AUTHOR
The two had their gaze fixated on each other just like how everyone had theirs on them too. Aisha made her way to the stage where Aadvik came forward to help her get up on the stage.
He forwarded a hand to her, taking it she tried to make her way up to the two stairs placed in front of her but her lehenga kept slipping under her heels.
Aadvik bent his back, took all the extra cloth in his free hand lifting it up to help her. She smiled in a thank you as they walked towards and sat on the small loveseat in the middle.
They took a seat and immediately a crowd of women, headed by Rachna made their way over. All of their hands were teaming with gifts and baskets. They walked up to the couple and started the rasam, each giving gifts like jewellery, fruits, sweets, makeup and other things to Aisha as a symbol of accepting her into the family.
Aisha laughed seeing Niya struggle at taking out the necklace from its box as all the aunties yelled from diffrent directions for how to do it.
"Niya usse side se twist karo! " one aunty yelled from the side making Niya even more angry.
"Kaha se kisko kaise twist karu?!" She yelled back irritated by it all.
Luckily Ruhi came in saving the day and helped her get the necklace out and on her neck safely, though Niya did almost choked Aisha as she tightened the piece but Aadvik jumped up and saved her loosening the string on the back.
"Tujhe sachme meri biwi se kuch problem hai" he said to Niya pinching her bare skin from her saree making her squeel.
Aisha felt her cheeks flaming up at his words. Biwi.
It was finally time for the actual ring ceremony, everyone except Niya and Ruhi, who stood at either side of the couple holding the rings, were shushed off the stage by Vedant.
Aadvik stood there, calmly waiting for Aisha to get ready mentally. She stood up after a moment, a smile decorating her face as Aadvik got her ring from Niya.
Holding her left hand in his hand he gave one last caress to her finger and slid the metal, warm from his hold onto her finger.
It was a promise, it was the symbol of unity between the two, it was the beggining of a new future.
He waved his finger over the ring, looking at it with admiration and a small smile.
She repeated his actions sliding his ring past the knuckles.
They met each other's gaze with nothing but happiness, their rings glistening under the setting sun.
The moment broke as everyone around clapped and shouted around them, Vedant came up running like a child and took the two into a hug.
Next, everyone came up on the stage for pictures, congratulating the couple and wishing them happiness. After a bit when the sun hit horizon the entire family came into a huddle for a group picture.
AADVIK
As we took the family photo my eyes travelled behind the photographer towards Aisha's mom. She looked at all of us with a look of disgust covering her face, by everything I've heard and seen the woman doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but herself. Even today, not once have I seen her smile at or talk to her own daughter. She didn't even come up to us to congratulate us, it was evident from Aisha's eyes, the hurt when her own mother after seeing that she would have to wait a bit to come on the stage went back muttering that she didn't have the time to wait. Wait for what? Being a part of your own daughter's happiness?
My trance broke as Maa stood in front of us, keeping on hand on either of our faces,
"Mere baccho ko kabhi nazar naa lage, humesha khush rehna." She said as her eyes brimmed with tears.
Aisha instantly came into action, hugging Maa.
"Maa ro kyu rahe ho!" She asked.
"Khushi ke aasoon" Maa claified making Aisha's eyes fill with tears too.
When Niya finally allowed us to get off the stage, we went towards the huddle of youngsters standing right near the food as always.
Kunal stood with Niya, his hand on her waist while some other friends and colleagues of ours stood with them as well as Vedant and Ruhi.
I gave Kunal a look to take his hand off but his grip tightened on Niya's waist pulling her closer to spite me.
Aisha, who beside me shook her head in a chuckled looking at our exchange.
I introduced Aisha to the members of the group, there stood Ishaan Malhotra, my only friend during collage, Shivay Roy, my right hand in business and our company's CFO and some others who weren't as important.
She stood there with a genuine smile towards everyone and talked to them as if she's known them forever. It's astonishing how friendly and open she was towards the people around her, never for even a second had I seen hate in her eyes, even those who've hurt her, she only had sorrow but never hate in them.
Meanwhile, one wrong move in front of me and you'd regret it your whole life.
Ishaan's wife, Tara joined us soon after. They had a 7 month old daughter, that I must admit was pretty cute. Aisha got into conversation with her very easily as always, Tara told her about their daughter.
"Can I please see pictures?!" Aisha squeeled making everyone laugh at her enthusiasm. Tara laughed and obeyed turning her phone's screen towards her. The picture on the screen made Aisha smile harder than I've ever seen. She continued asking Tara about why she didn't bring baby Kiara today and saying that if the baby wasn't at the wedding she would refuse to get married. I frowned, offended by her statement but I quickly changed my expressions back.
My fiancee continued burying Tara in questions about baby Kiara, saying how cute Kiara is. I didn't know my soon to be wife was so attached to children, even ones she'd never met. It interested me more than it should, just like everything else that shouldn't interest me but did. I was technically only in this relationship because I had no other choice but now it was different.
Every smile, every laugh filled my chest with warmth. Every touch sparked fire.
AISHA
I saw my mother staring at me from across the garden where she sat with Mrs.Sinha, a close business acquaintance of both our families and Kunal's mom. My father stood in the corner answering calls on his phone, his demeanour, his eyes, his posture all signified that he was drunk. I started to notice the signs when I was ten, they came in even after just one drink. This man's ability to do everything but be a good father when drunk would always be astonishing to me. He could be screaming at us, unable to stand from intoxication but the second he got a call it was like a mask slipped on.
We didn't have alcohol or a bar today, we wouldn't the entire wedding except for the reception but my dad was still drunk meaning he had drank before even coming here. It nagged at me just like it did when I was a child. Luckily I was dragged out of my thoughts as the photographer asked us to come for the couple shots.
We were guided to the roof of the house where the sun was setting right in front of us.
The hues of the sky embraced the blues of our outfits as we placed ourselfs as the photographers guided.
I stood in front of Aadvik, my back to his. My body clashed with his with the sudden tremble of my heels. Heat exploded my body, reacting to the clash.
He slightly held my waist and supported me back up, "dhyaan se Isha." He commanded resting his hands on my waist.
It felt nice, even though we'd stood close to each other we'd never been this close. This was diffrent this proximity was for the first time, his warm hands on my bare waist stood as a reminder of his presence as the cameras clicked with several shutters.
We were told to change the poses and were placed to face each other. My arms looped around his neck as his circled my waist, his thumb on the side not facing the camera made slow circles on my skin leaving a trail of hotness as it moved.
The pictures taken today were more of a necessity than a choice. We needed the pictures for the engagement announcement which made me more annoyed than I cared to admit. I wanted them for my memory. We'd taken the announcement ones in the first shot but I needed more.
Even after the cameras stopped their shuttering we both stood there, his eyes captured in mine. The world ended and began in those moments. I felt one thing and one thing only. Peace.
His forehead dipped to mine just as his eyes asked for permission. I gave a small nod granting the former.
He leaned further as my head tilted up until his lips set into mine. The hot firmness in them met my cold soft ones and fit like a puzzle.
I tightened my arms looped around him further, making my head tilt more giving him full access.
His teeth grazed my bottom lips pulling it taut. He kissed like a man hungry, he kissed like a man starved until my tongue met his lips demanding entry and out tongues glided against each other.
"You're going to be the death of me" Aadvik pulled away for a second making me smile proudly against the kiss.
The world grew hazy around us as he took the lead. If it wasn't for the firm hold on my waist my knees would've given up and made me fell the second those lips landed on mine.
The camera shuttered one last time making us come out of the bubble, we sepereated our faces. Red hues covered the cheekbones on his face while I was sure I was as colourful as a tomato.
"That was one of the best shots! Thought probably not India appropriate." The photographer added. Aadvik had his hands to himself now just like me as the man in front of us scrolled on his camera.
Niya then came up asking us to come down with the photographer for some other pictures, the photographer soon after continued after her while we stood there rooted to the ground.
The roof was empty when I finally looked over to see Aadvik, his hair haphazard from my hands running through them, my lipstick stained his face leaving my mark.
I would've laughed at his condition if it hadn't been me who did it. The man who always had his hair perfectly placed and his face speck free now stood there like this on his own engagement no less.
I took out the handkerchief housed in my lehenga's pocket and swiped it across his lips until they were spotless and then gestured to his hair.
We'd not spoken a word since the kiss. The silence wasn't awkward or scary but peaceful.
He quickly ran hands through his hair until I nodded confirming it was okay. He bent down one last time, giving me a small peck before holding my hand and guiding us both back downstairs.
Aadvik and I made out way through the people, the crowd was small, only 20-30 people from family and close friends attended but it still took a while. His hand rested on my waist pulling me to him the entire time and I didn't shy away from resting my head against his arm as the evening turned night.
My dad and mom came up to us before leaving, congratulating us with their fake oily smiles. Don't get me wrong at one point I loved those smiles and still do to some extent but right now with my future ahead I wanted nothing more than leave that fakeness behind.
"Are you gonna drink like this at the wedding too?" I asked my father cutting straight to the chase.
I felt as Aadvik's hand tightened on my waist ensuring support.
"Aisha, that is no way to talk to your fath-" my mother was cut off before she could finish.
"I might." His answer straight to the point.
That was it. That was all I needed. Tension rilled up my chest as I stood anchored to the ground, my father looking at me like he's said nothing.
Aadvik's hand moved from my waist to rub my back grounding me back to reality.
I said nothing as I left the three alone and mobed towards the main house.