When I entered my room Kali and Sahika were already there. They started teasing me saying things like, "your little fight this morning made your bond even stronger, didn't it?" or "do you still have almond shaped eyes or are they heart shaped now?".
I told them that we had confessed our love tonight and they were not at all shocked to know that. According to them it was inevitable. Sahika even mentioned that she knew we were made for each other since college.
So were we the only ones who couldn't see it? Maybe. She said we were the perfect example of opposites attract.
Next morning I sat on the breakfast table with Neil as we kept murmuring sweet nothings to each other. My parents gave me wide smile when they saw us together.
At the haldi ceremony I stood at the stage holding chunri above Yakshi's head and he kept eyeing me the whole time as if it was me who was supposed to be the centre of his attraction and not his own sister.
After haldi, we went to change from our brown dresses (according to Yakshi's colour pallet guests wore brown to haldi while she and the groom, Nihal wore yellow) into blue dresses (blue for the guests and pink for herself, this colour pallet is driving me crazy) for gharwa.
Gharwa is again a Marwari function between the bride and her maternal aunt where the aunt gifts the bride some nose and toe jewellery.
But before changing into clothes for gharwa, Neil pulled me into his room and we clicked a few couple selfies. If a few months ago someone had told me that I would be taking cute couple selfies with Neil, I would have slapped that person and called it cliché.
But right now in this moment with him, everything felt so real and so good that I want nothing more in this world. During the gharwa I stood next to Neil and he explained me all the rituals that were happening on the stage.
His aunt made a small comment about me being Punjabi and not understanding their rituals to which he replied that it's okay if I didn't understand or learn them because he is ready to learn all the Punjabi rituals for me. In that moment my love for him increased.
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Yakshi requested me to get ready with her for the wedding ceremony so that I can instruct the makeup artist and make sure that she ends up looking exactly like she wanted to. So that is exactly what I am doing right now.
I was pleating my dupatta when the bell rang so I hung it over my shoulder as it was and went to open the gate. It was Neil. He looked at me from top to toe and ten took a deep breath as if taking me in.
"Hey", I said to him while gesturing him to come in. He was already ready in his kurta set.
"Hi popcorn", he replied with a smile.
Then he leaned down gave me a kiss on the cheek before entering the room.
He went to Yakshi and sat beside her, "Can't believe I am going to invite the groom for my little sister's wedding, you grew up too fast Yakshi." Neil said and petted a hand Yakshi's head.
I got a little emotional after hearing those words and some of our memories from school college flashed through my mind. But when I gained I found little drops of tears forming on the waterline of Yakshi's eyes. So I did what I do best. I distracted them.
"Okay, babies no crying and Neil please save your emotional speech for her Vidai or you will spoil her makeup.", I said making both of them laugh.
I decided to leave the siblings alone and continue getting ready, but the next thing that came out of Yakshi's mouth shocked me. "Bhai Ashu was just saying she needed someone's help for her dupatta, now that you are here would you please."
My eyes widened, "When did I-". I couldn't finish my sentence before Neil stood up from his chair and turned to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "of course Yakshi. Whatever you say.", He said to his sister.
Neil grabbed me by the elbow and took me to the other corner of the room. When we reach the said corner I expected him to remove the dupatta off my shoulder but instead he removed his from my elbow and asked, "May I?"
"You are taking my permission?", I said in a shock state. That came totally unexpected. He was now my real boyfriend and boyfriends don't ask for permission for such things. Do they?
"I will always take your permission Ashu. For everything.", he said with a glint in his eyes and a genuine smile on his face.
"Thank you Neil", I said being genuinely thank god that I got such a gentleman as my boyfriend. "And yes, you may", I say to him removing the dupatta and handing it to him.
He looks at me again from top to toe like he did at the door and says, "You look better without it, but only for me.", his words make me blush and he starts pleating the dupatta while I start adoring him.
How did I get so lucky in life?
"I am the lucky one in this relationship popcorn.", He replied to my thoughts still focused on my dupatta.
"Did I just say that out loud?"
"Yes you did, but its good, Because I want you to speak everything you have in that little head of yours. You don't have to hide any of your feelings from me. Got it?", this time he was looking straight in my eyes.
"Yes", I answered looking straight into his eyes as well.
Then he helped me put the dupatta on my shoulder and pin it nicely before giving a kiss on my other cheek."So I am going to the groom's side for some rituals and it is going to take around an hour. Don't miss me too much", He said.
"I will try my best not too.", the earlier Ashu would have mocked him for such lame fliting I guess.
He said goodbye to me and Yakshi and left the room. I returned to the dressing table with a huge smile when Yakshi pointed out that I was blushing so hard, I didn't need makeup. That made me blush harder.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When I reached the hall, my eyes started searching of Neil instantly but Rahul approached me and told Neil isn't here yet. Then Riya came up to me with a wide smile and three of us started to have a conversation.
"You are looking so pretty bhabi", Riya said to me. That bhabi. These two have been calling me bhabi since the functions started and it makes me blush every time, even now when Neil is not around.
"Of course she is Riya. She always looks pretty.", I hear the silky voice I have fallen in love with and turn around to find Neil standing just behind me.
"I bet, bhabi is looking prettier than Yakshi di. I wonder how will she look on her wedding.", Riya replied to Neil. But this conversation is definitely going in the wrong direction.
"Well, I want to look at Neil's expression, when she first sees Ashika in her bridal outfit.", Rahul says teasing Neil. I expect Neil to stop them but he seems to be enjoying my flustered state.
The two of them continue to tease us when I see Sahika and Kali approaching us and I signal them through my eyes to save me.
"I wonder what amount should I ask from Neil jiju in exchange for his shoes on his wedding.", Sahika said keeping her elbow on Neil's shoulder and making him blush.
"And I wonder what he will do when Yash (my cousin) and Raghav (my college friend) will pick Ashu and he won't be able to do varmala.", Kali is the one poking Neil this time.
Just like that the tables have turned and now Neil is the one blushing and getting awkward while I am enjoying the scene.
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hey readers
So this was the final chapter of OPPOSITES ATTRACT. But I have a surprise for you guys, I am going to upload one epilogue for each new reader I gain on this story before 15th april.
So if you guys want to read more about Neil and Ashu, share wisely.
Keep voting and supporting
Also, I will start posting my next story once I gain 250 votes on this story. The epilogues will give you hints about the new story.
Hope you liked Ashika and Neil