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"Aadhya... your Baarat (wedding procession) is finally here." Some yelled through the hallway and following minutes, the sound of music, band got louder and louder.
Aadhya smiled widely, as she heard the noises coming from outside. "I can't wait to see it." She squealed in happiness but soon contained herself, looking at the makeup artist who was giving her a last minute touch up.
"I know I know, you're too happy Ms. Aadhya Malhotra, but just control yourself a little, you'll be soon married to the love of your life." She heard Tara, her best friend who was sitting on the bed behind her.
"I know right. I have always imagined this day coming true. I can't me more happy that I'm finally marrying Ahaan." She spoke, earning a chuckle from Tara.
"It's done, Aadhya." The makeup artist, Priya spoke finally looking into the mirror.
"Gosh, look at you. You're looking so beautiful." Priya added further.
"Why won't be She looking beautiful, Natural glow it is." Her sister-in-law, Aditi entered the room.
"Bhabhi..." Aadhya stood up and hugged her. Looking at Aadhya from head to toe, Aditi wiped out some kohl from the corner of her eyes and put tha behind her ears.
"May God protect you from all the evil eyes." She caressed her face and peeked her forehead.
"By the way, can I see outside." Aadhya requested. "No, don't you remember what Ahaan's Grandma said, you can't see him until you both walk through the aisle." Sighing, Aadhya nodded at her and settled on the couch.
"For how long I have to wait?" She asked, pouting.
"Almost an hour. There are a few rituals which are needed to be performed before the actual wedding starts." Aditi informed.
"Okay, I'll come later. Tara is here so tell her if you need something okay and don't come outside unless you're told to." Aditi pointed, earing a nod from her and looked at Tara who was busy chatting in her phone and Aditi exited the room, followed by Priya.
"Tara....put your phone down. Can't you give me attention for today at least." Aadhya whined and Tara immediately kept her phone aside and looked at her
"Sorry sorry. I thought you're busy for sometime." Tara immediately apologized.
"Wait....let's click your pictures." Tara suggested.
"But this Lehanga, it's too heavy and I don't want to get tired before my wedding."
"Okay okay Babba, I'll click your pictures while you're sitting on the couch. Just give some pose." Aadhya agreed and flaired her Lehanga when Tara started to click some pictures.
"Okay, it's enough now. Show me the pictures." Tara handed her phone to Aadhya.
"Ah, you see the light isn't perfect from this side and why this picture Is so blurred." Aadhya furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment while looking at the pictures.
"Okay, I'll take more and better one this time." Tara was about to take her phone when a notification flashed on her phone.
Love:-
I'll see you in 15 minutes."
Aadhya squinted her eyes but before she could react, Tara abruptly snatched her phone.
"You didn't tell me you are dating." Aadhya exclaimed, widening her eyes while Tara gulped nervously.
"No, I'm not Aadhya." Tara said hesitantly. "No man, you're. I clearly saw it was notification from someone you have saved as 'Love'. How could you not tell me, we're best friends." Aadhya stood up from the couch.
"Okay...now you have got to know than let me tell you, I just met this guy on a random dating app two month ago, yk and we clicked and things accelerated. I was about to tell you but I thought it's too soon and then your wedding preparations started. I forgot Amidst those. I'm sorry."
Aadhya glared at Tara while the later showed her puppy eyes.
"I'm sorry na, it's not even serious right now." Tara further added.
"Not serious, man you have clearly saved his name as Love. Leave that, what's his name??" Aadhya curiously asked.
"Umm...his name..." Aadhya stared at her curiously but before Tara could speak, her phone buzzed with another notification but this time, it was a call. Aadhya peeked inside her phone and saw the name "Love" Flashing and have her a teasing smile.
"Wait a minute." Picking up the call, Tara slightly moved away from Aadhya while shaking her head with a smile, Aadhya set back on the couch.
"Well, I can't see Ahaan but I can at least call him right. But what if he doesn't pick up and someone else is having his phone. Nevermind, I'm his soon to be wife. I can call him." Nodding at herself, she tapped on his contact and kept the phone near her ears.
'The number you're trying to reach is currently busy.' Aadhya squinted her eyes looking at the screen and ended the call.
"Even on the wedding day, his call is busy." Aadhya couldn't help but to pout and started scrolling through her social media. A few seconds later, Tara hung up the phone and walked towards Aadhya.
"Aadhya, I'd be back in a few minutes." Aadhya looked at her suspiciously but seeing her blushing face, she understood.
"Wait a damn minute, is he here? Do I know him and you didn't even tell me his name?" Aadhya showered her with questions.
"I'll answer your every question Okay but after I come back." With this, Tara dashed out of the room leaving Aadhya alone.
"Wow, I'm all alone on my own wedding day." Aadhya heaved out a sigh and started to scroll through her phone, passing her time until someone call for her.
Some minutes passed by when she heard a knock at the door and looked up to find her mother, Sheetal; her cousin Mahi and Aditi.
"Now you all got time for me. I'm here all alone from past 15 minutes." Aadhya sulked while all of then let out a laugh.
"There were some rituals to be performed. Now it's all done, so we should be heading towards the Mandap." Aadhya nodded at them and stood from the couch, carefully with her heavy wedding dress and jewelry.
"I can't believe, you're getting married." Sheetal, Aadhya's mother came while her eyes glistened.
"Maa, don't cry. I promise I'd meet you whenever you'll ask." Sheetal nodded at her with a chuckle and wiped her tears.
"My baby have grown up so much." She caressed her head and kissed her forehead.
"It looks like I'm watching a hindi drama." Mahi exclaimed, walking into the room.
"You won't understand because you aren't getting married." Aditi responded, patting her head.
"Exactly, just wait for a few months and you'll be getting married too." Aadhya mumbled and sticked out her tongue.
"Gosh, I don't know what's gonna happen with you after marriage. You two are still silly." Sheetal shook her head, with a smile..
"Maa, Aditi..." They all turned their head towards the door hearing the familiar voice and saw Reyaan coming inside the room.
"Everyone is calling you in the Mandap." He informed and then, looked at Aadhya.
"Bhai, how am I looking?" Aadhya asked her brother.
"Too beautiful, just like a monkey." All of them burst into laughter hearing him expect Aadhya.
"Bhaaiiii..." She whined and stomped her feet on the ground.
"I was lightning up the mood, but you're looking just like a princess." He said softly, coming near her and hugged her.
"Where's papa, I wanted to meet him too." Aadhya mumbled, looking towards the door.
"He's on his way. We should get going now otherwise you know, Ahaan's Grandma. She'd eat us alive if everything didn't happen on time." Mahi spoke.
"Mahi..." Sheetal whispered.
"What badi Maa, I'm just saying the truth. She's a dangerous woman." Everyone giggled when Mahi whispered the last part.
"Okay okay, let's go now." Nodding at them, Aditi helped Aadhya to walk with her heavy dress as they walked into the hallway.
"Wait...." Aadhya exclaimed a little after.
"What now? Don't tell me you forgot something." Aditi eyed her.
"No no, I have to take Napkins from my room. I might need that." All of them nodded at her when she pointed at the door of her room, since she was in another room while getting ready.
"I'll bring that, you wait here." Mahi informed.
"You won't be able to find it. Lemme go, I'll be quick." Aadhya protested and walked towards her room while all of then followed her to the doorframe.
She furrowed her eyebrows when she heard some whispers coming from her room, well between all the noises she wasn't sure if the sound of whispers were from her room or not.
"Who might be here?" She muttered under her breath and pushed the door open, only to gaps at the sight in front in front of her eyes.
She stood there, processing the sight in front of her which conveyed another story and her world crumbled down under her feet when the two figures, one hovering the other looked in her direction in horror.
"Aadhya, why are you standing at the doorsteps, hurry-
The words stucked inside Sheetal's throat when she walked to Aadhya but her eyes fell on the scene In front of her.
Ahaan, with whom Aadhya was to take vows was hovering her best friend, Tara but soon both of them stood up hurriedly.
Their messed up and the lipstick mark on Ahaan's cheek screamed the whole story.
"Aadhya,....it...it isn't like this....let me explain...." Ahaan shuttered.
Soon, Reyaan Mahi and Aditi too stood beside them, staring at Ahaan and Tara.
"What the fuck you're doing here?" Reyaan growled walking inside with a fast pace and in no time held his collar.
"Didn't you say you had to use bathroom then what the hell you're doing here on your own wedding day with someone else." Reyaan punched his face and Tara stood their gasped in horror but soon, Aditi ran inside and held Reyaan
"Reyaan please, control yourself." She whispered.
"Control myself, are you watching this bastard." Reyaan shouted while Sheetal walked inside. Mahi held Aadhya by her shoulders.
"What are you doing here Ahaan?" Sheetal asked in anger and rage.
"What is happening here? Everyone is waiting downstairs." Aadhya's father, Mohit, who walked in the hallway towards Aadhya and mahi asked in confusion.
"Bade papa...." Mahi mumbled and glanced inside the room while a few lines of worry appeared on his forehead when he heard Reyaan yelling in anger and walked inside.
"What's happening here?" Everyone turned in his direction.
"Ask to This Rascal." Reyaan angered.
"Reyaan, language." Mohit glared at him.
"Language, you're worrying about my language when this man was with another girl in your daughter's bedroom when he should be at the Mandap right now. Aren't you ashamed." Reyaan shouted.
Mohit eyes widened in shock and he glanced at Ahaan and Tara.
"Reyaan, control yourself there are guests outside." Sheetal held his hand and gave a disgusting look to Ahaan.
"This piece of shit doesn't even have something to say, to defend himself. Tell me....tell me aren't you ashamed." Reyaan held his collar again and growled in anger.
Aadhya felt her world crushing down in front of her. For once, for once she wanted that whatever they were saying was a lie and all this would have been a nightmare but it wasn't. Her breathing became uneven and her body started to tremble when she tried holding herself back. She felt her mind going dizzy and vision blurring due to her tears but soon her body gave up and everything blanked out in front of eyes and all she heard was some faint voices calling her name.
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Aadhya opened her eyes, leisurely but soon got up abruptly. Was it all a dream?
"Aadhya, how are you feeling now?" She ignored Mahi's question and walked out of bed.
"Mahi, I-I saw the worst nightmare. It was Tara...Ahaan...where are they. I need to see Ahaan right now" She walked towards the gate.
"Aadhya stop. Please, you aren't well." Mahi exclaimed and ran towards her.
"No, you...you aren't understanding Mahi. I need to see Ahaan right now. I don't know how I ended up sleeping on my own wedding day and saw that dream. Yeah, it was just a bad dream. I...where are everyone and why no one tried to wake me up. It's my-?"
"Aadhya" mahi yelled, interrupting Aadhya and held her shoulders, while her eyes welled up seeing Aadhya's state.
"It wasn't a dream." A fresh pool of tears accumulated in her eyes, hearing her cousin.
"No, it was just a dream. You see, I...I was sleeping. This was all a dream right." Tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw Mahi shaking her head in denial.
"It wasn't. It wasn't a dream. You fainted after seeing them together. It wasn't a dream." Aadhya shook her head vigorously not trusting her words but soon saw her mother and Aditi coming inside.
"Maa..see Mahi is pranking me. I just saw a dream...It was....it was just a...." She fell on her knees and buried her face between her palms, sobbing.
"...a dream...please tell me it was just a bad nightmare I saw....please." Sheetal couldn't hold back her tears, seeing the state of her daughter while Aditi was fast enough to kneel down in front of her and hugged her.
"They can't do this to me. Ahaan,..Tara is my best friend...she can never do something like that and Ahaan, he loves me, bhabhi. It's...it's just a misunderstanding. I need to talk to them....please..." Aadhya mumbled between her hiccups while all the three women standing there closed their eyes, helplessly.
"Adhu, it wasn't a misunderstanding and neither it was a nightmare." Aditi mumbled, patting her back in order to calm her down.
"Aadhya.." She pulled out from Aditi's embrace and looked at her father who was standing at the doorstep with a teary gaze.
"Papa.." Getting up, not caring about her messed up state, she hugged her father.
"Shh...it's okay. Everything will be alright." He patted her back bur deep down, his heart clenched seeing her daughter crying. He imagined, her daughter crying happy tears at the time of her farewell but everything changed in split of seconds.
A few minutes later, he retreated his figure back and cupped her face to wipe off her tears. "Will you listen to what I'm going to say?" She was hesitant, she knew something was coming up.
"I won't marry Ahaan. I'd never, please don't ask me to marry him." She pleaded.
"I won't." She felt her heart at ease but widened her eyes in shock listening to his father's next words.
"But please, Marry Aayansh."
Aadhya yanked away his hands and stepped back, shaking her head.
"Aadhya listen-
"No, no no. I can't marry anyone. I don't want to marry anyone." She yelled, shaking her head vigorously, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What are you saying?" Sheetal asked her husband.
"I'm saying after a lot of thoughts. Me and Naveen talked about it and Aayansh, he have no problem with this."
"But I have." Aadhya protested.
"Aadhya.." Manish called her softly, stepping towards her.
"Please for both the families. The media is outside. A lot of guests, if this knews reached outside that the wedding is called off, it would be a huge loss for both the families. Our reputation is at stake." Manish said, while Aadhya looked at her in disbelief.
"You only care about your reputation, not about me." She said, wiping her tears harshly.
"That's not the case Aadhya. I want to see you happy. Aayansh is a good man. I'm not getting you married to anyone. I know Aayansh is Ahaan's elder brother but both of them aren't alike. I know, he's better than Ahaan, someone who'd respect you and keep you happy."
"Happy, I'm not even happy with this decision. How could you ask me to marry someone who's brother of the man, who cheated on me on my wedding day."
"I'm not changing my decision. Your wedding procession won't return. You won't be marrying Youngest son of Rajvanshi's but the elder one." Without hearing her response, Aadhya's father turned around to leave the room and wiped off his tears when he was completely out of the room.
And that's how, she was dolled up again but this time, without her wish, with a dead heart and no smile on her face.
Always imagining about having a grand wedding with lots of happiness and joy turned into a worst nightmare where she had to marry a man against her will, for the sake of the reputation of both the families. And the man was none other than the elder brother of someone who broke her heart into pieces but people around her weren't able to hear it, amidst the loud music of wedding.
To be continued:-
I hope you liked how this story started. Please leave your reviews and comments to let me know if you enjoyed the first part.