaning up the place. I don't see anyone in the living room so I ask one of the maids where everyone is.
She says that everyone is waiting for breakfast in the backyard garden. I ask them to hold up and not say that I am here. I arranged breakfast, I brought in plates and put them on the tray.
Nani and Mami made chole bhature and aloo paratha. I, on the other hand, made aloo cutlet with chutney. I take out some curd too to eat with paratha.
With the help of two maids who hold a tray of tea and snacks in their hand, I go out with one more tray in my hand. I see them seated with their backs to me.
I come in front of them and say, "Surprise!"
"Arya, dear. You here? What a surprise!" Mom says and gets up to hug me.
I put the tray down on the table and hug her and then touch Dadu and Dadi's feet who don't let me and just embrace me.
"I was free today. So, I thought to visit you all with some breakfast." I say and serve them breakfast.
"Chole bhature. I am sure Vrinda bhabhi made this for me." Dadu says.
"But please put a little hold to eat. You are not supposed to eat it in too much quantity." Dadi warns him.
"Well, there is no limit today." Dadu says as he takes the first bite and moans in delight.
"So, what are your plans for today?" Mom asks.
"Just to enjoy my day with you all. I thought to come here as it has been a while since I was last here and to help you all if you need any." I say and take a sip of my coffee.
"Great." Mom says.
"Where is Mayra?" I ask and again see some tension at her mention.
"She has gone early as today is her dance class." Dadu says when nobody says anything for a few seconds.
"Okay. And where is Vedant?" I ask gingerly.
"He must be in his room. The maid told me he had woken up half an hour ago. Arya, why don't you call him down for breakfast and also take his coffee to his room?" Mom asks.
"And if you want, you both can spend some time then come down. We won't mind." Dadi says with a wink while I blush.
I excuse myself and make a cup of coffee for him. As I don't know what type of coffee he drinks, I make it like I have it. I take it upstairs and knock on his door.
But he doesn't open, I try the knob and see the door is open. I open it and enter his room only to stop short when I see him in nothing but a towel around his waist.
I freeze and so does he, when he notices me. I know I might be blushing but my eyes can't seem to stop looking at his hard chest and abs. I hear someone cough and look up to see him, his one brow raised and smile on his face.
"I thought you can't blush more than that but you proved me wrong." He says.
"Your coffee." I say as I hold my hand out which has coffee and look anywhere but at him.
"Thanks. Sit. I will be back after getting changed." He says and goes inside one of the doors.
I blink and come out of the trans and sit down in a chair in the middle of the room and put coffee on the table. I look around his room or my soon to be room.
It has a gray and blue color theme which looks cozy. The right wall has a big king size bed and bedside tables and bed foot bench. The center of the room has a sitting area.
The left wall has a fireplace with a screen on the mantle. There is a dresser on one side of the fireplace. The balcony is opposite the entrance and I walk up to it.
It has glass doors and the balcony has a small swing chair of blue color with cushions. It also has some plants and another sitting area. But the exquisite vision in front of me is out of this world.
One can see both the sunrise and the sunset. The mountains give it a bit of a foggy look to it and the view from the city here would surely look good at night.
"So, did you like our room?" Vedant says as he comes out with coffee in hand.
"It is lovely." I say with a smile.
"If you want, you can make changes here." He says.
"No, it is perfect as it is." I say as I lean against the railing.
"So, I was thinking." He says and I look at him.
"About what?" I ask.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" Vedant asks.
"Sure." I say.
"Where do you want to go? He asks.
"Did you plan anything?" I ask.
"Well, I reserved a table for us in a restaurant. But if you want, we can go anywhere else." He says.
"Thanks for being so considerate. But that would be fine. Or maybe we can go to Dhaba." I say.
"Dhaba? Which Dhaba?" He asks.
"Veerji Da Dhaba. We found it one day and as it was on Veer's name, we thought of trying it. It was very good and I have yet to try other dishes made by them." I say as I am lost in the thought of the taste of kachoris I had.
"Fine. We will go there. Let me just cancel our booking." He says.
"But we can go there some other day. You already booked a table for us at the restaurant. So, let's just go there today. We will go there some other time." I say.
"But if you really want to go there then we will go there only." He says.
"No. We will go there next time. Today I want some quiet time after the hectic days I had. And you must want that too." I say.
"Yes. It was quite tiring for sure. But don't worry, I am already finished with my work. So, I would be attentive towards you during our wedding. By the way, that reminds me, where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"
His sudden question about honeymoon takes me by surprise and I stutter, "I... I...don't...know."
"No need to be nervous. Just tell me one thing: beach or mountain?" He asks.
"I see mountains everyday so maybe it's the beach." I say.
"Great. I will send you some destination ideas. Choose anyone from them or add anywhere else you like to go. Okay?" He asks.
"Okay." I say.
We go down after a few minutes and meet up with the elders. Mom gets happy when she hears about our plan to go out. I spent the afternoon with them as they needed my suggestions about some sarees styles and jewelry to go with it..
After having lunch and taking a short nap at their house, I went out with Vedant. He took me out to see a movie first which was a thriller one as we both like that genre more.
Then we went to our dinner reservations. We ordered some Italian cuisine and talked about casual things. We even talk about our likes and dislikes. He gives me his full attention.
As we wait for the check, one of the waiter accidentally spills some hot soup on my cardigan and Vedant immediately takes the cardigan off of me. The waiter apologized and we understand that it is not his fault.
"Are you okay? I hope I took the cardigan off in time so you don't get burnt." Vedant says as he checks my arm in concern.
"I am fine, it just has gotten a bit red. But I don't feel much of it." I say.
"Come. I have an ointment in my first aid kit in the car." He says and carefully holds me in his arms and takes me out.
He makes sits me in the car first and then gets in the driver's seat. After he finds first aid kit, he applies an ointment carefully where I got burnt. I look at him and think that he is very caring and considerate and always asks.
A smile comes to my face and he looks up with raised brow. I shake my head. We next go to have ice cream and sit at a nearby bench with some distance between us.
"How was today? I mean, I hope you liked the date. I hope it was not boring." Vedant says.
"It was nice. After a hectic week, I needed this. Actually we needed this. This peace and silence." I say as I enjoy the light breeze.
"Me too. From tomorrow this will change too. We have a week ahead of so many rituals." He says.
"Yes. But it would be more difficult for me as I am the bride." I say just to tease.
"I'm not going to be spared just because I'm a groom or man. Mom and Dadi won't let me have a peaceful moment for sure." He says with a smile which makes me sure he wouldn't mind that.
"And what about Mayra?" I ask and he tenses up and doesn't answer.
"You finished?" Vedant asks some time later.
"Yes." I say.
"Let's go then before we get too late." He says with his usual smile.
I nod and follow him. Vedant doesn't speak much about Mayra. He and his family tenses up everytime I mention Mayra except for Dadu. At first I was confused but then Nani cleared up everything, the little bit she knew about my new family's past. The things I heard made my heart worried not only for Mom but also Mayra. And obviously in my heart the respect for Vedant was raised to a whole new level.
But from what I saw it feels like nobody in the family has wholly accepted Mayra. It is like there are cracks in the family still existing even after all these years. They look perfect together but one part of them always stays at a distance. I want to do something but if I take a wrong step without understanding everyone's pain, I will only make it worse. I don't know everything.
Everyone has their own pain and their own way of dealing with it. No one's pain could be measured more or less in this family. But one thing I know is Mayra is as innocent as the man sitting beside me and I will do everything in my power to make her accepted in this family.
But for that, first, I have to get accepted. In the short time that I've come to know this family, it is clear that they are yearning for happiness. So, I won't spoil anyone's mood right now and let this wedding go without any such incident. Then once I'm part of this family, I will make it my family. A family that I always wanted through my husband.