***Arya's POV.***
"Arya. Arya. Wake up." A familiar voice tries to wake me and shakes my shoulder lightly.
I open my eyes to see Vedant hovering above me and smiles, "Good morning, Arya."
"Good morning." I say and he backs off as I sit up and look at the clock on the opposite wall to see it is almost 8. "I am late. Why didn't you wake me up early?"
I get up from bed in a rush and almost fall when my feet get tangled with bedsheets, but Vedant holds me and says, "Careful. No need to rush. The Mooh Dikhai ritual is not till 10. And Mom warned me to let you sleep. I would have not woken you now also, but then Dadi said you would need time to get dressed."
"She is right. I have to wear a saree." I say.
"Okay." He says, "What time are your brothers coming to pick you up?"
"At 1 maybe. I insisted they have lunch with us." I say.
"Okay. I will inform Mom that you have woken up and also about your brother's time of coming. Also I'll be back with your breakfast in half an hour." He says.
"Okay." I say and after he leaves I rush to the bathroom to get ready.
Mom gave me a saree yesterday that I have to wear. So after a quick shower, I wear it. But it has been a while since I wore one so the pleats are giving me some trouble. I try to straighten it when Vedant enters the room with a tray. I have yet to put the saree's one end over my shoulder so I turn around after just a second of awkward look.
"I am sorry. I should have knocked." He says.
"It's okay." I say and drape the end and pin it to my blouse on my shoulder.
I turn around and see him looking anywhere but at me with the tray still in his hands. I go to take it from him but the pleats open up again.
"Not again." I say and try to gather it again. But another pair of hands took it from me.
"Don't misjudge. I used to pleat my dhotis and also don't tell this to anyone. I was dressed as a girl for one of the fancy dress competitions. I wanted to surprise my Mom so I had practised a lot and learned about pleats so I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of the audience." He says as he makes perfect pleats and gives me tuck in while he puts a pin on them.
"Thanks. And I must see the photo of it." I say.
"No way." He says in horror as he gets up, "I have hid it in the darkest corner of the house. No one can find it. Ever."
"Why didn't you just destroy it?" I ask and put on a simple necklace.
"I would have. But that memory is precious to Mom, and me too. It has us both in the pictures so I can't just destroy it. By the way, you look pretty in red. I am sorry if I forgot to compliment my bride yesterday. But you look beautiful in that lehenga." He says and gives me the coffee mug.
"You did too." I say with a shy smile.
"Hey, now. Just because I told you I was dressed as a woman doesn't mean you would call me beautiful." He says with a fake anger and I chuckle, "But thanks anyway."
"You looked handsome." I say after a beat.
"I know." He says with a broad smile, "That's why you can't take your eyes away from me even when I was in that cafe."
"Vedant!" I exclaim and turn around to see my face on fire in the mirror.
I wear my earrings while Vedant attends his call. I take a sip of coffee and sit on the couch to eat some paratha as I feel hungry. I serve Vedant some too when he sits down beside me.
I go down after breakfast with Vedant. Mom smiles and takes my arm to make me sit on the couch in the middle of the women. One by one they come and bless me and give me gifts. They also whisper good wishes in my ear and I blush at some of them.
"We are here." A familiar sound says loudly and I look up to see Parth.
"Parth." I say and he comes to me and takes me in his embrace.
"Missed me that much, huh? If you asked us, we would have made Vedant stay with us." He whispers in my ear and I slap his arm.
"Where is Shaurya Bhai and Reyansh Bhai?" I ask.
"They are coming. By the way, did Jiju find his name in your mehandi?" He asks loudly and everyone looks at me.
"Parth!" I exclaim and slap his arm again.
"What? I asked a valid question. I'm just curious." He says.
"No, I didn't." Vedant says and Parth hugs him too.
"Why so? Were you lost in my sister's beautiful eyes that you forgot everything?" Parth asks but then moans in pain when Reyansh Bhai tugs his ear, "What are you doing?"
"Mom told me to tug your ears in case you embarrass our sister. How is my Aru?" Reyansh bhai leaves Parth and gives me a hug then shakes hands with Vedant.
"I'm just fine." I say.
"Aru." Shaurya Bhai says when I get out of Reyansh Bhai arms and hug him too.
Mom welcomes them and makes them sit. We talked for a few minutes before going for lunch. The guests were going to leave after lunch too so we had caterers arrange everything.
"Should I come to pick you before breakfast or after it?" Vedant asks while Mom insists my brothers take the gifts home and put them in our car.
"After breakfast. I will text you the time. When are we leaving for a temple visit?" I ask.
"We will be taking a flight tomorrow evening. So we can rest at night, then the next day we can go to Vaishano Devi. After that next day we would leave for Amritsar and would stay there for a day. And from there we will go to Ludhiana to visit my Nanu and Nani who were not able to come to our wedding as my Nani just had a major operation. We will be staying there for two or three days." He says and I nod.
"Okay." I say.
"I hope it is okay. If you want, we can make some changes in the schedule." He asks.
"No, it is perfect. I hope it suits you well." I say.
"It is. I would be back in time for our biggest project." He says.
"Good." I say.
I yelp when Parth picks me and I look at him in question along with others, "What? Mom said Mamu picked her up to take her little sister home. I'm just following the customs."
"Bye." I say after shaking my head at Parth.
"No. See you soon." He says and I blush.
"Aww!" Parth says and for the third time I slap his arm.
Parth puts me in the back of the car and I wave at my family. My brothers ask me a million questions like if I had breakfast? Did I sleep well? Did anyone say anything? Did anyone irritate me?
"Like anyone could irritate her." Parth says and I look at her.
Shaurya and Reyansh Bhai notice that and laugh while Parth pouts. I smile and shake my head at him. I pinch his cheeks and answer everyone's questions. Soon we reach home and they do my aarti before welcoming me in their arms.
But I don't know why, in one day this house feels different. Not that different but somewhere I belong but not totally. I smile as I feel this silly thought running in my head. Obviously now I think that my home is my everything. But I know this home is still mine and would be forever no matter what.
"How was everything?" Mami asks as she combs my hair after dinner.
"It was delicious. You know I like the dal fry you make." I say.
"Not that, Aru. I'm asking how everything was in your in-laws house yesterday and this morning? Was Purvi Ji good to you?" She asks.
"Good? She was the best. She sent snacks for me to my room and was so caring throughout every ritual. She guided me with patience and looked after me well." I say with a broad smile.
"Okay. I just hope you won't replace me." She says and I stop smiling.
I take her hand and turn around to ask, "Are you jealous, Mami?"
"No. Why would I be jealous? Just because she got you as her daughter now? I mean you are still my daughter." SHe says looking anywhere but at me.
"Mami!" I say and when she looks at me, I continue, "I love you. And nothing is going to change that. You will always have the right to me no matter what. And no one can replace you. I have enough room in my heart to envelope all of you. And don't forget when you will get daughter-in-laws, I would be jealous too."
"Only if they are like you, a little more family-oriented." She says.
"Mami, my brothers are the best and I know that this family would one day get more daughters of whom you would be proud of. They might not be like me but they would be family-oriented for sure." I say.
"I won't care if they are a little selfish. I won't even care if they are always out pursuing their dreams as long as they love this family. They love me like I am their mother. Because I know staying married to my son is not easy. They are a little like me." She says and I chuckle.
"They would love you, Mami. In fact they would need you and you would need them too. And this need would make you both love and respect each other." I say.
"I hope so." She says and kisses my forehead.
I put my head in her lap and sent a prayer to God that my sweet and caring Mami get the best daughter-in-laws in the world.